 |
| Elephant at Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket |
ALL PARENTS of tiny tots have a deep craving. Sleep. The sort of deep theta sleep you read about in psychology manuals. A who-the-hell-cares-if-the-house-is-on-fire sort of sleep that energetic singles would never comprehend. Young parents crave a few days (or months, more likely) of rest and relaxation - preferably near a sandy white beach or within ambling distance of a cool, blue pool. But for mum and dad to kick back, junior needs to be entertained, too. The great thing is that, at Asia’s family-friendly resorts, adult pampering and kiddie fun are no longer mutually exclusive.
This guide to child friendly resorts in Asia is by no means definitive, but it is broadly indicative of child-friendly distractions available, not always at a wallet-bludgeoning price. Free cots or extra beds for small kids are a given at most of these places, and kids’ clubs are ubiquitous. But these days, tots in tow can expect all sorts of extra diversions – pampering in a spa with treatment menus designed especially for the young ones, conquering the flying trapeze, swimming with elephants to snoozing in boat-shaped beds, and special kids’ ambassadors to pander to every whim. It’s playtime.
Send us your Feedback / Letter to the Editor
 Share This Page
So where to find these resorts for kids and tiresome children? With plenty of sunshine and beaches, warm seas and traditionally family-oriented locals, Southeast Asian destinations are hugely popular and packed with resorts that welcome kids. Including your screaming toddler. Phuket, Thailand has, of course, more resorts than you can shake several large beach umbrellas at - and there are a myriad options for families with kids.
 |
| JW Marriott Phuket children's pool |
The super-child-friendly Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket (www.starwood.com/phuket) is part of the integrated Laguna Phuket resort complex, which has a reputation for its family-oriented atmosphere. Taking the usual children’s facilities a step further, the Love Your Family programme includes services that appeal to the whole family, including connecting rooms, discounts on food and beverage, plus three signature experiences – Fireside Storytelling, Stargazing, and Movie Night. It’s all coordinated by the resort’s Director of Fun. In addition to the family experiences, kids aged from four to 12 years can join The Explorers Club, jam-packed with all sorts of activities like batik painting, candle making, cooking classes and more. Resident baby elephants Lucky and Lilly visit the hotel often, with thrilling photo opportunities. And swimming and building sandcastles on the beach never lose their appeal.
Teenagers are not forgotten with a host of outdoor activities to keep them busy at the beach or in the pool. And if all the outdoor action gets too much, they can venture into the CyberZone for the latest computer games. For teens keen on a more physical challenge, the Quest adventure programme can provide the desired adrenalin rush. Kids aged from nine to 14 can hang out at Camp Laguna, with activities ranging from rock climbing, abseiling, frisbee, beach volleyball and parachute games. There are also Family Challenge Programmes for parents and their kids. This is the place to face all fears and climb up a 15m wall. Go for gold.
A Family Fun package at Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket includes connecting rooms, a welcome gift on arrival for each child, an “Explorers Cup” for unlimited drinks, discounts on kids’ meals, and a Parent’s Night Off, which gives parents the chance to enjoy a quiet dinner while children have a supervised meal elsewhere.
 |
| Allamanda Laguna playground |
Children lucky enough to celebrate their birthday during their stay at the Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket (http://phuket.dusit.com), another one of the five hotels making up the Laguna development, are treated to a complimentary birthday party. Another bonus is that children under four eat and drink for free when ordering from the kiddies' menu. Little ones are kept happily occupied at the Kids’ Club, while older children are entertained at Camp Laguna. Babysitting costs from Bt150 per child, per hour. More family fun is laid on at neighbouring Allamanda Laguna Phuket (www.allamanda.com) with the Sparky Kids’ Club that offers a full-day programme for children aged four to 12. Children under the age of four must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Alternatively, hire a babysitter for Bt200 per hour.
If your tot is ready to graduate from the climbing frame to something a tad more challenging, the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa’s (www.marriott.com) circus training programme, run by a US circus entertainment and performance company, may appeal. Children are divided into three age groups (four to five years, six to seven years and eight to 12 years) for the three-hour sessions, to learn acts such as the swinging trapeze, juggling, pyramid building, tumbling and clowning. (Bt900 for one day of training and Bt4,000 for five days.) Safety equipment included, of course. Young artistes can show off their new skills at a grand finale circus show on Friday nights.
