Sonja Prokopec took her son on their first “solo” journey collectively when he was six years previous.

They went to Rome, and it was so memorable that Prokopec stated she’s now planning their second journey this summer season.

“I actually take pleasure in one-on-one time which we’ve when travelling alone,” she stated. “There are not any distractions, no arguments among the many siblings, time spent collectively is of top of the range… My son nonetheless talks about our time in Rome and may’t watch for [our] London journey this June.”

Prokopec and her husband have three youngsters — her son who’s now 10, plus two youthful daughters. They journey collectively, however time away with only one little one and one mum or dad has perks that household journeys do not usually present, she stated.

“Travelling with just one little one lets you concentrate on the wants of solely that little one,” she stated.  “Additionally, as I’m not stretched from managing totally different calls for, I really feel like I’m a greater mum or dad — extra affected person, extra playful and extra within the second.”

Plus, “my son loves all the eye and loves that we get to discover collectively, simply the 2 of us,” she stated.

Prokopec’s husband — who “at all times insisted on doing issues collectively, together with travelling” — is now a proponent too, she stated.

“My husband has additionally taken my son alone to Turkey and actually cherished it … even he sees the worth in it,” she informed CNBC Journey.

Prokopec hasn’t taken solo journeys along with her two youngest youngsters, principally due to Covid-19, she stated. However that will quickly change.

“I’ll positively do extra,” she stated.

The luxurious journey firm Scott Dunn named “parent-child bonding holidays” certainly one of 2023’s prime journey tendencies.

Mom-and-daughter journeys particularly are on the rise, although father-and-child journeys are additionally gaining popularity, in response to the corporate.

“Guardian-child duos usually choose locations and embrace experiences primarily based on their mutual pursuits,” stated Scott Dunn’s Normal Supervisor Mike Harlow.

Harlow stated his firm just lately helped a father-son duo e-book a visit to Cambodia that targeted on the nation’s historical past and nationwide parks.

“We additionally had a mother-daughter duo who headed to South Korea for a visit themed round Ok- dramas and Ok-pop, whereas one other mother-son duo travelled to India to do the traditional Golden Triangle collectively,” he stated.

Final 12 months, I made a decision to e-book my very own mother-daughter journey with my oldest little one. (To fulfill cries of injustice from her youthful siblings, I promised everybody a “solo” journey at their tenth birthday, too.)

To resolve the place to go, I requested my daughter a collection of easy questions: seaside or mountains, chilly or heat climate, animals or journey sports activities?

Based mostly on her solutions, I introduced her with just a few concepts. She selected the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort, exterior of Chiang Rai, Thailand. We booked a number of nights in the primary resort, and one night time within the resort’s “Jungle Bubble” — a spherical tent with a king-sized mattress and loo that overlooks a part of the resort’s 168-acre space the place its elephants can roam.

By day, we walked with the elephants by the fields and watched them bathe in a river alongside the Myanmar border. We ready meals for the elephants and fed them, however we didn’t experience them, a apply that’s neither allowed by the resort nor condoned by animal rights supporters.

Within the evenings, we swam within the resort’s pool and held a “spa night time” in our room, with facial masks from house and tub salts and lotions from the resort. At night time, we sat exterior and seemed on the stars.

One morning, I advised we e-book a cooking class. However my daughter was adamant about attempting Muay Thai boxing as a substitute. Resisting the urge to inform her she would not prefer it (learn: I would not prefer it), I booked a session. She cherished each minute.

As for me, I cherished having a lot time with my daughter, with out having to are likely to others’ wants. I discovered myself telling her tales from the previous — my very own and my husband’s — just because, with out competing voices round, I might.

The time additionally afforded many teachable moments — classes that had lengthy wanted to be taught. Whereas resting in our room someday, I instantly remembered that we would have liked to put lunch orders for my daughter’s subsequent faculty time period.

“Mother,” she stated, wanting up from her e-book. “We are able to do this once we get house.”

As a bonus, my husband reported having an exquisite time at house with my different youngsters — having fun with their very own particular moments as a trio, with out the problems that may include a household of 5.

California native Madeline Austin additionally grew up with 5 folks in her household. She stated she vividly remembers the journeys she took as a baby along with her mom and grandmother.

The journeys “centered round one thing they knew I used to be keen on. For instance, I did a report on Yellowstone Nationwide Park in elementary faculty and have become obsessive about the geysers, in order that they took me on a protracted weekend journey to go to and see them in actual life,” she stated.

Austin stated her household did not journey usually, so it felt “extremely particular” to take journeys along with her mother.

“She was invested in my pursuits, and the undivided consideration I acquired from her that weekend — particularly because the forgotten center little one — was actually particular and one thing I will keep in mind endlessly,” she stated.

She recalled holding fingers along with her mother and watching a geyser erupt. “I additionally keep in mind leaving the park drained from strolling, getting dinner collectively and having the ability to order soda — which we did not often have at house!”

Austin, 27, is not a mum or dad but, however she stated she would proceed the custom along with her personal youngsters someday.

“It is such a particular time to attach one-on-one along with your little one in a approach you could’t replicate at house.”