Trip Review: Jamaican Villa Getaway

The Rabbino family of 6 (2 adults and 4 teens ages 14-18) from Bala Cynwyd, PA enjoyed a spring break villa rental in Jamaica for a week-long getaway this past March.  The family loved the low-key and calm nature of the experience away from the hustle and bustle of Jamaica’s resorts and towns.  Perfect for post-COVID travel. The waterfront Noble House is located just 30 minutes west of the Montego Bay airport made even easier with VIP arrival services from Club Mobay.  The staffed villa, with 10,000 sq. ft., gave the family plenty of space to stretch out.  The one-story house featured 4 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms along with expansive grounds, gardens, pool, and beach.  The narrow stretch of beach was shared with two other villas (although still a public beach where locals congregated at times).  The family loved the large, air-conditioned bedrooms and bathrooms with nine decks to relax and take in the views including a rooftop deck ideal for morning yoga.  They appreciated the really large and deep pool and especially the baskets of towels placed all over the house!  The teen boys slept in the pool house while the large living room and connected deck were the main gathering space in the evening to play games, have drinks, watch movies, or just take in the ocean.  The property also featured a fish pond and a huge yard for recreation that included equipment for volleyball, badminton, and croquet.  Kayaks and standup paddleboards were also provided (although some windy days and seaweed made this a challenge). There were some minor/quality maintenance issues at the villa that will hopefully be addressed for future guests.  A highlight of the experience was having a private chef who provided excellent meals.  The family said Chef Jerome was truly exceptional and very attentive to their special needs and requests.  One child’s dietary needs for gluten and nut-free meals turned out to be more variety than he gets at home!  The chef is adept at kosher meals too.  The entire house staff (which numbered more than the family!) included an excellent butler, driver, and housekeeping staff who laundered their clothes as well.  The family did venture off the property with an outing to Dunns River Falls where the knowledgeable guides there helped them safely navigate the climb up the falls…a very unique experience.  A ride back to the villa off the main road gave the family a good insight into Jamaica’s daily life and standards of living.  They also had terrific meals off property at Houseboat Grill (on a floating houseboat) and Scotchies, a Jamaican institution for jerk chicken.  Overall the villa was perfect for what the family needed and they were also appreciative of The Family Traveler’s attentive service and planning for this last-minute getaway.

Trip Review: Wild Dunes Family Gathering

Lauren and Mindy’s family traveled to Charleston, SC, and the Wild Dunes Resort this month to honor the memory of their father who passed away last year. The gathering consisted of three generations with 21 family members gathering from 5 different cities. We spread out in two rental homes and two beachfront condos that were located a short walk from each other. We appreciated the ease of getting to the beach, especially with a baby and toddler in tow.  Chair and umbrellas can be rented in advance and set up daily. The recreation at the resort kept our family as active as we liked with several pools, tennis, bike rentals, golf, spa, gym, family activities, and more. The property also has several restaurants and a specialty market.  Wild Dunes is located on the Isle of Palms about 25 minutes from downtown Charleston. It showcases two hotels along with condos, townhomes, and home rental options of all sizes. The brand-new Sweetwater Inn opened just this month next to the Boardwalk Inn and features a large pool, fire pit, games, restaurants, and free valet parking. Keypads on the entry doors allowed us to avoid a traditional check-in process and we easily communicated with Guest Services by text for anything we needed. A Harris Teeter grocery store on the island kept our kitchens well-stocked. Highlights for our families were relaxing massages, kayaking on Morgan Creek that runs along the back of the resort, long beach walks, and group dinners at several local restaurants including the Boat House and The Refuge. We also cooked a BBQ feast one night with charcoal grills stationed near the condos along with covered picnic tables. And Lauren was excited to meet her long-time clients, the wonderful Gaugler family from Connecticut, who were also vacationing at Wild Dunes at the same time!  Overall Wild Dunes provides an ideal setting for family gatherings both large and small.

