12 TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR FAMILY RAFTING VACATION THIS SUMMER

Author Information

Dirk Perry has 6 Published Articles

United States of America,
Dallas,
TX,
Kumsheen Rafting Resort P.O. Box 30,
Lytton, BC VOK 1Z0 Canada

12 TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR FAMILY RAFTING VACATION THIS SUMMER

Posted On : Aug-24-2011 | seen (275) times | Article Word Count : 852 |

It isn’t always easy to plan a fun, activity centered, exhilarating, and memorable summer holiday for the family.

It isn’t always easy to plan a fun, activity centered, exhilarating, and memorable summer holiday for the family. Here are tips to aid you in your planning.

Your best friends took their family whitewater rafting in BC last summer and everyone had a blast. Your friends told you all about it, their kids told your kids, so this summer it’s your turn to treat your family to an exhilarating whitewater rafting BC adventure.

You’ve been holding off because your kids were too young, but now that they are now old enough to enjoy river rafting you’ve promised them at least a weekend of whitewater rafting. Besides, you already have booked a few weeks’ vacation for July, and all that’s left is to choose a river and a professional whitewater rafting BC outfitter.

You could simply go with the same company that your neighbour selected since they found the river fantastic, but that company was not very kid-friendly.

Here are a cool baker’s dozen tips to help you plan a family whitewater rafting getaway this summer.

1. Close or far away? Decide if you want a remote, wilderness experience or an accessible, close-by river that you can get to in a few hours with your car. As a rule, the more remote the river, the more expensive the package.

2.Go online. Google search as many commercial river rafting companies as possible, including the one that your friends selected last year. Bookmark the ones that appeal to you. Get the kids involved in the planning process – they’re the true experts on the web. Narrow your selection to one or two professional rafting companies that stand out from the crowd. When searching, use terms like whitewater rafting BC if you are looking for a British Columbia whitewater rafting company for example.

3.Get answers. How long has the company been in business? Are they kid-friendly? What is their safety record? What amenities do they offer for kids and adults? Their website should clearly tell their story. Be sure to check their media page and read what the media has reported about them.

4.Narrow down your selection. Be sure that the river is suitable for everyone in your family. Is there a minimum age or weight restrictions? What is the grade of the river? How long has the whitewater rafting BC company operated trips on this river?

5.Not price alone. There is usually a good reason Company A charges more than Company B for the same or similar stretch of whitewater. Look closely at what is included. Are there any après rafting amenities? Do meals come with the package? Is lodging available? Some companies have invested back into their business to create amenities that increase the comfort level for their guests. Look for this.

6.Keep the family informed. Kids are much more likely to buy into the vacation if they are involved in the planning.

7.Secure Your Reservations. Are reservations required? Most activities require a deposit to hold reservations with the balance of fees due 30 days in advance. This is standard practice.

8.Check the Cancellation Policy. Read the fine print before you pay your deposit. Sometimes you lose a percentage or all of your deposit should you cancel or change dates. Know what happens if you cancel.

9.Pack What You Need. If your rafting adventure is only for a day or two you’ll pack different clothing and equipment than if you are staying for a week or more. Encourage the kids to pack their own bags with a checklist you or the outfitter has prepared.

10.Count the Days & build excitement. Have a calendar and a countdown to the holiday with your kids. Start a weekly, then a daily countdown, as you get closer.

11.It’s Vacation Time. Enjoy your adventure to the fullest. Having planned well, packed smartly, and selected the right adventure, you can now lay back and savour every moment of the adventure.

12.On the drive home. Take the time to discuss the holiday you’ve just shared with your family. Encourage everyone to choose the highlights of the vacation; the most interesting character they met, the best meal, the best activity, the best campfire, the most exciting moment.

13.Send an Email or Letter. Culminate the experience by sending the adventure operator an email or letter telling them the highlights that your family identified. Not happy about something? Point that out as well. A good operator will want to hear the good things and improve on those things that weren’t up to your expectations.

Re-Publish this Article

<h1>12 TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR FAMILY RAFTING VACATION THIS SUMMER</h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Dirk Perry.aspx'>Dirk Perry</a> It isn’t always easy to plan a fun, activity centered, exhilarating, and memorable summer holiday for the family. Here are tips to aid you in your planning.

Your best friends took their family whitewater rafting in BC last summer and everyone had a blast. Your friends told you all about it, their kids told your kids, so this summer it’s your turn to treat your family to an exhilarating whitewater rafting BC adventure.

