Family holidays are all about sharing experiences and memories, even it's just about how your little brother insisted on travelling around the Algarve in his Spiderman costume, or Dad getting so irate at the traffic in Pisa that he crashed the car and used words you never thought he knew. Away from the Med, perhaps you remember the children's faces when they first saw the lions in Kenya, or Mum's face when confronted with Space Mountain at Disneyworld. It could just be, though, that the family holiday map is expanding to cover destinations that you might not have considered.

For example, you might have thought that seeing Machu Picchu was one of those bucket-list items that you'd only tick off once the kids had left home; perhaps the same is true for Rio, the Iguazu Falls or the Amazon rainforest, but a range of new child-friendly tours from specialist operators such as RealWorld and a huge change in the quality and quantity of accommodation and transport options means that more and more people are looking at South America as a great family holiday destination.

It's hard to think of a destination which offers such a range of attractions and much-improved transport within the continent means that it's now easier than ever before to combine different areas and keep the whole family happy. So for example, if you've got a budding David Attenborough to accommodate, but his intrepid older sister insists on mountain-biking and llama-trekking in the Atacama Desert, and your partner is raving about the Uyuni Salt Flats while you could really do with at least a few days on the beach: no problem! In 2017 you can enjoy BA's new direct flight from London to Chile, travel up through Atacama and Uyuni, spend a few days exploring the Amazon, and then fly straight back home after a few days relaxation on the tropical beaches of Brazil! All in a time-frame and at a level of comfort which would have been almost impossible just a few years ago. As well as the new BA flights to Santiago in Chile, the past year has also seen the launch of direct flights from the UK to destinations in Peru and Colombia, to complement existing links to tourist favourites such as Rio and Buenos Aires.

“We know that getting kids and luggage through airports can be one of the most stressful parts of a family holiday, and the new direct flights to Peru, Chile and Colombia have really helped in that regard,” says Dan Clarke of South America specialists RealWorld. Expert knowledge also comes in handy when you're planning your itinerary, as only some hotels in South America offer accommodation such as family villas and suites, and all the other things which can go to make the perfect family holiday.

And if your kids are getting to the age where you think you might not all be holidaying together for that much longer, why not go for a trip that you can guarantee you'll all remember? Dan Clarke of RealWorld has his eye on the Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu for their last big family holiday: “I think those four days would be fantastic to experience as a family – I can anticipate some complaints from our eldest, but I'd love to see her expression when she sees the sun rise over Machu Picchu on the final morning!”

Family Holiday to Peru

RealWorld have a 14-day family holiday to Peru, including tours of Machu Picchu, the Amazon jungle and the Ballestas Islands. 2017 prices of £2450 per adult and £1990 per child include all accommodation, internal flights, tours, guides, transfers and most meals. International flights from most UK airports are available with klm.com from £500 including taxes.

For more details see http://www.realworldholidays.co.uk/peru/family-holiday.aspx or call 0113 262 5329.

Notes for Editors:

For more information and hi-res imagery for these itineraries please contact Dan Clarke at RealWorld on 0113 262 5329, or dan@realworldholidays.co.uk.