Bahamas and Antigua - Your Paradise Awaits!

We have now seen ALL of the Sandals properties and are so excited about sharing our experiences from the last 3 Sandals that we visited. If you have ever dreamed about going to an island that is very secluded and which has the most turquoise colored water you have ever seen then go to Sandals Emerald Bay. This resort has all the amenities you could ever want or need. It's a very luxurious feeling resort. Spread out and quiet but it doesn't have a lack of things to do. They have tons of water sports on their beach as well as excursions, including "Swimming with the Pigs"! Yes, you can actually take a dip with those cute little pink animals.

This resort is the newest of all the Sandals. It is located on the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas. It is probably best well known for it's award winning 18 hole signature golf course. This resort has one of the best beaches I have seen and the most gorgeous water. Their pool is of course one of the best and it is huge. They have breath taking views from several room categories here. The beachfront walkout rooms are amazing. You would look out the sliding glass door and you could see your hammock, sand, and turquoise water just steps away. It was like your very own beach house. This is on my list of a place I HAVE to go back to some day!

The other Sandals resort in the Bahamas is in Nassau, Sandals Royal Bahamian. It is a smaller property than Emerald Bay but is very nice with a bit of European feel to it. It has gorgeous, quaint gardens with European statues located throughout the property. This property is located in town so there are no limits to where you can go or what you can do here. You can go out on the town and shop or you can stay on the resort and choose from their wonderful dining choices.

They had the coolest french restaurant there that had the neatest design and decor, called Baccarat. The windows were really neat and they looked out on the pool. At night when the pool is lit up it creates the most romantic and gorgeous atmosphere. This resort is quaint and one section feels very European cottage like and the other feels more sophisticated and luxurious. It's not your typical tropical decor. They have done major renovations on the Manor House building and I have heard the rooms are amazing now!

The beach was nice and had gorgeous colored water. They have a private off shore island that we did not get to go to but it looked incredible.. If you just want to spend the day on your own small island with not many people you can go over there and just lay out by the pool, on the beach, or take an evening to eat at their restaurant and take a stroll down the beach. Lots of water sports here as well as nightlife. Just beware, if you go in the winter months the ocean is going to be COLD!

I have saved the grandest for last. You fly further south and you reach Antigua. Sandals Grande Antigua is the hardest of the Sandals to get to and sometimes even requires overnight flights but it is all worth it. This resort is HUGE. It has the newer hotel feel sections, called the Mediterranean Village in a huge building with about 8 floors. Then the quieter side is called the Caribbean Grove and it has more villa like buildings. The main building overlooks the very large pool and the gorgeous beach. They have so much to do here you could never get bored. They have many activities to do at the pool, water sports on the beach, over 9 restaurants here to choose from, located throughout the property. They have a huge pool with a great swim up bar. The beach was public though so you do have guards that are making sure that the guests coming back off the beach are Sandals guests.

This resort was the first one to have the famous Rondoval Suites. They are so gorgeous and are the closest you can get to the beach, room wise. They have rooms with shared pools right outside your door. They have rooms that are 8 stories up and give the most gorgeous view of Antigua that you could get. These rooms were ultimate luxury and had the best view on the resort. They also had suites with private plunge pools in the their own private patio. It has so many room choices and every person's needs and wants can be catered to.

This resort is very large and does take a lot of walking to get around. There are many steps at this property as well. I can't decide which Sandals is my favorite but this would be at the top of my list for sure! Me personally I would say, in no particular order, Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals La Toc, Sandals Emerald Bay, Sandals Grande Antigua, Sandals Whitehouse, and Sandals Negril would be my favorites. I really can't decide which one is my all time favorite. They all have a different personality and a different feel. That is why everyone who wants to go to Sandals NEEDS a travel agent. We need to qualify you first and see which resort fits your personality most. Each Sandals is special and unique and I couldn't begin to tell someone which is the best...there is no best...there is just what fits YOU!