Glamping – glamorous camping – is, to us, the best way to camp: outdoor fun with indoor comfort, because really, when we’ve been chasing children and moose all day in kayaks and on horseback (and on foot), the last thing we want to do is lie down in a sleeping bag. Doesn’t a large bed with fine soft linens sound – and feel – so much better?

The people at The Resort at Paws Up (Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Preferred Boutique) have been doing glamping in style well before the term was coined, as the tent below can attest to:

Really, doesn’t it make you feel straight out of a British expedition to India or Africa in the 30s? (more…)

Sydney Solis, author (copyright World Family Yoga)

As you know, we love our children and drag take them anywhere we’re off to. Thank goodness for World Family Yoga, started by two moms, Peggy Profant and Christine McQuardle-Oquendo, who’ve devised a way for entire families to quest for nirvana (sort of). They offer family-friendly yoga vacations 2 or 3 times a year: thus far they’ve done California and Costa Rica and have plans for retreats abroad in Spain, Peru and Bali.

Note that the luxury here isn’t the accommodation, as most retreats are held at eco-friendly simple lodges in remote places. What you do get, however, is a chance for an authentic and priceless cultural experience and a yoga program that embraces the entire family in several ways: there’s a separate program for children 3 and up (with babysitting provided for smaller babes), so while you’re doing Downward Dog and limbering up your Anusara, the kids are off learning kidcentric yoga and engaging in other fun activities. Also, if only one adult is into yoga, the other parent can still attend for $200 less. Finally, while you’re certainly encouraged to participate in all the activities, the program is not rigid; you attend the sessions you want, with no frowns if you decide to sleep in one morning.

If you’re looking for something more upscale, the luxury resort Caneel Bay, on the island of St. John in the USVI, has a Self Centre that offers instruction in yoga, Pilates, meditation and more. You can create your own wellness program from a wide variety of daily group classes and private instruction, and the resort’s Turtle Town program for kids 3-12 will look after the kids while you find yourself. Even in your room you’ll find it easy to decompress: the resort’s sumptuous rooms lack telephones and televisions, meaning less real-world intrusions and more family (and self) time.

Caneel Bay, copyright Rosewood Resorts

Biking vacation, copyright Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole

This week’s Couples Getaway is less about romance and more about physical fitness – but since for many couples, working out together is a turn-on (and also a rare pleasure for parents) we saw no reason not to include it here. A day of adrenaline-fueled activity followed by an evening of relaxation and pampering in a luxurious Four Seasons room? It sounds pretty romantic to us… (more…)