Fascinating Ideas For Your Next Family Holiday

Family trips don't have to be boring or tasteless. Families can do many exciting things together when going on holiday. Let's take a look at a few really good ideas!

Snorkeling In Vanuatu

Santo influenced writers such as James A. Michener, who based his award-winning novel, 'Tales of the South Pacific,' on his experiences here during WWII. When the US army established a base here, they also left behind a unique snorkeling and diving site. Army equipment worth several millions of dollars was sentenced to a watery grave not up to 30 meters from the shore over 70 years ago in an area now popularly called 'Million Dollar Point.'

Visitors can now snorkel over tractors, jeeps, machinery, and crates of old coke bottles, among other things. A truly unique snorkeling experience is watching the brightly colored fish swim through and around machinery that has been submerged just a couple of meters underwater.

Why was it thrown away? When the war ended, there was not enough space to take both equipment and men back to the United States, and there were concerns about the economic implications if a ton of former military equipment landed on the black market.

At the time, the US government offered the then-joint French-English government the equipment, but they were turned down. They reasoned that if they stalled, the US Army would abandon it regardless. However, the United States Army decided that it would be better to sink it than let it all go for free. They allegedly put bricks on the accelerating pads, let go of the handbrakes, and let them down a ramp into the sea.

There's a lot more equipment in the area than bright coral, but that's one of the exciting things! Furthermore, an hour's drive down a beautiful tree-lined highway leads you to Port Olry which is known for its aqua waters and white sand. Port Olry offers excellent snorkeling opportunities, though this snorkeling is limited.

Going Treasure Hunting With Your Family In The United States

What exactly is geocaching? Geocaching is a global treasure hunt game where players use GPS, phones, or tablets to find containers (a.k.a caches) all over the world. Some of the caches are petite and can only take rolled-up notes, while others are big enough to contain collectibles that can be exchanged for something of yours.

Over 3 million geocaches exist, hidden in different places around the world. Some of the locations in the US have turned it into a more fun experience by holding geo-tours that allow visitors to combine both travel and geocaching so vacations can be enjoyed even more. Taking a geo-tour reflects the best these destinations have to offer.

• In Florida, there's a geo tour that shows the 71 award-winning trails and state parks. It's designed to enthrall tourists with its beautiful scenery and recreation opportunities, educate children and strengthen family bonds. Geo-tours tracking sheets can be downloaded, and they're suitable for both kids and adults. 

• A donut trail geo-tour has been created in Butler county, which tours 15 different stops across the county in Ohio. Trackable coins are available as regards finishing the 'passport'. This is available for download before leaving.

•  In the Texas Baytown area, there's a geo-tour around the stunning waterways. It's designed to fascinate you as you learn interesting surprises and facts on the journey.

Over 39 geo-tours exist for you to pick from in the United States alone, and more than 1.3 million geocaches in the North American continent. Your only dilemma may be deciding which geo-tour to join. To start the process, simply download the geocache app for your mobile device and browse the official geocaching website to find a suitable geo-tour and organize your trip.

Locating Queensland Sapphires 

As a parent, you've probably been handed a plain old rock from your kid with strict instructions to keep it carefully because it's 'special.' Now is your chance to find 'rocks' that not only your kids would find valuable. You get to find glittering Sapphires in Queensland, and we assure you it's a lot of fun.

Sapphires can be found in abundance in the gem fields surrounding the towns of Sapphire and Rubyvale in Central Queensland. The process of locating the Sapphires is known as gem fossicking. Join a tour that allows you to learn gem fossicking basics by using the equipment of providers, and you can call it quits at any time of the day. This is a splendid way for the whole family to learn how fossicking works.

Families will begin by selecting a shovel or pick and filling a bucket with 'wash,' a layer of stony gravel beneath the topsoil that varies in depth from location to location. After much larger rocks that aren't likely to be gems are taken away, the rocks with more potential are dropped into a sieve and gently shaken under water, so grime and dirt can be displaced. Afterward, the leftover content is then dropped onto a cloth or hessian piece. As you go over the small rocks, you may very well notice that you're a new sapphire owner.

Generally, adults can take their time, while kids just enjoy the chance to dig in the dirt for the promise of treasure. A lot of families have great sentiments concerning jewelry made with gems they discovered themselves. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy an exciting and satisfactory activity with your family!