TRAVELLING WITH THREE GENERATIONS
A holiday shared by three generations means that planning often goes into hyperdrive as you try to balance needs and desires across such vast age ranges. Major factors are physical capabilities and mindset problems (among the silver seniors), while kids will have unmatched energy and low boredom thresholds when dragged along to the more cultural pursuits that the older generation might favour. Add to this the fact that older people generally have strong opinions formed over decades, and the need for a flexible plan becomes even more evident.
“I plan to ensure the holiday is good for both the age groups I’m catering to,” says Janice Goveas (see side bars on these pages to meet our collaborators). “I factor in downtime and the flexibility to drop things from the itinerary if they aren’t up to it. And, yes, both Mum and Aiden seem constantly to be going in two different directions, but it works out; I just have to help them find a balance.”
Manjulika Pramod, too, spends some time on ensuring that “everyone can have their share of fun. For instance, my Dad loves road trips, but my mom does not, and my husband prefers just chilling to sightseeing. I make sure there’s something for everyone to see and enjoy.” “I try to incorporate everyone’s likes during the trip,” agrees Karen Alfonso Kotikalapudi. “My parents enjoyed their first international trip to Thailand with my then one-year-old because
