For families traveling on a budget, a trip to an all-inclusive beach front resort in Cancun is an ideal way to plan for an enjoyable vacation any time of year.  For those of you unfamiliar with all-inclusive resorts, once you check in, all of your drinks and meals are included.  There are no unexpected fees which allow you to kick back and relax.  AMResorts Now Sapphire, Now Jade and Dreams Riviera Cancun are luxurious full service getaways overlooking the Caribbean Sea.   Their attention to detail is evident in all aspects of the resort’s offerings.  From the varied menu selections to the relaxing spas and energetic youth program activities, the staff happily caters to the needs of each family member.  We easily slipped into a relaxed vacation mindset as soon as we were settled in our spacious room.  The only challenge we had during our stay was deciding which fabulous restaurant to eat in every day.  Somehow, we managed.

Accommodations

Now Resorts& Spas offer a variety of beautiful accommodations to suit any size family.  Guestrooms are all nonsmoking rooms, have high ceilings and plenty of space to spread out.  The flat screen TVs have familiar network cable programs and internet access allows you to stay in touch with things back home as much or as little as you like.  One room would be fine for a family of four but if you prefer a bit more space, you can opt for adjoining rooms which are ideally set up with one king bed in one room and two queen beds in the other.  Both rooms have large bathrooms with hot tubs, a separate sitting area and great views of either the beach or garden areas.  You’ll pay a bit more for the beachfront views but the sunrises are spectacular!  The plush bathrobes, whirlpool bath, minibar and 24-hour room service really could tempt you into staying cuddled up in your room with good books, but you’d miss out on all of the other fabulous parts of the resort–  like the restaurants!

Dining

Whether you’re in the mood for a romantic fine dining date, casual beach front fare or just want to float over for a drink of the day from the pool bar, these resorts offer plenty of tasty options.  Each day, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast buffet with a wide variety of familiar favorites, local selections, custom omelet orders and exotic fruit juices all while watching the sunrise over the Caribbean Sea.  There are plenty of kid friendly choices to suit even the pickiest eaters and there are lowered buffet counter heights so the kids can see their special menu options.  For lunch and dinner, we decided to try as many restaurants as possible to see if the quality was as wonderful from place to place.  It was!  Everything we ordered was presented so beautifully, tasted fantastic and was full of delicious flavors.  There is a no-reservations policy but we never had to wait more than five minutes to be seated.  The Paramour, an adults-only fine dining restaurant, was an ideal way to spend the last night of our stay.  The food presentation, wine pairing and service were delightfully top-notch.

Kids Activities

The Explorers Kids Club is an adventure waiting to happen for kiddos from 3-12 years old.  Starting each day at 9am, parents can sign in their children for a day filled with arts and crafts, movies, and outdoor games. Under the watchful eyes of the American Red Cross certified staff, the kids engage in all sorts of playground, beach and pool games as well as create some adorable, Mexican themed arts and crafts.  We saw the kids create decorations that were then used on the dinnertime buffet tables for resort guests.  The play areas are clean, colorful and safe.  The Mayan rock climbing wall at the Dreams Riviera Cancun and the Now Sapphire’s kids splash pool and playground look like so much fun that even the grownups want to play there.  But they can’t, it’s for kids only, 3-12 which made lots of the kids feel like extra special resort guests…and they are! The Explorers Kids Club is open until 10pm and babysitting services are also available separate from the Explorers Club.

The Now Entertainment team also coordinates daily activities for teens ages 13 to 17 in the Core Zone Teens Club.  We saw Spanish lessons, water polo, beach volleyball and ping pong tournaments that kept the kids engaged, laughing and making new friends.  The schedule of activities changes daily and is announced in the resort’s “Sundial” newsletter which is delivered to your door each morning.  With the kids safely engrossed in their activities, it was time for some pampering at the spa.

Spa

If you want to really indulge your senses, there are wonderful spas at all three of the resort properties.  We were warmly greeted with cucumber water then given a tour on what amenities were available to us during our spa visit.  As I slipped on the warm, fluffy robe and slippers, I felt my tensions melt away.  Besides the massage, my favorite spa experience was the outdoor cascading Jacuzzi but I did not have the courage to take the cold water plunge as the final step in the hydrotherapy circuit…maybe next time.  The staff was friendly and professional and the décor was a tropical paradise.   Take the time and treat yourself to a spa visit.  You’ll be glad that you did!  Additional costs apply and vary depending on the services provided.  Spa promotions are offered daily so check with the concierge or read the “Sundial” newsletter for the latest deals.

