Jo Cooke finds a way to take the kids to the Caribbean, whatever the budget
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The pressure is on when clients look to you to plan their family holiday.
Not only are they stumping up a sizeable sum of cash, it’s probably also the largest chunk of quality time they’ll get to spend together all year. Pleasing every family member may sound like a tall order, but it is possible in the Caribbean. The region’s sun, sea and sand gets you off to a flying start. Then pick an island where the attractions fill them with excitement.
Add accommodation that has a kids’ club to keep youngsters busy, and give mum and dad some downtime to boot. For your final trick, book them accommodation that gives everyone a little space. Here’s our pick of some of the best bases any amount of money can buy. Prices are for seven nights with flights and transfers, based on a family of two adults and two children.
SAVE
If clients can hang on until October half-term for their tropical escape, you can give them a price tag of little more than £3,000.
An ideal property for cash-strapped first timers to the Caribbean is the 178-room Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort in Tobago. Set on a 750-acre former plantation, there’s a two-and-a-half mile stretch of beach where turtles hatch, a mangrove, plus lush nature trails for cycling, walking and bird watching, giving a wonderfully well-rounded introduction to the flora and fauna of the West Indies. Cosmos Holidays leads in at £3,022 on a B&B-basis in a standard room.
The 520-room Holiday Inn SunSpree, Jamaica, is another winner in the budget category. Just a 10-minute transfer from Montego Bay airport delivers clients to a protected cove of white sand backed by a resort brimming with activities and entertainment. The ocean-front stage hosts reggae bands, bingo and quizzes, a den for teens has table tennis and pool tables, while a kids’ club for four to 12-year-olds organises beach games and crafts. Virgin Holidays offers all-inclusive from £3,596 in October.
For independent types the 158-unit Windjammer Landing, Saint Lucia, is a top-notch self-catering option. Attractive and spacious apartment-style accommodation sits on the hillside above a sizeable arc of sand. There’s also a kids’ club and range of amenities on site. The property is a short taxi ride from the shops and entertainment in Castries and Rodney Bay. Caribtours offers room-only from £4,389 in August in a two-bedroom villa with pool.
Those looking for somewhere different could try St Kitts Marriott Resort. Right on the ocean front, this 393-room property has a kids’ club, tennis courts, eight restaurants, three pools, a golf course, spa and casino.
The huge Brimstone Hill Fortress with its canons and coastal views is ideal for a family ramble, then there’s zip-lining and beach bonfire parties with live music on Frigate Bay. Kuoni leads in at £4,651 room-only, sharing a garden view room. Quote: CK0100
SPEND
For a mid-range option on popular Antigua, Thomas Cook offers all-inclusive at the Verandah Resort & Spa from £4,540 for a hillside suite in October.
The hotel has three pools, including a children’s splash pool, adventure playground and mini golf, plus the kids’ club has a children’s dinner party so parents can dine alone. Teenagers are catered for with a disco, karaoke sessions and movie nights.
Those who have a four-star budget, but five-star aspirations, need look no further than the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. With 1,787 rooms, you’ll never feel like you have the place to yourself, but with so many distractions it never feels crowded either.
Beyond the signature, glamorous lobby decorated with rock memorabilia, is a shopping mall with restaurants, bars, coffee shop and ice cream parlour, all part of the all-inclusive package, as is the amusement arcade. The complex also boasts one of the largest casinos in the Caribbean, a nightclub and golf course. The vast gardens lead to 15 pools, three with water slides, and kids’ activities include a climbing wall and roller skating.
All-inclusive in August with Thomas Cook costs from £6,489 in a Hard Rock Family Caribbean suite with two interconnecting rooms and equipped with an Xbox 360.
With its calm waters, green monkeys and the chance to swim with turtles, Barbados is a good bet for a family holiday. The waterfront Saint Peter’s Bay Luxury Resort & Residences, which opened a year ago near Speightstown, leads in at £5,688 for a two-bedroom suite with Chic Locations.
“The combination of spacious, high-quality accommodation, a good beach, great location and on-site facilities, including a freeform pool, make this an appealing resort for families who want a more independent holiday exploring the island’s plentiful attractions,” says Chic Locations’ David Kevan.
For families who want a little culture with their sun, sea and sand suggest Varadero, Cuba. The palatial Iberostar has a kids’ club, babysitting facilities, a mini water park, archery, volleyball, basketball and watersports among its facilities, while the capital Havana, is just a day trip away.
Here they can take a ride in a classic car, admire the Spanish colonial architecture and end their day watching the flamboyant cabaret at Club Tropicana. Virgin Holidays offer all-inclusive in August from £5,836.
SPLURGE
For style-conscious parents with cash to splash, the Viceroy, Anguilla is both chic and child-friendly. Set on two glorious, virgin beaches the property’s three pools include a family pool with zero-level entry, ideal for tiny tots who just want to paddle.
A basketball court, rock-climbing wall and badminton are there for family fun and games, and when adults want time out, the kids’ club offers sand art and scavenger hunts. Meanwhile, teens are treated to a sophisticated program of yoga, steel pan drumming lessons and sailing tuition. Elegant Resorts offers room-only in a two-bedroom ocean view residence from £11,795 in August.
When it comes to sheer variety of kiddie-pleasing activities, food and entertainment, Beaches Negril, Jamaica is hard to beat. A pirate-themed water park, breakfasting with Sesame Street characters, Xbox 360 games room, banana boat rides, water skiing, dance lessons, and a DJ academy are among the offerings, in additions to kids’ clubs for 0 to 17-year-olds.
Youngsters can snack on hot dogs, hamburgers and fresh-baked pizza by day, and evening entertainment includes a beach carnival. Virgin leads in at £7,596 all-inclusive in August in a Negril premium room.
“For high quality service in an elegant setting there’s the One&Only Ocean Club, Bahamas,” says Helen Tabois from ITC Classics. “It has fabulous golf, spa and watersports plus the kids’ club offers everything from cooking classes to sports coaching.”
The Aquaventure water park at sister resort Atlantis is a nearby must-do. As well as slides and rides, it has the world’s largest open-air aquarium. ITC offers room-only from £8,939 in two garden view rooms for travel by December 18 and booked by October 1.
Families looking for laid-back luxury away from resort bustle, will love Blue Waters, Antigua.
Enjoying a secluded position on a picturesque bluff, two gently-shelving beaches are edged by well tended tropical gardens. Children’s beach games, kayak racing and art sessions are held each morning, leaving the afternoon free for family time, perhaps a trip to Stingray City to swim with the rays or to Shirley Heights to listen to the calypso bands play in the sunset. Western & Oriental offers all-inclusive in August in a Cove Suite from £8,758.
EXCURSIONS THREE WAYS
Save: Go to the Friday night fish fry in Oistins, Barbados to soak up the atmosphere, browse the stalls and listen to live music. Cost £0
Spend: Explore the Dominican Republic’s interior on an Outback Safari. The price is £59 for adults and £26 for children with Attraction World.
Splurge: Swim with Dolphins in Jamaica. The price is £111 for adults and £92 for children with Do Something Different.
