You’ve narrowed down your trip to the Bahamas, but you can’t pick which resort will be right for you. Let your Certified Sandals Specialist help guide the way! My husband and I just returned from an amazing trip to both the Bahamian resorts, so we were able to experience the best of both worlds. One thing I love about the Sandals brand is that each resort is unique from the next, so there is something great to discover at each one. I can say with firsthand experience that even those on the same islands have vastly different characteristics compared to its counterpart down the road.
On this trip, we started at the newly reimagined Royal Bahamian in Nassau and the renovations were stunning! There were tons of new swim-up suites, the centrally located Coconut Grove with food trucks, and an amazing off-shore island. The main part of the resort has two large pools, one of which always has some kind of activity going on, like volleyball games or trivia. If you want to get away to a more relaxing area, its off-shore island tends to be a little more serene than the main resort. It has cozy spots to relax scattered about the island, both in and out of the sun, which we loved. Red Lane spa even has cabanas on the island for your nice relaxing massage with the sound of the water lapping the shore. Naturally, we were drawn to this, but the main resort keeps the party going all day and night. Once sunset hits, the sand turns into a dance club and the Conga line and Cupid Shuffle are quick to follow with colored strobe lights bouncing all around. There is so much fun to be had at this resort and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a quick getaway from the States, especially with a group of friends. While it still has its quiet areas, this would be the perfect spot for a group to get away and be well entertained. If you are more of a city person also, this might be your resort as it is smaller, but still on the main island of the Bahamas so you still hear the noise of the city beyond the resort property. I am especially cognizant of this when we travel which is why I would recommend this for groups of people looking to hang out as opposed to a honeymoon.
After spending several days there, we hopped over to Emerald Bay which is in the Exumas. We found our paradise here! We are personally big fans of the resorts that have a longer beach and lush landscaping which truly give that feeling of escaping the world and relaxing on a tropical island. If that sounds more like what you and your significant other are after, then this is your resort! Our room had a balcony where we ate breakfast almost every morning admiring the sparkling turquoise water. The resort is sprawling and a lot more serene than Royal Bahamian. The beach is so large that chaise lounges are spread out side-to-side about twenty feet apart, with no chairs in front of you at all providing an uninterrupted view of the water. This resort also has an award-winning golf course with stunning views, but without the Pebble Beach price tag. While there are still activities at this resort, they are not as in your face as some of the other resorts, so it takes some proactiveness to take advantage of them. There are several pools scattered throughout the property as well. There are two larger pools that serve as the main pools. The pool located near the main lobby building is certainly the more active pool, but seemingly more docile than Royal Bahamian. It had an expansive sun shelf where we spent quite a bit of time soaking up the rays with a tropical drink in hand. And, fittingly, the other larger pool is the quiet pool. It’s so quiet, the bar there does not even make frozen drinks for the sole purpose of not disrupting the peace. Now I will say that Emerald Bay Resort as a whole seems to be a little bit more outdated than Royal, but if the beach and relaxation are what you are after, I would still recommend this one, especially for a romantic getaway.
Although not part of the resort, the excursion to swim with the pigs definitely helped draw us to Emerald Bay as well. This was one of the coolest excursions we have ever done. We were able to not only swim with wild pigs, but we also got to feed them! And on top of that, there were wild stingrays swimming around us the entire time and we were able to “pet” them and hold one. (I know this sounds dangerous, but they were clearly used to people and had no intention of hurting anyone.) The final wildlife island was filled with rock iguanas where we were able to hang out and feed them also. For the remainder of the excursion, you are boating throughout the crystal-clear waters of the Exumas and it was incredible!
Overall, the Bahamas would certainly be my pick for a quick, fun-filled trip to the islands as it is such a quick flight to the U.S. If you want more in-depth information about these resorts or many of the others I have visited, please reach out and let me help you plan the perfect tropical getaway for you!
