

Africa & Middle East family holidays
Overview
A hugely disparate and compelling part of the world, Africa and the Middle East offers the scope for all kinds of family holidays with children of all ages, featuring everything from wild waterparks, family-friendly diving resorts and futuristic cities to wildlife safaris and desert adventures.

Things to do with kids in Africa and the Middle East
North Africa
Within easy reach of the UK, Egypt is well suited to 2-centre holidays taking in first the Pyramids and other remnants of ancient cultures then indulging in some watersports at a Red Sea resort.
Egypt's nearish-neighbours in North Africa, Morocco and Tunisia, both also offer family-friendly beach resorts alongside the opportunity for adventurous excursions.
Africa
To the south, Africa’s family holiday highlights are Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar, Zambia and South Africa. In each, the mixture of wildlife-filled wilderness and gorgeous beaches makes for idyllic family holidays combining adventure with relaxation, while the lack of jet-lag for families holidaying here is a real boon.
Middle East
Jordan, buffeted on all sides by conflicts, is not an obvious choice, but kids will never forget living the life of desert nomads, walking in the steps of Moses, scrambling over the ruins of ancient civilisations and swimming in the Dead Sea.
Dubai in the UAE couldn’t be more different – the world’s most modern city, it changes by the minute and offers hectic holidays based around souks and malls, waterparks, desert camel rides and some of the world’s most outlandish hotels, though it also has some child-friendly beaches if you need time out.
Bordering the UAE, Oman is less known as a family holiday destination, but guaranteed good weather, natural wonders, beautiful beaches, friendly people, ancient forts, stunning palaces, deserts, souks, wadis and oases, and some great resort hotels make it an exceptional choice.
Discover Abu Dhabi, a major filming location for ‘Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens’, and combining beaches, theme parks, desert adventures, wildlife and ancient forts with vast shopping malls and fantastically family-friendly luxury hotels.
Eat
Food varies widely across this vast region, but if you can't persuade the kids to sample some of the wonderful local fare, larger cities across Africa and the Middle East offer familiar international cuisine, as do family-friendly resorts and hotels.
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