Think family vacation and you might be thinking Disney parks, cruise ships and family resorts. But if you are looking for something a little bit more unique, extraordinary and unconventional for your next family vacation, then how about some places that you might never have thought of? Here are 5 unexpected travel destination ideas for your next family vacation suggested by Travel Ticker.

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#1. Patagonia

Patagonia, a magnificent Argentinean region, has been popular among tourists for decades, but just recently it became a number one spot for family trips too. And there is one good reason why – fantastic breathtaking natural beauty, coupled with a wide variety of outdoor activities.

Here you can marvel at high snowy mountains, full of flower-filled meadows, glaciers, and wild animals, that you and the kids are bound to enjoy.

And even better, the tourism sector in Argentina is working pretty hard to make this region accessible for children. So you’ll find lots of fun tours such as horse riding or boat trips right now that are suitable for children of all ages.

There is some useful information on the Patagonia Argentina website.

#2. South Africa

Ask any kid what their favourite animal is and lions and giraffes are bound to be in the top ten list. Then ask them if they’d like to see them for real!

The thought of Africa as a family holiday destination might be a bit scary if you’ve never been, so why not make South Africa your first venture into this amazing continent?

With beautiful beaches, great weather and safari options to see all those favourite wild animals, you’ll also find South Africa can be budget friendly as well.

There’s lots of handy information on the South African Tourism website.

#3. Hong Kong

One of the most underrated places for a family vacation is Hong Kong. If you don’t mind the long haul flight, you will find this fantastic exciting city to be very child-friendly and with some amazing attractions and sights. Bonus: city and subway signs are also in English (a legacy of British rule) which does help you as you navigate about.

Be sure to take the Star ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong island and up the funicular railway to see the views of the city from the top of Victoria Peak. If you take an evening ferry you will also get to see the spectacular choreographed light show played out by the main harbourside skyscrapers. And do plan at least one day of your trip for Disneyland Hong Kong.

We stayed in Kowloon when we visited which was a very interesting experience as we felt we were right in the heart of this busy city! It did take a couple of days to get used to it all, but once we found our bearings and visited some of the top spots, we really ended up enjoying our stay. And a tip for you: Kowloon Park has an outdoor swimming pool which kids will love.

#4. Las Vegas, Nevada

Yes we did say Las Vegas! Las Vegas can actually be a cracking family vacation destination. First up, there are tons of child-friendly activities located all over this city. You’ll also find the city easy to navigate and not too big to get around.

Secondly, many of the hotels have special amenities for families with small children like child-proof pools, babysitting services and so on.

And kids will absolutely adore seeing mini replicas of world’s most famous sites, like the Eiffel Tower or Venetian Gondolas floating around. So a trip to Las Vegas ends up being a mini trip around the globe too!

You can also take in the Grand Canyon, one of the most amazing wonders of this world, as part of your Las Vegas holiday as it is within a day trip of the city.

You’ll find lots of tips on the Las Vegas Kids website.

#5. Rio de Janeiro

2016 was a very important year for Brazil and especially for the city of Rio de Janeiro. This was the year they hosted the Olympic Games.

But Olympic Games aside, children will love the beautiful beaches, tons of activities, as well as the fabulous tropical forest just a few miles from a city with colourful, vivid animals and birds.

Brazilians are also very family-oriented which makes visiting with kids easy; you’ll be welcomed with open arms at most restaurants and high chairs are readily available. Find more suggestions for your Rio family trip on the Lonely Planet website.

Over to you now. Have you visited any of these destinations? Any tips? Share them with us in the comments below.