I used to have this little point and shoot a few years back and loved it. It took great pictures until my wife introduced it to the kitchen floor. It was light and convenient for travel. Perfect for someone not to serious about photography yet wanting nice, sharp shots with a decent zoom. This particular model isn't available anymore, but whatever the equivalent is I'd take a look at. I think I paid around $300- $350 for it. Sounds like something that you might want.
Panasonic Lumix TZ5