Dewy fingers from trying to catch clouds as we drove through the Drakensberg mountains, and the confusion as to why they didn’t feel like cotton wool. Seeing my first shooting star in a rank fishing boat, slowly slish-sloshing its way to a deserted Fijian island. Scaring my little sister with tales of big foot on a moonlit path through the Garden Route. Feeling the burn of desert sand as we climbed one of the highest dunes in Namibia – in flip-flops.

Out of all my childhood memories, it’s ones like these that paint the most vivid pictures. Despite most of them being over 2 decades old, they are still very much alive today. In a nanosecond I can recall the stench of raw flesh strewn along the pavements of a humid Hong Kong food market; and I can feel the exhilaration of a leopard crossing my path far more clearly than I remember what I had for breakfast this morning. That’s because experiences like these come turbo charged with emotion. The feeling of adventure, discovery, freedom, a sense of being part of something bigger, and even a healthy dose of fear and respect for Mother Nature excites us in the very depths of our souls and stays with us for life.

Don’t ask me what my parents bought me for my 5^th, 13^th, or even 20^th birthday or Christmas. I’ve racked my brains and I can’t tell you the answer. But ask me about the time we visited an ostrich farm in Oudtshoorn, our first climb up Table Mountain, our road trip through Zimbabwe, and our many explorations through the Winelands when we called it home, and I’ll have plenty of stories to share.

It may be a spiritual yearning, wanderlust, or just a fear of missing out – whatever you want to call it – there is something about a new experience that connects with the soul. Especially when you’re travelling. Travel experiences are a beautiful way of learning about the world, bonding as a family, and discovering that life is far more fascinating than you could possibly imagine. So I encourage you, especially during the Christmas holidays, to spend more time and effort making lifelong memories with your children than spending money on toys that will soon be peppered in dust.

You don’t have to travel far or spend a lot of money to discover a new experience. It could simply be a new picnic spot, a ride on a train, hiking a different trail, or spending the day in a nearby town. The point is to experience something different and do it together. As a parent, I’m always looking to make special family memories and I get a real kick from seeing my kids’ faces light up when they discover the smallest piece of magic in a new adventure.

Here are 15 great ideas to get you started:

1. Experience Gifts for Christmas
2. Visit an animal sanctuary or bird park
3. Check out these insider tips for summer holidays in the Overberg
4. Enjoy these 5 Family Holiday Activities in Gauteng
5. Try these 10 Family Adventures in the North West
6. Check out these holiday activities in Cape Town
7. Enjoy a family outing to Spier Wine Farm in Stellenbosch
8. Spend a day at a water park
9. Go on a road trip through the Natal Midlands and visit one of the family-friendly restaurants along the way.
10. There’s plenty of outdoor fun at Sani Pass
11. Let the kids try an exciting animal ride
12. Check out our awesome family guide to Gordon’s Bay
13. Go fruit picking in the Western Cape
14. See which safaris are geared for the whole family
15. Plan a weekend away at one of these great kid-friendly accommodations

What are some of your most memorable childhood experiences?