Trip Review: Florida Keys Getaway

The Slone Family from Penn Valley, PA (2 adults and children ages 12 and 14) traveled to The Florida Keys for spring break with a stay at the lovely Isla Bella Resort in Marathon.  They let us know they had a fabulous time.  The family flew into Key West, rented a car and traveled about an hour north to reach Marathon.  They thought the resort was beautiful and a perfect size with 199 residence suites with kitchens along with one- and two-bedroom suites. They stayed in a spacious Grand Oceanfront 2-Bedroom/2 Bathroom with Balcony.  Minor complaints included a lack of storage in their room, small bath and beach towels, and tiny trashcans.  And due to COVID, housekeeping was every few days instead of daily.  The family enjoyed the one large pool and beach area, but there were also smaller pools scattered around the property which helped with social distancing.  The resort used plexiglass to separate groups of chaise lounges and had plenty of sanitizer available.  The resort offers daily activities, some watersports, beach yoga, bike rentals, spa, gym and more.  Five minutes by car are public tennis courts which the family used several times.  The rest of their time was spent by the pool, swimming, reading, and playing board games.  Daily texts from hotel staff let guests know about daily activities and what is open or not open depending on the weather.  The family found the resort food above average, but they enjoyed great meals in Marathon at the Florida Keys Steak and Lobster House, Island Fish Company, and Lazy Days South that offered plenty of waterfront outdoor and covered seating.  Sweet Savanah’s was the place to go for ice cream.  A very relaxing trip for a much-needed vacation with ideal weather to boot!

Trip Review: Winter Wonderland

When your Florida teens have never seen snow, it is time to plan a trip to The Rockies!  The Getsy family of 4 (2 adults and 2 teens age 16 and 13) traveled to Jackson, WY this month to celebrate a special wedding anniversary. They had a great time experiencing winter and snow with various adventures, including snow tubing, chair lift, and alpine sliding at the Snow Mountain Ski Resort; snowmobiling through the Gros Ventre Mountains; sleigh riding in an Elk Refuge; making snowmen at the hotel, and more during their stay.  There was no need to snow ski to appreciate this winter wonderland.  The family stayed at the Rustic Inn Creekside Resort & Spa in two peaceful creekside rooms with fireplaces (which proved to be quite hot, but good for drying towels). This upscale property, across from the National Elk Refuge, showcases a 7-acre nature preserve and is just a few blocks from downtown Jackson for plenty of dining and shopping options. There is a shuttle to town as well. Mind-blowing bacon and a nice variety of food options made breakfast a hotel highlight. Their favorite meal out was at the White Buffalo Club in Jackson. Pricey, but worthwhile to taste delicious and fresh bison and venison. Trio, The Kitchen, and The Blue Lion also received praises and Bin 22 was a good spot for buying and sipping wine. Their vacation package featured a free (and thanks to COVID), private excursion! They chose Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris’ Best of Jackson Hole tour with a visit to nearby Grand Teton National Park, a windy National Elk Refuge (dress extra warm), and the Wildlife Art Museum along with light breakfast, lunch, and a sleigh ride. In Grand Teton, their excellent guide helped them spot moose, coyotes, rams, buffalo, and various birds of prey. They also loved their Granite Hot Springs snowmobile experience with the Teton Tour Co. that included an excellent guide and dip in the hot springs. The teens also had a chance to take the snowmobiles for a spin in the beautiful wilderness. Thankfully cold-weather outerwear was also included.  Overall, the trip was a great success for a fun and first snow encounter.

Trip Review: Cancun Celebration

Nadia and Jahmal from Philadelphia enjoyed an adult escape to Cancun for a special birthday celebration with their stay at Live Aqua, an all-inclusive and adult-only property in the Hotel Zone.  The couple enjoyed their Aqua Suite which was a quiet corner room.  They loved how the curtains opened automatically when they walked into the suite revealing gorgeous ocean views!  Their extra spacious balcony was accessible from both the living room and bedroom and they appreciated having two bathrooms.  Wine and macrons were waiting for them in the suite on arrival for Jahmal’s birthday celebration.  They found the resort food to be tasty and food service to be excellent.  Highlights included a yummy burger stand by the pool, waiter recommended fried fish and shrimp tacos for lunch at the Sea Corner restaurant (with a surprise birthday song from the staff) and an Asian dinner tucked away amongst the trees at the Hidden Garden restaurant.  They also found the COVID protocols to be excellent.  Staff wore masks and shields, hand sanitizer and soap were plentiful, pool and beach chairs regularly sprayed, and getting their test to return to the US was easy and well-arranged through the concierge.  They had some fun adventures off property including a yacht trip to Isla Mujeres; an adventure tour with zip lining, ATV rides, cenote swim/dive, and tequila tasting in the Riviera Maya, and also went parasailing.  Overall, they had no issues during their 4-night stay and found the staff very friendly and helpful.  They look forward to returning!

