By Jayne, Experience the World Travel
I have been in travel long enough to know that no two holidays are the same. But every so often, you take a trip that reminds you why you fell in love with travel in the first place. This summer, that trip was Crete. And what made it so very special was not just the island itself, as breathtaking as it is. It was who I shared it with.
My husband Dave, my daughters Lucy and Hannah, their partners Erd and Jay, and our little granddaughter Kady. Three generations. One unforgettable week. And I can honestly say, hand on heart, that what happened in those seven days together cannot be replicated anywhere else. Not at home, not on a day out, not even on a weekend away. There is something about a proper holiday, away from the everyday routine, that strips everything back and gives you each other in a way that ordinary life simply does not allow.
Crete, Where the Mediterranean Does Its Best Work
We stayed in a beautiful resort on the northern coast, where the sea sparkles like someone has scattered diamonds across the surface of the water. The first morning I walked down to look out across the bay, with the hazy Cretan mountains rolling away in the distance and a soft breeze coming off the Med, I felt that familiar feeling settle in my chest. That quiet, uncomplicated joy that only a truly good holiday destination can give you.
The harbour nearby was the kind of place you want to linger. Small motorboats bobbing on glassy water. A red and white lighthouse at the end of the jetty. Greek flags catching the morning air. We wandered there more than once, each time just as charming as the last.
Watching Kady Discover the World
If you are a grandparent and you have not yet taken a family holiday with your grandchildren, let me tell you what you are missing. Watching the world through the eyes of a small child is one of life’s great privileges, and nowhere is that more vivid than on holiday.
Kady in the pool was a highlight I will carry with me for a very long time. There she was, arms out wide in her little purple float vest, absolutely beaming, completely in her element in that turquoise water. The palm trees, the blue sky, the sound of the pool around her. She was utterly at home, utterly happy, and every single worry she had ever had in her short life was absolutely nowhere to be found.
Then in the evening, watching her dance around the hotel garden in her little striped outfit, one arm raised above her head as if she were the star of her own show, the warm Cretan dusk settling around her. That is the kind of moment that no camera can fully capture and no amount of money can buy back once time has moved on.
The Evenings That Belong Only to Us
There is a particular kind of evening that only happens on holiday. The sun begins to drop, the heat softens, and everyone slows down together. No one has anywhere to be. No one is checking the time. You are simply there, present, with each other.
One evening, Dave and I sat in a bar as the sun set behind us in a blaze of amber and gold. The sky turned colours I struggle to describe. We had a drink in hand, music drifting across the terrace, and the warmth of that light on our faces. We looked at each other and we both knew: this is it. This is one of those moments.
On another evening, Lucy and her partner dressed up beautifully and we all headed to dinner together. Standing in the courtyard of the restaurant, surrounded by lush green climbing plants and warm lighting, they looked wonderful. Seeing your children happy and thriving, on holiday, carefree, is one of the greatest things a parent can witness.
Crete Beyond the Resort
We made sure to venture beyond the resort and explore a little of the island itself. Crete has a soul that you feel the moment you step into its villages. We came across a beautiful Orthodox church, its terracotta dome gleaming against a sky so blue it barely seemed real. The inscription across its facade, the cross at its peak, the clock tower to one side. It was calm and dignified and quietly magnificent.
The island’s flora alone is worth the journey. Oleander in full bloom, enormous cascades of pink and deep rose tumbling over fences and walls, set against that impossibly blue sky. It is the kind of colour combination that makes you want to stand still and just look.
Why Family Holidays Are Worth Every Penny
I speak as both a travel professional and a grandmother when I say this: the family holiday is one of the best investments you will ever make. Not in a financial sense, though good value absolutely matters and we always work hard to find it for our clients. I mean in the sense of what it gives back to you.
When you are at home, life fragments you. Work pulls you one way. School runs, errands, commitments. Everyone is busy in their own direction. But on holiday, you converge. You eat together, explore together, laugh together, sit quietly together. You have conversations you would never quite get round to at home. You notice things about each other. You remember who you are to each other.
Kady will not remember every detail of this trip. She is too young for that. But she will carry the feeling of it. The warmth of being held in the pool by people who love her. The freedom of dancing in a garden at dusk. The sense of being completely safe and completely happy. Those feelings become part of who a child is, and that is worth more than I can put into words.
There Is Still Time for Summer 2026
If you are sitting on the fence about a family holiday this summer, please consider this your nudge. The memories you create when you travel together with the people who matter most are genuinely irreplaceable. You cannot recreate a Cretan sunset over a glass of wine with your husband. You cannot recreate the look on your granddaughter’s face the first time she swims freely in a hotel pool. You cannot recreate the feeling of an evening with your whole family around you, nowhere to be, nothing to do except enjoy each other.
We still have some lovely options available for this summer, including Greece, Cyprus, and beyond. Whether you are looking for a resort holiday with grandchildren, a couples escape, or a multi-generational trip that works for everyone, the team at Experience the World Travel will take the time to get it right for you.
Get in touch with us today. Let us help you create memories that will last a lifetime.
Jayne
Experience the World Travel
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