• France The city that dressed Europe in pastel blue and became immensely rich
  • Ireland A route to discover the island of U2, James Joyce and Guinness

Many globetrotters will agree: traveling is the most intense way to learn. Alessandra Girardi, product manager of the Nuba travel agency, also subscribes to it. At the age of six, it was very clear to her that she wanted to be an archaeologist. "My father took me to the island of Delos, a sacred island with a Panhellenic shrine near Mykonos, and I spent a whole day participating in the excavations. Indeed, then I became an archaeologist," says this Italian based in Madrid who designs experiences in this agency specializing in tailor-made trips. Today Nuba is able to take you to Delos to experience the excavations first hand, "even spending the night there, something that is not allowed." It is part of one of those "experiences that transform and educate" for which there is more and more demand.

Hence, the latest proposal of these travel experts is a catalog of experiences to live as a family that adapt to the didactic itinerary of the children. "It is the first time that an agency in Europe, perhaps in the world, offers destinations based on the age of their clients' children, the subjects they study and their interests."

We are talking about a ten-year-old educational adventure plan around the world for children between the ages of 6 and 16 that adjusts, yes, to the circumstances of each family. "It's about making life easier for parents with trips that suit each age, their educational plan and their tastes, whether it's astronomy, art or Earth science. These trips serve to complete their educational journey."

For families with children aged 6 and 7, the agency proposes to visit New York and discover the mythical Museum of Natural Sciences, spend the night there, and learn about dinosaurs in the company of its researchers. Or go to Paris, and immerse yourself in a treasure hunt at the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay or the Palace of Versailles.

Dinosaur skeleton at the Museum of Natural Science in New York.

In Scotland, families could take a complete dive into the science and fascinating speculations of Loch Ness, accompanied by scientists studying sightings of Nessie, the famous monster said to inhabit the loch. You can also take advantage of the trip to explore the Highlands in 4x4 or participate in a wildlife reintroduction project...

Another sensational trip for animal lovers heads to Kenya, where you can participate in the rescue of an elephant in a pachyderm orphanage, and even adopt one. Also in Africa, future astronomers will be able to observe the darkest skies on the planet found in Namibia's Namib Desert.

Parents no longer want a 'kids club'

"Another experience I love is being able to record your favorite song in a professional recording studio in Los Angeles," adds Girardi. The expert says that studies support this travel approach. As a result of the pandemic and the fact that many parents spent more time with their children, many studies show that, above all, the millennial generation of parents no longerwant to take their children to a kids club and forget about them. They seem to care more and more about education in all the choices they make in their lives. "The demand for educational trips has risen more than 185% in recent years and the trend is that it continues to grow," adds the product manager.

The question that assails is how much do these exclusive experiences cost? The answer is less obvious. "They're all tailor-made trips, so until our travel designers sit down with customers we can't know." Another question is how to get access to these places: "Discovering these experiences requires a lot of research," says Girardi, who reads "14 publications a day to stay on top of the latest" and constantly talks to his "local experts in the destinations."

Exterior view CERN of Switzerland.TRAVEL

As a result of these investigations, the older children within this plan, could participate with experts in the tracking of the big five of Patagonia, visit privately the CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research, in Switzerland) to understand how the Big Bang happened and how the vanguard of current science develops or know the secret archive of the Vatican City in Rome. Adventure is guaranteed.


You can follow El Mundo Viajes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

  • Tourism