by Meryl D. Pearlstein

Once your kids move past the compliant pre-teen ages, it becomes more challenging to find ways to engage them without hearing that they'd prefer to "chill" with their friends, play on their game systems, or spend endless hours on Myspace or Facebook.

These teen-tried trips will hopefully motivate you to convince your teens that there's a world out there with lots of interesting things, and that it's really worthwhile to give up some personal time to be with your parents (ugh!), doing something that your parents (again ugh!) have suggested.

My teenage sons, Elias and Evan, aged 12 and 16, have become world travelers with definite tastes and preferences. Here is Part Two listing some of our favorite travel destinations outside of the US.

Go Trans-Atlantic

It seems like a no-brainer to offer your kids a fabulous vacation in London or Paris and have them jump at the chance. But even this takes creativity to motivate a teen. Here are some ideas to make an amazing trip.

London- Let the kids acclimate form the long flight over and the time difference by watching some wonderful British TV when they arrive. Sound like the wrong thing to do? You'll really have a nicer time with your teens if they're well-rested and well-fed, and British humor is really a good tonic after no sleep.

My kids loved the Indian food and the wonderfully friendly staff at Haandi restaurant, near the British Museum and a short walk from the Knightsbridge tube stop. Another immediate favorite was Yo Sushi in multiple locations. Our favorite was the one in Harrod's as it also gave you an opportunity to walk through the fabulous toy department. No matter how old your kids are, they'll love the very cool toys that are demonstrated by the fun staff. Yo Sushi is sushi that circles the table on a conveyor belt. It's pricey so you have to be careful as you pay by the plate, and the price also depends on the color of the plate selected. It's very easy to rack up a 50 euro tab without blinking, but the entertainment factor is built in.

A hands-down winner for hotel accommodations is the lovely Capital Hotel on Basil Street in Knightsbridge. Under the ever-watchful supervision of concierge extraordinaire Clive, the hotel will help you put together an itinerary that's fun, efficient, and affordable. He can also procure tickets to just about anything, no matter how sold-out the theater performance or concert is. The rooms in the hotel are spacious and comfortable, with a great bathroom (which teens really appreciate). Breakfast is included in your stay at the beautiful Michelin-star restaurant. Skip dinner there as the kids won't appreciate the artistry and instead introduce them to afternoon tea with an elegant array of sandwiches, scones, and beverages in the very comfortable salon. The hotel is perfectly situated to start your visit with a hop-on, hop-off bus tour which leaves from in front of the Museum of Natural History. You'll hit the major sites and you can switch routes during the course of the day. It's a great way to get oriented and sitting on the top of the double-decker bus is pure London... even in the rain.

Our favorite sites and activities were the Tower of London and going back at night for the Ceremony of the Keys, the mummies at the British Museum, seeing a rugby game, taking the Tube after descending endlessly on London's amazing escalators, Hamleys Toy Store on Regent Street (near Oxford Circus), Covent Garden with its mimes and musicians, and even the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery at Somerset House (a great small museum setting in which to see impressionist and expressionist paintings).

The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace sounded better than it actually was. It was difficult for my kids to maneuver into a position to be able to clearly see what was going on. And it was very crowded pretty much everywhere. The Jack the Ripper walking tour was a snooze, but the London Dungeon was very, very cool and is highly recommended. Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum was interesting for those who had never been to a wax museum before; the difficulty here is that quite a lot of the figures are English or come from English history and were unfamiliar. Consider, instead, heading to a show in the West End. You'll need to be picky, depending on the ages of your kids. "We Will Rock You," featuring the music of Queen, is a loud rock-musical on the lines of "Tommy" or "the Rocky Horror Picture Show." While it won't win any Tony Awards (or whatever the British equivalent is), it's fun, wacky, and at the end, everyone will be singing along. Other good choices are "Mamma Mia" "Billy Elliot," and "Mary Poppins."

Paris- It's a wonderful train ride through the Chunnel from London to Paris. I think the fantasy of having dinner on the train made up for the quality of the food. In a mere three hours, you arrive in Paris in a completely different world. And that's a plus for your sluggish, jaded teens. The entire tenor changes from the genteel British accent and temperament to a faster, pace with a lot more attitude. If you're lucky, a friendly taxi driver will zip you to the City of Lights and will help you with your luggage.

