Imagine lazing on a white sandy beach in Thailand, relaxing while reading a book and slowly falling asleep to the soothing sounds of waves coming up the shore ?Beach holidays are one of the most relaxing vacations for most of us - honeymoons, a weekend getaway, or a girlfriends trip! But what about a family trip with young KIDS?
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With little ones around, it might not be as relaxing as it could be ?As much as we love them, a beach trip with kids isn't the easiest - sunburns, water safety, beach sand getting stuck everywhere, and. . . this list could go on and on! Family beach trips with kids are known to cause some amount of stress. Planning a weekend trip with kids is equivalent to planning a two-week trip without kids.
Still, as stressful as it can be, it probably also brings you the most joy to bring your kids around for a family vacation to the beach ❤️ Watching them having fun building sandcastles, or teaching them how to swim - nothing bonds family with quality time spent together ????
You just need to make sure that you get that quality time with your kids, rather than stressing over the details concerning them, right?
This is why we have compiled 7 kid-friendly beach resorts over four countries to make sure that your family vacation is as smooth as it can be! From kids' clubs to kid-friendly activities, we've done half the research for you. All you have to do is pack those kids up for a fun-filled holiday ?
Price rates are based on searches for May 2019.
MALAYSIA
1 - Penang - Golden Sands Resort By Shangri-La
Credit: @goldensandsresort on Instagram
If there is a hotel made for kids, this is the one! Between a kid's club, babysitting services, 'mummy services', and an adventure cove, you and your kids will have a blast!
Credit: Golden Sands Resort by Shangri-La on Facebook
Kid stuff aside, the rooms are spacious to fit extra beds or cots and with a stunning sea view too ?
Credit: @suekamaruddin on Instagram
The hotel also boasts its own 10 300 sqf Adventure Zone for adults and kids! Since the entire family can play, it can be a whole lot of fun. Slide down the water slides with your kids, or splash some water with them in the themed area with giant structures that is sure to engage the young ones.
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The kids can also join a Cool Zone Kids Club, for kids aged five to 12 years old. With planned activities from 9,30am to 9pm, you can drop your kids off for a few hours and head to the spa for a nice and quiet massage ?Food is provided and the club provides rental mobile phones too for parents who want to stay in contact with their kids.
And for the mother's out there, you'll be happy to know that the hotel provides plenty of baby-friendly services such as baby bottle sterilisation service, baby cot and mattress, babysitting services (booked 24 hours in advance, baby stroller for rent and mother's milk storage service at the Front Office!
There are even diaper changing areas at the Cool Lounge transit shower room and the ladies' bathroom at Sigi's Bar and Grill On The Beach.
And if you plan on taking the family for a foodie trip in Penang, here's 13 halal eateries you must try out.
Food status: halal, serves alcohol on premise
Rate per night: starts at RM344/night on Agoda
Address: Jalan Batu Ferringhi, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Batu Ferringhi, Pulau Pinang
Contact: +604-886 1911
2 - Terengganu - BuBu Long Beach Resort
Credit: @ahmadaizatkhalil on Instagram
Bubu Long Beach Resort tops many other resorts in Perhentian for many reasons - their fantastic rated service, beautiful sea view rooms, and they have three different restaurants for you to dine in. Your family will be spoilt for choices with food!
Credit: BuBu Long Beach Resort & Villa Perhentian Kecil Island, Malaysia on Facebook
Beautiful sea view rooms, with beds and rooms large enough to accommodate a family. Imagine waking up to a beautiful sunrise or sunset!
Credit: @fabianamoura on Instagram
For those with young kids, there are plenty of shaded areas on the beach just a few steps from the restaurant for you and your little ones to play and enjoy. Build sandcastles with the kids, or bring them on a leisurely stroll during sunset and teach them about nature.
Credit: @bubulongbeach on Instagram
For the older kids, why not head out for an island hopping session and explore the amazing underwater life at Perhentian Islands. Or you can also have a family day trekking through the jungles on the island. Don't worry, the treks are beginner level, and there will be guides to watch over you as you snorkel or to guide you on a hike. There are plenty of island activities for a fun-filled family day.