You’ve been holding off because your kids were too young, but now that they are now old enough to enjoy river rafting you’ve promised them at least a weekend of whitewater rafting. Besides, you already have booked a few weeks’ vacation for July, and all that’s left is to choose a river and a professional whitewater rafting BC outfitter.

You could simply go with the same company that your neighbour selected since they found the river fantastic, but that company was not very kid-friendly.

Here are a cool baker’s dozen tips to help you plan a family whitewater rafting getaway this summer.

1. Close or far away? Decide if you want a remote, wilderness experience or an accessible, close-by river that you can get to in a few hours with your car. As a           rule, the more remote the river, the more expensive the package.

2.Go online. Google search as many commercial river rafting companies as possible, including the one that your friends selected last year. Bookmark the ones that         appeal to you. Get the kids involved in the planning process – they’re the true experts on the web. Narrow your selection to one or two professional rafting            companies that stand out from the crowd. When searching, use terms like whitewater rafting BC if you are looking for a British Columbia whitewater rafting              company for example.

3.Get answers. How long has the company been in business? Are they kid-friendly? What is their safety record? What amenities do they offer for kids and adults? Their     website should clearly tell their story. Be sure to check their media page and read what the media has reported about them.

4.Narrow down your selection. Be sure that the river is suitable for everyone in your family. Is there a minimum age or weight restrictions? What is the grade of the     river? How long has the whitewater rafting BC company operated trips on this river?

5.Not price alone. There is usually a good reason Company A charges more than Company B for the same or similar stretch of whitewater. Look closely at what is      included. Are there any après rafting amenities? Do meals come with the package? Is lodging available? Some companies have invested back into their business to      create amenities that increase the comfort level for their guests. Look for this.

6.Keep the family informed. Kids are much more likely to buy into the vacation if they are involved in the planning.

7.Secure Your Reservations. Are reservations required? Most activities require a deposit to hold reservations with the balance of fees due 30 days in advance. This is   standard practice.

8.Check the Cancellation Policy.  Read the fine print before you pay your deposit. Sometimes you lose a percentage or all of your deposit should you cancel or change   dates.  Know what happens if you cancel.

9.Pack What You Need. If your rafting adventure is only for a day or two you’ll pack different clothing and equipment than if you are staying for a week or more.   Encourage the kids to pack their own bags with a checklist you or the outfitter has prepared.

10.Count the Days & build excitement. Have a calendar and a countdown to the holiday with your kids. Start a weekly, then a daily countdown, as you get closer.

11.It’s Vacation Time. Enjoy your adventure to the fullest. Having planned well, packed smartly, and selected the right adventure, you can now lay back and savour    every moment of the adventure.

12.On the drive home. Take the time to discuss the holiday you’ve just shared with your family. Encourage everyone to choose the highlights of the vacation; the most    interesting character they met, the best meal, the best activity, the best campfire, the most exciting moment.

13.Send an Email or Letter. Culminate the experience by sending the adventure operator an email or letter telling them the highlights that your family identified. Not happy about something? Point that out as well. A good operator will want to hear the good things and improve on those things that weren’t up to your expectations.About the Author: Bernie Fandrich is a pioneer of the whitewater rafting industry in western Canada and founder of the Kumsheen Rafting Resort in Lytton, BC. He has been sharing his love of the river with the world since 1973. Bernie co-authored <a rel="nofollow" href="http://kumsheen.com/">Rafting BC</a>: Featuring the Lower Thompson River and is currently working on his latest project, a chronicle of river running and other events along the legendary Thompson River. Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_12-TIPS-FOR-PLANNING-YOUR-FAMILY-RAFTING-VACATION-THIS-SUMMER_76415.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_12 TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR FAMILY RAFTING VACATION THIS SUMMER_76415.aspx</a>

Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_12 TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR FAMILY RAFTING VACATION THIS SUMMER_76415.aspx

Author Resource :
Bernie Fandrich is a pioneer of the whitewater rafting industry in western Canada and founder of the Kumsheen Rafting Resort in Lytton, BC. He has been sharing his love of the river with the world since 1973. Bernie co-authored Rafting BC: Featuring the Lower Thompson River and is currently working on his latest project, a chronicle of river running and other events along the legendary Thompson River.

Keywords : Rafting BC, whitewater rafting BC, Thompson River, Lytton Rafting,

Category : Travel and Leisure : Vacations

Print this Article Send to Friend