Our hotel was the one of the highlights of our trip: the cozy, beautiful and very helpful Hotel Daniel on the Right Bank. Just the right size for teens so you can keep an eye on them but also carve out some space to yourself, the hotel is decorated in high-style with the rooms and bathrooms to match. My kids loved room service for breakfast in our gorgeous room, which they could enjoy while watching some really cool cartoons in French. Each member of their staff serves as a concierge to help you find your way to any part of the city, from the Right Bank to the Left Bank and beyond. A little more than a five-minute walk to the Champs-Elysées and a ten-minute walk to the Metro, the hotel is a nice choice to get away from the noise of the Champs-Elysées which buzzes late into the night. It's on a quiet residential side street so you'll get a taste of the neighbors from your window.

The Paris Metro is a brilliant way to see the city, as it goes everywhere you want to go, and you can buy a carnet of tickets for a reduced price. It's easy to figure out, as you only need to know the direction that you're heading in, and the signs are well marked. Some of the stations are really gorgeous, too, like the "museum within a museum" station for the Louvre.

Unlike London, Paris doesn't go to sleep early. In fact, the night lights of Paris are pretty spectacular. My kids loved the night bateaux-mouche tour along the Seine which lights up the buildings with its own spots as you cruise. You can sit on the top deck or one down and get very different experiences. Also, every hour the Eiffel Tower scintillates with a light show unlike any other. That's one experience that you'll need to coordinate to be sure that you can stop and watch. From the Bateaux-Mouches pier, it's only a short walk. We also had an amazing taxi driver who drove us up and down the streets until we arrived at the Trocadéro in front of the Eiffel Tower at just the right moment.

There's no lack of things to do in Paris, and even a surly teenager won't be bored. On the grand side- which also means long lines and waits- there's the phenomenal Musée d'Orsay built in an old train station and with one of the greatest collections of impressionist art in the world. The Louvre is endless so you should mark out your must-sees before you enter: Mona Lisa, Winged Victory (Nike), and Venus de Milo. For a contrast that's wonderful for kids, the Jacquemart Andre Museum is a beautiful mansion museum that offers a scavenger hunt for kids- ask for a map in English. There's a small prize at the end. A wacky museum that you can visit in half an hour is the Musée de la Contrefacon- the museum of fakes. Can you pick out the real Barbie from the fake one? The real Rolex? Or how about the sneakers? It's all there on a side street near the Bois de Boulogne.

Paris's grandest spaces were fascinating to the kids for all kinds of reasons: the history (for those who were old enough), the open spaces, the glitz, the jewels, and the paintings. In particular, Versailles is a terrific day trip where it is important that you spend time in the gardens and also visit le Petit Trianon on the side. Favorite cathedrals were Notre Dame, particularly the climb to the tower to see the gargoyles (it's worth the wait in line), Sainte-Chapelle with its gorgeous stained-glass windows, and Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre, primarily because of its fun location at the top of so many steps, the colorful vendors at Place des Tertres and the cool guy who made little French puppies out of pipe cleaners for the kids. Watch out, though, for the gypsies who will try to sell you bracelets by weaving them on your arm.

My kids also got a kick out of Les Invalides, site of Napoleon's tomb, as they had just studied Napoleon in school, and the nearby Rodin Museum with its huge outdoor sculptures.

While French cuisine wasn't necessarily my kids' favorite, they did love the baguettes and crepes, as well as the enormous hot dogs that the Parisians serve. While escargot didn't appeal to my youngest, he loved dipping pieces of bread in the garlic butter. Avoid the touristy brasseries near Notre Dame on the Ile de la Cité, and walk instead to adjoining Ile St.-Louis to get a double cornet at Berthillon, one of the world's most interesting ice cream shops.

South America with Kids

We visited Ecuadorand the Galapagos as well as Costa Ricawith a wonderful company called Thomson Family Adventures. The common thread here is animals and teens, although each country has its special charms.

In Costa Rica, nature is the superstar, and the country's microclimates make for a varied and wonderful vacation, along with the amazing array of adventure activities popular here. We started in the rainiest part of the country Tortuguero, the nesting ground for Costa Rica's turtle population. Even though we weren't there during the season to see the amazing phenomenon of the turtles lumbering across the sand into the ocean, we still appreciated the area for its varied rainforest environment, the great canals for kayaking, and the opportunity to stay in cabins perched amid the howler monkeys. One night the rain was actually so loud that all of us woke up laughing hysterically. Morning brought another wake-up call by the monkeys.