By the way, we also have an ultimate guide to Perhentian Islands.
Food status: halal, serves alcohol on premise
Rate per night: starts at RM500/night on Agoda
Address: Long Beach, Perhentian Island Kecil, 22300, Terengganu
Contact: +603-2142 6688
SINGAPORE
1 - Sentosa - Shangri La's Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa
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You can't have a family vacation in Singapore without visiting Sentosa Island! And from their kids' club and fun zones, the family will be well entertained for the entire trip ?
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Clean beautiful and modern rooms for the family. We expect nothing less from a Shangri-La resort!
Credit: @rasasentosa on Instagram
Among the activities available for kids are the fully supervised Toots Club (aged 5 to 12) and the Mini Toots Club (aged 4 and below). The activities changes from day to day but may include pool sessions, games, movies, toys, and storybook sessions too ?
And in the pool area, there are three water slides for you to slide down together with the young ones, or to let the older one splash their way down ?
There is also a Fun Zone area for families to enjoy a round of foosball, Xbox and PlayStation, or table tennis! Lastly, they have an open-air play space, Nestopia. Nestopia has 17 sections of netted obstacle courses connecting 3 giant nests and 2 of the longest slides on Sentosa Island!
Credit: @rasasentosa on Instagram
Once you're done with all the day activities, wind down with a leisurely sunset walk along Siloso beach. There's nothing better than a peaceful moment with your loved ones.
Food status: halal food on request
Rate per night: starts at RM943/night on Agoda
Address: 101 Siloso Rd, Singapore 098970
Contact: +65 6275 0100
INDONESIA
1 - Bali - Grand Mirage Resort & Thalasso
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With a view of the stunning Indian ocean just at its doorstep, the Bali Grand Mirage Resort is a destination a for all to visit. Better yet, it's a huge range of activities for kids are sure to bring you and your young ones back!
Credit: @grandmirageresort on Instagram
Plus, with spacious pretty ocean blue rooms like this with a view like that, a visit is definitely in store.
Credit: @grandmirageresort on Instagram
The resort was designed with kids in mind with its water park, water slides, indoor and outdoor playground, and an E-lounge! Not to mention the unlimited activities they have for kids too.
For kids below 15 years old (and above 100cm), there is a water park and water slides. Sorry, parents. You can't join them on the slides this time. Watch your children monkey around in the indoor playground too.
Mummies that need some time off for a spa session can also hire a babysitter who is certified Australian International School of First Aid, so you'll know your child will be well taken care of in safe hands. Do note that their policy only allows one babysitter per child.
For the young ones that prefer to stay indoors (probably after a long day out with the parents), there is also an E-lounge with a wide variety of PlayStation and Virtual Reality games to choose from!
Credit: @grandmirageresort on Instagram
And if you want to have your children mingle around with other kids, there are also multiple kids club according to age groups. The Mini Club (4 to 7 years old), Kids Club (8 to 12 years old), and the Teens Club (13-15 years old).
There's so much more! Other services include a nursery room, kayaking, mini golf, kids boxing, banana billiard - the list goes on! With the activities they have here, you might have to extend your stay to keep your kids happy.
You can also bring the family out to enjoy these other family-friendly activities in Bali!
Food status: halal food on request
Rate per night: starts at RM359/night on Agoda
Address: Jl. Pratama No.74, Tj. Benoa, Nusa Dua, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80363, Indonesia
Contact: +62 361 771888
2 - Bali - Sofitel Nusa Dua
Credit: @sofitelbalinusadua on Instagram
One of the most beautifully designed hotels in Indonesia. Although this place may lack water parks and playgrounds as the previous hotels listed, the hotel caters to its younger guests in a more subtle way.
Credit: @sofitelbalinusadua on Instagram
Where the resort lacks in fancy water parks and playgrounds, it takes it one step further with its stunning spacious rooms that open up to a beautifully designed pool and garden.
Credit: @sofitelbalinusadua on Instagram
The resort offers a multitude of activities for children! There is a kids club by located the resort's beachfront area with an outdoor's kids pool, a reading room, and a sleeping room too.
