As parents ourselves - albeit with a slightly obsessive compulsion for adventure - we believe we shouldn't prepare life's path for our children. Instead, we aim to prepare our children for life's path.

Travel and adventure is the perfect means to this end - it offers the chance to stretch horizons and develop an understanding of cultures and destinations beyond our everyday world. Travel helps develop resilience, a sense of adventure and the ability to cope with change and challenge. The educational benefits and opportunities for personal development are many indeed.

By its very nature, however, adventure travel is more challenging and demanding than a conventional school trip. The enjoyment, excitement and educational benefit is derived, in part, from the inherent risks and challenges associated with each journey. Comprehensive risk assessments, expert guides, thorough planning and contingency arrangements all help to reduce risks, but they cannot remove them altogether.

Standards of accommodation, transport, health care, hygiene and service provision are, generally, not as high as in the UK. Flexibility and patience on the part of the traveller is important, so too is your understanding of risk as a parent or guardian.