Our group of adults and teens was quite harmonious and we all enjoyed our extensive program of environmentally educational tours and physical challenges. Everyone loved surfing school in Manual Antonio and the wonderful Mariposa Hotel with probably the best sunsets in the country. The zip lines were such a hit that we had to do them twice, once near the beach and a second time near the fantastic Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort in La Fortuna, near the Arenal Volcano. We also tried outrigger canoeing, canyoning (rappelling down waterfalls), and white water rafting (my personal favorite). After all the activity, we loved soaking our aching bodies in the beautiful hot springs at the resort. It was also thrilling to be that close to a live volcano which we could both see and hear!

Traveling with a naturalist is important here as the variety of flora and fauna is astonishing and can be very up-close and personal with the right guides. We were constantly amazed at their spotting ability: how did they see those microscopic bats in a line along the shore as we cruised by without stopping, and how on earth could they the three-toed sloth hanging upside down at the top of the trees?

In Ecuador, we had a different sort of experience, as we were able to visit the homes of some local children and their parents. As visitors, we saw beautiful dance performances and musical demonstrations by our hosts, learned how to use the loom to weave, and were treated to a national delicacy: guinea pig for dinner! The culture is colorful and we marveled at the Otavaleno costumes, the incredibly diverse folkloric marketplace, and the centuries-old haciendas where we stayed. We rode bikes, went horseback riding, hiked, and prepared ourselves for our amazing expedition to the Galapagos by reading up on Darwin and his important work.

The Galapagos didn't disappoint, as each island that we visited offered another astonishing view of nature. We moved within inches of sea lions, iguanas, red and blue crabs, tortoises and blue-footed boobies, none of which seemed to care that we were human intruders. Our kids' greatest thrill was snorkeling with sharks and sea lions (who even blew bubbles in their faces!) A naturalist was also essential to not only spot the sometimes camouflaged birds but also explain the evolutionary changes that varied from island to island.

The cruise among the islands was also a lot of fun for the kids and they amused themselves viewing slideshows of the day's findings, playing games with the "mentor" who was assigned to educate them and also entertain them, or just "chilling."

Chile is another trip-of-a-lifetime kind of locale. Patagonia and Easter Island seem very, very far away.... and they are. After lots of flights, connections from large to small planes (you can't do this with little kids), and sort-of sleep, you arrive at the end of the world and go through changes of climate and geography that can be really dramatic. Santiago, your first stopping point in this skinny country, is a cosmopolitan city ringed by mountains (if they're not covered by the smog, the Andes are really really beautiful). The subway here is easy to navigate and can take you to the Central Market, which the kids really loved. Girls will also love Los Dominicos, the art market which sells all sorts of jewelry (great lapis lazuli everything), shawls, and cool glass earrings (very, very inexpensive).

There are plenty of food options in Santiago for even the pickiest eaters and the Bellavista section of the city seems to specialize in cute little restaurants with lots of personality. (This is the area of the city that the poet Pablo Neruda had a home in, and many restaurants lay claim to his having dined with them). Try El Otro Sitio for Peruvian fare (and Pisco sours for the adults) or the cozy Azul Profundo for sizzling seafood.

But the real adventure begins when you head South. Even the first flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas where you board your ship for an inter-fjord cruise through Patagonia is an adventure. Flying over the Lake Country and then the Torres del Paine is a dramatic experience. Those who are frightened by high altitudes and small planes may not appreciate this, but it's really exciting, and we all loved it. Our cruise ship, the Via Australis, was wonderful. The cabins were comfortable and well appointed and the buffets had something for everyone. Each excursion was an eye-opener, as we boarded Zodiacs to reach isolated beaches with blue glacial mini ice floes and lots of elephant seals and birds. Cruising silently through Glacier Alley is an awe-inspiring sojourn as you are surrounded on both sides by the glory of nature.

It was hard to end this wonderful part of the trip, but Chile doesn't let up when it comes to providing amazing experiences. Next on the agenda was Easter Island, part of Chile by ownership, but more Polynesian than Chilean in overall feeling and sensibility. Arrival to Easter Island is to a surprisingly sophisticated airport just minutes away from some of the mystifying Moais on the island. The more than 800 statues, erected for reasons that no one can explain with certainty, are scattered throughout the island, some fully erect, some lying on their sides, and some partially covered by grasses and weeds. An air of mystery pervades the island, and present-day residents who speak their own Rapa Nui language and ride horses down the streets seemed a million miles away and light years different from the kids' friends at home.

We loved the local dances performed by strikingly attractive performers and soaked up every bit of the Rapa Nui music that we heard. It's a five-hour flight from Santiago to Easter Island but it might as well have been a flight around the world. Being that far away from any other land area, surrounded by the haunting statues whose silence perpetuates the mystery of how and why they are there, is a memory that our kids will keep forever.