Top Child Holidays

Continuing our two part look at taking the children on vacation in the Caribbean, we take a look at what there is for children to do whilst on vacation. Depending on the age of your children, there are so many different activities on offer to you. If your children are old enough (usually 7 is the minimum age) and are not afraid of height, one of the most unforgettable experiences is to take a zip-line tour and enjoy a birds eye view of lush Caribbean scenery.

Alternatively, you could explore the wonders of the St Lucia rainforest on a soft adventure tour. If your children are too young to swim, it is a great idea to take a glass-bottomed boat tour allowing you to see the variety of tropical fish underwater without getting wet. At certain times of the year turtles come to the beach to lay their eggs at night.  Surely, it is an exciting experience for any age.  Some destinations including, Dominica, Puerto Rico and Turks and Caicos, offer whale watching tours, which could be a once-in-a-life-time opportunity for all your family. Another amazing experience could be swimming with dolphins in their natural environment, which is something incredible and possible for children of most ages. Alternatively, you could spend a day out in a Theme park. There are plenty Theme Parks in the Caribbean, most of which have water slides, lazy rivers and wave pools. It might be an excuse for you to have fun unless you prefer to enjoy watching your children having fun in the shady areas. If you like learning new things, you could take a surfing class. There are classes available for different ages. With a diverse wildlife, snorkeling is another great way to experience the Caribbean waters.  The Caribbean is a perfect place for adults and  children to learn how to do it together.

While the Caribbean is known for being a paradise island perfect for romantic getaways for couples who want to spend quality time with their loved ones away from the children, it is also the ideal location for a fun filled family vacation. There are a number of resorts throughout the Caribbean that have programs especially designed with children in mind.  Some of the beaches have the best beach amenities for children. Furthermore, there are countless watersports activities that will keep children entertained and active for hours.  Most of the hotels don’t charge children under the age of 2, and charge the ones between the ages of 2 and 11 much less than European hotels. Another great way to enjoy a family vacation in Caribbean is that to stay in either an all inclusive resort or a villa. Many villas are accompanied by great big gardens with outdoor swimming pool and little playground areas for children.  Imagine sunbathing or enjoying drinking cocktails with your partner while your children are playing safely in the garden or even better on the beach! Also, it is possible to hire a bigger villa with another couple who have similar aged children to make it more fun for everybody. I hired a big villa with some friends who also have similar aged children, we all had an amazing time last year.

Everybody enjoys going on vacation with their family. Even though you may all live in the same house, it is not always possible to spend quality time together as a family because of long working hours, children`s busy social lives, computers, online games, online social network sites, etc. Family vacations are special times when you can really enjoy quality time with out the normal interruptions.

It is also a completely different experience than the vacations you have without your children. You need to be well organized and consider many things. First of all, before you book a holiday think about the activities all of you could enjoy doing together. Obviously this will depend on the age of your children and personal interests.  If you have very young children, then you may prefer child friendly hotels offering kids clubs and other child orientated facilities. Hungry and tired children can be very difficult, so keep some extra food, snacks with you just in case something happens before you arrive at the hotel.  Some places close all the shops at specific times of the day, be aware of the local lifestyle wherever you go.

If your children are not school aged, then you may consider booking your vacation during term times as you could save yourself a lot of money and you may also avoid the crowds and possible delays that occur during summer school breaks. If you are visiting somewhere hot, ensure your children wear a hat and sun cream even if they refuse to. Reward them when they do. Remember to think about the health conditions and regulations of the country you are going to. Vaccinations are very important for your all family.  If you hire a car you will need a car seat, think about it in advance to prevent having problems when you arrive. If you have only one child, it may be a good idea to offer to take her/his best friend with you or to go on vacation with another family.