RANCH RIDER ROUNDS UP EIGHT OF THE BEST FAMILY FRIENDLY RANCH EXPERIENCES FOR 2018

A horsey take on adventure travel, riding holidays are becoming more popular with parents, but with so many family-friendly experiences to choose from, tour operator Ranch Rider has reined in its pick of the best for 2018.

(TRAVPR.COM) UK - February 23rd, 2018 - A horsey take on adventure travel, riding holidays are becoming more popular with parents, but with so many family-friendly experiences to choose from, tour operator Ranch Rider has reined in its pick of the best for 2018. From award-winning ranch stays offering free child places to historic properties where all ages can enjoy a cattle drive, the specialist’s list covers the USA, Canada and South Africa.

Enjoy a FREE child place at Horizon’s Triple B Ranch, the cattle farm based in South Africa’s malaria-free Waterberg region. Ideal for families, the 20,000-acre ranch offers an exciting mix of pursuits including, riding with game, cattle gathering, polocrosse, cross country jumping and swimming with horses - the property only a two and half hour drive from Johannesburg (transfers also available). Even more reason to book, Horizon claimed the title of Best Riding Safari in South Africa, 2018 at the Safari Awards. (SAVE £1,249) Six nights from £1,280pp (two sharing) and from £1,249pp (five to 16 years) including accommodation, meals, ranch activities (including riding), use of ranch facilities and taxes. Excludes gratuities as left to discretion, return transfers from Johannesburg (from £395 for a family of three or £595 for a family of four to eight people) and return flight from £940pp and from £818pp (under 12 years). Offer valid on all 2018 (year-round) departures and open to families of three or more, one child in the party going free. A child is classed as 16 years and under. Book by 31 March. Saving of approximately £1,249 over Easter and summer holiday period. Daily departures. Subject to availability.

Book seven nights of ecotherapy for the whole family and stay at British Columbia’s Big Creek Lodge, the ranch located in a pristine wilderness on the West Coast of Canada at the foot of the Coast Mountains. Cattle work and country trail riding are on offer, the cowboy way of life unchanged here for over 100 years. A ranch that’s bound to get the kids excited about the outdoors rather than their Instagram feed - fishing, mountain biking, hiking and gold panning are additional activities. The ultimate mood booster for you and the brood, book the overnight camp out where you can commune with the sights and sounds of nature, the ride to the Anvil Mountain Camp taking you through the Big Creek Provincial Park. (SAVE £80pp) from £1,059pp (two sharing) and from £859pp (seven to 10 years) including accommodation, meals, ranch activities, use of ranch facilities and taxes. Excludes gratuities, car hire from £336 and return flight from £899pp and from £783pp (under 12 years). Offer valid on all 2018 departures, May through October. Book by 28 February. Full ranch stay price before discount £1,139pp.

Bring the brood and enjoy a family cattle drive (from just six years) at Wyoming’s Vee Bar Working Guest Ranch. Nothing beats sleeping in a teepee on campout night – campfire games, live music, and roasting s’mores all part of the evening, the complete list of ranch activities including hiking, hayrides, trap shooting, trout fishing (on the ranch), sheep herding and river tubing. Six nights from £1,930pp (two sharing) and from £1,730pp (six to 18 years) including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities, taxes and gratuities. Excludes car hire and return flight from £859pp and from £748pp (under 12 years). Departures 03 June to 01 September.

Arizona made Lonely Planet’s top ten list of best value destinations for 2018 and with seven nights at Tucson’s White Stallion priced from only £1,135pp (two sharing) and from £925pp (four to 11 years), riding holidays at the guest ranch will be a steal for families travelling over the main summer holidays. While temperatures can soar into the late 30s during July and August, the ranch boasts an outdoor pool complete with spectacular mountain views and plenty of shady spots where you can escape the midday heat. The Saguaro National Park was highlighted by Lonely Planet, and families are welcome on the ranch’s guided Petroglyph Hike – guests visiting the park and learning about ancient forms of communication and the Hohokam Indians, who inhabited the area from 250 through 1450 A.D. New for 2018, now guests can book one of three spectacular helicopter rides. Prices start from USD $79pp, a ten-minute flight taking you over the Saguaro National Park and Old Tucson. Year-round departures. Prices include accommodation, meals, most ranch activities, taxes, transfers and gratuities. Excludes helicopter rides and return flight from £879pp and from £765pp (under 12 years).

