We plan to travel to the Carribean in December. My family consists of 2 adults and 2 kids - 7 yrs and 2.5 yrs. I am trying to locate a place where:

1. The resort is kids friendly
2. Weather is good in December
3. Other than beach their is lot to explore

Thanks

CM

Aruba has very stable weather - breezy, sunny and warm - year round. the beaches are very calm and there is one aptly named 'baby beach'. The hyatt is kid-friendly - great pool. On that strip of hotels, you'll also find dunkin doughnuts, TCBY yogurt, etc and on the beach itself, you can walk down a boardwalk and sample any number of hotel beachfront cafes. They have a botanical garden, evening sails, snorkeling, parasailing, shopping, etc.

Aruba obviously attracts lots of tourists (including me in the past) but I'm always surprised by the number of people who want to fly hours out of the USA only to stay at a Hyatt/Marriott, eat at KFC/Dunkin'Donuts/TCBY/Olive Garden, and basically do all the same things they could have done in Miami or San Diego.
Like going to a Chinese restaurant and ordering a cheeseburger.

Cmeyer54's response meets the 1st 2 requirements:

1. The resort is kids friendly
2. Weather is good in December

But seems to be lacking in #3. In agreement with TedTurner's comments I would also like some place where their is a bit more culture/site seeing to do.

:

We're not huge fans of Aruba, for the reasons mentioned, but also because of the blasted wind ... way too windy. But all-in-all it's not a bad destination. Nowhere near our favorite, but not bad.

But I have to disagree with the comment that there isn't much to explore. We rented a car and spent days touriong the island. We spent time in the caves, saw the natural bridge,the California dunes, the sugar mill ruins, ate at Charlie Browns, spent time among the locals, climbed a number of hills, and cavorted with many iguana (or was that in Mexico?).

At any rate, don't rule it out.

But, since you are looing for suggestions, we fell in love with St. John. Provo T&C is also quite nice.

I agree....while Aruba is special and unique, it is also only 19 miles long and has a "Hooters" for pete's sake. I would personally take the kids somewhere maybe they can "explore" more and see beautiful things, such as Costa Rica with wildlife, volcanos, etc. Aruba is a desert with cacti, not very green, tropical, or lush. Good luck and have a good trip wherever you go !

I was more keying in the fact that you're taking two pretty young children who will be most interested in a good beach, friendly pool, relatively familiar food, etc. Our boys were a bit older when we took them and they enjoyed the beaches, golf, snorkeling, scuba, parasailing and what I guess you would call aruban cuisine - however, we did take them to seafood restaurants most of the time.

I just noticed the child ages, and you may be right-pools, beaches, some comforts of home may make for a better trip. The caves on Aruba are neat as well as a jeep tour. But if you want to do alot of exploring you may want a place with more history, wildlife etc.

Not the Caribbean so to spek but have you thought about Riveria Maya? We jsut got back this summer and it was wonderful for kids. the resorts are all-inclusive and offer everything and then some. We stayed at the Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar and it was wonderful - totally impressed with the grouns, very tropical, excellent dining choices, the pool was huge, great beach and it was terrific for kids. My nephew, age 6, had a ball. There is a great kids camp which he loved going to part of the day and the kids show at night was his highlight - jsut tons of fun for kids.
Also, saved a bundle compared to AI's in the Caribbean.

Penney

Cancun or Mayan Riviera. We have two kids 9 and 13 and have travelled with them since they were babies. Cancun has good beaches,can be crowded , Isle Mujera where you could spend a day, Mayan ruins and at night you could walk around as it is safe. Mayan Riviera is our top spot as beaches are heaven, natural shade on beaches also has wonderful hotels like Cancun and all-inclusive. It is also close to Mayan ruins. With a 2,5 year old I doubt you will do much touring but if you so choose there is lots to do in this part of Mexico.

Guys thanks a lot. Mayan RIvierra looks very attractive. ANy idea where I can get the good deals?

you can try www.vacationexpress.com, I know they have packages, depending on where you are flying from...

vacationexpress serves a few select cities. I will be leaving out of Dallas.

We usually use AAvacations, American Airlines. They have very good packages and serve most of the islands in the caribbean. We loved Aruba and cannot wait to take our kids there for a family vacation. We stayed at the La Cabana which is a time share and has a lot of other families there. They have three pools and one designated for kids including a water slide. There is plenty to do in Aruba especially if you are the adventurous type. I agree with the other person on St. John. If you can afford it the Westin is the place to stay. It in my opinion is more quiet then Aruba but the snorkeling on St. John is wonderful.

I would think Jamaica at the FDR resorts would be one of my first picks. They have gotten great reviews for their kids programs and vacation nannies. I don't know if it would be too cold that time of year though.

I'd look into Beaches Negril, Jamaica if an AI is on the agenda. Fantastic for kids, lot to do for adults.

Try the Jamaica Grande in Ocho Rios! This is great for kids as there is snorkeling, kayaks, a kids club, etc. You are also steps away from town to check out shopping. Get the AI package and the little ones will have a ball.

When we bring our kids to Jamaica we usuallly do a staffed villa or cottage on/near the beach, it just gets us all more space (our own bedrooms) and privacy.

Jamaica is lovely in December, hardly any rain, can get a little chilly at night but by day perfectly good for swimming, exploring, etc.