To inspire your 2018, we’ve asked 6 Australian families who ‘prioritise travelling’ to tell us how and why they travel with kids. Evie and Emmie from Mumpack Travel is our first family.
Tell us a bit about your family.
Our family is me, Evie and my eight year old daughter Emmie. We’ve been traveling together since February 2016 and spent 18 months in Asia.
Where you are right now?
We’ve just arrived in Unawatuna in Sri Lanka on our very first family tour. We have 22 people with us – families from around the world – and we are taking them on an amazing 13 day adventure through one of our favourite countries.
Where have you traveled to as a family?
Emmie and I have travelled quite a bit in Asia – to China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Maldives, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. We lived in Vietnam for about four months and Emmie went to international school there. We’ve also been to France, England, Germany, Fiji, Barbados and America. And we’ve spent a lot of time in Disneylands around the world too.
Why have you made travel a priority?
For us its the best way to spend time together and it’s also the most affordable! We can travel in Asia for much less than it costs to live in Sydney. We both get to learn more about the world around us and have incredible experiences together like camping on the Great Wall of China, seeing wild elephants in Sri Lanka and Borneo or ziplining over waterfalls in Cambodia.
How do you afford to travel?
We rely on savings and use the rent we get from our home. I also sporadically make a little bit of money from social media.
Where is your favourite family holiday and why?
We have an old caravan down the south coast of NSW and we love spending time there when we are not on the road. We also love China, Cambodia and Sri Lanka – but really anywhere where we are together and exploring is good for us.
When traveling no parent should be without…
Definitely a bit of patience but mostly I think it’s important to be flexible and take opportunities as they come. Relax and have fun with your kids and don’t worry about sticking to a timetable or checking boxes. Sometimes magic comes when you change plans or least expect it.
If you could inspire other families to travel what would you say?
Nothing compares with sharing something for the first time with your kids. Our recent memories are not about rushing around at home trying to cram everything in, but are amazing experiences like seeing pygmy elephants on the Kinabatangan river at sunrise in Borneo, sharing a meal with a local family in Cambodia and riding the blue train through tea plantations in Sri Lanka. Family travel isn’t as difficult as people may think – it will be the best thing you’ve ever done.
Hot tip for readers
I’ve just started taking family trips to Sri Lanka with Carlie from Halpe Holidays and we’d love families to join us. They’re fabulous affordable adventures where we do all the work and you get to relax and enjoy time with your fam. Find out more on our website.
Evie Farrell
Follow them on Instagram – www.instagram.com/mumpacktravel
Follow them in Facebook – www.facebook.com/mumpacktravel
This article was published in Issue 26 of our print magazine, February/March 2018.
