Once upon a vacation

Léa and her little brother Tim decided to start their vacation off right. Today they’ll spend the day out in nature, to see, touch and smell the exotic plants of the Caribbean. They’ll start with a quick dip in the pool, then walk along the white sandy beach to the Kids Club to hang out with other children on vacation at the Eden Roc Cap Cana hotel. There, they will all join a creative workshop, beginning by exploring the natural wonders around the hotel, collecting leaves and blooms from tropical trees and bushes. Next, they’ll create a work of art with the plants they gathered. Their paintings and sculptures will be as beautiful as the tropical wilderness of the Dominican Republic. After the workshop, Léa and Tim will plant trees to help the planet, and learn all about protecting wild animals, before joining their parents before dinner, dancing as a family to traditional island music. But before all that… there’s a delicious breakfast waiting for them!

The sun is rising over the great plain. The savanna is still asleep. Suddenly, a great roar shatters the silence, waking the wild animals of Zimbabwe–because the lion always wakes early to greet the children enjoying the Young Explorers Program at Tembo Plains Camp. Since their safari started, the kids have already seen elephant footprints, canoed down the Zambezi River to watch animals in, on and around the water, and made a family meal with a chef under the stars. What brave explorers! They are unlike any this iconic African predator has ever encountered, so he is eager to meet them. The big cat hears the quiet purr of an approaching car. He raises his head, hoping to see the children in the open safari vehicle. There they are! Their eyes meet briefly, a magical moment. That night, as the kids lie in bed, they dream of those proud golden eyes, that shaggy mane. As for the lion, he remembers the moment he saw the young adventurers… and wonders if they will meet again.

When Louise and her grandmother arrived at the Het Roode Koper hotel in the Netherlands, it was exactly how they’d dreamed it would be. Their villa was surrounded by forest and had wide, emerald-green lawns. Louise excitedly opened the door to her room, set her suitcase on the big, comfortable bed, then ran out again to explore the property. She didn’t want to waste a single minute–there was so much to see! Out on the grounds, Louise met other children on vacation. Someone from the hotel gave animal tracking kits to every child, and soon they were following trails into the forest, alert for wildlife. There! Louise saw a little squirrel slipping between the branches. And over there–were those the tracks of a wild boar, or a deer? Later that afternoon, Louise built her first hut in the woodland with her friends. She even took the lead and designed a little shelter for the birds. It reminded her of the falconry show she had heard about. Hurry! She didn’t want to miss it for anything in the world. The trainer invited her to help him, so she went up on stage, a little nervous, and stood next to an enormous bird of prey! But Louise really had a gift with animals, and the creature behaved perfectly. Tomorrow, after a peaceful night’s sleep, she will be able to explore another side of her skills. Perhaps making a pizza with the chef in the hotel’s kitchen? She already knows she will make it in the shape of a bird.

The crazy Cheshire Cat is high up in his observation post, making sure that every child who stays at Le Domaine du Mas de Pierre has a great time. While Alice is away visiting the Mad Hatter for a few days, the cat is in charge of Wonderland. And he takes this responsibility very seriously. A little boy comes to ask him for advice on finding the best hiding place for a game of hide-and-seek. The Cheshire Cat suggests he crouch under that giant mushroom over there, a place he’s sure never to be found! Then a little girl hesitates at the top of Teapot Slide, so he holds out his paw to reassure her, and she finally swoops down to the bottom, an excited smile on her face. He also lends a paw to the apprentice pastry chefs making an incredible cake in an old-fashioned wooden caravan. And when all the children gather in front of the huge house of cards, the Cheshire Cat begins to dance with joy. At the end of the day, everyone hurries to gather by the pool. All except the Cheshire Cat who, as everyone knows, doesn’t like the water and prefers to purr on a branch, enjoying the last rays of sun in the Mediterranean garden.