stay

The Shorebreak Hotel's front desk features a massive wave, there are surf films projected on the walls of the lobby, cruiser bikes and vintage surfboards in the rooms, all done incredibly stylishly. www.jdvhotels.com

do

Beach volleyball, all year round! And then, of course, there are the surfers (er, we mean the surfing) in and around the famous pier. It's not called Surf City USA for nothing.

eat

The Huevos Rancheros (pictured, $9) at Zimzala in the Shorebreak Hotel, with excellent coffee and a bellini bar in a breezy room was our idea of brunch heaven. The name of the restaurant means "peace with sand between your toes."

play

Order one of the massive longboards from Huntington native Peter Hamborg a firefighter and father of 5 surfing, modelling, lifeguarding boys (why does this sound like a reality TV show in the works)? Cruise The Strand, 10 miles of paved track along the beachfront. www.hamboards.com

instagram

Lucky you if you get a sighting of one of the famous surf Woody's like we did!

--Sarah Bancroft

www.surfcityusa.com

stay

Located just below the picturesque West Hollywood hills and five minutes from the notorious Chateau Marmont, Andaz Hotel's rooftop swimming pool and its indie soundtrack will put you in the right mood to feel like a hip Angeleno. 8401 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA, 323-656-1234, www.westhollywood.andaz.hyatt.com

drink

Forget Britney Spears and her bottomless Starbucks, the best coffee in Los Angeles is in Silver Lake. Everyone drinking and working at Intelligentsia look like they belong in some cool band about to make it big. Who knows? Maybe they are. 3922 West Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 323-663-6173, www.intelligentsiacoffee.com

listen

Silver Lakers take their vinyl very seriously. As does Vacation, the neighbourhood's acclaimed record store. Whether you are looking for original pressings of Smiths albums or the new Kurt Vile record, they'll likely have it. 3815 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 323-666-2111, http://vacationvinyl.com

eat

From Silver Lake, head over to the equally happening Echo Park, and stop by Mohawk Bend to taste one (or two or three) of their 72 local craft beers. This gorgeously retrofitted 100-year-old Vaudeville theatre also features modern pub fare using the finest local ingredients. 2141 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 213-483-2337, http://mohawk.la

read

Echo Park is home to writer Dave Eggers, who is also one of the directors of 826LA, a non-profit kids' writing centre. This adorable place is also home to The Time Travel Mart, where you can pick up the 826LA's publications like From the Couch to the Kitchen, a cookbook written by high school students, as well as sharp-witted knick-knacks. 1714 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 213-413-3388, http://826la.org

drink more

Stay

At Anse Chastanet no two rooms are alike but all include local art and a breezy Caribbean vibe. Ask for 14B, which has a tree growing through the rainfall shower (pictured). The hotel has four restaurants -- including one that's exclusively vegetarian -- and two beaches with oceanside service. Make the trek over to Anse Mamin, the hotel's more remote beach, for a Caribbean spice burger tucked between a Jonny Cake, a local bread grilled fresh to order. www.ansechastanet.com

do

Hotel Chocolat grows 10 percent of the island's cocoa. Tour the hotel's Rabot Estate cocoa groves, pluck a pod, and craft your own dark bar with the Tree to Bar experience. Afterwards, reward yourself with a fresh cacao martini in the hotel bar. http://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/home

See

Locals swear by the healing power of the sulphur springs, part of your entrance fee the Caribbean's only "drive-in" volcano. Bring a dark swimsuit, cover yourself in volcanic mud, then dip into the natural (45 degree!) hot springs. http://soufrierefoundation.org

relax

Guests at Jade Mountain benefit from more than just in-suite infinity pools and unobstructed views of the Pitons. At the Kai en Cielis spa, the chocolate body wrap is good enough to eat but it's the hotel's own handmade chocolates, given at the end of the treatment, that really sweeten the experience. www.jademountain.com

Eat

Every Friday, the town of Anse La Raye plays host to a fish fry dance
party. Choose from snapper, mahi mahi, shrimp, box fish or spiny lobster
then watch as your plate is piled high with homemade rice and peas, mac
and cheese and coleslaw.

DAY 1

Get your bearings with day passes for the BatoBus, sightseeing boats that stop every 15 minutes along the Seine so you can hop on and off at all the major monuments ($15 Euros/day). It's the best way to get the pretty and sprawling Jardins Des Plantes with its Menagerie (the oldest zoo in the world opened in 1794). Don't miss Nenette, the famous 40-year-old orangutan. Hint: if you go just before closing at 5, you can see the cats get fed whole chickens. Menagerie Du Jardins Des Plantes 9 Euros/7 Euros.

DAY 2

The L'Ouvre and Musee D'Orsay are for a different trip. To get your culture fix, head to the Centre Pompidou, the famous inside-out art gallery. The very best view of Paris is from its rooftop café (try the Vietnamese spring rolls) and there are lots of free activities for kids in and around the lobby and grounds, plus a great gift shop. www.centrepompidouparis.com

DAY 3

Hands down my favourite afternoon was spent at the stunning Jardins Luxemburg. Check out the art exhibits in its Orangerie, ponder the immaculate topiaries, and make sure to rent the affordable wooden boats (pictured) for your kids to play with in the main fountain. There is a pretty garden and wading pool just for kids under five, which makes a nice oasis for a picnic from nearby Le Petit Luxe (2 Rue de Vaugirard) which has inventive take-away salads and sandwiches for just 3 Euros (hence line-ups).

DAY 4

If your local science centre were designed by Philippe Starck and housed in a massive sculpture park, you are beginning to get a sense of the sheer scale and scope of Paris' Cite des Enfants. We wished we had a whole day to explore inside and out, but at the very least take them to the main science experiences where they can "work" in a water factory, play with a light wall, collaborate in a kiddie construction site and stimulate their growing grey matter. Cite Des Sciences, www.cite-sciences.fr

--Sarah Bancroft

PRACTICAL TIPS

Apps

Download the app GoGo Paris for great dining and shopping recommendations by neighbourhood, plus opening hours (very useful). www.gogoparis.com

Babysitting

Even the best parents deserve a date night in Paris. We used the babysitting service Baby Chou and met a wonderful English-speaking au pair named Aude. Ask for her! It is better to phone rather than book online. 9 Euros/hour plus agency fee. 01 43 65 58 58, www.babychou.com

Getting Around

Be prepared to carry strollers up and down Metro stairs and wait for grumpy attendants to open access doors beside the turnstiles. For shorter journeys, taxis are better (get a business card and reserve a "maxi cab" for your trip to the airport).

The "Sights"

Remember: the Eiffel Tower is best viewed from the park at its base, don't waste half a day dodging pickpockets in the lineups. Instead, take them to the Eiffel Tower Carousel, the prettiest in the city.

Dining

We found that picnicking in parks was better than trying to keep the steak knives and wine glasses out of tiny hands. Not to mention all the glares we avoided this way. If you have rented an apartment like we did, even better.

Money

Credit cards and online reservations are de rigeur, but you will find that your booking can't be retrieved with a foreign credit card. This applies to train tickets, museum passes, etc. Be prepared to line up.

Taxes

The 12 per cent VAT can add up. Make sure to carry your passport number and ask for a tax form at point of purchase. You can get the tax back in cash at the airport before you check in as long as you have your purchases on hand to present to them.

Bon Voyage!