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Compass Roam
  • Destination
    • North America
      • Canada
        • Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
        • Whistler, British Columbia
      • U.S.A.
        • Big Sur, Pebble Beach, Carmel
        • Cape Cod, MA
        • Cape May, NJ
        • Jackson Hole, WY
        • Kauai, HI
        • Lake George, NY
        • Lake Placid, NY
        • Orlando, FL
        • Santa Barbara, CA
        • Sedona & Scottsdale, AZ
        • Twin Farms, VT
        • Watch Hill, RI
        • Woodstock, VT
      • Mexico
        • Riviera Maya
    • Europe
      • Florence & Tuscany
      • Munich
      • Puglia
      • Rome
      • Sicily: Syracuse & Taormina
    • Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Middle East
      • Turkey: Istanbul & Cappadocia
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North America

Nepali Coast view from helicopter

Destination Guide: Kauai

Sedona Scottsdale

Destination Guide: Sedona & Scottsdale

Santa Barbara and Monterey

Destination Guide: Santa Barbara

Cabot cliffs

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

Big Sur Pebble Beach

Destination Guide: Big Sur, Pebble Beach, & Carmel

Whistler

Destination Guide: Whistler

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5 BAHA MAR TIPS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE MY FIRST VISI 5 BAHA MAR TIPS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE MY FIRST VISIT WITH KIDSโ€จ โœˆ๏ธ ๐’๐š๐ฏ๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐š ๐Ÿ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐š๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ One of my top resort recommendations for families is @bahamarresorts. The waterpark is phenomenal (even for toddlers), there are endless on-site activities, food options for both foodies and picky eaters, and the beach is beautiful too. Yes โ€” it admittedly has a bit of a โ€œDisney meets Vegasโ€ vibe and doesnโ€™t check every luxe box I typically look for, but my kids still talk about it two years later. That, to me, is the sign of a successful family resort. Many of my clients have now visited and come back raving. So here are the exact Baha Mar tips I share with them ๐Ÿ‘‰ TIPS TO AVOID CROWDS: Book @rosewoodbahamar for a quieter, more upscale stay โ€” youโ€™ll get access to a private pool and kids club. Or, a more budget-friendly option: reserve beach chairs at the Baha Bay Beach Club. Itโ€™s connected to a private pool and restaurant, but you can still pop into the waterpark anytime. ๐Ÿ‘‰ VISIT THE WATERPARK LATER IN THE DAY: Go to the pool in the morning when itโ€™s calmer, and hit Baha Bay in the late afternoon as crowds start to thin out before dinner. ๐Ÿ‘‰ BOOK RESTAURANTS AND ACTIVITIES EARLY: Especially during school breaks. You wonโ€™t get a dinner reservation last-minute, so book ahead just to be safe. ๐Ÿ‘‰ BRING A STROLLER: The resort is walkable, but itโ€™s big. Even independent toddlers will wear out quickly. ๐Ÿ‘‰ THEREโ€™S A LUXURY OPTION AT GRAND HYATT: Donโ€™t overlook the Reserve at @grandhyattbahamar โ€” itโ€™s a 4.5-star experience with elevated service and quieter vibes, for less $ than Rosewood. ๐Ÿ‘‰ BOOK THROUGH A TRAVEL ADVISOR: Not just a plug โ€” youโ€™ll get daily breakfast, resort credits, and VIP status. These perks make a big difference when traveling with little ones. ๐‚๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ โ€œ๐๐š๐ก๐š ๐Œ๐š๐ซโ€ ๐ข๐Ÿ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎโ€™๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ž ๐ฆ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐œ๐ก๐ž๐œ๐ค ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ž๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ž๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐ž๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐š๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐š๐ฒ! #BAHAMARTIPS #familyresorts #familytravel #bestfamilyhotels