Ground Transportation and Airport Shuttles

Getting to the resort from the airport was a breeze!  After clearing customs, we followed the AmResort signs and easily found a uniformed representative from the shuttle bus company.  We were directed to wait for our driver at a designated spot and just moments later, we were climbing aboard a new, air conditioned van on our way to the resort.   The drive took about fifteen minutes on a four lane highway.  We even passed a few familiar fast food restaurants!

Ground transportation via airport shuttles can easily be arranged through the resort as part of any type of vacation package.  Of course, an additional fee would apply but the convenience is worth it!  You can always opt to rent a car and drive to the resort but unless you plan to go sightseeing on your own, I would suggest taking the shuttles.

Holiday and Family Specials

To add to your holiday cheer, there are a variety of family friendly discounts available at the Now Resorts.  Special holiday dinner menus will be offered at each of the Cancun Now Resorts and the Kids Explorers Club will feature unique holiday-themed crafts.  Rest assured, NFL games will be shown on big screen TVs in the sports bars as well as outdoors at a starlit tailgate party.  In between the games, you can work off your holiday meal while playing flag football on the beach with other guests.

Please visit the Now Resorts website to take a virtual tour of these beautiful resorts and to see the latest travel specials available.

Disclosure:  Thank you to the Now Sapphire Resort for hosting me on this Mexican adventure.  As always, the opinions expressed in this article are my own. 

Lisa-Marie Leihy is Trekaroo’s Florida Destination Guroo

Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

Congratulations to Art Riddle. Your comment, number 40, was randomly selected by Random.org. Enjoy your time in Puerto Rico!

Every decade or so, there is talk of adding another star to our flag. Puerto Rico, typically the territory in question, seems to be happy with the way things are for now because polls have shown a majority of the islanders prefer to remain a US Territory. Lucky for us mainlanders, Puerto Rico’s status as US Territory means that we have a Caribbean destination to visit without a passport.  So where exactly is Puerto Rico? To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure until I saw it on a map for myself.  I knew it was in the Atlantic but had no idea that it was actually closer to Venezuela than the United States! Puerto Rico lies just east of the Dominican Republic, making it a warm escape for travelers looking to thaw out during our chilly winter months.

San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital city, is home to the history and culture of Old San Juan as well as the azure beaches of Condado, an upscale district popular with tourists.  San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino is one of the top  luxury hotels along this stretch of sand, and a great destination for families. Kids will love the game room, two outdoor swimming pools complete with a water slide and whirlpool, and the great stretch of beach that the resort calls home.  Parents will love all of the above but are sure to add the casino to their list as well.

So what is better than a few nights at the San Juan Marriott? How about a few nights in the presidential suite of the San Juan Marriott!

The Steal: Win a 4 day/3 night stay at the San Juan Marriott valued at $5,600!

• 4 day/3 night stay in the PRESIDENTIAL SUITE at the San Juan Marriott in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• $200 resort credit per day
• Valid for travel through December 2012.

Valued at approximately $5,600

HOW TO ENTER TO WIN:

Step 1: Share this giveaway using the Facebook by clicking the FB “Like” button at the top of the page

Step 2: Leave a blog comment below letting us know that you did.

Get extra entries by repeating steps 1 and 2 once a day.  But be sure to leave a new comment each time.

Get even more additional entries:

Feel free to do any or all of the following actions.  Each action counts as an extra entry but be sure to LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ONE or the entry will not be counted.

• 
• Like Trekaroo on Facebook
• Follow San Juan Mariott on Twitter
• Like San Juan Marriott on Facebook
• Tweet a link to this Monday Mad Steal via @Trekaroo using the Twitter share button at the top of the page.

• Subscribe to the Trekaroo Blog

• Follow Trekaroo on Twitter
• Post this giveaway on your blog

Rules and guidelines:

• 18 years of age or older
• US Residents only

Deadline to enter: Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:59PM PST

What is Monday Madness?

Every Monday, Trekaroo announces on our blog, either a fantastic giveaway or an incredible deal.  It could be a green water bottle, a hotel stay on Maui or theme park tickets. Return every Monday to the Talking Trekaroo Blog for the details. Want a reminder? Become a Trekaroo member or follow us on facebook or twitter.

Thanks to  Online Sweepstakes and CashNet Sweepstakes,.

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Sharlene Earnshaw is the blog editor  for Trekaroo.

Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

Once my 10 year-old daughter and I had settled in on our flight home from Canada, I asked her to tell me her favorite part of our weekend in Richmond, British Columbia.  I expected this to take some time.  Tourism Richmond had hosted us for four days.  It was a getaway itinerary kids dream about, loaded with things like a waterpark, go-karting and kite flying.  She caught me completely off guard when, without an ounce of hesitation, she said, “The Richmond Olympic Oval was my favorite.”

