The kids are all right

Mia Bella Cole, eight

Ilove going on holiday. I’ve gone on holiday to Switzerland and England. When I lived in England, I also came to Malta on holiday. The best thing about going abroad is seeing different things you can’t see in Malta and other countries. For example, in Malta there are no lakes like there are in Switzerland and in England there’s no hot weather like there is in Malta.

One of my favourite holiday activities was going to the Funky Fun House

Good activities for when you’re abroad with children are shopping and going to fun places. I love shopping for clothes, toys and stationery when I go abroad. My favourite shopping outings are to Toys R Us, John Lewis, trying out the iPad at the Apple Store, and buying and eating fudge from the Fudge Factory in England.

I also enjoy going to exciting places. One of my favourite holiday activities was going to the Funky Fun House in England – it had big slides and an eight-loop shoot. I also loved both the Swiss Zoo in Switzerland and the Shepreth Wildlife Park in England. It’s also fun to try out different modes of travel – trains are great and it’s lovely to travel by boat, like the Gozo ferry.

As for places to stay, it’s fun to stay with family, especially if you have family abroad – but hotels are great too. We stayed at our granny’s in the UK and I really enjoyed the parties we had there. We also stayed in a hotel in both England and Switzerland. Hotels are cool because you get room service.

You can go to hotels in Malta too and have a mini holiday there. For example we’ve been for breakfast as well as swimming in the big pools in hotels here. You also get to see amazing decorations in some hotels like one I saw which was made of wine bottles lined up on top of each other and also massive chandeliers which can light up the whole table.

And let’s not forget about food. When I go abroad I love to go to places like vegetarian restaurants and eat cakes, toasted sandwiches, pasta and ice cream.

I quite enjoy packing. Mum tells me what I need to pack, for example, four long-sleeved tops and two nice dresses, and then I decide which ones I want to take. I also enjoy going to the airport. I get really excited because I know I’m going to see a new place.

I really want to go to Sweden to see the Ice Hotel, to Iceland, to Australia because it’s such a big country and you can see different things like waterfalls, jungles and big shopping malls, and Egypt to see the pyramids.

Mia Bella’s advice to parents

• Don’t pack too much stuff.
• Do not lose your children.
• Go to nice places.
• Don’t take long trips unless you’re travelling with big kids.

Greet the parents

Andre Delicata, 30

Andre Delicata has been to six countries with his parents: Scotland, Norway, London, Italy, Canada and Alaska. He travels with them because they propose to go to a place that’s different and offers plenty to see and explore.

My mother is the one who instilled in me a love of travel

Andre’s passion for experiencing new places comes from his mother.

“My mother is the one who instilled in me a love of travel – she used to teach geography and thinks travel not only broadens the mind but also enriches your experience of the world,” he explains.

Although Andre’s dad isn’t such a big fan of travelling, they normally manage to persuade him to come with them and he always ends up being pleasantly surprised.

Andre has travelled with his mum without has dad on two occasions: a London theatre trip, where they spent every evening at the West End, and when they went to Canada’s West Coast and took a cruise around Alaska.

“That was, hands down, one of the best holidays of my life,” he says. Family matters kept dad at home so he got to go instead of him.

“It was almost completely paid for by my mum, so I wasn’t complaining. Although we’re so alike we sometimes bicker. Still, I enjoy travelling with my parents because we have similar tastes and enjoy the same sort of attractions and scenery. Every new place makes for a great experience, so I never turn down an offer if they propose we travel together,” notes Andre, wisely.

Andre enjoyed travelling with his parents as a child and still does now because he’s much more involved in the decision-making and they tend to take his suggestions on board.

“I’ve become more adventurous than they are now, so sometimes I travel alone, with friends or with my girlfriend because we’d want to visit a place that my parents aren’t too keen on. But Mum and I have a bucket list – we’ve been cursing the Middle Eastern crisis for the past few years now, because it’s put us off booking a Nile cruise. I’m dying to see the pyramids.”

Andre’s most memorable trip?

“Definitely Canada and Alaska – absolutely stunning scenery and wildlife. Photo-shopped postcards do not do it justice – the real thing is even better. It gave me a true picture of how great and wonderful our planet is.”

So, what’s the advantage of travelling with your parents?

“Apart from enjoying their company, they pay for quite a lot of the expenses.”

And the downside?

“When they forget I’m 30 years old and treat me like I’m 10.”

Andre’s tips for travelling with parents

• Plan well beforehand and make sure you’re clear with what you want.

• Make sure you discuss practical things such as budgets and choice of places to visit and activities to do.

• Establish boundaries and remind them you might need alone time occasionally. The freedom to do your own thing while being on holiday with others is very important.