RANKING OUR FAVORITE SPRING BREAK FAMILY RESORTS ๐Ÿ˜Ž ๐’๐ž๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐š ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐›๐ซ๐ž๐š๐ค ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉo BEST WATERPARK - @bahamar Both @grandhyattbahamar and @rosewoodbahamar are great luxury family resorts. They are each steps away from the waterpark, beach, aquarium pool, lazy river, and splash zone. Your kids will be in heaven! BEST TOP TIER LUXURY MEETS ADVENTURE - @fscostarica If you love a โ€œholy molyโ€ 5 star hotel, but youโ€™re also seeking a destination filled with unforgettable (kid friendly) adventures, then FS Peninsula Papagayo is where to go. On the peninsula you can enjoy 2 incredible beaches, epic golf course, adventure packed tree-ropes course, surfing, boating,+ hydrofoiling. Off site, you can hike waterfalls + volcanos. BEST ON-SITE ACTIVITIES FOR ALL - @seaisland If you stayed here for a week on a multigen trip, no one would ever get bored. 3 pools, beach/watersports, horseback riding, turtle patrols, boat tours, dolphin excursions, archery, clay shooting, crabbing, tennis, incredible spa, phenomenal golf facilities. I havenโ€™t even covered it allโ€ฆ BEST ROOMS FOR FAMILIES + BEST SERVICE - @rwmayakoba Parents will also feel like theyโ€™re on vacation because this hotel takes such good care the whole clan! They go above and beyond for kiddos, and also offer plenty for parents to do (and babysitting to make it happen). The rooms are VERY generously sized, so everyone has breathing room. Oh did I forget to mention the outdoor showers and plunge pools in every room? BEST LONG WEEKEND ESCAPE - @fsanguilla If youโ€™re just searching for a few nights on a beautiful beach, with great pools, service and relaxed vibe, then this is a fantastic family resort. Sometimes all the family needs is some chill down time. 2 bonus recs: BEST FOR UNREAL SCENARY + HIKING - @enchantmentresort (Arizona) BEST RANGE OF KID ACTIVITIES - @jwmarriottmarcoisland (Florida) ๐…๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ @๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐š๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ซ๐จ๐š๐ฆ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐š๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ซ๐ž๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ #familyresorts #familytravel #luxurytravel #bestfamilyhotels
Stuck in the mud planning a family trip? ๐Ÿ˜ฑ If Stuck in the mud planning a family trip? ๐Ÿ˜ฑ If planning a family trip with your kids feels overwhelmingโ€”like you donโ€™t even know where to startโ€”youโ€™re not alone. So many families get stuck in the idea of the trip, but struggle to actually make it happen. Result - years pass by, kids get older, and no perfect time ever arrived. Hereโ€™s how to break through the planning paralysis. 1๏ธโƒฃ PICK A DO-ABLE DESTINATION: Not every trip needs to be a four-week, bucket-list adventure. Start small! A quick flight or even a drive-able getaway can be just as memorable (with way less stress). 2๏ธโƒฃ THINK ABOUT WHAT REALLY MAKES YOUR OWN FAMILY HAPPY: Do you love adventurous excursions? Or is the dream just relaxing at a five-star resort with a killer kidsโ€™ club? Build the family trip around what makes your crew feel good. 3๏ธโƒฃ USE A TRAVEL ADVISOR โ€“ Not just saying this because itโ€™s what I do ๐Ÿ˜‰, but trulyโ€”having an expert help source the right hotel and destination (one that actually fits your familyโ€™s needs) makes all the difference. 4๏ธโƒฃ KEEP THE ITINERARY LIGHT โ€“ One big activity per day is plenty. Anything extra is just a bonus. The best trips have breathing room. 5๏ธโƒฃ SAY YES TO CHILDCARE โ€“ Admittedly, this one has always been tough for me to implement. I always feel such mom guilt when taking my kids to the kids club, but Iโ€™ve learned that even a small break is great for everyone. The kids usually end up having a blast, and it gives me and my husband some down time. I canโ€™t say it enough. The right time to take the family trip is now! Whether you have little kids or big ones, I promise you wonโ€™t regret making it happen. Do you have any family trips planned for 2025? Iโ€™d love to know where youโ€™re going! ๐…๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ @๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐š๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ซ๐จ๐š๐ฆ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐Ÿ๐š๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ ๐ข๐๐ž๐š๐ฌ #familytrip #familytripplanningtips #familytravel #traveladvice