Don’t get me wrong, I was incredibly impressed with the Richmond Olympic Oval, I just didn’t expect it to garner such rave reviews from my daughter.  Her sole purpose of existence tends to revolve around places that have pools.

All eyes were on the Olympic Oval when it served as the home to long track speed skating events during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.  And though the world spotlight may have disappeared, residents and visitors are still reaping the benefits.

Life is Sporty

I’ve never seen a sports venue quite like it.  Venue isn’t even the right word.  Think phenomenal health club, meets amazing community center, meets fabulous place to take the kids.

The Stats

The world class facility is more than 47,500 square meters in size.  It’s huge!  It has to be to hold everything that’s inside.  Some of the highlights include:

• Over 100 pieces of strength and cardio equipment
• 2 Olympic sized ice rinks
• 18 badminton courts
• 13 volleyball courts
• 10 basketball courts
• 3 indoor soccer fields
• 16 international sized table tennis tables
• 5-Lane track
• Indoor rowing & paddling tank

And the list goes on and on.  It’s enough to make you tired just reading it.

Most folks don’t dedicate much time to working out when they’re on vacation.  It is vacation after all.  But if you’re feeling guilty about over indulging the Oval offers drop-in classes that will help you burn off any extra calories.  The reasonable drop-in rates include a variety of activities including fitness classes and ice skating.  Did I mention they also offer childcare?

We couldn’t get it to work schedule wise for us, but my daughter was enamored by the dueling ice rinks. A few hours at the rink could be just what a family needs when the weather doesn’t cooperate or the kids just need time to be kids.  And as someone who has a reputation for being cold, it’s the first ice rink I’ve ever been to where I wasn’t cold.  I think I could have skated in my shorts and t-shirt.  Throw in a little ping pong at one of the 16 tables, some time at the rotating mini rock climbing wall and you’ve got the makings for a family fun-filled day.

Even if you don’t hours to spend taking advantage of the facility, find an hour to take a tour.  The Olympic Games might be over but its Olympic persona is strong and the facility conveys a certain “wow” factor.

The Richmond Oval has picturesque view of life, sitting on the Fraser River with views of the North Shore mountains.  The riverfront property that surrounds it is in the midst of a building boom, so I have a feeling more good things for residents and visitors are on the way.

Getting There

You could jump in a cab, but the Oval is an easy walk from Richmond’s Westminster Highway where you’ll find an assortment of hotels.  If you’re in Vancouver, jump on the Canada Line.  During my stay in Richmond, I was hosted by the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel.  Don’t let the name fool you, the hotel is in Richmond, an incredibly convenient 5 to 10 minute ride from the Vancouver International Airport.  Its central location made exploring Richmond by car, train and foot a breeze.  The pool and hot tub were a hit with my daughter during our few moments of down time and as a way to unwind before bed.  With rates ranging from $170 – $240 a night, you get more hotel bang for your buck in Richmond than you would in pricier Vancouver.  In other words, two great cities for the price of one!

Dana Rebmann takes pride in passing on her travel bug to her two girls ages 10 and 13. And though her favorite trips require a passport, she always sets aside time for a summer stint on the Jersey Shore. You can find her on Twitter @drebmann.

Most Mondays, we at Trekaroo like to host a giveaway of something fun and travel-related but every once in a while, we like to highlight a fabulous giveaway being hosted by one of our fellow family travel specialists.  We are extremely excited to tell you about the current giveaway on Ciao Bambino because it is HUGE!

Now through October 17th, families have the opportunity to enter to win one of three different Four Season stays at Four Seasons Resort Vail, Four Seasons Resort Nevis, and Four Seasons Hotel Boston! Entering to win is both easy and fun. Simply begin at the Ciao Bambino Facebook page and complete your first entry and then follow the directions to visit a few other Facebook pages (Poshbrood and, Luxury Travel Mom) for more entries. We would love for Trekaroo member to be the big winner!

Here are the details:

Four Seasons Luxury Family Travel Giveaway Prizes

Four Seasons Resort Nevis

Family of Four vacation package includes:

• 4 nights complimentary lodging in a spacious deluxe ocean view room
• Airport/boat transfers for kids
• Family tennis (choice of complimentary family lesson with Pro lesson or complimentary 1-hour court time for family)
• Family golf (choice of kids Junior Golfer lesson with the Pro or one round complimentary for family
• Private Monkey Tour hosted by Concierge
• Sea Turtle Camp at Kids for All Seasons Center and sea turtle adoption gift for kids
• Base Camp for Parents for a Day: Luxury Beach House with butler for the day
• Blackout dates apply.  Prize is not transferrable.  Certificate valid through December 31, 2012
• Approximate value ($6,000)

