Click here for Slideshow (Beaches Turks & Caicos)

In my search for the best all inclusive resort for families I have stayed at some of the best in Mexico and the Caribbean, but having just returned from a fabulous trip to Beaches Resort on Turks & Caicos, I am convinced that I found the number one or “best of the best” all inclusive resort for families. You’ll never have to leave the resort because everything is included at this top of the line family Resort. You can dine in 16 different restaurants, snorkel, sail and even scuba dive right from the resort and still check out without owing another penny.  Isn’t that what all inclusive is all about?

Most all inclusives offer limited menu restaurants opting for the buffet style of dining. Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort gave me 16 dining options so I indulged in wonderful Italian, elegant French, and good ole English Pub fish and chips among others. One of my favorites was the Barefoot by the Sea restaurant where the conch fritters are out of this world and parents enjoyed their dinners and lingered over a glass of wine or dessert while kids played in the sand near their table.

Besides being on one of the most beautiful white sand beaches which glistens over twelve miles long against pure turquoise waters, Beaches Turks & Caicos offers a variety of choices for young families.  Compared to most all inclusive resorts which start their kids programs at age 3, 4 or 5, Beaches offers a complete kids club for infants through the teens.

While I was there the resort was full of babies and preschool age children who were having fun not only in the gentle sea, but watching Sesame character parades, sliding down slides in the waterpark and floating down the lazy river. The older kids found their fun trying their hand at the surf simulator, Xbox game room and DJ recording studio. Stayed tuned as I plan on telling you more about what is offered for children and describe the kids club in more detail in my next blog.

Another feature that makes Beaches Turks & Caicos stand out over other all inclusive resorts are the room accommodations available for families.   I always had to book two rooms to accommodate my family of five, but at Beaches Turks & Caicos there are fabulous options like rooms with bunk beds and trundles plus a king size bed and day bed with trundle all in one suite.  You can also link together some of the rooms to accommodate your family or even more than one family (up to twelve people).

If you are interested in going to Jamaica, there are three wonderful Beaches Resorts there and we have been to all of them.  Beaches Resorts leave no stone unturned in making the dream of a perfect family vacation come true where kids can play and parents can play AND relax!!

Just give Totem Travel a call at (425) 821-4100, or send me an email at patty@totemtravel.com and you’ll get personalized help from a Beaches expert at no extra cost!

Last spring on an Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Valor, I had the pleasure of visiting the lovely tropical island of St. Maarten. One of the most fascinating things about the island is that it is actually two countries. The Dutch side of the island is called St. Maarten and the French side St. Martin. Our tour guide said he lives on the Dutch side and his girlfriend on the French, so every time he calls it’s an international call and they talk several times a day… now that’s love!

Currency is another difference: the Dutch Side uses the Antille Guilder and the French side uses the Euro. Luckily, we were also able to use US Dollars to buy our ice cream cones and US dollars are also accepted at the colorful open air markets where you’ll find an array of local crafts, clothing and food. Shopping is one of the biggest draws for St. Maarten/St. Martin and with duty free shops it makes sense to make jewelry purchases on the island. The most amazing diamonds, tanzanite, emeralds, and pearls are on display in jewelry stores throughout the area and you can practice your bargaining skills here.

Of course, St. Maarten/St. Martin has many, many beaches. Over 37, in fact. What a wonderful destination for a beach wedding, or renewing your vows. The best part is that you can give your guests a little European flavor and a lot of the Caribbean! And while planning a wedding so far away can be difficult, many of the hotels have wedding departments that offer advice on everything from the license to flowers to catering and music, and of course, a beautiful venue. I have included several pictures of locations for a fabulous destination wedding!

Families love St. Maarten/St. Martin, too. Wouldn’t your children be fascinated by a Butterfly Farm? You can walk through hundreds of butterflies fluttering around you and since each stage of the butterfly’s life is on display, it will be a learning experience! Another great travel adventure is the scenic hike to Fort Amsterdam, which is several hundred years old and older kids will love spending the day on a racing yacht or parasailing!

If St. Maarten/St. Martin sounds like the perfect destination for your wedding, honeymoon, or family vacation….please contact me. sandi@totemtravel.com

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The Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, is the ultimate family destination resort.  I recently had the pleasure of a personal tour of the Atlantis.  What an experience!

The entire resort is centered around water, water, and more water!  From the amazing Aquaquest, that features a 120-foot tall water slide to The Abyss, a 200 foot long body slide that makes a 50-foot near vertical drop and plunges into a lagoon infested with alligators!  Other water slides and current rides shoot you through a glass tunnel with sharks all around you!  Talk about heart-pounding!

We enjoyed meandering through The Dig, which is actually an underground maze of passageways. Throughout the labyrinth we discovered the ruins of the ancient city of Atlantis, complete with artifacts and hieroglyphs!  Most amazing, though, was being surrounded by sea animals: stingrays, sharks, jelly fish, sea anemones and so many different kinds of fish!  Many of the stingrays love to ham it up for the camera.

Atlantis recently opened their own Dolphin Cay, which allows for very special interaction dolphins.   The kids love playing with these fun loving animals!