A new addition to the 2018 Ranch Rider collection, Colorado’s Majestic Dude Ranch offers a challenge at every turn, horseback riding, world-class mountain biking, ATV off-road adventures, archery, skeet shooting, fly-fishing and hiking on the list of pursuits. Great value for money, white water rafting is also included in the cost of the holiday. To ensure you reach your personal best in the saddle, free horse riding lessons are available and a real confidence booster for the kids, the ranch’s younger guests can show off their new found Western skills at the weekly summer rodeos. For the ultimate adventure travel challenge, Ranch Rider suggest visiting the ranch’s old Western town, where families can square off as marshals and outlaws in a game of laser tag or paintball. A state that’s even easier to reach, United Airlines will launch a new non-stop route from London Heathrow to Denver in March. (SAVE £506pp on all August stays) Six nights from £2,024pp (no single supplement) and from £1,920pp (six to 17 years) including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities, taxes, service charge and transfers. Excludes return flight from £945pp and from £823pp (under 12 years). Full price of adult ranch stay before discount £2,530pp.

Book your family riding holiday at Idaho’s Western Pleasure, as the guest ranch celebrating its centenary this year. Kids from eight years can help work the cattle – archery and trap shooting also on the list of pursuits. If your little ones have always dreamed about having their own pony, this is a great place to go, as younger guests are responsible for caring for their own horse and equipment, and every morning they will help catch and saddle their mount. A horse show, complete with trophies and ribbons completes the week’s activities. Six nights from £1,549pp (no single supplement) and from £1,180pp (six to 12 years) including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities, taxes and gratuities. Excludes car hire from £330 and return flight from £889pp and from £774pp (under 12 years). Departures 28 May to 30 September.

If your children are equestrian mad teens who already know their way around a horse, try New Mexico’s Creek Working Ranch, as they’ll spend their days traversing some pretty tough terrain and learning the ropes of a genuine cowboy (or cowgirl). Ideal for more adventurous families - add on a seven-night self-drive and take on the new “Sandia Mountain Coaster” in Albuquerque. Due to open this autumn, thrill seekers who dare will be able to experience the striking Sandia Mountains from an entirely new, adrenaline-fuelled perspective - the proposed, alpine sled-style ride plunging down the mountainside in a total vertical drop of 380 feet. Seven nights from £1,459pp (two sharing) including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities, taxes and gratuities. Excludes transfers from £90pp round trip from Albuquerque and return flight from £889pp. The ranch accepts children from 13 years in July and August. Seven-night self-drive from £595pp (two sharing) including accommodation and car hire.

Tucked away between the Banff and Glacier national parks is British Columbia’s award-winning Three Bars Guest Ranch. A great place to start off in the saddle, the horseback riding (including lessons) is complemented by a wide range of activities including hiking, river rafting, mountain biking, fly fishing, and more. Children from six years have the option of joining the kids program, but parents can build as much “family bonding time” into their riding holiday as they wish. With new flights from Calgary to Cranbrook available through budget carrier Westjet from March, the ranch will be even more accessible for those with kids in tow, and if you book early you might have a shot at spending your summer in the new family cabin! Six nights from £1,619pp (two sharing) and from £1,549pp (13 to 18 years) and from £1,479pp (six to 12 years) including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities, taxes and gratuities. Excludes car hire from £336 and return flight from £899pp. Departing 25 May to 06 October.

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All offers are subject to availability. Ranch Rider (01509 618 811) ATOL PROTECTED No 4660 ABTA 96395/V9150.