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82 N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 isl a n d s . c om
The best
family
islands islands
�
it’s easy to pick the island
with the biggest water slide and
Best
of the
just take the kids there. Harder world
— but worth it — is finding the
place where the entire family can bond
while spying giant sea turtles, searching
for hidden beaches and sharing more
island experiences. Easy accessibility,
fun amenities and big accommoda-
tions are important too for any family
getaway, and islands’ experts consid-
ered those factors as well. Whether
for a young family’s first island trip or
an extended family’s best reunion ever,
these 14 destinations can spark lifetime
memories and a lifelong love of travel.
b y c h r i s ta u b e r
and tony perrottet
N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 isl a n d s . c om 83
the best
f r o m to p : c o u r t e s y h e r o n i s l an d ; s t e fan o aman t i n i / c o r b i s
Barbados
> Marvel at the green monkeys of the
Barbados Wildlife Reserve and the
green pools of Harrison’s Cave. But
marvel too at the Barbados school sys-
tem, which has led to one of the world’s
highest literacy rates at 99.7 percent.
Let that be an example to the kids as
you explore Barbados. Then relax at
Best for family reunions your extended family frolicks in the Sir
the luxurious, 112-room Sandy Lane
Virgin Gorda, Francis Drake Channel, by all means do.
resort, where the likes of Tiger Woods
British Virgin Islands After all, your work is done. Weekly rates
have stayed. There through the compli-
> A big reunion does not have to per villa from $13,750 (easily split among
mentary Treehouse Club for children
be a big amount of work. In a quiet family members). villaaquamare.com
ages 3 to 16, you can all try a game of
nook of Virgin Gorda, book all three
cricket, practice how to dive, and get
8,000-square-foot villas at Aquamare, Best back-to-nature trip
a chance to swim and snorkel with
which opened just last year. Then let Heron Island, Australia
the staff cater to your group of 36. If > Focus entirely on Australia’s nature
you’d like to join your private chef at the at Heron Island. This mango-shaped Sandy Lane,
local dock to pick the freshest lobsters droplet of fauna-filled national park- Barbados
for dinner, you can, of course. If you’d land, 44 acres in size, is planted off the
like to take the 62-foot yacht out, climb Great Barrier Reef ’s southern tip. The
aboard. But if you just want to lie in the 109-room eco-friendly resort, shel-
suspended “Dream Bed” floating over tered by pandanus trees and ringed by
the sand at the private beach park while white-sand beaches, encourages every
84 N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 isl a n d s . c om
the best
t urtles alongside a “turtle tutor.” You cent lagoon surrounding Bora Bora the
can’t help but learn something new. world’s biggest, best, bluest swimming
Rates from $1,000. sandylane.com pool. For even more aquatic delight,
the new Four Seasons Bora Bora has
Best all-american escape an infinity pool (with attendants bear-
Duck Key, Florida ing chilled towels). Next door is the
> Imagine a Norman Rockwell version Tamari’i Club for 5- to 12-year-olds,
of the Florida Keys. Duck Key is a place with a splash pad, turtle visits, snor-
>PUH where families can enjoy the island chain’s kel sessions and French-food tastings.
isolated, timeless beauty minus a big leap Teenagers get their own isle, Chill Island,
<:=0=07 offshore. Within a sprawling 60 acres with a private beach, hands-on reef
of landscaped waterways, the resort of research and stand-up paddleboarding.
Hawks Cay has more than 100 suites and Everyone can go into the inner lagoon
*HYUP]HS villas, five pools and five restaurants gen- with the Four Seasons’ marine biologist.
teelly placed on tree-lined lanes. Stay in a The only downside to this vacation: No
=HJH[PVU two-, three- or four-bedroom villa with other pool may ever compare. Rates
a full kitchen, and leisurely stroll along from $1,000. fourseasons.com
boardwalks as sailboats drift past and
fathers fish with sons. A serene ocean- Best for history lessons
)L[YLH[LKSPRLH=07HZH side enclosure has marine biologists on Capri, Italy
ZWLJPHSN\LZ[VM[OL<:=0 hand for small-group encounters with > If your kids think that history is
HUK0ZSHUKZTHNHaPUL,U[LY bottlenose dolphins. The AquaJam pro- boring, give them a more interesting
[V^PUHJ\Z[VTPaLK<:=0 gram sets up teenagers for three days of lesson in the infinity pool at the Hotel
*HYUP]HSL_WLYPLUJL^P[O snorkeling, diving, sailing and fishing. At Caesar Augustus on the island of Capri,
dusk, families gravitate toward the open Italy. Perched on the edge of a 1,000-
`V\Y]LY`V^UJVUJPLYNL fires magically lit around the main pool, foot cliff, it has a magnificent view of
snuggling in towels. There you can still the Mediterranean — a jaw-dropping
;OYLL7YPaLZ! enjoy the most delicious mojitos north of panorama across the sparkling Bay of
;OYLLZLWHYH[L[YPWZ^PSSIL Havana. Rates from $149. hawkscay.com Naples. Capri was where the ancient
NP]LUH^H`·VUL[VLHJOVM Romans chose to spend their vacations,
[OL[OYLL<:=PYNPU0ZSHUKZ Best swimming pool and on a clear day you can see Vesuvius,
,HJOWYPaLPUJS\KLZKLS\_L Bora Bora, Islands of Tahiti the volcano that buried Pompeii in A.D.
> “How big is the pool?” Kids often zero 79. At the hotel, a statue of Augustus
HJJVTTVKH[PVUZYV\UK[YPW
in on that one amenity to pick a vacation himself recalls the first emperor who
HPYMHYLHUKHJVUJPLYNLN\PKL destination. So consider the magnifi- admired Capri’s beauty so much that
;VLU[LYNV[V!