Trip Review: Holiday Ski Getaway

The Sedaka Family of New York City (2 adults and 3 children ages 8, 6, and 4) drove to Hunter Mountain this winter break for some outdoor recreation and relaxation and to celebrate the New Year!  They stayed in a spacious condo at the Kaatskill Mountain Club which sits at the base of the ski mountain.  The family let us know it was a perfect accommodation for young children.  It was ski-out and mostly ski-in (unless conditions were bad or for beginner skiers as you had to walk up a hill to get back to the lodge vs. going up the lift and skiing directly into the lodge).  Their 3-bedroom condo was well designed and spacious with Roku televisions (and basic cable).  Unfortunately, the internet connection was lousy; so they did depart earlier than planned.  The heated outdoor pool was large and warm, and the children swam daily.  The property took pool reservations to limit the capacity.  The spa, gym, hot tubs, and firepits were unfortunately closed due to COVID. The property also had a restaurant called Van Winkles which was only open to guests.  They had a decent meal there and said the waitstaff was excellent.  Grocery and prepared food delivery services were also available to order online and then delivered right to your condo.  They also appreciated the warm and accommodating front desk staff.  The family also noted that the ski school staff was also very friendly and helpful, but there were some issues with getting the number of lessons they wanted due to the new state protocols. The ski school was on the opposite side of the lodge and down a hill.  Getting there and back was a little challenging.  A trip highlight was getting cooked-to-order donuts, coffee, and tea at Twin Peaks Coffee and Donuts in nearby Tannersville. Overall a fun time was had by all and they plan to return in the spring to use up their prepaid nights.

Trip Review: USVI Boat Charter

The Silverstein Family from Parkland, FL are avid boaters and understand that a private boat charter is an ideal and popular way to have a socially distanced family vacation. The family of 8 gathered this month in St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands for a week-long sailing around St. Thomas and St. John. They explained that their arrival at the St. Thomas airport was very efficient. Health forms and test results were sent in advance with temperatures taken and test results reconfirmed at the airport. The boat sailed to a variety of bays (including beautiful Magan’s Bay, Maho Bay, and Princess Bay) where they anchored and used the ship’s 38 ft. dinghy to reach land for their daily activities. Highlights of the trip are plentiful. They appreciated having all of their recreation, food, drink, and even laundry needs met by the ship staff who even arranged special birthday and Hannukah celebrations. They let us know that the food service was 5-star with all of their different needs considered. The family group ate their meals outdoors at the versatile table at the back of the boat and used the upper deck/bar area for pre-dinner drinks and appetizers. They really enjoyed the variety of activities and getting some exercise to help alleviate the guilt of eating so much wonderful food.  The ship was nicely decked out with two dinghies, snorkel equipment, kayaks, paddleboards, wakeboards, and seabobs (cool water sleds that can be used above and below water). The family are avid hikers and were surprised by the variety of trails on each island (St. John is actually 60 percent national park). They especially enjoyed the mountain hikes and didn’t mind swimming to land to reach one of the remote trails. They hiked Cinnamon Bay, Annaberg, and Leinster Bay; all with amazing island views. Wildlife sightings on their hikes included deer and wild donkeys while on one of their snorkel outings, they saw squid and sea turtles.  For relaxation and much-needed downtime, the ship had a large hot tub and several sunbathing areas. Inside the salon, there was another large table for gathering and large couches for watching movies on the pop-up TV with movie theater-quality surround sound. Overall, the family really enjoyed the relaxed pace of this trip and spending quality time together. The trip was exactly what they wanted in a vacation! Since the charter is all-inclusive, it is actually a good value for large families and family groups traveling together.

