Beautiful isle of Antigua

I recently visited Antigua and fell in love with the island.  Antigua is currently (as of the time of writing) a CDC Level 2 destination which means they have excellent COVID-19 precautions in place and the number of infections are considered low.   I was required to have a PCR test within 7 days of arrival and travel with my negative test result (I printed multiple copies and saved the file on my phone).  

Upon arrival at the airport, you need to fill out some forms, have your temperature taken and answer a few questions.  The process from getting off the plane to walking out of the airport took about 45 minutes which is very good (not much longer than pre-COVID).  

I had the pleasure of staying at Sandals Grande Antigua which is a 15 to 20 minute drive from the airport.  If you are not familiar with Sandals they are a chain of exceptional adult only, all inclusive resorts.  They are all 5 star resorts and have nearly everything included---even scuba diving.  Airport transfers and most staff gratuities are  also included (if you have a butler level suite, tips for the butler are not required, but encouraged).   The dining options range from a pastry shop to high end fine dining and all are included in the price, as is premium top shelf alcohol (you can also get local drink options).  Sandals also has many on-site entertainment options throughout the day from beach volleyball, yoga, Hobie Cat sailing to live music and themed parties at night.  Each resort has a little different vibe with Antigua being on the quieter end on the party scale (perfect for me and my husband!). 

Sandals is also known for its service.  Staff are there to help you with whatever you need and it is certainly service with a smile.  I'm not a huge drinker, but felt like something while I was relaxing at the pool.  I asked the bartender for a suggestion for something frosty, refreshing  and not super sugary.  She said I have just the thing and made me an amazing mango mojito.  The staff to guest ratio is high, so there are plenty of chances to chat and get to know the staff and ask their recommendations.   As many of you know I am a vegetarian  and that can be a challenge at some resorts, but Sandals did an excellent job.  They had at least two vegetarian options on each restaurant menu and the chef was always willing to create something for me if I didn't like the options (they have many veggie options with fake meat which isn't my thing).  One lunch my husband had the Thai fish curry and they made me Thai tofu curry. Perfect and very tasty :)   My husband enjoyed being able to have surf and  turf each day if he wanted...the food is truly high end and ordering off the menus feels like you are at a gourmet  restaurant (except there is no bill at the end).   For those of you that love going to Europe, the crepes at the pastry shop were very, very good.  If I closed my eyes, I could almost believe I was eating my Nutella and banana crepe in France :) 

Sandals has many different room categories------something around 30 to 40 of them at each resort.  Each category is based on the location of the room and the amenities offered.  As your travel advisor, I'm here to help you figure out what is the best fit.  Even the lowest room categories have access to all of the restaurants and activities.  You won't have access to room service for free or have liquor in your minibar, but a bar is only a couple minutes away.  Some rooms are large with a separate sitting area and/or even your own private plunge pool and hot tub (sign me up!).    These rooms come with a butler who is there to help you secure the best loungers at the beach and pool (with a cooler of drinks waiting) and get you priority dining and spa reservations.  You barely have to lift a finger :)  Many couples choose to stay in these suites and villas as part of their destination wedding or honeymoon (contact me for more information about having  your wedding at Sandals).  

I also like Sandals because as part of their Sandals Foundation, they give back to the local communities where the resorts are located and encourage guests to participate in Pack for a Purpose.  This is a program (not limited to Sandals) where local agencies upload a wish list of items that guests can bring in their suitcase from home or  purchase locally.  COVID has impacted communities around the world and these donations are needed more than ever---the staff at Sandals Grande Antigua were very appreciative of the small items I brought.   If you are  a  shopper,  this gives you an opportunity to bring needed items from home and then gives you space for your new  purchases on the way home.  

I did leave the resort for a private tour, but Sandals has plenty to do on resort to keep you busy for days.  Each  location has a little different COVID precautions or restrictions in place---for Antigua, I was allowed to leave property with no additional testing or restrictions.  Everyone in the car (driver and passengers) had to wear masks and capacity was limited (a mini van now could hold 3  passengers for a tour).  I will  leave you  with  some beautiful island photos.  Please get in touch to plan your trip to Sandals (I have some exclusive promo codes for a limited time!).