And we can’t forget the beach and swimming pools for those of us who just want to lounge in the sun or under one of the umbrellas.  There are 13 different swimming areas at this resort.  There are zero-entry pools, my favorite, children’s pools, and a 7 acre protected lagoon, where snorkeling is fantastic!

Of course, while at the Atlantis you would like to have somewhere to lay your head at night, the rooms are beautiful.  Accommodations vary from tower to tower, the Royal Tower being the most luxurious, but the Coral and Beach Towers are undergoing a full upgrade, to bring them in line with the Royal Tower.    Of course if you really want the most luxurious suite at the resort, the Bridge Suite, might be the place for you…that is if you feel the need to pay $25,000 per night!  That’s right, $25,000 per night.  Oprah loves this suite!

If you prefer to have a bit more than a hotel room for your family, Harborside at Atlantis, in Marina Village, across the lagoon from the Royal Tower, offers one, two and three bedroom villas.  The villas are like a home-away-from-home, complete with a full kitchen.  The Reef Atlantis, which is located right on Paradise Beach, is the newest addition and features studio and 1 bedroom units.  The Reef units also have full kitchens, which make them a great choice for small families.

Dining at the Atlantis is an experience all its own. Restaurants range from gourmet to quick and casual.  Southwestern cuisine to Japanese and everything in between.  With 22 different restaurants and 20 bars and lounges, there is sure to be at least one to please everyone.  Also, Back by popular demand is Atlantis’ meal plans.  You can pre-purchase one of 3 different meal plans and best of all: children 6 and under eat free.

Oh, and don’t forget the Casino!  Atlantis has one of only a few casinos in Nassau.  It has all the gaming you would expect.  But what you wouldn’t expect are the Dale Chihuly glass sculptures!  A nice touch of home!

When you are ready to experience all that the Atlantis has to offer, please give me a call!
Sandi@totemtravel.com

It’s about 1p Sunday at the Iberostar Rose Hall near Montego Bay Jamaica. The winds are high, we’ve had some heavy rain and the hotel has prepared for a full force hurricane. Despite the bleak TV news reports we had a lovely steak dinner outside last night under the stars and breakfast this morning was served as usual. 

Overnight the hard working staff had all windows boarded up and the chandelliers lashed down. The cigar bar is closed as is the kids club.  Guests have been advised to stay indoors and are being provided boxed lunches to take to the room in anticipation of the worst.  According to AccuWeather.com, the storm may have already peaked.  According to Weather.com the winds will increase until 7p then taper off.  The Jamaican staff, as always, are cheerful, helpful, relaxed… No problem mon! 

On a more serious note, commercial power was shut off to the island a few hours ago and the airport is closed. As we understand it most people who wished to leave were able to get off the island yesterday. Many like us chose to ride it out. The Iberostar, one of the newest and safest resorts on the island, has back up power but has shut down elevators, ice machines, internet cafes and rum. Hurricanes do come with certain inconveniences…

At the moment we are sitting in the lobby with bar service (Albeit no alcohol), free wireless internet and time to post a blog rather than work on our tans. Check back for an update in the next few days. 

Linda

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Beaches Negril is the ideal place for anyone that loves lots of activity, a beautiful beach, great entertainment and good food. 

While all of Jamaica is surrounded by water and beaches, the Negril beach is one of the most spectacular you will ever experience.  It stretches for 7 miles with bathtub warm, clear turquoise water fringed by soft, powder white sand.  You can just sit on the beach and read, sleep and sunbathe, or you can do something new every minute. 

How about learning to windsurf? Or how to handle a Hobie Cat?  Or kayak? The water trampoline is another great choice and snorkel boats go out twice a day. If you are a certified scuba diver you can dive twice a day and all the activities, equipment and training I’ve mentioned are absolutely FREE!

Beaches Negril also has a wonderful water park.  Two giant waterslides offer an opportunity for competition!  Who can reach the water the fastest?  One slide is definitely faster than the other, but you’ll have to discover which one.  My favorite activity at Beaches Negril, is the Lazy River.  Talk about relaxing!  You just put on the life jacket and jump in (life jackets are required for all ages, for all water activities.).  The water does the rest of the work.  You just float around and around! 

Of course no Beaches resort would be complete without a great pool and that wonderful Caribbean tradition:  the swim-up bar!  Order that fruity, frothy drink, and enjoy the pool at the same time.  What could be better? 

At a Beaches Resort, everyone in the family has a vacation.  The kid’s program at Beaches is one of a kind with Ultra Nanny Service, Teen Disco Night, XBOX Game Oasis (no quarters needed, here), supervised, age appropriate, kids’ programs and even have a program for infants!   That means mom and dad can have a real vacation, since the kids are enjoying themselves so much.  None of the “I’m bored” comments here! 

Every Beaches Resorts has an adults’ only restaurant, as well as several other restaurants for the family.  Beaches Negril has 5 restaurants, including Teppanyaki, Tex Mex, Italian and Caribbean. The Seville, which is the adults’ only restaurant, has white-glove service and a wonderfully romantic atmosphere, not to mention great food.  And at Beaches all your meals, drinks, Kids’ Program, entertainment, activities and even gratuities are included, so enjoy it all!

Totem Travel is a Sandals & Beaches Preferred Specialist Agency, with 3 specialists on staff.  Please call us to talk about Sandals and Beaches….we’ve been to every single resort!