Sandals Grande Antigua

This was our fifth trip to Sandals and our second reunion week. Sandals does such a great job of rewarding repeat guests and this trip was no exception.

We arrived a couple of days before reunion week got started. Monday was the welcome parade. Tuesday was the Sandals Select dinner with managers cocktails. That was when we realized we were one day shy of our silver sandals. That will be our reward next year. 

After 35 nights paid, you are rewarded with silver sandals (I think they're plastic but the recognition is most important.) After 70 paid nights the reward is a free week. That will be a sweet day when we get there.

While we were there, there were several light rains. It was nothing too big and didn't spoil the trip in any way. Once we did have to duck into a pool cabana to keep dry. The rain never lasted longer than 15 minutes. 

Wednesday was the offsite excursion. Antigua by land and sea. The trip took us to this gorgeous beach. Apparently Antigua has more than 365 beaches. Nobody has been to them all, not even the Antiguans. (I asked.)

Thursday was the tree planting ceremony for Sandals Foundation. Friday was the final farewell party. The food at the party was spectacular and I wish we had known what was to be served. I'd also like to have known about some of the themed parties. They did the usual black and white but the last night was a retro party. I didn't have the right outfit packed for it.

Blue used this trip as an excuse to get PADI certified. He had to do 8 hours of online work at the hotel business center. Then there was pool work for about 5 hours on Monday. Then after that there were 4 dives over the course of 5 hours on Tuesday and Thursday. I used these days to my advantage at the spa. I used all my spa credit on massages. Now I need another massage!

There were tons of animals there. The resort kitties were well cared for and didn't seem to care about anything. Sampson and Delilah (the two parrots are both guys) would get annoyed at each other and squack loudly. They are adorable and approximately 35 years old. Since they live to about 80, I am sure to see them again. 

The final full day was Friday and we opted to rent a cabana for the day. It was fantastic. The cabana came stocked with drinks and furniture. We lounged, ate, drank, napped and got in and out of the pool all day. It was definitely worth the money. We missed the vow renewal because of the cabana. Next year, we will renew our vows because it's included in the reunion week activities. After all, at Sandals, all you need is love.

**P.S. I have not been compensated in any way for this post. I would recommend going back. Since I am such a huge fan of Sandals, I am going to research how I can be a travel agent for Sandals. I'm hopeful that I can earn extra discounts for selling. Sandals can be an expensive trip but you can trust me that it is worth the money.

*** P.S.S. The next post will be on the food at Sandals Grande Antigua.

Travel Tuesday

It's travel Tuesday and I am continuing the Australian adventure. The furthest north we drove was to Airlie Beach. It is south of Cairns by over 350 miles. While there, we went out on a boat past the Whit Sunday islands to The Great Barrier Reef. Here we dove of course and saw amazing fish in their natural habitat. There was a chance to go a second round, which I declined. When my husband went that second time, he saw a baby shark. I'm so glad I didn't go! I stayed near the top and snorkled which was tons of fun for me. Next up on Travel Tuesday is the Australia Zoo. Please stay tuned for Weight Loss Wednesday, where I will recap the 7 day cleanse.

Linking up with Helene In Between.

Travel Tuesday

Adventure is my middle name and I'm game for a variety of things. We took a 3 week trip to the east coast of Australia. It was an amazing trip. We dived at the Great Barrier Reef, an absolute must and we visited the Australia Zoo. This is the zoo started by Steve Irwin and before he passed away. We rented a camper van and cruised at our own pace including getting lost multiple times. Once, we were so lost that I had to get out of the car to look at the street signs. The walk signals make funny noises and everyone was friendly. The other campers would ask us, "how ya goin?" It's kinda like saying how's it going but it took us a moment to understand. Isn't that strange since we speak the same language? We have had many adventures and we plan to have more lined up for the future. Please stay tuned for weight loss Wednesday.

Ps...I thought I had more photos of Australia on my iPhone. Since I don't, I'll continue this next week with more photos.