Travelling with an infant and a toddler. I have some specific criteria, please help!
Apr 29th, 2007, 03:26 PM
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Travelling with an infant and a toddler. I have some specific criteria, please help!
Hi everyone! Have you travelled to a great family resort with really young kids? Please tell me about it!
I'm planning a trip in early December, travelling with a young infant and a toddler (3-year old). I'm looking for a resort with:
1. Recommended baby-sitting or nursery/kids club that will accomodate that young age group. The resort does not have to have a kids club or nursery for babies that young, but if they don't, I want to make sure the baby-sitting in the daytime is not only available, but engaging enough for a very active 3-year old boy.
2. 1-bedroom suite accomodations or guaranteed connecting rooms (I don't want to arrive at a resort having paid for 2 rooms, and find out that I cannot have them connecting).
3. A nice beach that is not too rough.
4. A nice resort. I don't expect a Ritz Carlton, but I don't want anything that is run-down or dumpy.
I'm willing to travel ANYWHERE in the Caribbean (or even Mexico or Central America).
I'm planning a trip in early December, travelling with a young infant and a toddler (3-year old). I'm looking for a resort with:
1. Recommended baby-sitting or nursery/kids club that will accomodate that young age group. The resort does not have to have a kids club or nursery for babies that young, but if they don't, I want to make sure the baby-sitting in the daytime is not only available, but engaging enough for a very active 3-year old boy.
2. 1-bedroom suite accomodations or guaranteed connecting rooms (I don't want to arrive at a resort having paid for 2 rooms, and find out that I cannot have them connecting).
3. A nice beach that is not too rough.
4. A nice resort. I don't expect a Ritz Carlton, but I don't want anything that is run-down or dumpy.
I'm willing to travel ANYWHERE in the Caribbean (or even Mexico or Central America).
Apr 30th, 2007, 07:44 AM
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Our family enjoyed the Four Seasons on Nevis in June 2005. It's a very family-friendly resort. There is a separate pool for families, so the honeymooners and couples traveling sans children can relax in peace and quiet. My children were barely 6 yrs and almost 3 yrs at the time of our visit. We went the day after my older child's kindergarten "graduation" and there were plenty of other children there, so my kids were in heaven. We still stay in close contact with one of the families we met because they live in a nearby suburb.
The food was very good at the resort, and they are very accommodating with requests from children. The 24-hr room service was also appreciated. There were some evenings that we ordered room service for dinner because the children were exhausted. My kids love applesauce, so the chef made some one morning for them. My older chil loves pasta with shrimp in a cream sauce, so the chef made that one evening. They still talk about the chocolate souffles and coconut ice cream they used to have for dessert. Kids have to be 3 yrs and potty-trained for the Kids Camp, and we only used it once when it rained one morning. We did use the babysitting when my husband and I wanted to enjoy two dinners on our own. The lady was kind, and the children said she was very nice.
The spa is wonderful, and my husband enjoyed the golf course. My children loved the beach, the pool and playing with other children. The Four Seasons offers a family plan where you can get a connecting room for children at half-price. This special usually runs from early May through mid-December, so you should look into it. (My trip report for Four Seasons Nevis is on tripadvisor.com dated June 25, 2005)
We visited Anguilla in May 2006 and stayed at Malliouhana. This resort is also family-friendly. Malli has a Friends and Family package that allows you to get a 2nd adjoining room for children at no additional cost. Check their web sites for the dates because I don't know whether it's available in early Dec. They don't have a formal kids camp, but they do offer babysitting and there are ladies who supervise the pirate ship area, ping pong table and movie room. The water slide and pirate ship were a big hit with my children. However, the resort is showing some signs of age and could use a bit of refurbishing. These weren't huge negatives for us, but I just wanted you to know. The beach at Mead's Bay is stunning, and the waves were very gentle, which was perfect for our younger child. My only disappointment with Malli was their strange dining hour requirement. Per their web site we knew that young children had to eat at a specific time in their Dining Room. However, we didn't realize how limited the menu would be during the "children's dining hour." My husband and I felt like we were forced to eat off the "kiddie" menu. Room service menu is also quite limited, and they weren't too flexible at accommodating special requests. My younger child is a somewhat picky eater, so traveling is always an adventure. After all the hype about Malli's restaurant and wine selection, we couldn't help but feel disappointed. I will say that my kids enjoyed the lunches at Malli. My children developed quite a fondness for their pizza, fresh fruit smoothies and sorbet. We rented a car and Anguilla has an abundance of outstanding restaurants. My kids loved breakfasts at Tasty's and Deon's Overlook. They loved dinners at Picante and Straw Hat. Again, there were other children at Malli during our stay, and that greatly added to my children's pleasure.
