Top Ten Great Baby Friendly Holidays
Taking your baby on holiday can be a daunting experience
for a first time parent. But, with the right kind of holiday and some
careful preparations you can all have a well-deserved break.
It’s important that you think about the kind of holiday
you want even before you choose your holiday destination. Do you want
lots of time together as a family? Have some time to yourselves without
the kids? Have an adventure or time to unwind and relax? It’s essential
to think as much about what you will be doing as where are you going.
It’s not going to be a relaxing holiday for you if your three year old
has nothing to keep them occupied. You will therefore need to think about
the provision of babysitting services or whether there are activities
specifically catered for children.
Families who are feeling a little more adventurous can often
feel restrained about travelling as many companies do not cater for the
under 5s. However with a little forward planning you can still incorporate
the needs of the children with your need to explore.
Gone are the days where you have to compromise your ideal
holiday plans for the well being of the children, and vice versa, with
hundreds of places that offer something for every member of the family.
We’ve started with our favourite top ten suggestions for baby-friendly
holidays.
Barbados beach hotel accommodation
This hotel is situated on a lovely sandy beach overlooking
the tranquil turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea on the south coast
of Barbados, 1.5 miles from the capital Bridgetown and two miles from
the lively St. Lawrence Gap area. The hotel is situated on one of the
island’s foremost turtle hatching beaches and all hotel visitors are educated
on the importance of preserving the marine environment. A stay at this
beach hotel will provide a magical experience for people of all ages,
and a warm welcome that will draw you back time and time again. We can
provide cribs and call in babysitters at an additional cost. We also have
a baby pool.
Price guide: US$88 per night/room. The room rate includes all taxes
for single, double or triple occupancy
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Isle of Mull Farmstay holiday
A unique collection of self catering cottages set within 1900 acres
of organic farmland with 4 miles of coastline, raised beaches and hidden
coves, the area provides wonderful walking and spectacular views to
numerous Hebridean islands to the north, west and south of Mull. We
can supply a travel cot if required, a high chair, and have a basket
of baby/toddler toys/books that we lend with the cot. Our chickens,
scratching round the farmyard, provide entertainment for youngsters,
and there is a resident donkey to look at over the fence! Calgary’s
white sand is a great place to introduce your child to the pleasures
of the beach.
Price guide: Cottages from £150 – £450 per week depending
on the time of year.
Dominica ecolodge holiday
A
small family run eco lodge in a lush rainforest valley surrounded by
pristine rivers with a backdrop of mountains. Accommodation is in a
secluded self-contained wooden cottage with balcony, hammock and large
organic garden, similarly secluded camping plots with facilities, and
hammock space. We welcome everyone both young and old. We provide free
baby’s cots and folding beds as well as high chairs and children’s play
facilities. We are ideally located, on the edge of Morne Trios Pitons
national park, for hiking and wildlife watching and only 20 minutes
walk from a wide sandy, deserted beach.
Price Guide: US$70 per cottage (sleeps up to 3 people) per night,
camping from US$15 per night. 7th night is FREE
Sri Lanka holiday Village
Combines the comforts of a resort with the authenticity and eco-friendliness
of a lodge. The idyllic location provides tranquillity and serenity
amidst an expanse of land consisting of over 20 acres lush with indigenous
flora, offering excellent stimulation, soothing your senses and cleansing
your body and mind. All rooms are air-conditioned and solar power provides
hot showers. We provide a baby cot with net in the bungalow on a complimentary
basis. Our Chef will be happy to assist parents to provide baby food
from our organic garden. The property is totally free of pollution with
extensive space to push the baby around in lush and tranquil surrounding.
We have a special swimming pool for kids with supervision by parents/adults.
Price Guide: Rates – per person Half Board (Includes
Bird Watching and Nature Trail) Single US$ 80, Double US$ 55, Triple
US$ 50.00
Self-catering accommodation in Kalavassos, Cyprus
A traditional village house in a typical Cypriot village with a close-knit
community, friendly, quiet and caring to its visitors. Enjoy the beach
only 5 mins drive away, walk along the nature trails in the countryside
or relax and pick fruit in the orange groves. The house has been converted
into four spacious apartments under the village ‘Agrotourism’ scheme
sponsored by the Cyprus Tourist Organization, which encourages the development
of the village economy. We provide cots free of charge and have a secluded
courtyard so they can play in safety.