This child-friendly resort is integrated with the Marriott's Phuket Beach Club, with self-contained villas with separate children’s bedrooms and bathrooms and their own flat-screen TV. While the little ones frolic in their own space, teens have their own Teen’s Room with a large movie screen, play station, table tennis, pool table and computer section (with “safe” Internet access) at their disposal. The resort’s large main swimming pool has a separate section for families, including a shallow bubble pool and a water slide, and with the property located next to a protected sea turtle nesting area, the Marriott’s Kids Club offers some unique educational programmes. The Kids Club (for kids aged four and over) is open from 9am until 5pm, and again from 6pm until 8pm. English-speaking babysitters are available for Bt200 per hour for one child. Babysitting fees are of course variable from resort to resort.
 |
| Kids' suite, Holiday Inn Phuket |
Just like home, or better – the dedicated family and kids’ suites at the Holiday Inn Phuket (www.phuket.holiday-inn.com). Adults have their private space in the family suite, while children bunker up in their own fun, pirate-themed room. The Kids’ Suites come in eye-catching colours, with boat-shaped beds and play stations, TV sets, games and toys. Superior Rooms with connecting doors are fitted with two queen-sized beds, sleeping two adults and two children. Babysitting is Bt200 per hour (English is spoken).
The Holiday Inn doesn’t charge for children under 12, and breakfast is free for kids under six years. A breakfast surcharge of Bt200 is added for kids aged six to 12 years and Bt400 for kids over 12. There’s a Kids’ Club for children aged five to 12, two children’s swimming pools, a toddler pool with water spouts and kids’ activities such as water guns, sliders and a cave. Teenagers will happily withdraw to the “parent-free” Club 12 Plus, with Internet, play stations and even a karaoke and DVD corner.
Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort (www.starwoodhotels.com) guarantees a menu of fun activities and sports at Penguin Kid’s Club, open 9am to 7pm daily for children from three to 12 years. (Children three years and under require adult supervision.) The facilities are free, but there is a fee for some activities. Babysitting is available, but advance booking is necessary. The price is Bt300 for two hours per child.
Le Meridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort (www.starwoodhotels.com) also has a Penguin Kid’s Club for children from four to 12 years. Babysitting is only available in guest rooms or at the club, and the cost is Bt300 per hour for one child. Parties are held to celebrate certain festivals, such as Halloween.
 |
| Swimming with RaRa, Sheraton Krabi |
Families staying at The Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket (www.moevenpick-hotels.com) will appreciate the kids’ retreat, The Play Zone. It’s one of the largest play areas for children in Phuket, with three separate rooms for different age groups and an outdoor playground. The Play Zone is for kids aged from four to 12 years, and is open daily from 9am to 7pm. A half day costs Bt600 (with a meal included), and a full day is Bt900.
The Novotel Beach Resort Panwa Phuket (www.novotelphuket.com) is well set up for families. Accommodation and breakfast are free for one child under the age of 16 staying in their parents' or grandparents' room. The Kids’ Club caters for children aged between three and eight years and a babysitting service is available for Bt150 per hour.
Budding biologists, golfers and artists will find something to do at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa (www.phuketarcadia.hilton.com), where nature walks, a putting range and finger painting are among the attractions. For the rest, there are no less than three swimming pools, a game room and outdoor play area, as well as bicycle tours and Thai dancing classes. Children aged up to 12 years stay free in a room with their parents at this family friendly resort. Children aged up to 10 years eat free from the children’s menu and those shorter than 1.2m get to eat for free at the breakfast buffet. The Kidz Paradise Club caters for kids from five to 12 years (children of four and younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian) and offers, among other things, free swimming classes.
Along the idyllic Krabi coast, it’s an elephant’s life at the Sheraton Krabi Beach Resort (www.sheraton.com/krabi), where much-loved pachyderm RaRa appears on the beach every day to swim with the children. Mask-making, origami and batik painting at the Sairung Kids Club for four to 12-year-olds might not quite match up after this. Yes, there are connecting rooms, complimentary extra cots and beds for under-12s, toys and potties, and babysitting (English spoken; Bt300 per hour).
 |
| Camp Hyatt, Hyatt Regency Hua Hin |
Six Senses Resorts & Spas says it treats child guests like “junior VIPs”. Both the Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa (www.sixsenses.com) and, in Royal holiday favourite Hua Hin, Six Senses Hideaway Hua Hin (www.sixsenses.com), have Just Kids! for children from four to 12 years. Babysitters (available for Bt150 per hour) are required for children under four. Kids (and parents, who finally get to spend the night unsupervised) can look forward to nightly themed sleepovers, where they (the children, of course) pitch tents, set up sleeping bags and get to roast marshmallows over the camp fire. There is also a fair amount of emphasis on education; kids can have Thai language lessons or learn about Thai culture.
