Maui Family Travel

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Maui is paradise for children: beaches to frolic on, water to splash in, unusual sights to see, and a host of new foods to taste.

The larger hotels and resorts have supervised programs for children and can refer you to qualified babysitters. You can also contact People Attentive to Children (PATCH; tel. 808/242-9232; www.patchhawaii.org), which will refer you to individuals who have taken their training courses on child care. If you are traveling to Molokai or Lanai, call tel. 800/498-4145 or visit www.patchhawaii.org.

Baby's Away (tel. 800/942-9030 or 808/875-9030; www.babysaway.com) rents cribs, strollers, highchairs, playpens, infant seats, and the like, to make your baby's vacation (and yours) much more enjoyable.

Remember that Maui's sun is probably much stronger than what you're used to at home, so it's important to protect your kids, and keep infants out of the sun altogether. Infants under 6 months should not be in the sun at all. Older babies need zinc oxide to protect their fragile skin, and children should be slathered with sunscreen every hour.

Condo rentals are a great option for families; the convenience of having your own kitchen is great for mom and dad. My favorite condo complexes are reviewed throughout that section.

Recommended family travel websites include Family Travel Forum (www.familytravelforum.com), a comprehensive site that offers customized trip planning; Family Travel Network (www.familytravelnetwork.com), an online magazine that provides travel tips; TravelWithYourKids.com (www.travelwithyourkids.com), a comprehensive site written by parents for parents offering sound advice for long-distance and international travel with children; and Family Travel Files (www.thefamilytravelfiles.com), which offers an online magazine and a directory of off-the-beaten-path tours and tour operators for families.

Also look for Frommer's Hawaii with Kids (Wiley Publishing, Inc.).

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