The food was very good at the resort, and they are very accommodating with requests from children. The 24-hr room service was also appreciated. There were some evenings that we ordered room service for dinner because the children were exhausted. My kids love applesauce, so the chef made some one morning for them. My older chil loves pasta with shrimp in a cream sauce, so the chef made that one evening. They still talk about the chocolate souffles and coconut ice cream they used to have for dessert. Kids have to be 3 yrs and potty-trained for the Kids Camp, and we only used it once when it rained one morning. We did use the babysitting when my husband and I wanted to enjoy two dinners on our own. The lady was kind, and the children said she was very nice.
The spa is wonderful, and my husband enjoyed the golf course. My children loved the beach, the pool and playing with other children. The Four Seasons offers a family plan where you can get a connecting room for children at half-price. This special usually runs from early May through mid-December, so you should look into it. (My trip report for Four Seasons Nevis is on tripadvisor.com dated June 25, 2005)
We visited Anguilla in May 2006 and stayed at Malliouhana. This resort is also family-friendly. Malli has a Friends and Family package that allows you to get a 2nd adjoining room for children at no additional cost. Check their web sites for the dates because I don't know whether it's available in early Dec. They don't have a formal kids camp, but they do offer babysitting and there are ladies who supervise the pirate ship area, ping pong table and movie room. The water slide and pirate ship were a big hit with my children. However, the resort is showing some signs of age and could use a bit of refurbishing. These weren't huge negatives for us, but I just wanted you to know. The beach at Mead's Bay is stunning, and the waves were very gentle, which was perfect for our younger child. My only disappointment with Malli was their strange dining hour requirement. Per their web site we knew that young children had to eat at a specific time in their Dining Room. However, we didn't realize how limited the menu would be during the "children's dining hour." My husband and I felt like we were forced to eat off the "kiddie" menu. Room service menu is also quite limited, and they weren't too flexible at accommodating special requests. My younger child is a somewhat picky eater, so traveling is always an adventure. After all the hype about Malli's restaurant and wine selection, we couldn't help but feel disappointed. I will say that my kids enjoyed the lunches at Malli. My children developed quite a fondness for their pizza, fresh fruit smoothies and sorbet. We rented a car and Anguilla has an abundance of outstanding restaurants. My kids loved breakfasts at Tasty's and Deon's Overlook. They loved dinners at Picante and Straw Hat. Again, there were other children at Malli during our stay, and that greatly added to my children's pleasure.
Apr 30th, 2007, 08:11 AM
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Aruba may fit the bill, it is really family friendly. There are no waves on the beach making it great for little ones. I know the Marriott has many kids programs. There is a regular Marriott, plus the Ocean and Surf Club. I only know about the Ocean Club, but they have 1 or 2BR units with a kitchenette and living area which makes it a good bet with kids. I am sure there are other hotels with similar set ups. The Ocean Club is mostly time shares but also has rooms you can reserve like a normal Marriott. Plus you can use the other Marriott hotel amenities, like the Surf Club's lazy river, another kid pleaser.
Apr 30th, 2007, 10:32 AM
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I gone with my 4 kids to several kid friendly places some of which they love and some were just ok. We've stayed at the Almond Beach Resort in Barbados, Beaches in Turks and Caicos,The St.James Club in Antigua, La Cabana in Aruba, and theirs and my favorite The Windjanner Landing Villa Beach Resort in St. Lucia,(6) times. Everytime we would try some place new the next year they would want to go back to St. Lucia. They and I love the Windjammer! Most all of these have kids programs and offer babysitting.
Apr 30th, 2007, 04:17 PM
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family4travel - thank you very much for the wonderful ideas. Four Seasons looks very promising, but I have to check with them directly as their family package is not coming up online for my dates. Malli has some amazing packages, but the go only through August (and that is way too soon for me to travel). I'll keep checking the website though.
Mazey - I've heard good things about Aruba. I don't think I found any hotel that specified kids club or stellar nanny services for very young children. I like the idea of a Lazy River - my toddler would like that a lot! So thanks for the idea, I;ll look further into it.
