on December 9 | in Travel & Leisure | by Annette Gaddis | with 2 Comments

Close your eyes and… imagine a Caribbean paradise.  There is the soft sea breeze flowing over your body, you are in a comfortable lounge chair relaxing with your significant other, and in the background you hear the waves lapping on the sand.  Now imagine this with your children.  Yes, I do mean with your children.  How can you have this alone time and be there on vacation with your kids too?  There are family friendly Caribbean destinations that go to great lengths to provide splash parks, suites with separate children’s rooms, and ones that even have nannies—so it is possible to have a little “me time.”

 

 

These resorts are family friendly Caribbean destinations and have nannies on hand to care for infants, beach games that seem to be nonstop, talent shows, and arts and crafts for the kids.  Pretty much no one without children would think of staying there, and that’s precisely the point.

 

 

 

My first pick for a family friendly Caribbean destination is… Melia Caribe.

A tropical resort in the Dominican Republic, Melia Caribe can be a vacation with the Flintstones.  Throughout their stay, children interact with the cartoon characters—meeting Fred and Dino at check-in or eating at Betty’s Kitchen.  Baby Rocks Club offers a supervised play and nap area for infants and toddlers (4 months to 4 years old) with puzzles, movies, story time, and music workshops.  The Bamm-Bamm Club offers games and activities like camping and magic workshops for ages 5 to 8. The Cool Club for 9 to 14 year olds features outdoor activities like pool games, sports, and contests.  There are also 10 pools, 8 tennis courts, a 30-foot rock-climbing wall, and a zip-line. This can be an experience you can have nowhere else.

 

 

 

My second pick for a family friendly Caribbean destination is… Coconut Bay Beach Resort.

You know you’re a child-friendly resort when rooms overlook the water park.  At St. Lucia, what’s great to know is that Coconut Bay is divided into two distinct sections (adults only and child-friendly).  You can enjoy both!  The child-friendly or family wing of this resort has water slides, a lazy-river tubing, and a splash pool.  When the kids get tired of splashing, they can head to the Kidz Klub for guided nature hikes, video games, and arts and crafts. There are tennis courts, basketball courts, and a paintball facility too.  On the beach, Coconut Bay Beach Resort offers volleyball games and kite surfing lessons.  For the littlest ones,  there is an indoor play area and nap room where they are supervised.  Now, how can you enjoy both?  While the children are supervised in the child-friendly part, you can escape the theme-park style atmosphere at the adults-only pool at the other end.

 

 

 

My third pick for a family friendly Caribbean destination is… Breezes Curacao.

Breezes are part of the SuperClubs brand and they are typically adults-only.  However, there are a few of their properties that allow children, and this is one, located at sunny Curacao. Curacao Bay has a 12,000 square-foot children’s center that makes its top priority to be kid friendly.  This keeps children involved and happy.  If you have an infant or toddler, they are catered to in a nanny-supervised nursery—how wonderful it that? The children’s area also has a dedicated baby pool for the little guests who enjoy water.  The center features a rock-climbing wall, video arcade, flying trapeze, and inflatable sumo wrestling costumes for the older ones. This full-supervised Kidz Klub is nearby and easy to find.  You will hear gleeful sounds of youngsters enjoying its water features, expansive pirate ship, and air-conditioned indoor playroom.  The best part—you will have time to enjoy some time by yourself. Maybe even go to the spa!

 

 

Not all kids clubs are created equal… and on these islands, you will find their offerings for family friendly are some of the best possibilities for your children.  This could be the best vacation your kids—and you—will enjoy!

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