As we mentioned previously, we headed for the Adventures in Travel Expo several days ago, and were pleased to see how many companies and destinations are thinking more about families. Families with older children are being urged to get active together, and those with tots are increasingly being given childcare options so that those more adventurous trips needn’t wait several more years.

Of all the operators we came across, the one that excited us the most was WAC Travel, a luxury adventure company that has designed several breathtaking trips for families. First, their family trips don’t feel like something thrown together just to tie into a trend. All of their trips, family and otherwise, were clearly well thought out, and they’ve already been vetted by the company’s owners and several clients, with the promise of excitement and pampering for all ages traveling.

We also like that their trips cover some vast terrain and climates. Snow bunnies will get a kick out the dog-sledding trip in Vermont, while those with a yen for farther and warmer shores might prefer the Ruins, Rainforest and Reefs package in Honduras.

All of WAC’s itineraries are personalized; they’ve devised a framework for each destination but what you do and don’t include is ultimately up to you. Travel dates are customized too: call today about an itinerary you like and you could be out the door tomorrow. Which reminds us of another thing we love: the prices. No, they’re not cheap, and they are just estimates, but they’re air-inclusive estimates, which gives you a better sense of what your final outlay will be. Drool over their website where a peek at the destinations, accommodations and activities they’ve put together will get you in the mood to start planning your next trip.

Kipling & Clark, a company specializing in customized private luxury trips to Greater China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India-Bhutan, has launched a new division, Family Luxury Expeditions, for those traveling with children. According to founder and president Randy Lynch, “My wife and I have been traveling throughout Asia with our 7-year old daughter since she was a toddler, and every city we’ve been to in Asia has been warmly welcoming of our family. Many of the Buddhist-based and Confucian-centered Asian cultures fully embrace the family ideal and consider children national treasures; this love for children is fully displayed while interacting with visiting families.”

Lynch notes that the division was borne out of high client demand for “high-end, high-touch, personalized journeys that the entire family can enjoy together.” Trips include stays at child-friendly 5-star resorts whose activities for children include things like yoga, art classes, and visits to local schools, and tours can include visits to temples, stops at local schools, and luxury rafting trips. As would be expected, trips offer the requisite downtime to relax, nap and recharge, but all trips can be customized based on a family’s interests and needs.

Kipling & Clark, 800.354.3404

copyright, The Resort at Paws Up

If your daughter is a fan of The Saddle Club,  or your son has held onto cowboy aspirations, or you never got over the fact that Santa didn’t bring the damn horse you asked for (we didn’t),  one of the luxury equestrian tours rounded up over at Forbestraveler.com might just be the trip of a lifetime for all of you.

With no skimping on the luxury aspect, these outfitters aren’t just offering just some good old trail-riding followed by a night in a so-so bunk. If you’re on the Aravalli Hill Ride offered by Ghenerao Safari Tours, for instance, you’ll be riding through villages, archaeological sites and farms of Rajasthan, India by day, while spending your evenings in palaces and small mansions that have been converted to historic “heritage” hotels. A bonus? The hotels’ aristocratic owners often live on site and will appear, as the Ghenerao Safari Tours website says, “to bore you with tales of their glorious family history.” (Um, we think something got lost in translation, but we get the drift…)

These top 10 luxury equestrian tours are all over the world, so if India isn’t on your current list of must-visits, how does France, Montana, Chile or China sound? Those are just examples: for the full article with all top ten, click here.