A luxury family trip to the British Virgin Islands is made a bit more affordable by this new offer from the Little Dix Bay resort: families that book an Ocean Cottage or Rosewood Junior Suite can get a second room for the kids at 50% off now through Dec. 19, and kids ages 5-11 also get half off their meal plans (kids under age 5 eat free).

Kids programs at some resorts almost seem an afterthought, but Little Dix Bay seems to take the job of pleasing the youngsters so mom and dad can relax pretty seriously. Activities for children includes beginner tennis lessons, kids' yoga classes, and pirate-themed dinner parties. The resort's 2,500-square-foot Children's Grove features an outdoor play ares, arts and crafts center, and "monkey lounge."

"What works for five-year-old children won't keep the teenagers entertained,” says Martein van Wagenberg, the resort's managing director. "We’ve spent a good deal of time finding out what children, teens and their parents want and need. For first-time parents, that might mean a bottle warmer and a nanny, while a family of teenagers, a good Internet connection and a pool table are priceless."

For more details, see the Little Dix Bay website or call 888-ROSEWOOD.

Starting Nov. 20, American Airlines will provide nonstop flights from Miami to Grenada, adding to current service from San Juan by American Eagle.

The new flights will utilize 737-800 aircraft with 16 First Class seats and 132 economy seats. Flight will operate daily in the summer and winter, and five days per week in spring and fall. Since Miami is an American hub, the new flights will also provide greater access to Grenada from connecting flights nationally.

If you're among the lucky few of us who can take two weeks of vacation, Club Med has a deal for you: The two-for-one Two-Week Couples Special. This 14-day, all-inclusive package is available for stays between May 9 and June 22 at Club Med properties in Ixtapa Pacific, Mexico; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Cancún Yucatán, Mexico; La Caravelle, Guadeloupe; Columbus Isle, Bahamas; Buccaneer’s Creek, Martinique; Bora Bora, French Polynesia; Sandpiper, Florida, and Turkoise, Turks and Caicos. Two stay for the price of one, subject to availability; see the Club Med website or call 1-800-CLUBMED for more information.

Carnival in Trinidad & Tobago is truly an intergenerational celebration, with even the youngest children eager to join in the festivities by dressing up in elaborate costumes and 'chippin' down de road. Some Carnival activities are decidedly adult in nature, but each year a series of special Children's Carnival parades are held throughout Trinidad and Tobago, including the big Port of Spain event I attended this spring that's the subject of my new photo gallery.

Stay at any all-inclusive Occidential Grand or Allegro Resort in the Caribbean this summer and you'll save up to 40% off -- plus kids stay free at the Allegro properties. The resorts are located in Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic.

Summer rates are in effect now through Aug. 31, and while summertime is always deal time in the Caribbean, this year we're starting to see all-inclusives throw in free kids' stays, too.

The Occidental/Allegro deal must be booked by May 30; the "kids free" deal at Allegro resorts applies to children ages 3-12 and runs through Dec. 19.

Participating resorts include:

• Allegro Playacar, Mexico: rates from $102 per person per night for travel through 6/27/08
• Allegro Playa Dorada, Dominican Republic: rates from $56 through 8/31/08
• Allegro Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico: rates from $75 through 8/31/08
• Allegro Papagayo, Costa Rica: rates from $87 through 8/31/08
• Occidental Grand Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: rates from $89 through 6/27/08
• Occidental Grand Xcaret, Mexico: rates from $122 through 8/31/08
• Occidental Grand Cozumel, Mexico: rates from $133 through 8/31/08
• Occidental Grand Papagayo, Costa Rica: rates from $165 for travel 6/28/08 through 8/31/08

For more information, call 800-858-2258 or visit www.occidentalhotels.com.

Did you know that 2008 is the 100th anniversary of Mother's Day? Contrary to popular belief, the holiday wasn't invented by Hallmark, but rather by a West Virginia woman who wanted a special day to memorialize moms. (It's interesting to note, however, that founder Ann Jarvis was disavowing the holiday as early as 1917 because it had become so commercialized.)

Anyhow, the important thing to remember, kids, is that Mother's Day 2008 will fall on May 11, so now's the time to pick out that something special for mom. Flowers and a card are nice, but wouldn't mom trade those in a heartbeat for a nice Caribbean getaway? Caribbean resorts think so, which is why they're offering a selection of creative Caribbean Mother's Day Getaways designed to get mom out of the kitchen and onto the beach (and keep you out of hot water, too).

Kudos to the 32-room Blue Horizons Garden Resort in Grenada for taking a couple of simple-but-effective steps toward a 'greener' profile this Earth Day. First, the resort has adopted a new pool purification system that uses salt rather than chlorine, reducing chemical use as well as costs. The resort also has switched to using only rainwater for its laundry system by restoring an old water tank; the system saves 500 gallons of drinking water daily as well as cutting use of chemicals, since minerals are naturally absent from rainwater.

Now through Dec. 19, guests can save up to 30% off regular rates by booking the "Rosewood Escapes" package at the Little Dix Bay resort on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.

The package includes a full American buffet breakfast for two and is priced at $475 per night for an ocean-view room and $525 per night for an oceanfront cottage. Also included are a variety of water sports, tennis, and use of the fitness center. The resort also added a spa. For more details, call 1-800-ROSEWOOD or see the Little Dix Bay website.

If you're looking for an upscale all-inclusive Caribbean vacation, Antigua has one of the best selections, including private-island resorts and all-inclusives with under 50 rooms. St. Vincent and the Grenadines has only a couple of all-inclusive properties, but both are world-class private-island resorts where you can truly escape the din of everyday life for a few days without worrying about cracking open your wallet -- crack open a book on the beach instead!

• Antigua All-Inclusive Resorts
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines All-Inclusive Resorts

While tourists chow down at all-you-can-eat buffets in the neighboring Dominican Republic, people are starving in Haiti. That's not a statement designed to make travelers feel bad about themselves, but merely to point out the economic inequities at the very doorstep of the United States.

Haiti has long been a chaotic country, with most of its population mired in poverty. But the latest crisis -- which threatens to bring down the government of President Rene Preval -- is different than the usual litany of Haitian problems, which run the historical gamut from dictatorship to occupation to gang warfare and rampant drug smuggling. This time, the problem is simply that people can't afford to buy food. Rice prices have risen 75% worldwide, and wheat prices are up 120%, in part because countries like the U.S. are subsidizing farmers to grow grains for biofuel, not human consumption, the Los Angeles Times notes.

From a narrow, travel-oriented point of view, it's a shame that progress has seemed so elusive for Haiti. The country certainly doesn't need any further exploitation, but Haiti surely could use some of the cash that stability-driven tourism could provide. As it stands now, virtually nobody visits Haiti other than cruise-ship passengers docking at Labadee. But Haiti has a proud and fascinating past -- it was the world's first black republic -- and has some of the greatest historic sites in the Caribbean. As recently as 1980, 300,000 tourists visited Haiti; one can only hope that the day will come soon where more people will feel secure enough to travel and explore this unique corner of the Caribbean.