The Hyatt Regency Hua Hin (huahin.regency.hyatt.com) features Camp Hyatt, running half-day (for Bt650) or full-day (Bt950) cultural and educational programmes, including lunch and refreshments. There’s also a playroom for children aged three to 12 (parents must accompany under-threes). Reserve an English-speaking babysitter a day in advance (from Bt150 per hour). You can order baby food at the hotel restaurants, and the youngest members of the family will be comfortable in the booster seats and high chairs on offer.
At first glance, bustling Bangkok may seem to be the last place to take a child, but the Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa (www.marriott.com) on the river outside the city is a cool oasis and a splendid Thailand city resort choice for families. The Changnoi Kids Club is open from 10am until 6pm and caters for children from three to 12. Under-12s stay for free if they room with their parents. Babysitters speak Thai and English (one child, Bt250 per hour; two children, Bt350). No toys or potties are provided, however.
 |
| Balinese dance, Conrad Bali Resort & Spa |
For families wanting something smaller and more intimate, Rocky’s Boutique Resort (www.rockyresort.com) in Koh Samui, with 30 bungalows and villas, has several family rooms, two swimming pools and secluded beaches with very few passers-by. The child-loving staff will help keep a watchful eye on tiny tots, and the resort will happily arrange babysitting.
Bali’s warm climate, gentle and child-loving locals and balmy seas make it a great family destination, with even luxury hotels tapping into the market. Don’t worry about lugging heavy bags of baby products to the beachfront Conrad Bali Resort & Spa (www.conradhotels.com) – the resort will provide baby robes, baby oil, powder, nappies and soap, as well as a baby bath and potty. Two of the in-house restaurants have kids’ menus (and so does room service).
The Kura Kura club (for children from age three) starts the day’s activities at the Kids’ Pavilion with its turtle ponds and indoor and outdoor play areas. Attractions include island legends storytelling and splashing around in the lagoon pool. Who could go wrong with sprawling hectares of gardens and a beach? If your boy is a future Federer, there’s tennis coaching for a minimal fee. For children who MUST head indoors, the Games Zone has computer and video games, a pool table and more. There’s also a toddler area for under-threes. Oh, and if your poor darling is worn out from all the activity, they can head to the spa and select a revitalising treatment from the Spa Kids’ Menu.
Also in Bali, Indonesia, the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa (www.nusaduahotel.com) caters for families with special Family Rooms sleeping two adults and two children. Connecting rooms are also available (but aren’t discounted). All items on restaurant menus are offered in smaller portions, with a 50 percent discount. The babysitting service is Rp30,000 per hour (sitters speak English and Bahasa Indonesia). But you don’t go to Bali to sleep: there’s a great-for-kids beach garden and lagoon pool, as well as a children’s pool and outdoor playground. In addition, the Gecko Kids Club welcomes children aged three to 12.
 |
Kids' area at Movenpick Phuket |
Golf and tennis lessons, kite-decorating and flying, basic Indonesian language lessons, hat and mask-making are some of the offerings by the Ritz-Carlton Bali’s (www.ritzcarlton.com) Ritz Kids programme. Children aged four to 10 can join for half or full days (from US$12 and US$17, respectively). A single activity costs US$3. Parents or minders must accompany under-fours. (Babysitters speak English, Bahasa Indonesia and Japanese). The baby-sitting fee is Rp55,000 per hour; minimum two hours.
Child guests under 12 eat for free when accompanied by paying adults at the Grand Hyatt Bali (www.bali.grand.hyatt.com). Other kids' facilities here include the Camp Nusa club for children from three to 13, a toddler pool and water sport for all ages. A full day (from 8am until 5pm) is Rp70,000, including lunch. Baby cots come free and some rooms have extra day beds available. Babysitters speak English and Bahasa Indonesia (Rp15,000 per hour, per child).
