It is clear to see why Sandals Resorts are the destination of choice for honeymooners: all-inclusive luxury accommodation set in the dreamiest locations… It’s the perfect romantic getaway – you just make your booking and rest assured that everything will be taken care of to the highest standard. But did you know that Sandals Resorts are ALSO the best resorts for parents on a couples-only vacation?
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| Dress / Shoes / His shirt |
Couples-only vacations are so worthwhile – having kids is a blessing, but parenting is hard work! After taking care of family duties and responsibilities, it can be hard to give your partner the attention they deserve. A couples-only vacation gives you the time and space to shift the focus back to your relationship, and truly enjoy each other’s company without any distractions.
My birthday and wedding anniversary are less than a month apart – and my parents gave me the greatest gift by offering to watch my kids for a week, so that hubby and I could get away and celebrate. Here is why Sandals Royal Bahamian was the perfect spot for our couples-only trip:
PLAY
Sandals Royal Bahamian offers so many fun activities – you can easily spend your whole holiday trying out different things without ever leaving the resort. You receive a printout at check-in featuring all of the entertainment and activities – from yoga, tennis and volleyball to games by the pool. At night there is live music, shows and karaoke. For adventure-seekers, there are so many all-inclusive water sports to choose from – we went stand up paddle-boarding and set out on snorkeling excursions – and they offer so many other free rentals too such as Aqua Trikes and Hobie Cats. There are two large swimming pools at the resort – and although we spent most of our time at the beach, we enjoyed taking a dip in the hot tubs at the end of the day. We also loved taking the ferry over to the private offshore island – it only took a couple of minutes, and it was so peaceful there (p.s. I ADORED the private island and will share more details about it in an upcoming post!)
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| Pink Swimsuit |
Above is a pic of me grabbing a drink before heading on to the ferry to the private island – and below is a shot hubby took of me paddleboarding.
EXPLORE
While I love spending time lounging by the water, I also enjoy exploring new cities. Sandals Royal Bahamian offers the best of both worlds, because you can take part in excursions and tours arranged through the resort (*for an additional fee). We went on an Island Routes city tour that gave us a general overview of Nassau – we toured several old forts and drove by historical buildings – I loved seeing all the architectural details on the older houses. There are many different tour options in Nassau including a buggy tour to the Caves, a food-tasting tour and a waterfront Segway tour. We also visited the famous Straw Market to pick up Bahamian souvenirs to bring home. The picture below was taken in front of Balcony House, an 18th century residence-turned-museum close to the Straw Market.
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| Ruffle top / Straw bag |
RECONNECT
As parents, your attention is in a hundred different places at once – and sometimes you need to reset your focus and become centered again. A visit to the Red Lane Spa for a couples’ massage may be just the cure you need! We experienced the Night Blooming Jasmine treatment – we were taken into a candlelit room, where essential oils – including fragrant jasmine, were brushed onto our skin. The oils were massaged in, and hot stones were placed on our backs to encourage circulation. After the massage, a jasmine-infused sugar scrub was rubbed onto our feet. A couples’ massage has many benefits – it relieves stress, and helps you feel more relaxed and connected with each other. After our hour-long treatment, we felt amazing – calm, energized and fresh.
ESCAPE
While I love being around kids – there is definitely an advantage to visiting an couples-only resort. It feels more serene and sophisticated – and far-removed from your regular life. Also – this is hard to explain – but when you’re surrounded by other children – it makes you miss your kids more – you end up feeling homesick and that takes away from the partner-focused purpose of your trip!
DATE
At Sandals Royal Bahamian, basically every night is date night – because there are so many gourmet options for dinner. There are ten restaurants – including some familiar names from our stay at Beaches Turks & Caicos (such as Kimonos, Schooners and Bella Napoli). Each restaurant has its own atmosphere and specialties – so you get a different experience every night! Some are formal and elegant, others are relaxed and give you the chance to get to know your fellow guests. We especially loved the Crystal Room with its stunning decor – the Baccarat crystal chandelier is a stunning centerpiece that all the tables are placed around. The grilled salmon there was amazing! Having Teppanyaki at Kimonos is always a fun night – and you get to know the couples seated around your grill table. Most of the couples at our table were parents like us – they had come to Sandals for a couples-only getaway too! Dinner on our last night was an unforgettable experience – we had a four-course Candlelight dinner on the beach (*provided at an extra charge). We had our own private waiter who served us all our dishes, kept our drinks topped up and even offered to take photos for us! Dining on the beach as the sun set, and hearing the waves lapping on the shore was a truly magical experience – it was one of the highlights of our trip!
We came back from our holiday refreshed and ready to return to our daily routine. As parents we often put our needs last, so it was wonderful to have had this time away where we were pampered and put first. Being away gave us perspective and helped us appreciate what a blessing our regular life was.
I hope you liked reading about why Sandals Royal Bahamian is the perfect all-inclusive resort for a couples-only trip. There is so much more that I want to share about our vacation – so I have another post coming soon!
I’ve put a video together sharing some clips from our stay – press play to see a room tour, pics of our souvenirs from the Straw Market, views of the resort, meal photos and more!
Have you ever stayed at a Sandals Resort? Which location did you visit?
DISCLAIMER: This post is in collaboration with Sandals Resort, and I received perks in the form of complimentary nights, media rates, and gifted experiences. As always, all opinions are my own.
