cover story | family travel BAHAMAS
With some 700 tropical islands to shout about, pink-sand beaches and a rich pirate heritage, the Bahamas are an exciting proposition for young vacationers. Nassau draws plenty of headlines for its high-energy entertainment, and Travel + Leisure has named Paradise Island’s famous Atlantis Resort as one of the Top Family Resorts in the Caribbean for four of the past fi ve years. T e archipelago as a whole is alluring: the Abacos, the Exumas and Grand Bahama Island off er nature reserves,
camping safaris, catamaran
cruises and drift snorkeling. T e destination is easy to reach too, sitting just off the Florida coast. Back in Nassau, the on-off saga behind Baha Mar resort should boost family numbers when the facility eventually opens. T e fi ve-star project is reportedly more than 95% complete, though an opening date remains elusive.
bahamas.com
SAN FRANCISCO
From top: Beach activities, Bahamas; Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
T e appeal of the City By T e Bay needs little explanation — just being here feels special. As home to an iconic cable car system, a choice of kid- focused museums and the buzz of Fisherman’s Wharf, it’s a destination well suited to families. T e obligatory trip to Alcatraz Island is an educational insight into the past, while the Golden Gate Bridge provides an only-in-Frisco backdrop. Try one of the city’s famous fi re engine tours to get a diff erent take on the place, or seek out the Fortune Cookie Factory in the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. T e city doesn’t stand still: the past year or so has seen the arrival of the gloriously gory San Francisco Dungeon (unsuitable for under-10s) and a Madame Tussauds waxwork museum. All this, and there’s Yosemite National Park and the Muir Woods National Monument within easy reach.
sanfrancisco.travel
WHERE ELSE?
GREECE: It may be struggling fi nancially, but this long-established, world-class family favorite remains very much open for business. MEXICO: Beaches and all-inclusive resorts on one hand, cultural color and Mayan history on the other — there are strong reasons why Mexico draws so many family groups.
COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG: Kids studying the Revolution in school? Then why not pay a visit to the largest living history museum in the world and bring the past to life. PERU: Try something completely different with a hands-on learning vacation in the spectacular Andean surrounds of Peru, one of
Latin America’s most vibrant and culturally rich countries with countless historic sites. NEW YORK: Where to start with New York? It’s the city that has it all but highlights for kids include the unique High Line greenway, the DiMenna Children’s History Museum and Central Park Zoo.
70 | ASTAnetwork | fall 2015
MAGES: GETTY; 4CORNERS
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