kona village

The Ten Best Family Vacation Destinations Around the World

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Children

Four Seasons Hualalai on the Big Island's Kona Coast.

Luxist readers have selected their favorite luxury vacation spots for families around the world. From Scotland, France, New Zealand, and South Africa to Hawaii, Colorado and the Galápagos Islands, these destinations offer wonderful programs tailored specifically for children, in addition to luxurious accommodations and other incredible amenities.

The top ten vacation destinations for families, according to our readers, include:

Abercrombie & Kent's River Barge Cruise Through the Burgundian Countryside (France)
Abercrombie & Kent offers many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for family vacations, but one of the most special trips has got to be its river barge cruise through the Burgundian countryside. A chartered seven day cruise aboard La Belle Epoque, A&K's 126-foot-long, 16.5 feet wide barge, is a luxurious and relaxing way to travel and taste award-winning Burgandy wines.

The barge, which is equipped with six cabins, all outside facing and each equipped with en-suite bathrooms. There's one deluxe double cabin; one deluxe twin/double; two twin/double cabins and two cabins each with twin beds. There's also a small swimming pool, a sauna and several sun decks. Bicycles are also available for anyone in the family wanting to cycle in the towns the barge visits. A gourmet chef is on board to prepare all of the meals, which are included in the cost of the excursion.

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The Nominees For The Best in Summer Travel

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Yachts of Seabourn's Fabled Far East Cruise

Best Adventure Getaway
The first nominee offers an unforgettable trekking experience in Bhutan while the second offers an unparalleled safari in East Africa. The third nominee is located in one of the world's finest unspoiled havens, while the fourth features elephants in their natural habitat. The final nominee, located in the Montana Rockies, is known for its outdoor sports, from fishing to horseback riding.

Amankora Resort: Trekking in Bhutan
East African Safari with Abercrombie & Kent
Phinda Private Game Reserve
Savute Elephant Camp by Orient-Express
Montana's Triple Creek Ranch

Best Beachside Hotel
The first nominee is where to go when in search of a peaceful sanctuary while the second nominee is a tropical haven with a relaxed pace. The third nominee is located in a secluded natural sanctuary while the fourth offers an award-winning beach. The last nominee offers a beachside location that is idyllic and unspoiled.

Amanpuri Resort, Phuket, Thailand
Four Seasons Resort, Bali at Jimbaran Bay
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
Grace Bay Club, Turks & Caicos
The Oberoi, Mauritius

Best International Summer Destination
The first nominee is one of the world's most glamorous destinations while the second one was once the home of the Ottoman Sultans. The third nominee is the premier hot spot on the Amalfi Coast while the fourth offers chauffeured-driven tours of the Tuscan wine country. The final nominee offers a once-in-a-lifetime trip from Venice to Istanbul aboard one of the world's most luxurious trains.

Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi Coast
Kempinski's Ciragan Palace, Istanbul
San Pietro di Positano, Amalfi Coast
Tuscany Wine Tours
Venice Simplon Orient-Express Train

Best Luxury Family Vacation
The first nominee offers a luxurious barge cruise through Burgandy while the second offers an armchair safari suitable for the whole family. The third nominee is where families go for Scottish outdoor pursuits from falconry to golf. The fourth nominee is considered to be the jewel of Maui while the final nominee is unplugged and unpretentious.

Abercrombie & Kent's River Barge Cruise in Burgundy
Ebony Lodge, Singita Game Reserves
Gleneagles, Scotland
Grand Wailea Resort Hotel, Maui
Kona Village Resort, Hawaii

Best Summer Cruise
The first nominee offers an unforgettable cruise through the fabled Far East while the second nominee is the way to experience the Greek Isles and Turkey in complete luxury. The third nominee is an expedition to see the ice bears upclose while the fourth nominee takes its passengers down the Nile in style.

Fabled Far East Cruise by The Yachts of Seabourn
Greek Isles and Turkey Cruise by Sea Cloud Cruises
Land of the Ice Bear Cruise by Lindblad Expeditions & National Geographic
Oberoi Zahra Luxury Nile Cruiser: Down the Nile in Style
Mediterreanean Luxury Cruise on Cunard's Queen Mary 2

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Best Family Vacations Around the World

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Scottish Pursuits at Gleneagle Hotel in Scotland

Luxist readers have nominated their favorite luxury destinations for families around the world. From Scotland to Hawaii and South Africa, these destinations offer wonderful programs tailored specifically for children, in addition to luxurious accommodations and other incredible amenities.

The top five summer vacation destinations for families, according to our readers, include:

Gleneagles Hotel

When the Gleneagles Hotel opened in 1924, it was described as 'a Riviera in the Highlands' and 'the eighth wonder of the world'. Then as now, the Gleneagles Hotel was the glorious playground for people dedicated to leisure and pleasure in the most luxurious surroundings.

Set in 850 acres of Perthshire countryside, Gleneagles is a unique place for families to escape. It is home to three of the top Scottish Championship Golf Courses and also offers a wide range of exhilarating outdoor leisure activities, all of which exemplify the longstanding Scottish sporting heritage.

Gleneagles is like going to camp as a family, albeit a luxurious one, with its world-class sporting schools. Dedicated to the cultivation of classic sportsmanship, the schools offer children and adults rewarding 'hands on' instructional programs, fueling the trend to learn while on vacation and introducing the simple pleasures of country sports to families.

World-class instruction is offered in a variety of outdoor pursuits including Falconry (where kids take part in a falconry lesson and learn how to cast the hawk from their gloved hand and then call it back), Horseback Riding, Fishing, Shooting and Archery. There's a Golf Academy as well as a Gundogs School which offers a unique opportunity to experience gundog training. There's also a Junior Off Road and All-Terrain Off Road Course available for kids aged four to nine. Here, kids learn valuable driving skills at the wheel of mini Land Rover replicas over a purpose built course, designed to mimic the grown ups' off road course. Children ten years or older learn how to operate Argo cats, which are eight-wheel-drive, all-weather, all-terrain, tiller-controlled vehicles that operate on land and in water on a challenging purpose-built course.

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