Family (holiday) Planning

Family holiday destinations

Fabulously Zen villa? Check. Designer bikini? Check. Kids happy and safe? Erm...

Planning a family holiday can be tough. You want understated luxury... sleek, sexy design... first-class food and service. And you want your kids to love it, too. Mission impossible? Not for us! Here are our picks for happy guests, little and large. Hey, you're welcome.

Dutch house
Check into the colonial Dutch beach house Villa If in Sri Lanka for breezy courtyards, columned verandahs, sweeping tropical gardens, 5 en-suite AC bedrooms and 6 attentive staff. With a private entrance to the beach and its reef-protected lagoon, there is safe year-round swimming and snorkelling.

Wing man
Kids love wings, and at the stunning sunset-facing private Balinese estate The Istana, there is a dedicated kid's wing - we're talking a whole dedicated floor with bunk beds, adjacent nanny's room, pool table, Bose sound system and the latest PS3 and Wii games. And for the adults? Five suites with a network of staff providing a luxury hotel level of service, gourmet food, a full time manager, butlers and a chauffeur...no need to wing it at all!

Young yogies
Think blazing white beaches of Langkawi, Malaysia and gorgeous villas. The Four Seasons comes with kiddie-friendly quirks like child-sized bathrobes, juice before bedtime, and a special menu doubling as a mask for kids to colour in. Their 'Kids For All Seasons' club has music and storytelling performances, and - wait for it - children's yoga.

Kid's craft, culture & caffiene
The majestic Losari Coffee Plantation, Java, Indonesia has a kids' club with a difference. Your kids will love joining in with dancing, gamelan, Indonesian language lessons, kite flying, painting and coffee planting. The estate has a tennis court, croquet lawn and giant chess/backgammon tables; nearby there's a steam train and miniature horse riding. Parents will need the caffiene to keep up.

Babysitting beachside
The Amanusa in Bali, Indonesia has facilities for budding tennis and golf champs, and a lovely pool with a lifeguard. There's a kids' menu and staff are happy to make pack lunches - they also provide changing mats and baby buggies. Babysitting is free for the first 4 hours and just $14 an hour after that. Hello beach!

Coolest crèche ever
Be warned - Trisara's Kids Club in Phuket is so gorgeous you may be somewhat jealous. The crèche is fully staffed and kids can enjoy movies, computer games, cupcake baking and even Thai dancing; outdoors, older children can swim, kayak and snorkel in rock pools. Trisara goes the extra mile: expect highly-trained babysitters, sterilizers, buggies, baby baths, baby shampoo - even a rubber duck for bath time.

For more family holiday inspiration check out Lightfoot Travel or call p.6438 4091 or email info@lightfoottravel.com and book your family holiday now.

Family (holiday) Pla   |   17 Jul 2010 at 01:51 PM

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