Despite their high-end appeal, all Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts (www.fourseasons.com) have a child-friendly policy, providing cots, strollers, high chairs, play pens, bottle warmers, soothers, bibs and other baby necessities on request. In addition, guestrooms can be ‘child-proofed’ with protective covers over electrical outlets, and wooden step stools are available so that little hands can reach the sink. Child-sized bathrobes and tiny tables and chairs complete the picture. Four Seasons’ Kids For All Seasons programme is aimed at children aged five to 12, introducing them to local folklore, history and cooking, as well as marine and animal life. Some hotels offer teen-savvy advice from a Four Seasons Teen Concierge.
Family walks through the gardens with 1,500 hand-carved stone sculptures, beach exploration and playing in the surf are a must-do at the 35-acre Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay (www.fourseasons.com/jimbaranbay). Children under 12 can share their parents’ room at no extra charge. The Jimba Club welcomes kids from two to 12 years, and is open from 7am to 7pm – babysitting here is complimentary. Budding Nigellas and Jamie Olivers can join the resort’s pastry chef for cookie and ice-cream-making lessons in the kitchen during the holiday season.
 |
| Pelangi Beach & Spa Resort KiKi Club |
Club Med (www.clubmed.com) villages everywhere have a well-earned reputation for their activity-driven family holidays. Guests can choose all-inclusive holiday packages (rooms, all meals and drinks, a wide range of sports, nightly entertainment and travel insurance included). Never a dull moment for adults, and the little people are kept busy at The Petit Club Med (for two to three-year-olds), Mini Club Med (four to ten-year-olds; workshops range from circus acts to rollerblading) and the Juniors’ Club Med (11 to 17-year-olds; activities include kayaking, tennis, or archery).
Adding weight and zest to the child-friendly resort category is Club Med’s free-of-charge Baby Welcome service for babies (up to 23 months) at the Club Med villages at Bali (which reopens after major refurbishment in early 2009), Bintan Island, Cherating Beach, Lindeman Island, Phuket, and Kabira. Conveniences include priority check-in and ground floor rooms, bottle warmers in restaurants and the main bar, baby cots, tubs, potties, baby chairs in restaurants and baby strollers. The service must be pre-booked.
Malaysia – and in particular the islands of Langkawi and Penang, and the coast of Sabah – have a number of child-friendly options. In laidback Langkawi there’s little to do but kick back and relax on the beach and around the pool. For scavenger hunts on the beach, mini golf, swimming lessons, fishing and boat-making head to the Meritus Pelangi Beach & Spa Resort, Langkawi (www.pelangibeachresort.com), where KiKi Club members between four and 12 are entertained for free from 9am to 9pm. (Toddlers under four are welcome with a parent’s supervision.) Kids love the club’s mascot, a five-foot fluffy bird with bright yellow beak. There’s the usual playground and children’s pool, as well as baby chairs, drawing sheets and toys at restaurants, and you can even request a baby car seat. Babysitting services are available (English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin are spoken; RM8 for one hour; RM20 after 11pm).
 |
| Splash out at Parkroyal Penang |
The Moorish Four Seasons Resort Langkawi (www.fourseasons.com) recommends its lower-level pavilions (villas) for families: not only are they safer, but they also come with gardens, perfect for playing and running. A limited number also have connecting rooms available. Kids get child-sized bathrobes, juice before bedtime, and a special menu doubling as a mask for kids to colour. Children’s toilet seats and high chairs (in the restaurants) are welcome extras. As with most resorts, cots and extra beds for under-12s are free – but babysitting doesn’t come cheap at US$24 per hour per baby. Sitters speak English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil.
Bringing up a young yogi? Among the activities offered by the free Kids For All Seasons club (children aged four to 12) is children’s yoga, where animal poses help children “meditate on the beauty of nature”. Games, music and storytelling are incorporated. Morning walks with a naturalist are no less spiritual. For the sporty, there are tennis lessons and more.
The Golden Sands Resort by Shangri-La (www.shangri-la.com), on the island of Penang, welcomes kids and adults alike. There is no specific club for kids, but there is an Adventure Zone, where RM21 will buy two hours of time in “the zone”. This air-conditioned indoor facility has drop slides, a game area, and themed rooms for birthday parties. Hillview Family Rooms offer a double bed, single bed and a sofa bed. Guests may request baby baths, prams and potties. Babysitters speak Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese and Tamil (RM7 per hour; RM20 after 11pm).