Not to forget the number of educational activities that they have too - indoor storytelling, reading sessions and to outdoor activities that get them close to nature such as organic gardening, cooking classes, kids yoga, and even to become a 'princess for a day!
Credit: @sofitelbalinusadua on Instagram
But best of all is to get them back after the activities and watch them as they tell you about the exciting activities they have done over the day!
Food status: halal
Rate per night: starts at RM666/night on Agoda
Address: Kawasan Pariwisata ITDC Lot N5, Benoa, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali 80363, Indonesia
Contact: +62 361 8492888
THAILAND
1 - Phuket - JW Mariott Phuket & Spa
Credit: @jwmarriottphuket on Instagram
Phuket has recently been an up and coming location for family vacations, and it's easy to see why! Many resorts around have started to accommodate for family travellers. JW Mariott Phuket happens to be one of the best for an awesome family vacation!
Credit: @jwmarriottphuket on Instagram
With spectacularly impressive rooms like these, you probably wouldn't even want to leave your rooms! Nothing wrong with cuddling up with the kids and watching some television together too.
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JW Mariott Phuket has one of the best kids clubs in the area, Tots and Teens! Your teenage kids (or siblings) won't have to worry about mingling with young kids since they have separated them into two clubs too.
The little ones can enjoy karaoke, computers, kid-sized furniture and plenty of toys in the clubhouse. And there's plenty of activities for them too - movies, games, swimming activities, hair beading, jewellery-making, sand castles, and many more educational craft classes that will keep them entertained.
The teenagers, on the other hand, may not want to participate in such activities. So instead, the teen club has other facilities such as movie screenings, PlayStation, pool table, table tennis and computer access!
One thing that the resort does not lack is swimming pools. It has multiple large swimming pools across the resort, with a separate section that is catered to families with a shallow bubble and a water pool!
Since the resort is adjacent to the Sirinath Marine National Park and protected sea turtle nesting area, families can take a trip to the turtle sanctuary and learn about turtle conservation programs, and maybe observe turtle hatchlings too!
Credit: @thekakilee on Instagram
For those with older children, there are also plenty of other activities you can do as a family like cultural classes ((Thai cooking, dancing, language, introduction to Thai Buddhism, massage, arts and crafts, kickboxing, Batik, origami, fruit carving), yoga, meditation, aerobics, diving, stretch classes, pilates, fit ball, cardio funk, fitness evaluation, spirit house tour, garden tour, photo tour, mountain bikes, beach volleyball, aerobics, tennis, and much more.
Food status: halal food available
Rate per night: starts at RM699/night on Agoda
Address: Mai Khao, Thalang District, Phuket 83110, Thailand
Contact: +66 76 338 000
2 - Koh Lanta - Pimalai Resort and Spa
Credit: @pimalaikohlanta on Instagram
For the nature-loving family - a stunning villa located within a rainforest just steps away from the beach.
Credit: Pimalai Resort and Spa on Facebook
Spacious rooms and big beds are a must for a family vacation. You wouldn't want to wake up with back aches from all the tossing and rolling around the kids do in bed.
Credit: @aimee.cha on Instagram
As luxurious as it is, Pimalai doesn't have a kids club, but that doesn't mean there isn't anything for the kids to do. There's plenty of activities to fill the entire family for days! There are two infinity pools, as well as an outdoor sports centre with two floodlight tennis courts, basketball hoops, badminton and table tennis that kids can enjoy with adult supervision.
You can also enrol your family in a scuba diving program, a mangrove eco-tour, elephant trekking and free rentals of sailing boats, canoes, bicycles and paddle boards. Get the family involved in water activities too such as canoes, windsurfing, paddle boards. They provide beach balls, frisbees and toys too.
Lastly, they also provide babysitting services if you need it.
Food status: halal food available on request
Rate per night: starts at RM691/night on Agoda
Address: 5 Krabi, Lang Sod pier - Koh Lanta, Tambon Ko Lanta Yai, Amphoe Ko Lanta, Chang Wat Krabi 81150, Thailand
Contact: +66 75 607 999
And there you go - 7 beach resorts for a wonderful vacation for the ENTIRE family. What are you waiting for? It's time to pack those kids up and plan your amazing beach getaway!