1. TouchPlaying with sand is a great way for young children to refine their hand-eye coordination as it is a highly sensory material, with a changeable texture. Encourage your toddler to grab, scoop, sift and dig through sand, adding water or using

food at St Ives, picture-book fishing villages like Mousehole, boat trips from Penzance, plus the big attractions of Land’s End and St Michael’s Mount. Distil everything that is magical about a family holiday in Cornwall – from surf, sand and rock pools

Sand is usually associated with the stuff you get next to the ocean, but the allure of this grainy gold doesn’t get much better than on a dune or desert adventure. Camel treks, thrilling 4x4 rides and Bedouin camps under the stars are just some

, belly dancing, sand sculpting, evening Arabian camping and even learning a little Arabic. Over-12s can take their pick from great watersports, such as Hobie Cat lessons, or shoot basketball hoops. Seasons In Style offers seven nights in an Arabian Court

With the school holidays now upon us many families will be excitedly awaiting a summer jaunt to distant shores, seeking a relaxing break from work, school and the daily grind. Alongside dreams of white sands and exotic cocktails, many parents

. A guide will even take children through the gardens of Gondwana to learn all about the local animals, looking out for tracks and, er… animal dung. After an exhilarating few days tracking the white lions, families can head to the white sands

for a perfect day at the beach is roughly two parts sand to one part people, then head for Shanklin Beach – it’s a more sedate alternative to the busy resorts at Ventnor, Ryde and Sandown. Here Joel, our four-year-old, was always in sight as he paddled

the children run around on the sand. Even the sightseeing is child-friendly, from tombs and archaeological digs to rocky gorges and paddling in mountain streams, and the good news is that a lot of it costs very little. All you need is a hire car – and driving

magazine for three years on the trot from 2004–6, sadly we found our meal rather disappointing, saved only by the view and enchanting effect of watching Bangkok’s neon lights twinkling in the night sky.Alarm clock set good and early, we roused the following

There are loads of good reasons to visit Vietnam: the 3,200km coastline of glorious beaches, cities fizzing with excitement, the plentiful shopping opportunities and the beautiful natural scenery. But I don’t travel for any of those things. I travel