The Parkroyal Penang (www.parkroyalhotels.com) has extensive facilities for kids, not least its signature Koko-Nut Kids Club that distracts tiny tykes with all manner of activities from colouring and leaf painting to pool games, movies, mask and t-shirt painting, stick puppets and more. The club caters for children from four to 12 years of age. Babysitting in-room runs at around RM10 per hour. Staff speak English, Bahasa Malaysia, Hokkien, and Mandarin (Putonghua). The Parkroyal Penang is a good child friendly hotel choice. It has been popular with families for years – through various incarnations and name changes.
 |
| Creative space, Tanjung Aru Kids Club |
The Shangri-La Rasa Ria (www.shangri-la.com) in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, has had rave reviews from families – and no wonder considering its setting on a long sweep of beach and the South China Sea, and surrounded by lush forests. Kids are thrilled to meet their closest animal cousin, the orangutan, at the rehabilitation nature reserve set within the resort’s grounds. (Be prepared to be pestered into foster-caring for an animal – it’s for a good cause: fees go to care and food for the foster animal at the reserve.) There’s a Kids Club offering the usual entertainment, banana boat rides for thrills, kids’ pool and horse riding. Ground-floor rooms are particularly good for families – kids can run straight into the resort’s extensive gardens.
Sister resort the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru (www.shangri-la.com), closer to the city centre in Kota Kinabalu, but also on the beach, is not to be left behind. It offers a Kids Club that is among the largest in Malaysia, open from 8am until 8pm. Hand-painted walls highlight features of Sabah, from the jungle to the sea. There’s a toddler section with padded walls and soft toys, a creativity area for painting, crafting and other skills, a computer and TV room - and a welcome coffee area for parents to relax. When tiring of the beach or playground, with swings, seesaws, slides, a sand pit and toy cars and bikes, tots can feed the fish during regular sessions at the resort’s three koi-filled ponds. Or head to two large swimming pools with a safe corner for smaller children, or the wading pool. All restaurants have children's menus. Babysitters are RM30 for one hour. Just shout for potties, cots and other baby equipment. How’s that for a family friendly escape?
Tokyo isn’t generally viewed as a child-friendly holiday destination, but at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo (www.fourseasons.com/tokyo) kids are VIPs; expect milk and cookies upon check-in, a welcome gift, and children’s menus in all restaurants. Parents are offered suggestions for child-friendly outings from the concierge, and English-speaking babysitters are available.
 |
| Club Med Cherating Beach, Malaysia |
The Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort & Spa (www.shangri-la.com) in Cebu, the Philippines, describes its three-level Adventure Zone indoor playground for children aged four and above as "designed to challenge agility, balance and nerves in an environment that couples the excitement of an adventure playground with the safety of a nursery" (from Php300 per child for two hours). There's also E-Zone, with video arcades and table soccer, as well as a Toddler's Zone for children of three and younger. The resort offers spacious Deluxe Family Rooms, with two queen-size beds. Babysitters speak fluent English and the cost is Php300 per hour.
Clean, safe Singapore is that rare combination: a business destination that is also child-friendly. Children can slide and fly at the island state’s Rasa Sentosa Resort, Singapore (www.shangri-la.com), where the children’s pool has waterslides and there’s a flying trapeze on the beach for adventure-seekers over four (S$7 per swing). On terra firma, there’s a playhouse. Toots Club (open 9am until 7pm), with popular daily beach and pool games, is free for hotel guests between four and 12 years. (Children staying all day get lunch, too.) Toddlers have their own playroom (parents must accompany them). Single guestrooms can comfortably house two adults and two children, but connecting rooms are available too. For parents’ nights out, there are English-speaking babysitters (S$10 per hour, minimum three hours).
The concierge at the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore (www.fourseasons.com/singapore) has games, books and laser discs to lend to kids, and hotel restaurants provide a children's menu, colouring books, crayons and magic boards for drawing. Children under 18 can share their parents' room at no extra charge. The housekeeping department will provide complimentary baby items – anything from bottles, bottle warmer and nappies to blankets and crib liners. Special arrival gifts and foam letters spelling out your child’s name in the bathroom are thoughtful extras. Dads may have to be restrained from the Sunday brunch children’s table, which has an electric train running around it.
 |
| Adventure, Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort |
Vietnam’s inviting beaches and friendly locals are increasingly luring foreign families to its shores. The Coco Beach Resort (www.cocobeach.net) quite rightly describes its wide beach with soft sand as its “biggest playground for kids”, but there’s also a constructed version with swings, seesaw, slide and climbing ladder, and a wading pool for tiny tots.
