Having a blast in Barbados!

I am so appreciative when clients take the time to send me detailed feedback about their vacation — especially when it includes pictures of them enjoying themselves!  Chris and Christina obviously had an amazing honeymoon at the brand-new Couples Barbados, and I’m so glad to have helped to make it happen.

Dear Ann,

First of all, I apologize for my very delayed reply about the details of our trip!  I’ll start with our travels – flight/transfers/airport pick up.  Flight down to Miami was pretty typical (sadly no upgrades to first class by being honeymooners – haha!), and the layover was fine.  We did have a slight hiccup in our plane that had to take a “pit stop” in Puerto Rico to check on the engine.  Even though we were anxious to get to the island, we were at least better safe than sorry!

Once we arrived in Barbados, everything went flawlessly.  Thank you for the detailed itinerary!  We met our Couples Barbados representatives after retrieving our bags and had a pleasant ride over to the resort, courtesy of our friendly driver.  Barbadians are the friendliest people!

Christina 5

The resort was perfection.  The lobby was coastal-inspired and luxurious.  The facilities were clean, modern, and comfortable.  The walks between the buildings offered lush greenery and tropical flowers (and lots of palm trees – my favorite!).  Our room was unreal.  We had the most perfect lookout spot – a view of the main pool area and beach right in front of us.  It felt really private, too, even with rooms on either side of us.

Poolside relaxation

What a view!

What a view!

Multiple couples we talked to during our stay had been to Couples Resorts in Jamaica.  Each couple thought this new Couples Barbados Resort surpassed them all!  These opinions just made us feel all the more grateful!

Our first night, the resort offered a manager’s welcome cocktail hour and a beach BBQ for dinner.  Both offered amazing food!  Just the beginning of weeklong “good eats!”  Chris and I never tired of the food options.  The three restaurants offered a variety of options and changed their menu choices frequently.  One advice for future travelers: bring a few nice outfits and, specifically for guys, bring a couple of dress pants.  One of the restaurants, the Dover, had a dress code requiring nice shoes, long pants, and classy dresses.  Your other clients that had written about their experiences with the restaurants were helpful with our planning (reservations, types of food options, opening hours, etc.).  I would definitely include that information for future travelers, as well.  The service at the restaurants was wonderful, too – we always had a full glass of wine!

Christina 13

We loved the swim-up pool bar and beach waiter service.  To only have to stick a flag in the sand to get free drinks??  Yes, please.  We also took advantage of the room service and had breakfast delivered one morning.

Another drink, please :)

Another drink, please 🙂

Like the other couple before us, we also took advantage of the private dinner on the beach.  The extra money for this was definitely worth it!  What other time in your life can you have a personal waiter serve you food under the stars?  I would highly suggest the experience.  We signed up for this night (and other excursions) through the front desk.  When you sign up, you choose the menu you’ll have for the night.

Romantic dinner on the beach.

Romantic dinner on the beach.

We also (thanks to your advice!) brought a copy of our marriage license and were able to receive a free honeymooners’ “couples massage.”  This was just an awesome perk – I’ve always wanted to try something like that!

One of my favorite nights was a resort “event night” on the beach.  The staff set up an outdoor movie night under the stars – with popcorn, drinks, and comforters spread out on doubled-up beach chairs (a make-shift bed/sofa)!  It was such a cute idea – so fun and romantic.

Excursions!  So many to choose from – it made me wish we had scheduled three weeks on the island!  Our first excursion was a combination tour of Harrison’s Cave and a wildlife reserve.  Both were incredible!  The cave was massive.  I would have never thought we could be taken on a trolley into the depths of a cave.  It was also very informational about the geological and geographical make-up of the island.  Following the cave we were able to feed monkeys, pet turtles, and observe many other wildlife animals in the reserve.  Overall, the excursion was a great one.

Harrison's Cave

Harrison’s Cave

 

Monkeys!

Monkeys!

We also went on the included catamaran sunset cruise.  The crew was HILARIOUS.  That alone makes this excursion one you don’t want to miss out on!  Each crewmember was just having a blast – dancing to music, making jokes, getting others to join in a dance party.  Then of course, we saw a number of sea turtles!  Snorkeling with the turtles in the tropical waters was a definite highlight – just don’t forget a waterproof camera!

Catamaran sail

Catamaran sail

Everyone we ran into kept raving about Oistins on Friday night, so we obviously didn’t miss out on this event, either.  We tried some local swordfish and watched some great local dancing on a large stage.  The whole night was really entertaining and gave us a feel of Barbadian life.

Our final excursion was zip lining through a gully with two comical guides.  Chris and I had a personal tour through the gully – no one else joined us on the day of!  This made the zip lining all the more fun – no waiting in lines!  And we have some fabulous pictures and videos from the experience.  A perfect place to cross zip lining off the bucket list!

Ziplining fun

Ziplining fun

The only downer I can think of: the shower didn’t stay at the temperature we wanted; most of the time, it just had a mind of its own!

Other wonderful aspects about Couples Barbados:

– Yoga was offered every morning in a beautiful open pergola

– A fitness center, exercise classes, and tennis courts were available (with tennis lessons offered!)

–  People often played games on the beach (football/soccer, cricket, volleyball, etc.) – these were open to everyone

– A variety of entertainment was offered every night – with very talented performers!

– Rocking swings and hammocks were scattered around the property – just fun and relaxing perks!

– Pool and ping pong tables were available in the main lounge area

– Again – just a great staff of people that were incredibly gracious and fun to see every day

Overall, our whole honeymoon could not have been better.  Travelers will not be disappointed here!  For us – nothing could beat the atmosphere of the resort, the service, the people, the excursions, the beautiful scenery, the amazing weather, and, for me, my handsome husband (he’s not included for other travelers! Ha ha!). 

So thank you again, Ann!  We feel so blessed to have gone to Barbados – and to this newly opened resort! – for our honeymoon.  We are so grateful that you found this perfect spot for us!

I’ve already recommended you to a number of other friends of ours looking to plan trips!

Thank you again!!!

Chris and Christina

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You provided excellent guidance for us. I appreciated that you really had us think about what was most important to us when we were selecting the right cruise – and not to totally focus on what other people had to say. THANK YOU for helping to make this a memorable trip for our family! It really was a trip of a lifetime!

Clare and Mark (family cruise to Alaska)

The level of service we experienced was out of this world (and we did NOT make it easy on Ann). We weren’t quite sure where we wanted to go, when we would be able to go, or what “vibe” we were going for. After asking us some key questions (what we liked, didn’t like, why, etc.) Ann helped us narrow down our trip details and planned the honeymoon of our dreams. She helped book some of our excursions, answered some emergency questions while abroad and was always available/willing to help. I think it’s safe to say we won’t be using anyone else for future travel planning – Ann is a rockstar!

Carli (Italy and Spain)