It is quite possible that Exuma International Airport is the smallest airport I’ve visited so far! When I say small, the plane we arrived on from Miami was four seats wide and we had to walk down the tarmac into a one room customs- a far cry from the hustle and bustle of places like Heathrow and JFK!
Once through Customs, we were directed into a SUV with a couple celebrating their honeymoon. Sandals as a brand is known for being couples-only resorts and the majority of its guests are celebrating an anniversary or a honeymoon
After a tasty lunch at the Bahama Bay buffet, we were escorted to our room and were pleasantly surprised that we were upgraded to a Beach House One Bedroom Butler Suite. There were two main areas to the room, the lounge area and the bedroom area, plus two full bathrooms. Despite being one of the more distant buildings, the beach was still less than a five minute walk away and we passed the pool on the way.
The beach was beautiful and the water was the gorgeous light blue one always dreams of on a tropical vacation. Sandals has included non-motorized water sports such as paddle boarding, catamaran sailing, kayaking etc., but if that’s not your speed, there are plenty of comfortable beach chairs with umbrellas available along the beach as well as hammocks and a water-front swing for relaxing (or Instagram opportunities!). There was a large pool with a bar that was popular throughout the day, and an enormous hot tub that was always occupied as the sun went down.
At night, the resort was on the quiet side. There was some live music that was preformed at night, but it wasn’t particularly well attended while during our stay. Most people seemed to be enjoying their beautiful rooms.
There are 11 dining options available at Emerald Bay, although we were only able to experience four due to the brevity of our stay. I highly recommend the Italian restaurant, Il Cielo, which offers both breakfast and dining options. There are vegan options at this resort, but I didn’t find them particularly tasty- a common struggle at all-inclusive resorts. The waiters were charming and attentive so I’d definitely ask for their recommendations!
Overall, the resort was quiet and relaxing- the perfect spot for a sunny break from everyday life. If you wanted to add a little bit of adventure to your trip, check out my last post about my suggested excursions.
We have been to Sandals in Antigua, and Sandals in the Bahamas. We are thinking about going to this Sandals next year. Quite frankly, we’ve gone for my birthday, and in theory to celebrate my husband’s retirement, although a bit late! The next one (and probably our last) would be for my birthday again 🤣 It’s the perfect time of year for the Caribbean! But if we go, I want to swim with the pigs 🐷🐷😊
Sandals has such a good reputation in the Caribbean- very romantic! Which of the Sandals you visited was your favorite? I’d love to visit Antigua!
Let me know if you visit the pigs. The babies were super cute, but don’t forget to give the adults some love as well!
We liked Antigua because they had a longer beach to walk on, and it was cool to be so far from home (I don’t really go out of the US). Nassau was so convenient, and we loved their little island that we visited almost every day. I would really love to go somewhere else far away, but we would probably need to take two days to get there. EVERYONE at Sandals is so friendly, it is such a treat, and we know we were blessed to be able to go!
It sounds like an amazing getaway!