Price Guide: Peak Season 16th Mar-15th Nov & 20th
Dec- 6th Jan 2006: Flat 1 and Flat 2 CYP 30 per day, Flat 3 CYP 32 per
day, Flat 4 CYP 45 per day. 20% off prices during the low season 16th
Nov 2005-19th Dec2004 and 7th Jan 15th Mar 2006. Pre 16th Mar 2005 prices
are even lower.
Stay with a Count in Transylvania
Count Kálnoky’s guesthouse lies in the foothills of the Carpathian
Mountains in authentic Count Dracula country, full of unique medieval
villages. Dating back to the 1800′s, the guesthouse is furnished exclusively
with antique Transylvanian furniture. Enjoy wolf tracking, visiting
fairy tale UNESCO World heritage sites or hiking through the wilderness
- just watch out for the bears! Baby cots and bathtubs are provided
and a baby sitting service is available. In the courtyard of our main
guesthouse we have a playground with swing and sandbox for the children
and we organize trips for the whole family that suit a younger child’s
pace and patience.
Price guide: B&B from 50 Euro/person/night for a longer stay
(10 days), including taxes and large breakfast. Full board with wine
and tours & activities from 115 Euro/person/night for a longer stay
(10 days), also including taxes
Greek Island country estate
As parents of four children, your hosts have made holidays with small
babies and toddlers effortless. Everything you need is provided -
you need only pack a suitcase with clothes. Whilst self-catering is
available, there is an in-house chef for those preferring to leave
kitchen work at home. If you’d like a little child free time to enjoy
dining under the stars at our nearby restaurant, our holistic massage
treatments, yoga or pilates, or to explore the island’s walking paths
and cycling paths take advantage of the on site child care and nanny
services – though most activities and seaside days are easily enjoyed
with babies and toddlers too. Levendis know all the places to go to
keep your kids happy and will happily arrange dinghy hire, picnics,
marine safaris and much more. Levendis have baby equipment packs,
and there is a wide range of mouth-watering home made and fresh organic
foods to enjoy during your tranquil and relaxing holiday on this eco-farm
by the sea..
Price guide : From 3,400 – 4,500 Euros per week (suitable 2
- 18 people).
Central Andros Island Beach Resort, Bahamas
This is an informal holiday resort that focuses around
the central lodge built of coral rock and Andros pine. We are all-inclusive,
which means that your beachfront accommodations, meals, and drinks
(open bar) are included. The emphasis is on a natural environment
with relaxing, low-impact lifestyle. Children of all ages are welcome.
Children eat their evening meal in our games room with the other
kids and our babysitters. This gives the adults some adult time
and the kids time to be kids. Babysitting is complimentary for children
with a nominal babysitting fee after 8.30 pm ($6.00/hour) and for
children under 2 as we get them their own babysitter during the
cocktail/dinner hours.
Price guide: $185.00 high season (Dec 20 – April 24) and
$175.00 low season (April 25 – Dec 18) per person / per night all
inclusive.
Casuarina Beach Club in Barbados
A popular choice for families because of the wide range of children’s
activities and self-catering facilities, in all studios and apartments.
It is a 166 room luxury apartment hotel, with a three bedroom cottage,
set amidst 8 acres of tropical gardens. Built in Spanish hacienda
style, the rooms are scattered around 71/2 acres of lush vegetation
which spills out onto the beautiful white sands of Dover beach on
the South coast of the island. Our activities department arranges
baby-sitting services for guests. Children 2 years and up are also
welcomed in our children’s club at no extra charge. They are well
entertained with educational and fun activities by a certified nursery
school teacher. There is also an outside children’s play area with
slides, a full size dollhouse and other games to keep the kids busy.
Price guide : From US$ 103 per night for a Garden View Studio
in Low Season to US$ 175 in High Season. Please see below for full
details of room types and rates.
Where to next?
- Find the best beaches, places to stay and things to do in our
family-friendly guide to Cornwall
