Family holiday tips

All parents and carers know that getting children to wear sunscreen (and sunhats) can be enough to finish us all off. However, the reality is that as other forms of cancer are on the decrease, melanoma is on the rise. Sadly, this is often because we did not protect ourselves as children. It is getting easier to find environmentally friendly sunscreens which have the recommended 30 SPF AND the necessary active ingredients to protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. These are titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and avobenzone. If it’s all aloe vera and nothing else, leave it on the shelf. The advantage of these creams is that they don’t harm the marine environment either.

If you are hiking in summer, be wary of ticks. Carry tweezers so you can remove carefully, apply a deterrent and then sun cream afterwards.

Make sure you all stay hydrated. It is hard to get kids to drink water sometimes, but they won’t realise how much they need it when walking, cycling or even just hanging out at the beach. Even if the sun isn’t shining. Consider hydration backpacks, style CamelBak, so that they have water on them at all times.

The bottled water thing is a big con in many countries, where water is perfectly safe to drink. Check with local people whether tap water is actually drinkable or not. In remote wilderness areas, don’t drink from the rivers. Even if they are glacial and gorgeous, they can be a source of bacteria.

Check if rabies is an issue in the country you are visiting, especially as children love to pet animals.

If you or your children have any particular health needs, always tell your guide if you are on a small group holiday.

• Ask about the experience and training of your adventure leaders or instructors. A responsible adventure company will profile them in detail on their website. See our Family Adventures Holiday guide for more health and safety details, regarding specific adventures.
• Make sure you wear appropriate clothing when out and about with families. Not just sun hats, but layers in the mountains, suitable footwear (no flip flops hiking please),helmets and hi-vis for cycling and so on.
• If you are walking or cycling independently be prepared with maps, compass, rain gear, pocketknife, basic first aid kit, matches and a whistle. You can buy mini emergency kits on eBay for a tenner. Write down the local emergency numbers before you set out, including mountain rescue, if relevant. And always tell someone where you are going. Make sure your mobile phone is charged too.
• Check the weather forecast before you set out; if you are in the mountains, turn back if the weather turns bad – or take shelter if in doubt. The World Meteorological Organisation is excellent.
• Inform yourself in advance about any dangers from wildlife and don’t let your kids wander too far ahead if there are animals such as bears about. If you are on a guided wildlife trip, always do what your guide says – it goes without saying really, as these are wild animals, and not to be cuddled or cooed over. And you may be desperate to get a photo, but trust us. Or, more importantly, trust your guide. Watching animals in the wild is one place where the customer is NOT always right.