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by Fran Falkin

We are delighted that so many parents of newborns, and even many who are expecting, are anxious to know where to go, how to get there and what to bring along. Our parent company, www.FamilyTravelForum.com honored these resorts in 1999 and all are worth considering for your first (or first with a baby) family vacation.  Here's a look at the resort today.

Club Med
800/WEB-CLUB

Celebrating its 55th anniversary in 2005, Club Med originated the "all-inclusive" concept and has grown to include vacation villages throughout the world. Their rates include somewhat simple accommodations, excellent, freshly prepared gourmet meals, most sports, recreation programs, and childcare (additional fee for infants under 2 years.) Known best for their very friendly atmosphere and excellent sports facilities and instruction, most villages also offer guided excursions to local sites, enabling guests to discover some of the historical and cultural flavor of the locale.

Petit-Clubs (2-3s), Mini-Clubs (4-10s) and Junior-Clubs (11-17s) are available at a variety of villages. Teens can also hang out at the new Club Med Passworld where they can engage in sports, arts and other creative activities. At the six villages with Baby-Clubs (4 months-23 months), infants are cared for by a specialized team of fully qualified international GOs (Gentils Organisateurs). The Sandpiper in Port St. Lucie, Florida is the only village featuring such a program in the United States. Additional villages welcoming Tiny Travelers with their own infant care programs are the seaside resorts at Metaponto in Italy, Da Balaia in Portugal and Ixtapa in Mexico, as well as Villar-sur-Ollon in the Swiss Alps and Vittel Le Parc in the French countryside.

For babies, parallel play, daily walks, quiet games, puppet shows and an afternoon nap fill their days. Freshly cooked meals, as gourmet as Club Med's adult fare, are provided in the "baby" restaurant, where lunch is fed by the GOs, breakfast and dinner by parents. Club Med suggests that you bring your own bottles and diapers; Baby-Club villages will provide bottle warming facilities, sterilizers, food mixers, cribs, potties, baby baths and strollers.

Baby-Clubs and Petit-Clubs are not part of the all-inclusive price and because space is limited, a reservation and pre-payment are required. Documentation from your physician, issued no more than two days prior to departure, that your under 4-year-old is healthy and fever-free is required. Baby-Clubs are open six days a week from 9am-5:30pm in the Sun Villages and 8:30am-5pm in the Ski Villages; evening babysitting can be arranged. Rates vary widely according to season and destination and some resorts offer charter airfare packages.

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Tropical All-Inclusives
FTF Awards: Kids under 5
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