All of Coco Beach’s rooms are bungalows or two-bedroom villas on stilts. Protection nets are available to keep the balconies safe. Nice touch. In the villas, each bedroom has its own bathroom, and there’s a living room and big terrace with sofa and armchairs to wallow in. Staff will gladly wash and sterilise baby bottles and heat up baby food. Family meals are easy at the Paradise Beach Club restaurant, where kids can play on the beach once they’ve eaten (there’s a kiddies’ menu) while parents linger, watching them from the table. Babysitters speak only Vietnamese (US$2 per hour).
Still in Vietnam, the Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa (www.victoriahotels-asia.com) and Victoria Phan Thiet Beach Resort & Spa (www.victoriahotels-asia.com) both offer baby cots and extra beds for children, as well as connecting rooms (even at the bungalows). Here’s your child’s chance to feed an elephant. It’s one of the scheduled children’s activities, along with sand castle building, kite-making and more. Apart from the usual toys, drawing and other activities, the Victoria Hoi An’s child care centre also has a library – and a quiet room for sleeping if all that playing gets too much. The club coordinator speaks fluent English and some French, and babysitting is available.
 |
| Coco Beach Resort playground |
The Sunrise Beach Hotel Nha Trang (www.sunrisenhatrang.com.vn), Vietnam, says its spacious guestrooms can easily accommodate free extra beds for a child. The special kids’ pool is only 50cm deep, and for safety there’s a barrier set up between the adult and children’s pools. The hotel’s Sunrise Kid's Club is a modest playroom with toys for children up to 12. There’s a babysitting service (from US$5 per hour) from a pool of minders (speaking basic English) employed by the hotel’s housekeeping department.
If it’s the azure waters of the Maldives you’re longing to plunge into, rest assured that five-star style doesn’t necessarily exclude your offspring. MAJAA at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island (www.conradmaldives.com) will keep the kids happy from from 8.30am until 6pm, and again from 7pm to 10pm. The entertainment ranges from a pirate island adventure to dancing at a glow-in-the-dark party. To meet the needs of those children who need to relax after a stressful day, there is a Kids’ Spa, designed to “give an insight into the secrets of spa therapy”.
One&Only Reethi Rah (www.oneandonlyresorts.com) is another idyllic spot in the Maldives, also catering to families. Its complimentary KidsOnly programme has a dedicated clubhouse (including a pool and dining area) for kids from four to 11 years, and is open from 9am until 9pm. Activities may include dance or cooking lessons, evening shows, and a variety of sports. Children under four are welcome, but need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Babysitters are available for a fee and advance booking is required. The resort also offers nature-based, sport and adventure activities for teens from 12 to 17 years. For babies, there are complimentary cots available on request.
 |
| Victoria Hotel Hoi An |
Macau, a hop and a skip from Hong Kong, is undergoing something of a renaissance as a cultural destination and family getaway. It’s not all casinos. Infant in tow? The Mandarin Oriental, Macau’s (www.mandarinoriental.com/macau) new “Mandarin Baby Pit Stop” is a tailor-made cabinet with free basic baby care items such as nappies, wipes, a baby bath, baby lotion, shampoo and powder and soft toys. Milk bottles, electric bottle warmers and sterilizers and bottle brushes, baby carriers and push chairs are also available on loan. For little ones aged three to six, the “Pit Stop” contains storybooks, crayons and drawing books, mini pillows and slippers and even special children’s toilet seats. All hotel restaurants have children's menus, and crayons and drawing sheets are handed out to keep tiny hands occupied until meals arrive.
Flying trapezes seem to be all the rage – you’ll find one here too, as well as rock-climbing, an adventure playground with an inflatable pirates ship and even a computer games corner with high-speed Internet access “for education and safe web surfing”. The Kids Co. centre for children aged three to 12 is open 9am to 8.30pm daily. Connecting rooms are available, and baby-sitters speak Cantonese, Mandarin or English (HK$80 per hour, 8am to 12am; HK$150 per hour, plus HK$25 taxi fee, after midnight).
