By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

There's nothing like genuine Thai cuisine, which can be hard to find in the United States. Learning to make it is the best way, and learning to make Thai in Thailand is even better.

The Bangkok luxury hotel, the five-star Tower Club at lebua on the Praya River, is now offering guests an authentic Thai cooking-class package that includesa stay in a luxury Tower Club suite and learning how to cook a five-course Thai meal at the hotel's Cafe Mozu. The package, with rates starting at $769, includes two nights lodging, a five-percent discount card for Bangkok's Emporium and Paragon shopping centers, and a three-hour cooking class at the poolside Mozu. The cooking class is available for up to four guests when a two-bedroom suite is booked, and up to six when a three-bedroom suite is booked. The package is available through Nov. 30.

I stayed at the hotel last spring, and advise anyone going there to not miss the Sky Bar on the 63rd floor, reportedly the highest outdoor bar in the world. It's located just below Sirocco, a super-luxurious restaurant and the world's highest al fresco eatery. Both have jaw-dropping views of the city, especially at night. Try the signature "Hangovertini;" much of the movie "The Hangover Part II" was shot at the hotel, including at the Sky Bar.

Cafe Mozu is glorious as well, by the pool and serving one of the most comprehensively ethnic breakfast buffets I've ever seen. Sure, they cater to American tastes (think fried bacon, omelets, home fries and other tedious, caloric items) but on a small scale. Much more prevalent is food you may not recognize, but simply have to try, the things the Thai people eat for breakfast - which is what they eat for dinner or lunch, and can include many rice dishes, soups, chicken or fish. There is also a wide range of other international foods to satisfy the hotel's worldwide clientele, and it's all worth trying yourself.

For information on the culinary program, visit www.lebua.com, email towerclubresvn@lebua.com or call +66 2624 9999

By Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

Rail Europe is offering an ohh-la-love special that provides a 20 percent discount off select France Rail passes, including the France Rail Pass Premium, through June 14, 2012. Travelers who take advantage of the offer receive five days of first-class rail travel for the price of three, a savings of $85 per person. This offer is only valid on the Adult and Saver France Rail Pass and the Adult and Saver France Rail Pass Premium; it is not valid on the Youth, Child and Senior France Rail Passes.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The fifth annual Birdhouse Project and Auction takes place May 27 at Wellfleet Preservation Hall, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a project that started with the idea of recycling some of the old materials from the hall itself as part of a green-building project, said Anne Suggs, WPH founding board member. Building habitat for their nearest neighbors -- the birds -- inspired "a lot of creativity in the community, the birdhouses become little pieces of history from the hall," she said.

The event happens in the garden behind the hall, at 335 Main St., Wellfleet. Birdhouses will be on display at the hall starting May 15, and a preview and silent auction will happen prior to the live auction. Tickets are $15, which includes brunch. For info, visit www.wellfleetpreservationhall.org, or call 508-349-1800.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Fairmont Copley Plaza, fresh off a $20 million renovation and restoration project as part of its centennial celebration, is offering some family packages for those looking to spend summer close to home. One is the Museum of Science Family Package, with rates starting at $239, and include accommodations for four and four tickets to the museum (two adults, two children).

The hotel's Call of the Wild Package, with rates kicking off at $339, partners with the Franklin Park Zoo, and includes two tickets to the zoo, accommodations in a newly renovated guest room and one Zookeeper Level Zoodoption, which awards a certificate of "adoption" of an animal in the zoo. And speaking of animals, but not in the literal sense, the Just Ducky Package revolves around Boston's famous Duck Tour, a package that starts at $319 and includes overnight stay at the hotel and four Duck Tour tickets. The Children's Museum package, starting at $219, includes accommodations and passes to the Boston Children's Museum for two adults and one child.

For information and specific pricing on all Fairmont Copley deals, visit www.fairmont.com/copleyplaza or call 800-441-1414.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Eat well, or more appropriately, "mangia bene" at the 13th Annual Federal Hill Stroll in historical Federal Hill, Providence, June 5, when 30 galleries, shops and of course, restaurants open their doors to welcome the expected 1,000-plus patrons who usually come to walk around.

Stroll tickets are $30 plus tax, and included admission button, two free drinks, and a map of the venue. It starts at 4:30 p.m. and includes music. Participants also vote for their favorite venues and help crown the yearly "King of the Hill" and "Most Creative Venue." A winning voter in each category gets a dinner for two on Federal Hill. Tickets are limited and have to be bought in advance at www.federalhillstroll.com or by calling 401-456-0298.

Federal Hill is Providence's quintessentially Italian section, though over the years the culinary and cultural slant has been happily diversified to include restaurants of all flavor. The Hill, as it's known locally, has long been compared to Boston's North End, only smaller. But just as tasty.

Photo of Nancy's Fancies, which will be on the Stroll, by David Lyon for The Boston Globe

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

A variety of unusual and familiar events await wine and food lovers at the 16th annual Nantucket Wine Festival May 16-20. Former CBS newsman Bill Kurtis is scheduled to be on hand touting the virtues of Tallgrass Beef, why it's healthier than regular beef and more environmentally responsible and more humanely raised than other grass-fed beef. Verve Clicquot will be back this year offering champagne during the festival, and winemakers from that champagne house will conduct special seminars throughout.

The festival's signature event, "The Grand Tasting," will be held at the historic Nantucket Yacht Club, and back for that this year, after a one-year hiatus, will be fare from Duxbury's Island Creek Oysters.

In all, more than 200 wineries from the world over will attend the event, each represented by the winemaker or vineyard owner. Celeb chefs from Boston, Nantucket, Providence, Newport, New Jersey and New York. The festival's popular symposia, which organizers say is the equivalent of a graduate course in advanced wine philosophy, features hour-long tastings and discussions followed by lunch, paired with wines produced by participating vignerons.

The White Elephant hotel serves as the festival's home base and hosts many of the events, including the Harbor Gala and celebrity chef and winemaker auction dinners, along with most of the wine and food seminars.

For a complete description of events, prices, lodging and more, check out www.nantucketwinefestival.com, or call 508-228-1128.

Nantucket's not an inexpensive place to be, but getting there is a little cheaper by ferry. the Steamship Authority's high-speed ferry from Hyannis to Nantucket has a discounted fare this year: $50, round-trip, for same-day travel, Monday through Thursday ($25 for kids five to 12). Wayne Lamson, general manager of the Steamship Authority, said the special midweek fare is for those travelers with the flexibility to travel at less-busy times. The fare is $17 less than usual, and will be in place through the rest of the year. If you do go and bring your car, plan ahead: Lamson said this year, car reservations are about six percent higher than last year and he expects that to continue all summer.

for information, visit www.steamshipauthority.com or call 508-477-8600.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

 The Doubletree by Hilton "Little Things Project" hits Boston Friday, a pop-up experience at the Pru Center from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. that brings travelers "little things" they said would make travel better. The hotel chain asked, through social media, what little things would make traveler's experiences brighter. Based on about 5,000 responses, Doubletree by Hilton reps are hitting the road for a year-round, 50-city tour to share some of the findings. Surprise stops to deserving community groups and charities are also planned along the route.

The Hub experience is marked by what hotel officials called a landmark "Tell Me Tree," a respite where anyone can enjoy a variety of little things experiences and giveaways the social-media survey said people would like, including local deals and offers. In Boston, that will provide more than 1,300 exclusive deals, hotel officials said, such as "Duck Bucks," discounts for Boston Duck Tours; 20 percent discounts at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton for food and beverages; chocolate chip cookies, for which DoubleTree is famous; free WiFi at the lounge the hotel is setting up at the Pru; and a "power bar" for recharging your electronic gear.

Little Things Project ambassadors will also be driving a "Swarm Car" throughout the city Friday asking travelers via Twitter what little things would make their day better and surprising some by fulfilling requests, like giving away umbrellas in the rain, free shirts or free cab rides to the airport. Consumers can tweet to @DoubleTree with requests using #LittleThings for the Swarm Car to turn their requests into reality.
 
At the DoubleTree by Hilton Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Doubletree, people can enter a sweepstakes to win instant prizes and a $25,000 vacation. Check it all out at www.twitter.com/doubletree and at YouTube at www.youtube.com/doubletreehotels

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

There are some pretty big names heating up the Caribbean music scene this month and in late summer, heavy hitters in the world of music in general, jazz in particular.
Saint Lucia Jazz, now in its 21st year, runs through May 13, with main-stage performances on May 13 by powerhouses Diana Ross and Toni Braxton, with nearly 150 million records sold between them, and performances by more than 50 artists in all, playing in locations that include Pigeon Island National Landmark, Rudy John Beach Park in Laborie, Pointe Seraphine in the heart of Castries, and Fond D'Or in Dennery.

Other big names playing include Hugh Masekela, Ziggy Marley, Joshua Redman and Melanie Fiona, along with Saint Lucia's own Luther Francois, Ronald "Boo" Hinkson, Richard Payne, Derek Yarde Project and others.

The festival is presented by the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, and is said to be one of the top five jazz festivals in the world. For information, including ticket prices, visit www.stluciajazz.org and for info on the island and places to stay, check out www.saintlucianow.com

Another event, the third annual Curacao North Sea Jazz Festival, runs Aug. 31-Sept. 1, headlined by the legendary band, Santana. Other world-class performers scheduled to appear include Mana, Ruben Blades, Sergio George's All Star Salsa Friends and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band led by Paquito D'Rivera.

The festival runs at the World Trade Center Curacao in Piscadera Bay. In the week before the festival, concerts with local musicians are held on various locations throughout the island, including the popular party spot, Mambo Beach. Last year's festival drew names performers like Sting, Dionne Warwick, Earth, Wind & Fire and Juan Luis Guerra.

Day tickets start at $195. For more information, check out www.curacaonorthseajazz.com and for information on the island, including places to stay, visit www.curacao.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Daily ferry service from Boston's Long Wharf to the Boston Harbor Islands has resumed for the summer season. For $15 per adult ticket, visitors can ferry to Georges and Spectacle islands via seven round-trip rides a day, to hang out on the beach, have a picnic or hike nature trails. Service starts at 9:30 a.m., with a total of seven different departures throughout the day, 75 minutes apart. The last return trip arrives at Long Wharf in downtown Boston at 5:55 p.m.

Boats depart from Boston's Long Wharft North, next to the Long Wharf Marriott, adjacent to Christopher Columbus Park. Nearest T station is the Aquarium stop. For more information, visit www.bostonharborislands.org

Photo of picnickers on Georges Island by Jessey Dearing for The Boston Globe

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Two inns in Bradford, N.H., are teaming up to offer a "Hiking N.H." deal this summer. The package from the Rosewood Country Inn and Candelite Inn, offers four nights lodging (two nights in each inn), two dinners (one at each), four breakfasts, two backpack lunches, a gourmet picnic, a Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge-Greenway trailguide, admission to the Fells Historic Estate in Gardens in Newbury, and a yoga session, for $409 per person, not including tax and tips.

The package runs four times: June 10-14, July 8-12, Aug. 19-23 and Sept. 16-20. To reserve, call the Candlelite Inn at 603-938-5571 or email candleite@mcttelecom.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Atlantic City isn't just for gambling anymore, officials there say, as the city's culinary scene continues to evolve with more restaurants, high-profile events, wine tastings, cooking classes and more.

The 9th Annual Chefs at the Shore runs June 21,a benefit at the Atlantic City Aquarium with live cooking demonstrations of signature dishes from area restaurants. All ticket proceeds benefit the aquarium and the Professional Chefs Association. For info, visit www.acaquarium.com

Four days of great grub and vino is the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival July 26-29, the showcase event of the year for the city's culinary scene that highlights the city's culinary offerings. Check it out at www.acfoodandwine.com

There's also regular stuff going on in the culinary world in Atlantic city, including pizza-making classes every Saturday morning at Tony Boloney's, where the owner takes guests through a brief history of the area and then teaches how to make a pizza from scratch. Cost is $60 per person, and for more info, visit www.tonyboloneys.com. The Viking Cook School at Harrah's Resort offers culinary classes, such as those in bayou-country cuisine. Check it out at www.vikingcookingschool.com

In the past year, Atlantic City has seen more than 15 restaurants open, from traditional seafood and Mexican fare, to steak and Asian fusion. For information on all that, and the whole Atlantic City scene, check out www.atlanticcitynj.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Great American Steamboat Company's revitalized American Queen chugged to her home port of Memphis April 26, to the revitalized Beale Street Landing, after her first voyage up the mighty Mississippi since 2008. The US flagged steamboat's appearance marks the return of overnight cruises on one of America's great rivers. Originally built in 1995 by the Delta Queen Steamboat Co., the American Queen is the largest and, company officials said, the most opulent steamboat ever built, which accommodates 436 guests and features palatial public spaces, elegant staterooms and Southern cuisine of Chef Regina Charboneau.

The company hired more than 300 employees from the Memphis area, including crew, to outfit the ship and estimates its appearance and rolling up and down the river to have an economic impact of $89 million for the region. On the first journey to its home port, celebrations including having Priscilla Presley, wife of arguably the most famous resident of Memphis, the late Elvis Presley, serving as the godmother of the American Queen in a christening ceremony.

After the festivities, the ship was heading out on her inaugural voyage up the Mississippi River to the Ohio River, with stops in Kentucky and Indiana before arriving in the disembarkation city of Cincinnati. She was to take part in the Kentucky Derby Festival's Great Steamboat Race with the Belle of Louisville and Belle of Cincinnati on May 2.

A variety of voyage lengths from three to 10 nights are available on the American Queen, with fares starting at $995 per guest, from departure cities of Memphis, New Orleans, St. Louis, St. Paul, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. A pre- or post-cruise luxury hotel stay, bottled water and soft drinks, wine and beer at dinner and free shore adventures are included in each port of call. For info, check out www.greatamericansteamboatcompany.com or call 888-749- 5280.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival marks its 14th year as one of the top LGBT film festivals in the country with a 10-day festival running April 27-May 6, with screening locations in Miami Beach and Coral Gables. The festival will run more than 65 films, with 15 countries represented. There will be short films, documentaries and full-length features that organizers said support the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.

As one of the first LGBT film festivals of the calendar year, the Miami event will premier several films. On opening night, the festival presents the inaugural Lavender Heart Award to country singer Chely Wright. One of the films at the festival, "Wish Me Away," is a documentary about Wright's coming out. Other films include "Kawa," another coming-out film, based on the novel, "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" by Witi Ihimaera; the North American premier of "The Adored," a thriller; and "Seventh Gay Adventist," a film that explores the intersection of faith, identity and sexuality.

For information, visit www.mglff.com or call 877-484-8499.

In case you missed National Tartan Day, which was April 6, and Scotland Week, which runs through April 14, you can save some coin on traveling by rail through Scotland, with a deal, Freedom Scotland Travelpass. You can save 20 percent with an extra free travel day for those buying a pass through May 10. The extra-day promotion extends passes by an additional day of rail travel valid in standard class for either four days (within eight days) or eight days (within 15 days). With the offer, guests can get creative with their destination stops while en route to popular spots like Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Stirling. To book, call 866-938-7245 or visit www.britrail.com/passes/britrail-freedom-of-scotland

National Tartan Day was created by Congress in 2005 to honor the contributions of Americas of Scottish descent who played a key role in the development of the United States, which includes Patrick Henry of “Give me liberty or give me death” fame; Andrew Carnegie, steel magnate; Thomas Alva Edison, inventor; and a variety of U.S. presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, Lyndon Baines Johnson and Woodrow Wilson.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Quahog, R.I., does not exist in real life. It thrives on TV, however, as the fictitious hometown of the dysfunctionally funny family Griffin in the hit animated Fox series, "Family Guy," created by R.I. native Seth McFarlane in 1998.

The fake Quahog -- and real Rhode Island -- gets its tourism due May 5, when the ninth annual Tour Rhode Island rolls out on more than a dozen buses jammed with people eager to learn more about the nation's smallest state, a very popular annual event that sells out quickly, state tourism officials said.

There are 15 tours in all this year, including the return of, by popular demand, "The Family Guy Tour," which includes more than a dozen sites in Pawtucket, Providence, Johnston, and Cranston that are known, or are suspected to have inspired the Emmy-winning series. There will also be a "Family Guy'' celebration lunch at Walt's Roast Beef on Airport Road in Warwick, where a "Family Guy'' version of Trivial Pursuit will be played.

The Tour Rhode Island lineup, other than the Family Guy trek, will take people all over the literal Rhode Island map, with things like "Rhode Island Myths & Mysteries: Shades of Revolutionaries and Romantics," "Hidden Gems of the Blackstone Valley" and "Geocaching Adventure: A Treasure Hunt for Grownups."

New this year is "Independence Trail and Taste of Rhode Island," a three-mile walk that takes in more than four centuries of state history. The one-year-old Providence Independence Trail celebrates its first birthday with its founder, Robert Burke, who is the tour's host and guide, showing tour takers key spots in state history, including where the first shot was fired against English rule in Rhode Island and the spot where President Lincoln spoke.

There are also tours this year for the more physically active, including kayaking the Blackstone River, hiking land-trust trails and bicycling the East Bay Bike Path.

Ticket prices vary, from $24 to $55 for the day-long tour, and most include boxed lunch - but sorry, no quahogs.

For information, visit www.tourrhodeisland.org, or call 401-724-2200.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

New Haven hosts the eighth installment of its popular biannual New Haven Restaurant Week, April 15-20, in which participating restaurants offer prix fixe, three-course lunch and dinner menus comprised of appetizer, entree and dessert. Cost for lunch is $18 per person, and $32 for dinner, which does not include beverage, tax or gratuity. Due to the event's popularity, reservations are urged.In all, 34 restaurants are taking part in the event, including 116 Crown, Barcelona Restaurant & Wine Bar, Cafe Goodfellas, Central Steakhouse, Soul de Cuba Cafe, The Cask Republic and Zinc. For a complete list and more information, visit www.infonewhaven.com/restaurantweek, and follow it on Twitter, using hashtag: #NHRW

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Got rum? Robert A. Burr does – lots and lots of lots.

Burr, along with his wife and son, created and run the Rum Renaissance Festival, now in its fourth year and being held at the Deauville Beach Resort in Miami Beach, April 16-22.

When it first began, it drew about 150 people sampling 45 rums, Burr said. Last year’s festival had 3,200 people tasting more than 120 rums from far and near.

“This event attracts aficionados and mixologists from all over the world,” said Burr, a seventh-generation Miamian and creator of the Gifted Rums Guide. “The rum explosion is now, the rum business grew through the recession, and there’s real growth in luxury rums, which are cheaper than luxury scotches for example.”

FULL ENTRY

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Many people, when given an audience with the Queen of England, might be a little intimidated. Not Tom Wadson, owner of Wadson’s Farm in Bermuda, an outspoken sort of fellow who, among many other things, produces Easter lilies for England’s Queen Elizabeth, the island’s gift to her royal highness.

“The Queen had written us a letter expressing concern about the length of the lily stems,” smiled Wadson, 61, a tall, craggy sort with calloused hands and rugged spirit honed by almost 40 years of tilling the land in the hot Bermuda sun. “Well, that year, I met her once at a formal get-together here.”

Wadson is known around Bermuda not just for the Bermuda hogs he raises, or the dozens of types of fruits, vegetables and flowers he grows, or his busy farmer’s market stand or the farm being named “Best Greengrocer” by Bermudian Magazine or the publication’s “Award of Excellence, Best of Bermuda Gold” for food and beverages in 2008. He’s also known for his playful sense of humor, straightforward and blunt

“So I told her, ‘Your Majesty, we have a microscopic complaint department but just wanted you to know that your complaint stood out because it’s the only one we’ve gotten that was handwritten!’” Wadson roared one day at the farm, telling the story and pointing out lilies being grown for the queen this Easter.

The queen took it in stride, Wadson said, even smiling at the comment. And later that night, Wadson said, he went and quaffed a few brews with her husband, Prince Philip, whom Wadson dubbed, “a good fellow, a down-to-earth sort.”

Wadson started his farm in 1976, dabbling in farming prior to that, going to school abroad, then graduating from Ontario Agricultural College in Canada. The farm was doing well – until Hurricane Fabian destroyed the whole thing in 2003. He built it up again, but transitioned from conventional to organic farming in the process.

The farm does a lot of school tours, and will soon get a commercial kitchen and open a little café at the farmer’s market, which sells all manner of what Wadson grows or harvests, including duck eggs, lamb meat, and a wide range of organic vegetables. The farm is the island’s only CSA (community supported agriculture) site, Wadson said.

Taking a tour of the farm one day, Wadson showed us parched fields with chickens running about them, which come season’s end, they’ll plow under, enriching the soil, turning the brown earth to green grass the following year because, Wadson winked about what chickens leave behind, “we’re just using what nature drops us.”

He also rents some land near a former U.S. Navy base, using it to graze a few dozen sheep, land likely to be developed into a massive resort at some point but for now suiting his sheep’s grazing needs just fine.

The farm is open for regular tours, which if you’re lucky, you’ll get Wadson to conduct. Feel free to ask about the Queen’s lilies. If he wasn’t shy with her, he won’t be shy telling you about it. For information on the farm, visit www.wadsonsfarm.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Yes, it's hot in the Bahamas in the summer -- but it's also cheaper.

The Bahama Beach Club, a resort overlooking Treasure Cay Beach on Great Abaco Island, a beach Caribbean Travel & Life dubbed the best in the Caribbean, is offering a trio of limited-time offers to save money.

The first is an instant savings air credit, which gets you $400 in instant savings on stays of six or more nights, per villa, or a $250 instant savings on stays of four or five nights, when booking by May 14, and staying between April 15 and Oct. 31. The offer must be booked for a minimum double occupancy and in conjunction with an air-inclusive package when flying from any city in the United States or Canada.

The resort also offers two free plane tickets from Nassau to Abaco when booking a four-night or more stay, with air travel from Nassau. Three nights gets one free ticket. Offer must be booked by June 30 and is valid on double-occupancy stays through Oct. 31.

Lastly, the resort is giving private pilots a $300 fuel credit when they fly to the island. You must book a minimum four-night stay at the club, and it must be booked in conjunction with an all-inclusive package at the resort by June 26, and is valid through June 30.

Rates at the resort, for a two-bedroom, two-bath villa start at $300, and include Internet and free phone calls to the United States and Canada. For more info, visit www.bahamabeachclub.com, or call 800-284-0382.

By Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

Diamonds are a queen's best friend. In June, Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years on the thrown. Instead of braving the street crowds, savor royal views and exclusive experiences on the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London's four-day Diamond Jubilee package, June 2-6, 2012.

Included in the package are a welcome dinner; a trip aboard the HMS Belfast to view the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant, a fleet of 1,200 vessels led by the royal family; visit to Penshurst Place, the former hunting lodge of Henry VIII, to enjoy the Elizabethan gardens, followed by lunch at the treasure-filled home of Randolph and Catherine Churchill; exclusive view of the royal procession from the balcony of 12 Carlton House; and farewell dinner.

Avoiding hoi polloi comes at a price: Rates for the Diamond Jubilee Tour package begin at $10,138 single, $17,594 double, inclusive of full English breakfast. Tax and service are additional.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

More and more, it's one big happy -- and multigenerational -- family when it comes to travel. Preferred Hotel Group recently conducted a study of the leisure traveler, analyzing more than 400 variables, including the travel-related attitudes, behaviors, preferences, social values, lifestyles and media habits of people who identified themselves as "multigenerational travelers." The study found that 40 percent of US leisure travelers -- about 21 million of them -- had taken a multigenerational trip in the previous 12 months, that defined as a trip of three generations.

Traveling in groups isn't limited to families, either. Luxury travel operator Abercrombie & Kent also reported that 11 percent of its reservations in 2011 were for groups of five more, compared to eight percent the year before.

As might be expected, resorts are focusing on the large-group angle, creating programs and specialties for families and those traveling with a crowd. The all-inclusive Curtain Bluff Resort in Antigua is running a multi-gen package valid from May 15-July 28, based on two interconnecting junior suites for seven nights, and includes private sunset sail on a 49-foot sail boat; private family cocktail party at The Bluff House; and photographer for family portrait, to include CD of the shots, for a cost of $8,950. Additional junior suites are available at $4,325 for the week. Check it out at www.curtainbluff.com

Villas are ideal for family travelers and on the 1,400-acre private island of Mustique in the Grenadines, there are 74 rentable villas, from two to nine bedrooms, fetching anywhere from $6,000 to $150,000 a week. Mustique's only resort, the Cotton House, has 17 suites and babysitting services. Anyone staying on the island has access to nine beaches and a downtown market, and kid activities including pony camp, tennis camp, sailing classes and movie nights. Check it all out at www.mustique-island.com and www.cottonhouse.net

In Turks and Caicos, the upscale The Somerset on Grace Bay has 53 villas and estates and new this year is the "Caicos Kids Club," a free program for kids ages five to 12 and run by certified teachers from a local school, a day program that offers a variety of changing, kid-friendly activities. They also have a group kids' dinner on select evenings to give their parents some alone time. Rates at the resort, with accommodations ranging from 1,400 to 5,000 square feet, start at $900 a night. For more info, visit www.thesomerset.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, Maine, hosts some of New York's hottest chefs during its sixth annual Guest Chef Series this spring. White Barn's Grand Chef Relais and Chateaux Jonathan Cartwright joins culinary forces with Little owl's Joey Campanaro March 23-25, Recette's Jesse Schenker April 20-22 and Gramercy Tavern's Howard Kalachnikoff May 4-6. In addition to hosting the chefs, the White Barn Inn Restaurant, one of three restaurants in the country maintaining an AAA Five Diamond rating for 20 or more straight years, offers a package starting at $649 a night, in which guests can learn from the chefs during a hands-on cooking class and private culinary demonstration. Guests mingle with chefs at a welcome reception and get rooms for the duration of the weekend, which also includes daily breakfast, afternoon tea, and a nine-course tasting menu dinner for two at the restaurant. For more information, visit www.whitebarninn.com/kennebunkport-maine-restaurants/package04/

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Sofitel So Bangkok recently opened in Thailand, and is offering "80 Dollars, 80 Days," now through May 18, which gives guests an $80 credit per room, per night for the first 80 days of its opening. The credit can be spent at any of the new 30-story hotel's restaurants, bars or So Spa. The credit extends to room upgrades as well, and can be accumulated during the same stay.

The new hotel overlooks the city's Lumpini Park and has 238 rooms with themed decor centered around five elements: Water, earth, wood, metal and fire. The water-themed rooms, for example, feature bathtubs offering front-on scenic views of the city. The hotel also has a chocolate boutique, infinity swimming pool overlooking the city, and So Spa, which resembles a mythological forest. The hotel is also said to be the first one in Asia to offer a fully connected lifestyle, with all rooms and suites equipped with fully integrated Apple Mac mini Solution technology and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. Other in-room benefits are free private bar, his-and-hers amenities and Illy espresso machine in So Comfy or higher room categories.

Rates at the hotel start at $165 a night. For information visit http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-6835-sofitel-so-bangkok/index.shtml

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

You might not know it, unless you're from around there, but Norfolk, Va., does festivals in a big way. This year, from May through October, the city is hosting more than 100 festivals celebrating everything from the love of the Irish to the love of chocolate, country, beer, wine, sailing and more. Most of the events are family friendly and free, and here's some to think about:

Kicking off the festival season is ShamRock 'n' Roll on March 17, celebrating St. Patrick's Day with Irish music, an Irish fair and, of course, green beer. Hot on the heels of that comes the Art of Chocolate, Virginia Chocolate Festival, from March 22-25, which includes local, regional and national chocolates and a chocolate bake off.

From April 15-June 6, the Virginia Arts Festival, one of the mid-Atlantic's premier cultural events, holds a variety of programs, including music, dance, theater and family entertainment. The International Azalea Festival: A salute to NATO -- runs April 27. The festival started in 1953 and honors the Norfolk-based North Atlantic Treaty Organization by selecting one nation each year to honor through the festival's themed activities.

Rounding out the month is the Virginia International Tattoo April 27-29, an exhibition of marching bands, massed pipes and drum teams, gymnasts, Scottish dangers and more, the largest tattoo in the United States (a tattoo is a ceremonial performance of military music by massed bands).

The city celebrates Cinco de Mayo on May 4, and later, wine and beer, with the 6th Annual Spring Town Point Virginia Wine Festival on May 12 and the 11th Annual Virginia Beer Festival on May 19.

Big Bands on the Bay starts May 27 and runs every Sunday until Labor Day, and OpSail 2012 Virginia floats into the Port of Virginia June 1-12, commemorating the bicentennial of the War of 1812 as it showcases a fleet of tall navy and military war ships representing the world.

Another nautical event is the 36th Annual Harborfest June 8-10, the Hampton Roads area's largest summer event with nearly 700 international tall ships, sail boats, battleships and cruise ships.

Summer heats up July 20-12 with the 30th Annual Norfolk Jazz Festival, the region's longest-running jazz event and the 12th annual AT&T Latino Music Festival Aug. 25 at the largest outdoor dance floor in Hampton Roads.

On Sept. 16, the 7th Annual Mid-Autumn Chinese Moon Festival will be held. On Oct. 6, the city hosts the 24th annual AT&T Virginia Children's Festival, and from Oct. 20-21, the 25th Annual Town Point Virginia Wine Festival

If you get the idea that Norfolk is festival city, you'd be right, and it's only about a 10-hour drive from Boston, if you're so inclined to motor down. For a complete list of festivals, visit www.visitnorfolktoday.com or call 800-368-3097.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

March in Maine is a time when business is usually slow, especially this snow-light winter. The fourth annual Maine Restaurant Week, March 1-10, aims to pick up the economic pace while highlighting the state's laudable food scene and helping out local charities, which receive a portion of the proceeds. More than 75 restaurants are taking part in the event, serving three-course dinners for $20, $30 and $40, depending on the restaurant. Some are also serving prix fixe lunches for $15. For a complete list, check out http://www.mainerestaurantweek.com/

Many hotels are offering specials, including the Camden Harbour Inn, where $109 per person gets you a night's lodging, glass of Prosecco in the bar, a welcome gift and a three-course Maine Restaurant Week dinner at Natalie's Restaurant, where Chef Geoffroy Deconinck was nominated by Food & Wine for the People's Best New Chef Award 2011. Also included is nightly turndown with chocolates, the hotel's signature champagne breakfast and free room upgrade on check in, when available. Check it out at http://www.camdenharbourinn.com/ or call 800-236-4266.

The Portland Harbor Hotel in the heart of the Old Port section of Portland, has a few packages to offer, including one for $140 a night that includes free Lincoln Town Car service; another for $170 per night that includes cocktails for two, an amuse bouche upon arrival and breakfast for two; and another for $230 per room that includes dinner at Eve's, at the hotel. Check it out at http://www.portlandharborhotel.com/ or call 888-798-9090.