Sandals Grande Antigua
I bet you’re like me, a traveler with a jones for the tropical getaway. So when I get the opportunity for a long weekend visit to Sandals and tell my friends about this good fortune, they ask – “what’s a single traveler got to do at a couple’s resort”?
Good question.
My reply – Conde Nast magazine didn’t award this resort a spot in its “50 Best of the Caribbean” for nothing, and Travel + Leisure certainly didn’t rate it among the “500 Best Hotels in the World” for its lack of activities.
Resort Bucket List
So, disregarding the concerns of my questioning friends I go and enjoy the slow living, no-worry, all-inclusive fun:
• I swim under cobalt blue skies in warm Caribbean waters.
• I sunbathe “English” style on the fine white sands beach of Dickinson Bay.
• I enjoy an afternoon of mind and body rejuvenation in the elegant European spa.
• I dine at several of the 11 restaurants that range from elegant to casual. My favorites – Café de Paris and crepes for breakfast, Mario’s and Bella Napoli for Italian lunches, and dinner outdoors on the terrace by the sea at the Barefoot Restaurant.
• I enjoy the pub grub and drinks in many of the 7 bars available. My favorite – the Drunken Duck for Bangers and Mash with Bass Pale Ale.
• I stroll the many paths winding through meticulous tropical landscaping.
• I enjoy the nightly entertainment set up at bandstands spread throughout the grounds.
Island Bucket List
But for me a vacation is much more than relaxation in one location, however nice that location is. So for a slightly faster pace of island life I explore these pay options available through Sandal’s concierge services:
• Travel by boat to see each of the 365 beaches as it circumnavigates this “corrugated” island.
• Sightsee and photograph the island on a day-long 4×4 excursion.
• Swim with the rays on the sandbars at Stingray City.
Creole Farewell
At the airport my driver bids me an Antiguan Creole farewell – “You gone to come back “!
That’s right, I definitely will be back.
When you go:
Written by: Steve Smith
Beach photo : Steve Smith, all rights reserved
Antigua Island photo : Antigua/Barbuda Tourism Authority (re-mixed by Steve Smith)
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