8 Exotic family holidays

The Lion King comes alive on safari.

In Kenya, you could start in the Rift Valley, close to Lake Naivasha and Nakurua (home to some two-million flamingos, and then fly to the Masai Mara for some truely exceptional game viewing, before heading to the coast to wash away the dust of the bush in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

However, if you prefer to travel malaria free, try a blend of Cape Town, Garden Route and Kwandwe Game Reserve in South Africa.

For details visit theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk

For those with just a two week school holiday window, focus on a single region rather than try and cover vast swathes of this enormous country.

Two such approaches include spending a few days in Sydney, then pick up a car and drive south to the gorgeous beaches of Jervis Bay. Next stop, the Blue Mountains where there's a broad menu of adventures as well as spectacular scenery.

For details visit bridgeandwickers.co.uk

Rajasthan is the perfect India for beginners, well geared up for tourism yet still a fabulous treat of fierce colours, exotic architecture and a feast of street life.

Most popular itineraries include Delhi, Agra and the Taj Mahal, Jaipur where you ride an elephant into the Amber Fort, the desert city of Jodhpur, palatial Udaipur and often a search for elusive tigers in the Ranthambore National Park.

For details visit transindus.co.uk

With more protected land than any other country in the world, more bird species than the whole of North America, more butterflies than Africa and beaches on two oceans, Costa Rica could have been put on the planet as a living classroom for natural history.

A two week trip could encompass Caribbean rainforests, nights in a jungle lodge, an exhilarating river rafting trip, the impressively active Arenal volcano and the cloud forests of Monteverde.

For details visit kuoni.co.uk

Fly straight to Marrakech and the ‘biggest circus in the world’ on Djemma El Fna, the main square with its daily show of jugglers, acrobats, snake charmers and drummers.

From there drive to the exotic south, to the desert outpost of Ouarzazate, then through the palm groves of the Draa valley visiting the kasbahs of ancient warlords before spending a few final days on the beach at Essaouira.

For details visit lawrenceofmorocco.com

Arguably the most interesting of the Middle East destinations and ideal for parents who would like to inject a measure of education into their family Christmas holidays.

As well as beaches, Oman reveals a rich seam of history, markets unchanged since Biblical times, nights in the desert with adventures ranging from dune bashing to camel rides and spectacular mountain scenery.

For details visit britishairways.com

Woven into its geography of coastal desert, a backbone of soaring Andean peaks and Amazonian jungle are fabled archaeological sights, a vibrant Indian culture and a veneer of Spanish colonialism.

Plus there’s Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world with its unique Uros islands made from floating reeds, the Inca capital of Cuzco and the classic trek to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, past waterfalls, ruins and cloud forest. Or you can take the train for ease and speed.

For details visit lastfrontiers.com

A mixed bag of exotic pleasures, starting with the high octane capital Bangkok.

Start with some classic sights, including the Grand Palace, a walled, magical inner city, followed by a hair-raising jaunt by longtailed boat along the canals, plus shopping of course with prices that will seriously challenge Primark.

From there head north to Chiang Mai and up to Chiang Rai, gateway to the so-called Golden Triangle where you can learn to be a mahout at an elephant camp and visit exotic hill tribes before spending time on one of Thailand’s fabulous beaches.

For details visit virginholidays.co.uk