Atlantis, Bahamas
Atlantis promises shared experiences and plenty of alone time. Twenty swimming pools, a mile-long lazy river, a Mayan temple waterslide and a 141-acre themed waterpark entertain young and old. A 7-acre lagoon offers water sports, scuba, snuba and snorkeling. View the marine habitat and get close to dolphins, sea lions and sharks. In-room babysitting is available but kids will adore the Atlantis Kids Club with chaperoned creative and active programs all day and night. Pre-teens and teenagers can hang at Club Rush (no adults allowed) with Internet, video games, movies, and DJ. All are welcome in the game room, pottery studio and movie theater. Parents can escape to play golf, relax at the spa, visit the fitness center, or go shopping. At night, clubs, live concerts, comedy club, bars, and restaurants entertain the older crowd.
Atlantis
Paradise Island
Bahamas
(888) 877-7525
atlantis.com
St. Lucia, Caribbean
White sand beaches and mountains of tropical rainforest bring variety to a St. Lucia family vacation. Like all Caribbean islands, St. Lucia has fantastic scuba diving, snorkeling and deep-sea fishing. The whole brood will enjoy kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, parasailing or waterskiing. Whales and turtles are nearly-ensured sights. Kids will thrill at Marigot Bay, once a pirate hideout. Tour the cocoa plantation that provides Hershey's with their raw material, Fond Doux Estates, or take a guided tour of the rain forest by car, foot, bicycle or zip-line. La Soufriere, the "Drive-In" volcano, and the Pitons, two lava and rock peaks, are dramatic reminders of the islands' formation.
Fond Doux Holiday Plantation
P.O. Box 250
Soufriere, St. Lucia
West Indies
(758) 459-7545
fonddouxestate.com
Palm Services offers "soft adventure" tours
P.O. Box RB 2581
Castries, St. Lucia
West Indies
(758) 485-0908
www.adventuretoursstlucia.com
Maui, Hawaii
Maui is the perfect mix of beach and adventure. Beaches are public, and offer a variety of wave roughness. There is even a Baby Beach with gentle swells. For more adrenaline, snorkel, scuba, waterski, windsurf, surf, sail or parasail. The whole family will enjoy a traditional Hawaiian Luau. Observe marine life on a whale watching or submarine tour, or at the Maui Ocean Center aquarium. The Hawaii Nature Center has hands-on exhibits and guided hikes. Everyone will marvel at the scenery along the Road to Hana. Kids will love jumping into each of the Seven Sacred Pools in Haleakala National Park. For an unforgettable morning, join a bike tour that will shuttle you to the top of Haleakala Crater to watch the sunrise, then you'll bike your way to its base.
Haleakala National Park
P.O. Box 369
Makawao, HI 96768
(808) 572-4400
nps.gov/hale/index.htm
Maui Ocean Center
192 Ma'alaea Road
Wailuku, HI 96793
(808) 270-7070
www.mauioceancenter.com
Hawaii Nature Center
875 Iao Valley Road
Wailuku, HI 96793
(808) 244-6500
www.hawaiinaturecenter.org