MidwestDiver - I'm glad you mentioned Windjammer Landing. I had bookmarked it because of the "Family Delight" package that includes a certain number of nanny hours. But what makes me hesitate is, how far are the villas? It seems some of them are not only pretty far but a climb up. Also, do you usually book directly with the resort or through a vendor/tour operator?
Mazey - I've heard good things about Aruba. I don't think I found any hotel that specified kids club or stellar nanny services for very young children. I like the idea of a Lazy River - my toddler would like that a lot! So thanks for the idea, I;ll look further into it.
MidwestDiver - I'm glad you mentioned Windjammer Landing. I had bookmarked it because of the "Family Delight" package that includes a certain number of nanny hours. But what makes me hesitate is, how far are the villas? It seems some of them are not only pretty far but a climb up. Also, do you usually book directly with the resort or through a vendor/tour operator?
Apr 30th, 2007, 06:06 PM
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Hi,
You might want to check out the Dreams Resorts and Beaches - they are all-inclusive, upscale family resorts. They have wonderful programs for kids, so that you can spend time together as a family, but also be certain that the children's programs and nannies will take good care of the kidlets. You can have some adult time, too!
The Westin Rio Mar in Puerto Rico is also great! Also recommend the Atlantis in the Bahamas, the Sandy Lane in Barbados, Casa de Campo in Dominican Republic and the Palms in Turks & Caicos. The Westin St. John has villas, which might work well for you?
Have a great trip!
Julia
You might want to check out the Dreams Resorts and Beaches - they are all-inclusive, upscale family resorts. They have wonderful programs for kids, so that you can spend time together as a family, but also be certain that the children's programs and nannies will take good care of the kidlets. You can have some adult time, too!
The Westin Rio Mar in Puerto Rico is also great! Also recommend the Atlantis in the Bahamas, the Sandy Lane in Barbados, Casa de Campo in Dominican Republic and the Palms in Turks & Caicos. The Westin St. John has villas, which might work well for you?
Have a great trip!
Julia
Jun 26th, 2008, 07:28 PM
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I know there are a few Club Med family resorts in Punta Cana and Ixtapa that have kids clubs that start at 4 months and up. Also, the T&C, Beaches offer services for infants and toddlers. We personally have stayed at Punta Cana and Beaches and used the kids club. We don't like all inclusives, but with young kids it sometimes fit the bill. We like Beaches a lot better than Punta Cana...but there is a huge price difference as well! We also got a nanny to go out to dinner alone...and they are fantastic at T&C Beaches. Good luck!
Jun 29th, 2008, 10:29 AM
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ONe couple with a little one had a fantastic week in Jamaica. The resort package included a NANNY. She said only two places (I'm pretty sure it was Ocho Rios or Mo' Bay) have this available. But they and the kid loved the nanny, who did activities with kid each day, and was available for nighttime extra hours at a reasonable rate if parents wanted a nice dinner out away from kid1
Jamaica is not my kind of place, but they loved it, and I'm sure with some 'net surfing you could find a place where your kiddoes would have their own Jamaican nanny.
I wish you a happy trip, all I ask in return is that you remember to NEVER put the babies in any swimming pool until they are older and completely toilet trained. Those 'swim diapers' might be nice for the kiddie, but they do not prevent the very real health hazards of diapered kids in pools! TIA
Jamaica is not my kind of place, but they loved it, and I'm sure with some 'net surfing you could find a place where your kiddoes would have their own Jamaican nanny.
