Hello, friends! I’m straying a bit from my usual inspirational-type blogs to do something a little more fun! As you may have already read in an earlier blog here, my husband and I recently returned from a trip to an all-inclusive resort, Sandals Royal Bahamian. I wanted to share a few more details about our experience – the good (most of it), the bad (well, a little), and the ugly (mainly just consisting of sunburn and sickness). Below is my report for Day 2.
You can see Day 1 here.
DAY 2: Private Island Paradise
We slept in a bit the second morning…because we could! Unfortunately, I woke up with a major sore throat and just feeling a little puny. It would not bode well for the entire trip, but I tried really hard to be a trooper.
After getting ready, we headed down to Spices for the buffet breakfast. The food was plentiful and quite good. In fact, after sampling a couple of other breakfast options, we agreed that we wish we would have just eaten the buffet every morning. There were yummy options like breakfast potatoes, bacon, eggs, and link sausage (my favorite!), as well as fruits, cheeses, cold cuts, and a bar full of pastries. Drinks included juices, coffee, milk, and water. We did not leave hungry.
After changing into swim suits, we spent a little bit of time at the pool. Now, this resort had two main pools, one at each of the towers. The one at the Windsor Tower, which was just steps from our room, was considered the party pool because there were usually more people and they had musicians, bands, and canned music there pretty much all the time. This pool was also the one with things like volleyball and cornhole tournaments. So, yes, there was more noise. The pool at the Balmoral Tower was much quieter with far fewer people, and we spent most of our time there. We discovered, however, that the reason most people flocked to the “party pool” was not because of the party. It’s because it was a heated pool. (Meanwhile the quiet pool was colder than a snowman’s tush most of the time.) Well played, Sandals Royal Bahamian. Well played.
Scott and I aren’t really “lay out in the sun and do nothing all day” kind of people, so after about an hour or so, we got a little bored sitting by the pool, jumping in every so often to freeze ourselves, then countering by getting into the heated whirlpool. So we decided that today we would take the ferry to visit the Sandals private island. Yes, in addition to the beautiful, serene resort, there was a private island. We stood on the dock for what seemed like longer than it probably was for the ferry to pick us up. They were supposed to be there every hour on the hour, but of course, when you’re on island time, that could mean anywhere up to a quarter after or so. Let me say, however, that it was totally worth the wait.
When you first pull in on the ferry (which wasn’t easy since there were near gale-force winds blowing at the time), you see a beach full of people. The magic, however, is on the other side of the island, where there is hardly anyone. In between the two sides are a restaurant, bar and pool. We found the perfect place on the quiet beach under a cabana (where my lily white skin would be protected). I lounged there with a magazine on my lap and a cold beverage in my hand, listening to the ocean in what was probably the single greatest moment of the trip. Therefore, I highly recommend visiting the quiet side of the private island.
After a while in that personal paradise, we got up and ate lunch at the one restaurant on the island, Schooner’s. We ordered an appetizer of conch fritters, which were delicious, but not plentiful enough (would have ordered two if we’d known). Scott got a fresh fish sandwich that he said was one of the best meals he had the whole vacation, and I got a cheeseburger that was also quite good. After eating, we went to sit by a pool for a bit, remarking to each other about a couple of the men there at the pool who were lobster-like in color and would probably be hating life in the morning. (Unbeknownst to us, this observation was foretelling.)
We ended up spending about two hours altogether at the island and then I was ready to go back to the room and take one of those elusive naps again, especially since I still wasn’t feeling all that well. We didn’t have to wait for the ferry to go back, which I was glad of, and we enjoyed a nice, breezy ride back.
After a nap (yeah!), we cleaned up and got dressed for our dinner reservations at Kimono’s, the Japanese steakhouse. (This restaurant was the only one that required reservations when we were there, and we had made them as soon as we got to our building the previous day.) I LOVE Japanese hibachi. Yes, I know it’s rather kitchy and all, but I love the food and I still love the show, even though my favorite place in our city doesn’t do as much of the show anymore. Plus…best leftovers ever!
So, when I found out there was a Japanese place included in the trip, I knew we had to take advantage. It was fairly run-of-the-mill as far as hibachi places go, but our chef was oh, so entertaining! (Take note, Kanpai of Tokyo.) One difference also is that we only ordered our appetizer and our dessert. We got some of EVERY entree. So. Much. Food. Even for a Japanese hibachi restaurant.
My appetizer was sushi and my dessert was a delicious pineapple roll. I don’t remember what Scott’s appetizer was, but his dessert was some sort of pudding that he didn’t enjoy very much. In between those were the usual mounds of rice, stir fry vegetables (more than just zucchini and onions…but I prefer just zucchini and onions), and so many meats. Steak, chicken, shrimp, mahi mahi. It was the first time Scott had mahi mahi and now he has a new seafood option to add to his list when we are near the coast. We had a lot of fun with a couple from Scott’s work and four strangers who became acquaintances that night. One couple was from Germany. The chef kept offering extra food and saying, “No pressure.” They had no idea what that meant until someone told them. I love the world’s different cultures and sayings.
That night we decided to visit a piano bar where they held sing-a-longs every night. Being the singers we both are, we thought it would be fun, and most of Scott’s co-workers were there. The guy playing and singing was fantastically talented. I told Scott that I hoped they were paying him well because he was worth every penny. Good singer, good pianist, so funny. He could make a fortune in the U.S.
Oh, but I have to tell you that before we went over to the piano bar, we stopped at the Italian restaurant, Casanova’s, and picked up some to-go cannoli. Best cannoli I’ve had since the last time I visited a bakery in Boston. We never got to eat a meal there, but the dessert was right up there with the French desserts we had. Everyone else said the food was amazing as well.
This night ended up being the latest one for me, as far as being out and about, and being sick and all, I was pretty exhausted. So we collapsed into bed to dream until the next day…
She Who Has Believed 