Hotel Caesar
0ZSHUKZJVTJHYUP]HS Augustus, Capri
h e l e n c at h c a r t / a l a m y
86 N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 isl a n d s . c om
c o u r t e s y c as taway i s l a n d ; o p p o s i t e : c o u r t e s y r i t z - c a r lt o n , K a pa l ua
lsimons@grottobay.com • www.grottobay.com
plants in the nursery at nearby Limahuli costumes, legends of Fiji told around the
Garden. At the resort’s intimate restau- bonfire and crab hunting by torch light.
rant, a new weekly luau fires up kalua In fact, the staff can keep kids and teens
pork, fresh fish and more, capped with entertained for most of the waking hours
a family of fire-knife dancers. Learning from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. And of the 66 bures
how to dance like that can be your next on the western tip of this otherwise natu-
adventure. Rates from $240. hcr.com rally green private island, many sleep up
to five people. Bigger families will want
Best family compound to reserve the one 10-person bure on the
Rosedon Hotel Jumby Bay, Antigua beach. After the activities and amenities,
Quiet, friendly and relaxed, Rosedon offers the > The family compound is a great idea. If the sunset over the South Pacific is at
most discerning visitor a wonderful vacation away you can’t collect all the generations under the top of any list about why to come to
from it all. Surrounded by lush tropical gardens,
Rosedon Hotel offers 44 rooms individually one roof, use multiple roofs. In Antigua, Fiji. Rates from $325. castawayisland.com
decorated with traditional English and Island flair. a 300-acre private island is the setting
Located in the heart of Bermuda, within walking
distance of Hamilton.
for Jumby Bay, re-opening Nov. 1 after a Best off-road fun
1-800-742-5008 • 441-295-1640 multimillion-dollar, resort-wide renova- Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas
info@rosedon.bm • www.rosedon.com tion. The luxurious hideaway features 40 > Even for theme-park-savvy kids, the
suites (including 28 new ones steps from Unstoppable Golf Cart is an unbeatable
Jumby Bay Beach), 16 villas with private ride. Rent a rugged, knobby-tire golf
WWW.BERMUDATOURISM.COM
88 N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 isl a n d s . c om
cart on-site at the sunny 32-room Green
Turtle Club here on Green Turtle Cay,
just 180 miles east of Fort Lauderdale,
Florida — and hold on. The only real
paved road is to the old English town of
New Plymouth, which is like an outdoor
museum in miniature complete with a
graveyard and jail. Veer off onto the
seemingly secret dirt roads to find your
own beach on the east side and claim
it as your own. Or if you’re very brave,
head up a rocky bluff for a world-con-
quering view of the Green Turtle harbor
and beyond. Unwind back at one of two
new three-bedroom luxury town homes,
available starting this November, and
plan the next day’s secret mission. Rates
from $90. greenturtleclub.com %NERGIZEIN!RUBA
Best for eco exploration
,ARGESTEXPANSEOFBEACHON!RUBA´S0ALM"EACH
Maui, Hawaii
> If the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, only 'UESTROOMSANDSUITESEACHWITHPRIVATEBALCONYORPATIO
offered it’s lomi-lomi massage and 0LAZA#LUBWITHPRIVATELOUNGEANDCONCIERGE
access to D.T. Fleming’s Beach, it 2ESTAURANTS
INCLUDING!!!&OUR
$IAMOND3UNSET'RILLE
would be a dream vacation. But the
new Ambassadors of the Environment
,ARIMAR3PASALONAND½TNESSCENTER
VOTED±(OT3PA²BY#ONDm.AST4RAVELER
Program, in partnership with Jean- 4WOZERO
ENTRYFREE
FORMSWIMMINGPOOLS
Michel Cousteau, makes this family (UBOF!RUBA´SNEWSHOPPINGDININGANDENTERTAINMENTCENTER
trip a meaningful one too. Interactive
#ASINOMARTINIBARANDNIGHTLYENTERTAINMENT
adventures let kids explore a coral reef
like a marine biologist, discover the 3CUBADIVINGANDWATERSPORTSPLUSGOLFANDSIGHTSEEING
“fires of Pele” in a lava-flow hike and
follow the stars as if they were early
Polynesian navigators. In one of the 2ADISSONCOM!RUBA,ARIMAR3PA!RUBACOM
107 roomy residential suites, families
can gather around the Calabash table
to share the day’s stories — and memo-
ries. Rates from $299. ritzcarlton.com
ARUBA
Ritz-Carlton, RESORT, CASINO & SPA
Kapalua
c o u r t e s y b r ad e n to n ar e a c v b
sandwiches from the Banana Cabana for vice will open the door to a dedicated pullout bungalows detached from the
a sunset picnic at Coquina Beach. Re- family check-in area, family-friendly main house with harbor views. Lounge
tire to one of the Bay Front villas at the suites, a social area reserved for fami- in the main lodge under an enormous
Tortuga Inn Beach Resort and schedule lies with its own waiter service and if buffalo head, or see the buffalo still
one of the new in-room massages from you really need it, a Wii. Kids should be roam in the island’s interior. Take the
Acqua Aveda Salon & Spa while the happily occupied at the palatial resort, free shuttle down to the village of Two
kids swim in the pool. Sleep and repeat. but wonders farther afield include the Harbors. You’ll feel at home in no time.
Rates from $120. tortugainn.com Crater de Bandama, a volcanic reminder Rates from $95. visitcatalinaisland.com