After our focus on family holidays in Dubai last month, I thought I would reflect on the Caribbean now. With October half term coming up in a couple of weeks the islands of the Caribbean are a perfect choice for combining luxury holidays and family holidays– glorious sunshine, pristine waters and some great special offers to be had!
Some places in the Caribbean, such as Anguilla and Martinique, are more known for exclusive luxury resorts where adults can escape normality and enjoy seclusion and relaxation. However, many places in the Caribbean are ideal for families and offer excellent facilities for children of all ages.
One favourite is the Coconut Bay Resort & Spa in St Lucia, including Splash – the family friendly wing of the hotel which features large, colourful family rooms that overlook the CocoLand Waterpark. With rides such as the Coconut Coaster, Lazy River and Coconut Cannon, adults and children will be thrilled and entertained for hours. Also at the Coconut Bay Resort & Spa, the Coco Kidz and The Clubhouse areas cater for children up to the age of 12. For younger children, supervised games, arts and crafts, water activities and video games can be enjoyed while pre-teens can chill in The Clubhouse or partake in physical and educational team challenges.
On the nearby island of Barbados, Cobblers Cove is a 5* family-friendly hotel that encourages family time together through outings to nearby animal sanctuary’s, ocean parks and nature reserves as well as providing supervised children’s activities. As a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux group this hotel also oozes luxury and sophistication, allowing luxury and family holidays to go hand in hand.
Very often, families looking for an enjoyable holiday prefer an all-inclusive board basis. The advantage of all-inclusive is you don’t have to worry about the kid’s ordering too many drinks or something unusual and expensive at dinner and then not eating any of it. The family award winning Almond Beach Village currently has a great all-inclusive offer throughout October and November with 50% off their standard rates! The 10 swimming pools, babysitting service and on-site nursery sets this resort apart from others as being an amazing family holiday resort.
Finally, I can’t write a blog about family holidays in the Caribbean without mentioning the Beaches Resorts. The three Beaches resorts in Jamaica and one in Turks and Caicos are renowned for celebrating family holidays with luxury and fun. Their Luxury Included® package takes all-inclusive one step further as it includes all meals, drinks, water and land sports and other activities for the kids. The Jamaican resorts include Pirates Island Waterpark, XBOX 360® Game Garage centres and Sesame Street® Caribbean Adventures.
As well as these amazing hotels and resorts, there’s plenty of excursions and outside trips to enjoy in the Caribbean. As oppose to the Maldives, where islands are often private for one resort, the islands of the Caribbean are bursting with friendly locals from small towns & villages, native restaurants and local sightseeing. A personal recommendation would be Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica, a great family day out!
