School vacation trips

Be flung into the future on Japan’s super speedy Shinkansen (bullet train). Reaching up to 320 kilometres per hour, hurtling across the country on a Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kawane is guaranteed to thrill the whole family. After zipping past mountains and gorges, say hello to your local family hosts for a night of cultural immersion.

Hang out with orangutans, long tailed macaques and proboscis monkeys in Borneo’s lush jungles and rainforests. Watch young orangutans learning to climb for the first time, see rescued sun bears at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center, and cruise the Kinabatangan River in search of crocs, hornbills and primates swinging between the trees.

Kids love learning about ancient Egypt at school, so why not bring the tales of Cleopatra, Khufu and Tutankhamun to life? Journey to the iconic Pyramids which have stood tall for 4500 years, feel tiny as you stand beneath the Great Sphinx and wander the Mummies Hall for a close encounter with some of Egypt’s most important queens and pharaohs.

Few things bond a group of strangers more than dance. Be welcomed into a Sri Lankan family’s home for an interactive class where you’ll learn the Kandyan dance, a traditional art from the Central Hills. Bust a few moves with your hosts before putting it all together for a mini-performance. All that dancing is hungry work, so you’ll appreciate the home-cooked feast with your new Sri Lankan friends afterward.

Take the kids to Finnish Lapland and experience a true winter wonderland in the official home of Santa Claus. Zip across the icy landscape on the back of a husky sled, visit Rudolph and Prancer at a reindeer farm and, if you’re lucky, see the magical northern lights. Don’t forget to bring your Santa list, as there’ll be a chance to meet the man himself (and his elves) at Santa’s Office!