4 (PRETTY) EASY SUMMER TRIPS TO TAKE WITH LITTLE K 4 (PRETTY) EASY SUMMER TRIPS TO TAKE WITH LITTLE KIDS ๐’๐ก๐š๐ซ๐ž ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐š ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐š ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ž๐ซ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ ๐ข๐๐ž๐š Why these made the list โฌ‡๏ธ ๐ŸŒŽPUGLIA, ITALY - Many gorgeous and kid friendly beaches. The towns are also very small, so itโ€™s easy to explore them for 1-2 hours without getting too tired. ๐ŸŒŽCOSTA RICA - If youโ€™re looking for a summer trip with kids filled with adventure, Costa Rica is it! Spend the day snorkeling, boating, surfing, hydro foiling, or beach hopping. Or head inland to look for wildlife, hike a waterfall or volcano, or go horseback riding. The list is endless! ๐ŸŒŽSOUTH OF FRANCE - The South of France may seem like an unnatural fit for little kids โ€” with its super posh yacht scene and sophisticated restaurants. But it is indeed an awesome destination for families โ€” ample outdoor activities/hiking, gorgeous scenery, and countless villa rental options for a multigenerational affair. ๐ŸŒŽBAHA MAR, BAHAMAS - Easy to get too from the U.S., an incredible waterpark that has slides for all ages, and so much to do on site for kids. Touch tanks. Flamingos. Aquariums. 7 different pools. Need I say more? NOT SURE WHERE TO STAY? ๐ˆ๐Ÿ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅ, ๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ โ€œ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ž๐ซ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ฉโ€ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ˆโ€™๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ž๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐Ÿ๐š๐ฏ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ž ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฌ/๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐š๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ž๐š๐œ๐ก ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ฌ๐ž ๐๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ. #summertripswithkids #familytravel #travelwithkids #easysummertripideas #summertrips
YOUโ€™RE LOSING MONEY BY BOOKING WITH AMEX OVER A YOUโ€™RE LOSING MONEY BY BOOKING WITH AMEX OVER A TRAVEL ADVISOR I hear this all the time - โ€œIsnโ€™t booking through Amex Fine Hotels basically the same as booking with a travel advisor?โ€ Short answer: Nope. On paper, the perks look similar, but booking with a travel advisor is usually more cost-effective Hereโ€™s the breakdown of what a travel advisor can offer you vs. Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts ๐Ÿ˜ŽTRAVEL ADVISORS OFFER THE BEST RATE: With a travel advisor, you get the best available rate or exclusive promos lower than whatโ€™s online. Amexโ€™s base rate is usually higher than the best direct rate. ๐Ÿ˜ŽPRIORITY STATUS GIVEN TO TRAVEL ADVISOR CLIENTS Letโ€™s compare the perks each offers. โœ”Free breakfast for 2 daily - offered by both, and roughly the same value โœ”Room upgrade - Travel advisor clients are ALWAYS prioritized for upgrades. Sometimes my clients are even double upgraded! โœ”Hotel spend credit - Both offer at least $100, but advisors can sometimes combine + stack promos for extra saving. For example, I recently saved a client $1100 in stacked promos! I You would not be able to combine different promos if booking with Amex. โœ”Early Check In / Late Check out - Both offer this, but clients of travel advisors given priority. ๐Ÿ˜ŽTRAVEL ADVISORS HAVE DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS TO THE HOTELS. Amex is a 1800 number company. If you have an issue with a reservation, you need to call / wait on hold, and then hopefully you hear back within 1-2 business days. When you book with me, I can hop on the phone with my local contacts right away. When I call to prioritize an upgrade for a client, arrange for a special occasion, deal with a travel hiccup, etc โ€” I am working with contacts that I have personal relationships with. ๐Ÿ˜ŽWHAT IF YOU HAVE AN AMEX BOOKING ALREADY IN PLACE BUT YOU WANT TO SWITCH TO A TRAVEL ADVISOR? I canโ€™t take over an Amex booking, but I can compare pricing. Just DM me your details, and Iโ€™ll check if I can get you a better deal. ๐‚๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ โ€œ๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅ ๐š๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ซโ€ ๐ข๐Ÿ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎโ€™๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐š๐›๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฆ๐ž. #Traveladvisor #amexvstraveladvisor #traveladvisorperks
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