Nichols Photo courtesy Bill Nichols

Want to show your kids a real rainforest instead of the Rainforest Cafe? Marketing consultant Bill Nichols (MBA ’78) and his wife, Jennifer, did just that, taking their two children to locales such as Ecuador, Thailand, and Tanzania. Jennifer started a book about their travels, providing “how-to” tips for families with similar interests. After Jennifer succumbed to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in February 2003, completing the book became a labor of love for Nichols. Exotic Travel Destinations for Families was published in January 2004 by Santa Monica Press.

How hard was it for you to finish the book after your wife’s death?

Jennifer had written about 70 percent of the book; the rest was mostly filling in facts and figures. After all, I had been on all of those exotic trips. Emotionally, it was a little hard at first, but then it became easier and easier. She already had a publisher lined up, and jointly we finished the project.

When did the exotic travel habit start for your family?

Shortly after Jennifer and I got married, we were living in Germany. We started traveling in Europe, and the longer we were there, the farther afield we went. Once we had kids, we did not want to stop traveling.

How young were your children on your first trip?

When my son was five and my daughter was eight, we went to the Galapagos Islands and the Ecuadorian rainforests. We swam with sea lions and went hiking in the rainforest. Swinging from a jungle vine — that’s something a child can enjoy. Although my son doesn’t remember everything, he remembers the highlights.

What are the key factors that make exotic travel work for kids?

You have to choose something age-appropriate. Even in Paris, young kids aren’t really going to enjoy the Louvre, but they will be interested in going up the Eiffel Tower. At young ages, the big thing is animals. When children are a little older, it’s activities like swimming and snorkeling. When they’re a bit older, they appreciate different cultures.

What’s your favorite exotic travel destination for families?

I really have to break it into categories. For enjoying animals and wildlife, I’d say the Galapagos Islands or Tanzania. For culture, I’d say Thailand or Morocco. For a great beach, Bora Bora in the South Pacific offers unlimited activities.

How did your time at HBS prepare you for exotic travel?

Having an appreciation for business and a curiosity about how organizations work certainly helps when you’re traveling abroad.

— LAURA SINGLETON (MBA ’88)

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