If you are mulling over a 2012 trip to Italy and are looking for was to engage your kids in the experience, I highly recommend the Art al Sole day camp for international children (the program is in English).

Developed for ages 6-12 (Apprentices) and ages 13-17 (Masters), Art al Sole introduces children to a variety of art principles and practices within an array of glorious historical settings in the Italian countryside.

You could easily pass the Surf & Sand Resort as you drive down the Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach and think it was just another nicely renovated hotel. And when you step inside you might think it’s a hip hotel, perfect for that girls’ night out or romantic weekend. And it is.

So what about the kids?

When you step inside with kids you receive the same great service as everyone else and knowledgeable concierges who know exactly what families need.

You can spend months planning a family vacation only to find when you actually hit the road that it’s the unexpected stuff that steals the show. Case in point, critters. Animal meetings on family adventures are often surprises that tend to lead to success.

I did more traveling than I’ll admit to before it clicked that Kids & Kritters are a great traveling combination.

Michelle Duffy is Wandermom, the co-author of the how-to family travel book Traveling with Kids, and a co-founder of the incredible travel blogger fundraiser (going on right now!) Passports with Purpose. She just returned from an insane world tour with her 12 and 14-year-old boys in tow where they visited 26 countries in 365 days.

The logistics involved in a trip like this are massive. Of course, it was worth every minute of work in the end. Michelle’s stories are nothing short of astounding.

When we travel to destinations in remote regions where day-to-day life for local people is a struggle, we try and select accommodations that support the communities around them.

Fortunately for all, Sustainable Tourism is fast-growing around the world. If your kids are old enough to process the shift in how people live versus what they are used to seeing at home, staying in accommodations that are deeply integrated …

London is a fantastic place to eat out with your kids, as long as you know where to look. Wander along the main tourist thoroughfares of Knightsbridge, Oxford Street and Regent Street and you could quickly enter panic mode as the time creeps nearer to dinner time, and the ‘I’m hungry whines turn to I’m starving and you’re searching in vain for a decent restaurant.

The answer is normally to head down a side street, or alternatively, call up this blog on your smart phone. Here are my recommendations:

The highlight of Marrakech for adults and kids alike is undoubtedly the medina (old city). Stepping into the medina is like landing on another planet — one where the same traditions have been in place for hundreds of years.

The medina is comprised of a network of souks — open-air markets — where anything and everything is on display. Many of the handicrafts are produced within the market and you can watch artisans at work. This is the only shopping experience we’ve encountered thus far in our travels that our 8-year-old has enjoyed.

Jamaica and luxury are words that don’t always go together. Jamaica and massive all-inclusive hotel, yes. Jamaica and wild spring breaks, also yes.

When we were invited to review the luxury property Bluefields Bay Villas, we weren’t sure what to expect. They told us we would have “staff” and that “every need would be met”. This turned out to be an understatement.

Marrakech has experienced a huge tourist boom over the past several years and the hotel possibilities are endless, particularly for couples in search of a romantic retreat. For families, however, the list of optimal options is quite small.

Staying in a riad, a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior courtyard, seems appealing at first blush as many are in heart of the atmospheric old city (medina). The challenge of this accommodation category …

Oslo, the oldest of the Nordic capitals, located between a fjord and the forest, is breathtakingly beautiful and offers a several parks and recreational activities. Add to that castles and its intriguing Viking history and you get a city where a family can easily wile away 72 hours.

The Akerhus Castle has gone through many reincarnations, starting as a medieval castle in the 13th century, then becoming a fortress in the 16th century and finally being rebuilt in the 17th century as a renaissance castle.