Grand Cayman
with Kids

Breakfast from our grocery haul, then a slow morning at the Holiday Inn. The 240-foot pier stretching over the Caribbean is genuinely impressive — the kids spotted fish below while we had our coffee. We rented kayaks on the North Sound, which is perfectly calm and protected for little ones. In the afternoon we headed to the Cayman Turtle Conservation Centre. We caught the shark and fish feeding, but the highlight was the snorkel lagoon — packed with tropical fish and absolutely worth the add-on ticket. Swimming alongside the turtles was something else. There’s also a big pool with a waterslide that the kids loved. Dinner at Driftwood Bar & Grill — the kids demolished burgers and we had a solid butter chicken.

Lazy morning. Walked the pier one more time, finished packing, and drove to Kimpton Seafire. We’d requested early check-in the night before and even though our room wasn’t ready, the pool complex was open. We headed straight to the kids’ splash zone where an attendant assigned us a cabana at no charge — a nice surprise. The boys were completely done for the day before we even unpacked. That evening we enjoyed the wine hour with drinks and appetizers, played some Uno, and kept dinner simple with the in-room menu. Sometimes the best days are the ones with nothing on the calendar.

Kimpton has a fantastic bakery that makes fresh items every day — we took full advantage most mornings. This morning we decided to drive around the island. First stop was the East End to see the Blowholes — natural rock formations that shoot seawater 20–30 feet into the air. Raynuv and Aryan ran as close as we’d let them every single time. On the way back we stopped for fresh coconut water from a roadside vendor — one of those simple moments that sticks with you. That evening was the birthday dinner at Ms. Piper’s. We went all out — shared starters, mains for everyone, cocktails for the adults. We’d mentioned the birthday when booking and the staff made it genuinely special. They brought out a small cake with a candle and our server sang for my wife. Used about $200 of the Hilton credit. One of the best meals of the trip.

The best day of the trip. We started at Starfish Point — a shallow, calm lagoon where you walk among dozens of bright orange starfish. Completely magical, especially for Aryan. Then Stingray City: waded waist-deep surrounded by dozens of southern stingrays. They’re fed squid by the guides so they’re completely used to people — totally safe. We held them, kissed them, and let the kids get right in there. Raynuv was fearless. Then snorkelled Coral Gardens — stunning reef life and more colourful fish than we could count. The whole thing took about four and a half hours and we were done afterwards. Stopped at Foster’s again for the buffet — excellent Indian biryani and butter chicken — before heading back to Kimpton where we didn’t move from the beach for the rest of the afternoon. Dinner at Avecita inside Kimpton — excellent Spanish food.

No agenda and it was perfect. Slept in, ate breakfast from our grocery stash, and split the morning between the pool and Seven Mile Beach. In the afternoon, Dad and Raynuv took advantage of the free stand-up paddleboard rentals — a lot of fun and completely free as a Kimpton guest. That evening we used the remaining $200 of our Hilton credit at Ms. Piper’s for the farewell dinner. By this point we knew exactly what to order — mezze platter, chicken skewers, Koji burger, kids’ meals all around. We packed everything that night. 2pm flight the next day meant leaving the hotel by 11am.

One last walk on Seven Mile Beach as a family before loading up the car. Owen Roberts is genuinely one of the most relaxed airports we’ve ever been through — security took about 10 minutes. Grabbed Cayman rum cake at duty-free on the way out. The only souvenir you actually need from this island. Everyone back home loved it.