Trip Review: A Look Back

Traveling is transformative, especially when you experience new places and cultures as a child.  It’s why we love family travel so much as our own parents taught this to us through their love of exploring and appreciation for world culture.  Exposing children to the way others live gives them a greater perspective on our own lives and where they fit into this world.  It’s humbling.  We thought it would be nice to showcase some of our own favorite family trips and why they were so memorable and meaningful to us. Lauren’s most favorite and transformative family trip was her first to Israel at age 16.  Mindy and Lauren’s father was very active in Jewish fundraising and had been to Israel many times as part of charitable missions as well as to sell the family candy. His list of friends in Israel was rapidly extending in many different directions. Our parents decided to take our family of 6 to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary with a grand party at the Dan Accadia Hotel in Herzliya, Israel.  Afterward, we traveled around to many parts of the country with a private guide. Touring this small country with a private guide is still our favorite way to book Israel for our families. Guides are a prized profession there; so only the best make it through the rigorous training with all its detailed and illustrious history dating back to biblical times.  Creating custom itineraries sets the pace that makes sense for your family’s needs and travel style.  After a few days of beach time (always good after the long flight) and all the generous hospitality from family friends, we headed north to explore the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights, Safed, Rosh Hanikrah, Nazareth, Haifa, Acre as well as taking in multiple archeological sites, synagogues, churches, and national parks. We then headed to Jerusalem to spend several nights at the fabulous and historical King David Hotel and to explore the Old City, the three major religions, and the city’s surroundings.  A day trip down to Jericho as well as Masada and the Dead Sea were also included. The experience was truly magical for us as a family.  We were in a place where our father had dedicated so much of his time to aid and had developed relationships with so many wonderful people.  We understood and felt his passion.  We learned so much about the country’s history, our ancestors, our religion, other religions, and Zionism which helped create the State of Israel.  We amassed so many fond memories of our shared travel experience. The country definitely affected Lauren who would end up returning to Israel another 13 times experiencing a variety of youth, college, and volunteer programs as well as a year-long study/work program post-college.  And she cannot wait for her next trip to Israel!

Trip Review: Aruba Getaway

The Parasuramans from the Philadelphia area (2 adults) traveled to Aruba this month to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Note that Aruba currently requires a valid COVID test (different rules apply depending on where you reside), a health form in advance, and the purchase of COVID travel insurance on arrival for a reasonable price based on your age and length of stay.

The couple stayed at the lovely Ritz Carlton Aruba. Located on a private section of Palm Beach, the 320-room resort showcases several pools, a watersports provider, spa, gym, 6 restaurants, casino, and a supervised children’s program. The Parasuramans ventured off the resort for many of their meals.  They ate at Atardi at the Marriott next door and said the ambiance, service, and fresh seafood were excellent.  This pop-up fine dining experience is set up right on the beach for a romantic evening and sunset.  They also enjoyed Faro Blanco for Italian food and Wilhelmina in downtown Oranjestad.  Sunday brunch was a delight at Windows on Aruba on Eagle Beach.

To explore this flat and deserty island, the couple rented a car for two days and went to Baby Beach, the Ayo Rock Formations, Natural Bridge, the California Lighthouse, and more. They look forward to returning to Aruba and renting a four-wheel drive to experience Arikok National Park which comprises almost 20% of the island. Overall, they let us know that they had a nice and relaxing trip, and thought Aruba was both beautiful and safe.

Trip Review: Vail Summer Getaway

The Delatorre Family from Greek Oaks, IL (2 adults and 2 boys ages 16 and 17) traveled to Vail for a relaxing summer getaway.  They stayed at The Sebastian Vail and let us know it was gorgeous!  This upscale property offers hotel rooms, suites, and residences and is located in the heart of Vail Village.  The family enjoyed their spacious Residential Suite and chose the property in part for the expansive heated pool that features underwater benches and a waterfall.  It also has a spa, gym, playroom for young children, restaurant, and a unique art collection that was appreciated by this art-loving family.  In winter, the hotel also offers slope-side ski valet services.  In the summer, outdoor activities abound in Vail.  The family sailed over the forest at the Top of the Rockies zip line in Leadville, went white-water rafting on the Colorado River tackling class IV rapids with Sage Outdoor Adventures and the boys biked down the Vail Pass, the only Colorado mountain pass with a bike path the entire distance on both sides.  This foodie family also appreciated all the fine dining options available and the hotel breakfast by the pool.  Their favorite dining experience was at the Alpenrose Vail with its Alpine chalet vibe complete with waitstaff attired in the old style of a famous South Tyrolean mountaineer. They loved the selection of European beers, fondue, and dishes like beet spaghetti!  Overall a much-needed and relaxing getaway.