We got a serious case of family wanderlust when we were first introduced to Little Voyageurs, the site packed with inspiration for cool families who love exploring the world with their little ones. Here, one of the founders, Charlotte Burgoyne, fills us in on how it all began and what her well-travelled family have planned for the coming year.
How and why did Little Voyageurs begin?
It began in Miami in 2016 where I met Marie, another expat French mum, in a park. I told her about my travel blog and how I’d like to take it to the next level. She liked the concept and together we launched Little Voyageurs. We want to show parents that you can still travel the way you want, stay at places you like and eat in the restaurants you fancy, even with kids. We work hard to find the coolest family spots around the world.
What do you love most about running the site?
Most of the time, it does not feel like work. The main parts of my job are to look for incredible family hotels, to chat about travel and motherhood with inspiring mums around the world, and to move around with my little tribe. I’ve always done these things for my own pleasure, so being able to make it a job is wonderful.
Can you tell us a bit more about the people behind the brand?
My name is Charlotte and I am the co-founder of Little Voyageurs. After studying journalism in Paris, I left for Syria where I worked as a freelance journalist. I met my husband in Yemen when I was working as a Foreign Correspondent. We moved to the USA during the Arab Spring and I had my daughters (Sanaa and Céleste). After five years moving between San Francisco and Miami, we had the opportunity to move to Algiers.
Marie-Pacifique is our other co-founder. She is mum to 5-year old Balthazar and Achille, who is 2. She put her advertising career in Paris on hold to follow her husband to live in Miami for a couple of years. They’ve recently returned to Paris.
The rest of our team is made up of 7 ex-pat mums who are based around the world and who are equally passionate about family travel.
What’s your favourite travel destination as a family and why is it so special to you?
I really liked our trip to Portugal last summer. We stayed at Martinhal Lisbon Chiado, which was amazing and contributed to my LOVE for this country. It offers a free, super cool kids club from 9am to 10pm. This gave my husband and me some much needed time off (as expats, living far from our extended families, it can be hard to arrange time without the kids). We then headed to the south of Portugal, which is gorgeous; we all loved the beaches hidden away at the bottom of multi-coloured cliffs.
What’s your favourite travel memory with your family?
Our last trip to the Algerian desert was particularly amazing, as it felt like a real bonding experience for our family. It was wonderful to see my girls (aged 3 and 1) playing in the sand dunes, visiting ancient cities and having fun in the souks. I’ve travelled a lot in this area by myself so it’s lovely to share it with my family.
Where’s on your travel bucket list? And how do you choose where to travel to next?
Amsterdam, Japan and Mozambique. All the research I do for work and the suggestions I get from our team of writers inspire me every day. I don’t even keep a bucket list anymore, as it would be too crazy. I have a list of 20 hotels that I’d like to check out with my family…
What is at the top of your list?
Madikwe Safari Lodge in South Africa looks absolutely incredible.
And do you have any top tips for travelling with kids?
Keep your expectations realistic. If I plan too much, I often end up disappointed, as I never get to do everything on my list. Go with the flow but research before you travel; I’d rather have a list of restaurants and places I’d like to visit than a day-by-day plan. Also, I find that the layout of the rooms you are going to stay in during your trip is very important; I always try to find suites or rooms with nooks for my littlest daughter (who needs her dark quiet spot to sleep well).
Thanks Charlotte!
Charlotte is a very well-travelled mum of 2 girls. Spotting a gap in the market, she created her own online magazine about family travel when her eldest was 6 months old, called Nomad Bébé. One year after the launch, another French expat mum joined the team and they relaunched it as Little Voyageurs.
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