Four Seasons Resort Vail

• Three-night stay in deluxe accommodations for up to four people in one room
• Specialized children’s amenity upon arrival
• Subject to availability; blackout dates apply. Prize not transferrable
• Certificate valid through December 31, 2012
• Approximate value ($2,475)

Four Seasons Hotel Boston

Two-Night Kid-Kation Package includes:

• Two nights deluxe accommodations for a family of four (two adults and two children)
• Kids receive back pack filled with activity book and postcard as well as a toy from the toy wagon at check in
• Teens receive sling bag containing a “PRUferred Shopper Card”, cookie voucher, Ben&Jerry’s coupon and Godiva Rewards Card
• $30 breakfast credit per day on an existing breakfast charge
• In-room visit from ice cream man and welcome amenity
• Kids can arrange visit to Pastry kitchen for cookie making class with Exec Pastry Chef, Sat 4-4:30PM on a first come, first serve basis
• Subject to availability; black-out dates apply.  Prize is not transferrable
• Certificate valid through December 31, 2012
• Approximate value ($1,300)

Official Rules

You must be a U.S. resident, 18 years of age or older. One entry per person per sponsoring website.  Sweepstakes ends at 11:59 PM EST on October 17, 2011.  Read the official rules here.

Head to the Ciao Bambino Facebook page now and enter to win!

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Sharlene Earnshaw is the Blog Editor for Trekaroo.

Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

When I was a little girl, I used to watch reruns of Flipper and imagine I was Sandy, the teenager lucky enough to join Flipper on his many adventures. Of course, in my fantasy, Sandy was a girl, and Flipper seemed to jump over more than his fair share of rainbows… I think you get the point- I was absolutely crazy for dolphins! Years passed and I grew up, but the dreams of having a dolphin push me up out of the sea using only his nose still lingered in the back of my mind. Finally, this past April my dreams were allowed to become reality- this girl got her dolphin adventure at Dolphin Discovery Puerto Adventuras in the Riviera Maya.

Dolphin Discovery allows guests to have hands on experiences with sea lions, manatees and dolphins.  While waiting for our turn with the dolphins, we watched the baby manatees being fed what seemed to be an endless amount of lettuce.  They followed their trainers around like puppies, eager for their next treat. An adult manatee eats over 100 pounds of vegetation per day so the juveniles are happy to get in as much practice as they can.

When our moment with the dolphins had arrived, we were given strict instructions about what to do and what not to do while in the water with the dolphins. Dolphin Discovery puts the safety of their animals first and lives up to not only the minimum standards of Mexico, but the full standards of  The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and is the only company in Latin America to do so. If you are concerned about the health and safety of these animals, this is definitely the best place in Latin America to have your dolphin encounter.

Our group was signed up for the Dolphin Royal Swim which included the opportunity to kiss and hug the dolphin as well as hold a bar for it jump over, going for a ride through the water while holding its dorsal fin, and the holy grail for dolphin lovers, the foot push. After being given a thorough safety talk, everyone in our party lined up and completed each dolphin skill in an assembly line fashion. I posed for a picture with a dolphin kiss, then Cecelia did, then Bobby did, etc. I felt this system took a bit of the personalization out of my experience. In my mind, I would be frolicking with my new best friend, Flipper the dolphin, and jovial music would be playing in the background. I obviously watch too many Disney movies. Even with the super structured environment, all the kids in our group appeared to have the time of their lives and each and every one of them (including the angst-ridden teens) only had positive things to say about their time with the dolphins.

The highlight of my experience was definitely the foot push. Being pushed through the water by the bottlenose of the dolphin with half of my body out of the water was amazing. In that moment, all of my dolphin dreams had finally come true. The foot push alone is definitely worth the cost of admission. The low point- realizing that pictures were insanely overpriced and I would have no visual to show my kids when I got home. No outside cameras are allowed in the dolphin experience so you are at their mercy and I found that to be disappointing. It seems as though prices are a bit negotiable but plan on spending at least $25 on one picture and over $100 for a CD documenting the experience. I bought a picture of my niece getting an adorable kiss from the dolphin but was stingy and didn’t get any pictures of myself.

Overall, if I had to do it again, I would in a heartbeat. I would come in with much more realistic expectations for my experience and be thrilled to be in the prescience of such amazing mammals. Oh- and I would bring an extra $25 for that picture!

Disclosure: I visited the Riviera Maya this past spring as part of a press trip in order to write a story about the region. I fell in love with the region and felt it was incredibly family-friendly so my article has now turned into a series! All accommodations, meals, and activities were provided. The Riviera Maya did not request that I express any particular opinions and, as always, all opinions reflect my honest opinion.

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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.

Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA