Here are three kid-friendly options to take the guesswork out of planning your next escape.

Thrills and spills: Sea World, Gold Coast
Finding a theme park that you and the kids will agree on might sound like a tall order they want thrill rides, while you want to see stimulating exhibits but, luckily, Sea World has both.

At Sea World, those 10 years and older can snorkel in small groups with sharks, stingrays and tropical fish at Shark Bay. There are also deep- and shallow-water dolphin encounters, dolphin helmet dives and interactions with seals.

For toddlers, Cartoon Beach has a colourful collection of safe rides designed to accommodate parents, too.

A short monorail ride away is the award-winning Sea World Nara Resort, which runs a kids club for children aged four-and-a-half to 12. Supervised activities include indoor and outdoor games, arts and crafts, theme nights and discos. And while the kids play, you can laze by the pool or relax with an in-house movie.

TO GO: Stay five nights at the Sea World Nara Resort and receive a 3 Park Super Pass, which allows you unlimited entry to three of the Gold Coasts best theme parks Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World and WetnWild Water World for up to 14 days. For more information, call (07) 5588 2205, or visit www.seaworld.com.au.

On the high seas: Carnival Cruises, USA
Imagine being carefree for a couple of days with the fresh ocean breeze wafting through your hair while the kids are off playing in another area. A cruise ship is a floating resort, providing a closed environment, which means theres no need to worry about where the kids are.

Carnival Cruise Lines offers a range of voyages that cater for single parents and children, saving you money and providing you with plenty of time to enjoy yourself, as well. The great thing about cruising Carnival is that almost everything including meals and the kids club, called Camp Carnival is included in the cost of the package. Carnivals trained youth staff organise daily activities for all ages, and parents receive beepers so they can be contacted at any time.

Carnival also provides evening babysitting services for a fee. While kids participate in arts and crafts, talent shows, storytelling, pool parties, pizza-making, and more, single parents can socialise with other adults at specially organised meet and greets.

Or they can go for a swim, have a massage, do some duty-free shopping or even participate in a fine-art auction. And, of course, there are activities for parents and children to enjoy together, such as movies and child-friendly shore excursions.

Carnivals single-parent cruises operate out of the USA, so you can combine it with a trip to LA for shopping and culture, or with the fun of Walt Disney World in Florida. Theres a four-night Single Parents and Kids Caribbean Carnival Cruise leaving from Miami in July 2006, or a Carnival cruise to Canada leaving from New York in June 2006.

TO GO: For information and to make a reservation, call Travel the World/Carnival Cruise Lines on (02) 8296 7050, or email carnivalcruiselines@traveltheworld.com.au.

A real pearler: Broome, WA
Located in the north-west of Western Australia, Broome is renowned for its pearls, stretches of pristine beach and sunset camel rides, and now it has a brand-new attraction Rendezvous Sanctuary Resort on Cable Beach.

Its self-contained apartments and villas are ideal for single-parent families because they provide the convenience of eating in. So, after you eat barramundi for dinner at the nearby Old Zoo Cafe, the next morning you can enjoy a bowl of cereal in your own kitchen.

There are studio, one- or two-bedroom apartments or three-bedroom villas (some with a pool) to choose from. Just up the road is Aussie adventurer
Malcolm Douglas crocodile farm, home to more than 100 of the reptiles. Also worth investigating is the Willie Creek Pearl Farm, where you can learn how pearls are grown and valued.

TO GO: Fly Virgin Blue to Broome. To book, call 136 789, or visit www.virginblue.com.au. Rendezvous Sanctuary Resort is offering a stay for five nights and pay for four deal during February and March. To book your stay, call (08) 9192 8088, or visit www.rendezvoushotels.com.au.

Tips for travelling single parents

• Research your destination or cruise with your children. You can also read childrens books on the topic to get them excited.
  
• Plan every day so you do something you like and the kids do something they like.
  
• Write an itinerary, including options for a rainy day, and give each child a copy.
  
• Take a spare camera for the kids to use.
  
• Type up a packing list and hand one to each child who can read.
  
• Get the kids to keep a travel diary theyll look back on it in years to come with fond memories.

For more tips visit www.singleparenttravel.net