Islands Magazine Best Family Islands - Free!

c o u r t e s y v i l l a aq ua m a r e

Families have room to roam at the Villa Aquamare in the British Virgin Islands.

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The best

family islands

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it’s easy to pick the island with the biggest water slide and of the world just take the kids there. Harder — 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 accommodations are important too for any family getaway, and islands’ experts considered 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.

Best

b y c h r i s ta u b e r and tony perrottet

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the best

Best for learning

Barbados

> Marvel at the green monkeys of the

Best for family reunions

Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

> A big reunion does not have to

your ­extended family frolicks in the Sir Francis Drake Channel, by all means do. After all, your work is done. Weekly rates per villa from $13,750 (easily split among family members). ­villaaquamare.com

be a big amount of work. In a quiet nook of ­Virgin Gorda, book all three 8,000-square-foot villas at Aquamare, Best back-to-nature trip 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 ­local dock to pick the freshest lobsters droplet of fauna-filled national parkfor 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, shelsuspended “Dream Bed” floating over tered by pandanus trees and ringed by the sand at the private beach park while white-sand beaches, encourages every

Barbados Wildlife Reserve and the green pools of Harrison’s Cave. But marvel too at the Barbados school system, 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 the luxurious, 112-room Sandy Lane resort, where the likes of Tiger Woods have stayed. There through the complimentary Treehouse Club for children ages 3 to 16, you can all try a game of cricket, practice how to dive, and get a chance to swim and snorkel with Sandy Lane, Barbados

The resort, ringed by trees and beaches, ­encourages every family to explore. 84

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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

family to explore. Kids can enroll in the Junior Rangers Program, complete with Ranger hat and workbook. They can then earn badges as they wander the forest paths filled with thousands of squawking seabirds, discover coral at low tide with naturalists or venture out at night to spy the giant sea turtles nesting on the beach. To see the fish, sharks and rays of the reef only a five-minute boat ride from the resort, children at least 8 years old can snorkel and certified divers at least 10 years old can go deeper with a parent. Just 500 yards offshore lies “the Bommie,” an underwater pillar of coral-encrusted rock that Jacques Cousteau declared one of his favorite dive sites. Jump in. Rates from $160. heronisland.com

Heron Island, Australia

the best

t­ urtles alongside a “turtle tutor.” You can’t help but learn something new. Rates from $1,000. sandylane.com

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cent lagoon surrounding Bora Bora the world’s biggest, best, bluest swimming pool. For even more aquatic ­delight, the new Four Seasons Bora Bora has Best all-american escape an infinity pool (with attendants bearDuck 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, snorwhere 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, 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 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 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 side enclosure has marine biologists on Capri, Italy hand for small-group encounters with > If your kids think that history is bottlenose dolphins. The AquaJam pro- boring, give them a more interesting gram sets up teenagers for three days of ­lesson in the infinity pool at the Hotel 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 1,000fires 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 enjoy the most delicious mojitos north of panorama across the sparkling Bay of Havana. Rates from $149. hawkscay.com Naples. Capri was where the ancient Romans chose to spend their vacations, Best swimming pool and on a clear day you can see ­Vesuvius, 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 in on that one amenity to pick a vacation himself recalls the first emperor who destination. So consider the magnifi- admired Capri’s beauty so much that

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Hotel Caesar Augustus, Capri

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Elbow Beach, Bermuda A Mandarin Oriental managed property - is the ultimate island getaway. A combination of main hotel and cottage colony, the resort enjoys prime locale overlooking stunning South Shore. 1-800-223-7434 • 441-236-3535 [email protected] www.mandarinoriental.com/bermuda

Grotto Bay Full service recently renovated resort spread among 21 lush landscaped acres along the water’s edge. Tennis, watersports,diving, nearby golf, spa, 3 great restaurants! All Inclusive package available. Special: Save $400 on 4 nights or more. BERMUDA’S BEST VALUE! 1-800-582-3190 [email protected] • www.grottobay.com

Rosedon Hotel Quiet, friendly and relaxed, Rosedon offers the most discerning visitor a wonderful vacation away from it all. Surrounded by lush tropical gardens, Rosedon Hotel offers 44 rooms individually decorated with traditional English and Island flair. Located in the heart of Bermuda, within walking distance of Hamilton. 1-800-742-5008 • 441-295-1640 [email protected] • www.rosedon.com

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he took the island as his private preserve. In ancient times, these giddy heights, which could only be reached by a ­thousand-step stone stairway called the Scala Fenicia, were dotted with luxury villas, whose excessive grandeur the 55-room Hotel Caesar Augustus casually echoes today. Sit down to an alfresco banquet at the Lucullo Terrace restauCastaway Island, Fiji rant, and the kids (the hotel welcomes ages 10 and up) might even declare that history is pretty cool after all. Rates pools and six estate homes. La Casa, for from $600. www.caesar-augustus.com example, has a three-bedroom main house, plus three guest cottages. And on Best unplugged experience the grounds of this compound are a croKauai, Hawaii quet lawn, lighted tennis court, pool with > The spirit of Old Hawaii remains Jacuzzi and gym. To get around the island, vibrant on the north shore of Kauai. every family member gets a bike on arHere, you’ll find the makings of a hik- rival — except for babies, who get Silver ing and snorkeling adventure from the Cross prams. Children can enroll in the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast to the beach- new Camp Jumby to see the natural side rimmed waters of Hanalei Bay. The very of this island, and camp staffers can help laid-back Hanalei Colony Resort is as the whole family on reservations, outing much known for its proximity to those ideas and the ever-important babysitwonders as it is for its “no phones, no ters. Rates from $950. jumbybayresort.com TVs, no stereos” room policy. Family reunions can take up as many as needed Best easy exotic of the 48 two-bedroom condos, each Castaway Island, Fiji with full kitchens. Not that you’ll be > There’s a long list of reasons why any in them much. Instead, have breakfast island traveler will love Fiji. Thankfully, together on the beachfront lanai; then there’s also a long list for why any parent enjoy a morning of ecological “volun- will love Castaway Island, including fashtourism” for ages 14 and up, tending to ion shows with make-your-own ­Fijian 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 natuadventure. 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 Jumby Bay, Antigua beach. After the activities and amenities, > The family compound is a great idea. If the sunset over the South Pacific is at you can’t collect all the generations under the top of any list about why to come to one roof, use multiple roofs. In Antigua, Fiji. Rates from $325. castawayisland.com a 300-acre private island is the setting for Jumby Bay, re-opening Nov. 1 after a Best off-road fun multimillion-dollar, resort-wide renova- Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas 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

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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

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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-conquering 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 Best for eco exploration

Maui, Hawaii

> If the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, only

offered it’s lomi-lomi massage and access to D.T. Fleming’s Beach, it would be a dream vacation. But the new Ambassadors of the Environment Program, in partnership with JeanMichel Cousteau, makes this family trip a meaningful one too. Interactive adventures let kids explore a coral reef like a marine biologist, discover the “fires of Pele” in a lava-flow hike and follow the stars as if they were early Polynesian navigators. In one of the 107 roomy residential suites, families can gather around the Calabash table to share the day’s stories — and memories. Rates from $299. ritzcarlton.com

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Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua

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of the island’s origins. The great drive up famous Mount Teide is also a must-do. The otherworldly sights prevent any “Are we there yet?” comments. Rates from $875. gran-melia-palacio-de-isora.com

Best Quaint island

Anna Maria Island, Florida

> Big resorts? No. Chain restaurants?

Anna Maria Island, Florida

Best quick weekend trip

Catalina Island, California

> Many visitors to Catalina hop off the

ferry, tool around Avalon, then head back. Stay and feel like your family sum> The Canaries are in reach with a new mers here at the Banning House Lodge direct flight from Miami to T ­ enerife on in the much smaller town Air Europa. Put your stay in the hands of Two Harbors. ­You can i s l a n d s . co m / of the new family concierge at the Gran enjoy the Cliff House East best ­Meliá Palacio de Isora. The resort’s ser- or West — king bed, queenvice will open the door to a dedicated pullout bungalows detached from the family check-in area, family-friendly main house with harbor views. Lounge suites, a social area reserved for fami- in the main lodge under an enormous lies with its own waiter service and if buffalo head, or see the buffalo still you ­really need it, a Wii. Kids should be roam in the island’s interior. Take the ­happily occupied at the palatial resort, free shuttle down to the village of Two but wonders farther afield include the Harbors. You’ll feel at home in no time. ­Crater de Bandama, a volcanic ­reminder Rates from $95. visitcatalinaisland.com Best direct-flight surprise

Tenerife, Canary Islands

Calm all the way down.

Unkink your body. Soothe your spirit. Book your next vacation getaway at the Westin Casuarina Grand Cayman Resort & Spa, where the mind and body are always renewed. 6
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1 Night FREE with a 4 Night Minimum Stay* *Travel Period Sept. 8TH - Dec. 15TH, 2009. Booking Period Aug. 15TH - Dec. 10TH, 2009. Guaranteed upgrade on Islandview & ocean view bookings. ©2009 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved. Westin is the registered trademark of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, INC, or its affiliates.

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No. Miles-long beach? Oh yes. All that makes for beautifully charming days on Anna Maria Island, just a drawbridge removed from the Florida mainland. Start by watching the kids engulf slabs of crème brûlée French toast at Ginny and Jane E’s at the Old IGA — part bakery, part country store, part flower shop in an old corner grocery. At the beach, let the kids run free. Have lunch at the Sandbar, where the dining patio spills onto the sand. Swim in the warm Gulf of Mexico water. Take out jerk grouper sandwiches from the Banana Cabana for a sunset picnic at Coquina Beach. Retire to one of the Bay Front villas at the Tortuga Inn Beach Resort and schedule one of the new in-room massages from Acqua Aveda Salon & Spa while the kids swim in the pool. Sleep and repeat. Rates from $120. tortugainn.com