Kids receive smiles and balloons around every corner at the Westin Resort, Macau (www.westin-macau.com), where the Westin Kids Club offers half and full-day programmes for children aged three to 12, kids are welcomed with a gift bag and toy, and drink refills come free at the Café (a full day from 10am to 6pm costs HK$388, individual activities cost HK$60). There are high chairs and cots on request, and the swimming pool, with adjacent tots’ wading pool, is the main attraction in summer. Interconnecting rooms and rollaway beds are available; so are babysitters and childminders.
 |
| Kids Co Centre, Mandarin Oriental Macau |
At The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel (www.venetianmacao.com), kids can keep themselves entertained at the pool or on the 18-hole mini golf course. There are some scheduled activities for children aged three and over that include “circus fun” (learning how to juggle), hitting the pinata, water polo and treasure hunts. There is a fee for each activity. A babysitting service is available for MOP80 per hour (MOP160 between 11pm and 8am) – possibly essential for those parents who want to dabble in the casino culture just for a minute or two.
Dubai is another destination that can be fun for the whole family. As well as its obvious attractions (try a desert safari), Dubai’s mammoth resorts with generous facilities are sure to keep the clan happy. At swanky One&Only Royal Mirage (www.oneandonlyresorts.com), you can send the kids off to KidsOnly, where they can ride camels or learn to belly dance. KidsOnly is free for children aged from four to 11, and is open 10am to 12.30pm, 2.30pm to 5pm and 6pm to 10pm. There’s also entertainment for teens – they can choose from waterskiing, sailing, tennis or basketball, or they may pop down the road for snowboarding at Ski Dubai (www.skidxb.com) and go-kart racing at Dubai Autodrome (www.dubaiautodrome.com).
The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai (www.ritzcarlton.com) offers its junior guests special welcome gifts when they arrive, along with a souvenir when they depart. They also provide a POLO (Protect Our Little Ones) Safety Kit for every room with a child, which includes nightlights, baby amenities, plasters, safety plugs for sockets and a list of emergency telephone numbers. At Ritz Kids club, children may get cooking classes, have ballet lessons, get their first manicure, or, simply, collect shells on the beach. Ritz Kids is for children aged from four to 12.
 |
| Making friends at The Empire Hotel, Brunei |
For kids who prefer to play up near the clouds, look no further than Burj Al Arab (www.burj-al-arab.com). Don’t let the opulence discourage you from taking the toddlers. Sinbad’s Kid’s Club, on the eighteenth floor of the hotel, caters for children aged from one to 12 years, and offers board games, soft toys, computers, and the Disney channel on a plasma screen TV. Children also get free access to Sinbad’s Kid’s Club at Jumeirah Beach Hotel (www.jumeirahbeachhotel.com) next door, which offers a range of outdoor activities.
India is possibly not the first destination that comes to mind when you’re pondering where to take the kids, but if you’re willing to splash a large amount of cash, the family can get a taste of culture while staying in the lap of luxury. Tiny tots staying at Oberoi Rajvilas (www.oberoihotels.com) in Jaipur may not quite be at the age to appreciate its stylish elegance, but there are some child-friendly activities available. Camel cart rides and treasure hunts are held in the expansive hotel grounds. A performance by the puppets of Rajasthan provides a bit of theatre as well as a history lesson in a child-friendly format. And older children can go on a horse safari through the Rajasthan countryside.
At Kumarakom Lake Resort in Kerala (www.thepaul.in), kids who like the water will be happy travellers – there are plenty of water sports available from water-skiing, to banana-boat riding or just paddling in the pool. There is also a Children’s Corner for the not so active, with toys, books and games. Babysitters are available if parents need to rid themselves of the kids for a few moments of quiet. Of course, the sightseeing here is well suited to family fun with stunning backwater cruises, sunset cruises, a bird sanctuary, and local villages to explore by bicycle.
 |
| Family friendly Conrad Bali |
The Empire Hotel & Country Club (www.theempirehotel.com) in Brunei is one of the world's largest resorts, with huge guestrooms to match. You may not be able to bag the Emperor Suite where former US President Bill Clinton has stayed, but all ages will enjoy the 180 hectares of gardens and beachfront location. Facilities for kids aged three to 10 include a playground with a shallow pool, water slide and activity room. The E Kids Club has its own “rainforest mascots” to encourage environmental awareness among children. (Rainforest excursions are organised by the hotel.) Kids can rest assured they won’t miss out on the latest movies while on vacation – they can head straight to the Empire Cinema in the middle of the resort, which has three screens showing different films every week. Bear in mind that Brunei is a ‘dry’ Muslim country - but visitors are allowed to bring in a limited quantity of alcoholic drinks.
Finally, once the kids’ club has lost its appeal and the welcome gifts and toys are discarded, it’s quality time together that matters most. A family that plays together stays together. Go for it!
Send us your Feedback / Letter to the Editor
|