I wish you a happy trip, all I ask in return is that you remember to NEVER put the babies in any swimming pool until they are older and completely toilet trained. Those 'swim diapers' might be nice for the kiddie, but they do not prevent the very real health hazards of diapered kids in pools! TIA
Jul 5th, 2008, 11:12 PM
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Hi, I went through what you described. I had to young daughters. I had travelled the Islands a lot before I was married and my mother even moved to Barbados. All I can say is if you are alone with kids I would stay away from the islands. But even if you have a partner, having children can make for a unpleasent time for all. Beaches have NO life gaurds. My wife died 5 years after we married. Being alone, I really found myself rethinking holiday choices. In the end I went on a family cruise. I was very sceptical when this was suggested, I thought of stooping off at a different place every day. This was not appealing. I was incouraged to look into more types of cruises. I was surprised at that I found and the diffent types of cruise lines and their ships. I did not want a Disney World type trip. But one that would have some kids but more importantly, had screened staff hired for child care. Having had been a island type vactioner, it was quite the switch. The biggest obstical was getting my head around it. The first one we took was through the Gautamala Canal. It was slower paced, beauiful and the birds and other wild life was a huge thrill to my girls. Even my youndest who was just one year, remebered the "birdies" - the colours where amazing. Any of the islands can be VERY expensive as well. Not that crusies are cheap, they're not. But with everything included and the great child care, I was able to take some time I needed to heal over my wifes passing. But even to just restor have a nap by the pool, I could do so. There is a lot more to cruises then I had ever know. I hope this helps you and everyone in the family can come away from what ever you choose refreshed. Sincerly, Rob
Jul 6th, 2008, 04:42 AM
#12
My 6 year old already has such a stamped passport-I'm jealous! She is and has always been super active-enough for 3 kids! I have taken her to Mexico, Anguilla, St. Martin, Virgin Islands, numerous Bahamas islands (everything from Atlantis to some Out Islands). Every year we take her to Turks and Caicos.
T&C is so made for families-condo style resorts, so they have full kitchens to keep milk, snacks, everything on hand. (Very important with kids!) It boasts the best supermarket in the Caribbean (in my opinion) with all the brands for babies and toddlers you come to expect, so no lugging a million things. The condos are treated like world class resorts. The restaurants are kid friendly-some even have bands with soft music-and the kids end up dancing. One restaurant there taught me a nice trick-they put 2 armed chairs together with seat cushions, and made a "bed" out of it for my active all day at the beach then 3 year old who fell asleep. The best part: The beach. So kid friendly, usually supercalm, always crystal clear. Most resorts have tons of toys to lend on the beach, from noodles to buckets and pails, etc. The supermarket also sells beach chairs, umbrellas, and floats-including the kind of floats with legs you can put an infant in! There is a terrific family beach, called Sapadilla Bay. The water is knee high for hundreds of yards. Toddlers get giddy at this beach!!!! It's always supercalm, so it's easy to put a baby in one of those leg floats to free your arms up once in a while. The water there is always super calm, like glass.
I highly recommend Grace Bay Club Villas for you. They have an excellent kids club (You'll be amazed what they do with small kids!!) and an excellent babysitting service. I can't remember the woman's name who runs it, but I can look it up for you if you are trully interested. I can tell you, she answers Emails promptly, and I highly recommend it.
Another terrific resort (one of my personal favorites) is The Somerset. Gorgeous, gorgeous place, they offer family specials that include babysitters. They do not have a kids club.
The Regent Palms has a nice kids club-making another fine choice for you.
If you decide on T&C, I would be more than happy to look up the contact from Grace Bay Club.
T&C is so made for families-condo style resorts, so they have full kitchens to keep milk, snacks, everything on hand. (Very important with kids!) It boasts the best supermarket in the Caribbean (in my opinion) with all the brands for babies and toddlers you come to expect, so no lugging a million things. The condos are treated like world class resorts. The restaurants are kid friendly-some even have bands with soft music-and the kids end up dancing. One restaurant there taught me a nice trick-they put 2 armed chairs together with seat cushions, and made a "bed" out of it for my active all day at the beach then 3 year old who fell asleep. The best part: The beach. So kid friendly, usually supercalm, always crystal clear. Most resorts have tons of toys to lend on the beach, from noodles to buckets and pails, etc. The supermarket also sells beach chairs, umbrellas, and floats-including the kind of floats with legs you can put an infant in! There is a terrific family beach, called Sapadilla Bay. The water is knee high for hundreds of yards. Toddlers get giddy at this beach!!!! It's always supercalm, so it's easy to put a baby in one of those leg floats to free your arms up once in a while. The water there is always super calm, like glass.
I highly recommend Grace Bay Club Villas for you. They have an excellent kids club (You'll be amazed what they do with small kids!!) and an excellent babysitting service. I can't remember the woman's name who runs it, but I can look it up for you if you are trully interested. I can tell you, she answers Emails promptly, and I highly recommend it.
Another terrific resort (one of my personal favorites) is The Somerset. Gorgeous, gorgeous place, they offer family specials that include babysitters. They do not have a kids club.
The Regent Palms has a nice kids club-making another fine choice for you.
If you decide on T&C, I would be more than happy to look up the contact from Grace Bay Club.
