This month, Halifax-based lawyers Victoria and Andrew MacFarlane and their children Felix, 13, Atticus, 11, and Talia, 9, are getting back from an unforgettable around-the-world adventure that first kicked off in Hawai’i at the end of November. But what makes this trip stand out from a typical family vacation is not only the fact that it crossed multiple continents over 180+ days on the road taking in destinations like Australia, Fiji, Vietnam, Egypt, South Africa, India, Singapore, Norway and beyond.
“A few years ago, Felix and Atticus were diagnosed with choroideremia, an extremely rare genetic eye condition that causes progressive vision loss, ultimately leading to complete blindness,” the MacFarlanes tell Travel Courier. “We wanted them to experience as much of this incredible planet as possible before they lose their vision, and so we decided that, rather than do it piecemeal one trip at a time over several years, one big trip was the way to go.”
Although the family had a rough idea of where they wanted to go and the countries they wanted to see, they turned to local travel advisor Shari Tucker of Love the Way You Travel to plan the logistics and in-depth itineraries across multiple countries.
“What we were embarking on wasn’t just a family holiday – it was an undertaking to show the world to our children before their vision loss affects their ability to travel or to see the world,” notes Victoria. “We gravitated towards Shari because of her depth of knowledge, her expertise and her approach to sustainability, as well as her ability to create the kind of experiences that we were hoping to provide for our kids on a trip that isn’t like most other vacations.”
Working in collaboration with the family, in some destinations Tucker arranged full customized itineraries with hotels, transportation and tours, while in others she just arranged bits and pieces while friends or family in-destination took care of her clients.
“In New Zealand, they saw glowworms and the thermal waters of Rotorua. They learned about Maori culture. Then they added some adrenaline with the shotover jet and a glacier landing from a helicopter to see the beauty from the sky,” recalls Tucker. “They spent Christmas in Sydney, Australia with friends and then we sent them on an incredible custom-built itinerary to Brisbane, including Tangalooma Island for sand dunes and a sustainable dolphin encounter; snorkelling with turtles in the Great Barrier Reef; seeing the rainforest in Port Douglas; and Uluru at sunrise and sunset. We created an itinerary with hiking, cycling, cooking classes, temples, fire shows and beaches in Indonesia. They travelled on a small group family tour from North to South, Vietnam. We then had them booked for a well-deserved rest week on a beach in Phuket, Thailand before a month-long bombardment of the senses in India.”
Love the Way You Travel also mapped out a custom tour in India that included highlights of Delhi, the Taj Mahal and the opportunity to participate in Holi celebrations in Jaipur.
“They also got to see tigers on safari in Ranthambore National Park and floated on the Kerala backwaters in a houseboat before resting in Majorda, Goa for a few days,” she notes. “They touched down for a couple of days in Dubai, including a visit to the top of Burj Khalifa. And they’ve spent time digging into ancient history in Egypt taking in a felucca ride on the Nile, visiting the Valley of Kings, Kom Ombo and a few days in Cairo including a local family dinner, the bazaar and of course, Giza and Saqqara.”
Onward to South Africa and Namibia, they travelled with friends who live there, going on safari and seeing the famous dunes. The trip concluded with stops in Spain, the U.K. and finally, Norway with family, including a hot tub session overlooking Norwegian mountains, before returning to Canada this month.
“For this family, they are truly creating memories that will last a lifetime,” Tucker notes, sharing that being part of the experience has one of the most memorable bookings of her career. “Unless there is a cure for choroideremia, these boys will never have the chance to see these things again with their own eyes. It is a whole new and profound meaning to a once-in-a lifetime trip.”
For the McFarlane family, working with a travel advisor meant they could spend less time on logistics and more time to enjoy the trip with their children.
“Shari was just as invested as we were in helping put together a trip that provided those rich experiences that took into account what our goals were, and her insight, experience, and connections helped to make our journey so meaningful. She helped us create a trip that was full of adventure, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, meaningful connections, and memories that will last a lifetime,” Victoria says. “During our travels, we also had the benefit of having Shari help us troubleshoot any travel issues like delayed flights, weather-related complications that affected excursions, and she provided us with insight and advice on the best way to spend our free days even when we didn’t have activities planned. She also provided access to an app that included all of our travel information day-to-day, and the app was continuously updated with all the information we could possibly need in each destination.”
Race for a cure
While on the global adventure, the MacFarlanes quite literally raced around the world in order to raise $8,776.17 for research and education efforts to help find a cure for choroideremia by taking part in 10K races in 10 countries as a family.
“Our fundraiser supported the Choroideremia Research Foundation, a US-based non-profit that funds critical research to help look for a cure or a treatment for this condition,” the family notes. “The runs have been challenging, but it’s one of the things that the kids have looked forward to the most in each new country we’ve been to. It’s a meaningful way to explore different cities together, and it has provided some hope and a sense of purpose for all of us, but especially for Felix and Atticus.”
For the parents, they hope their children gained, “a stronger and deeper connection to each other, as well as a greater understanding of and appreciation for other people and cultures, nature, and the vastness of our planet and different ways of life.”
Even as this trip is coming to an end, the MacFarlanes are already planning where to go next.
“We love to travel and stay active – even as we finish this trip, we are already thinking about our next destinations,” she notes.
Highlights of the McFarlane family adventure:
- Cultural dance in Fiji
- Helicopter ride through the glaciers in New Zealand
- Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef
- Feeding dolphins in Australia (This is a sustainable dolphin experience offered at Tangalooma: www.tangalooma.com/dolphins-conservation)
- Hiking Uluru at sunrise
- Getting chased by monkeys in Thailand
- Motorcycle tour in Vietnam (Part of a G Adventures family tour)
- Taj Mahal in India
- The pyramids of Giza
- Safaris in South Africa
- Climbing sand dunes in Namibia
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