Lori Hahn

Sandals All-Inclusive Travel Agent Specialist

There are 17 Sandals Resorts across the Caribbean. They are located on 8 different islands: Jamaica, St. Lucia, Bahamas, Barbados, Antigua, Grenada, Curaçao, and St. Vincent.

Sandals All-Inclusive Resort in Antigua was one of the most relaxing trips I've taken. Everything you need is right there on the resort property which we took advantage of something different each day.

The first thing to do when you arrive is make all your dinner reservations. There are a variety of restaurants to choose from, Teppanyaki, TexMex, Sushi-Bar, Italian, fine dining and more! And as All-Inclusive resorts go, the drinks are endless and very tasty. Try a chocolate monkey or the Drink-of the-Day!

They have many swimming pools to choose from and if you like to partake in the scheduled activities, they have a variety of options throughout the day.
Pool Volleyball was one of my favorites. We met so many nice people there and had a blast. The pool also had a swim-up bar

There was a pool and spa right outside our building so if we wanted some quiet time during any part of the day, we could hang out right outside our room. We would often mellow out in the spa for a while before getting ready for dinner.

If you're not planning to be in the pool all day, you can enjoy a game of Chess at the giant chess board, take a walk along the beach, enjoy an adventure on a sailboat or go snorkeling. 
We did take an off site excursion on a Tuk Tuk Tour. We rode on a motorized cycle that held 4 passengers plus the driver. Our driver was very friendly and pointed out many interesting points on the island. He took us through many portions of the island and stopped at a couple of different beaches, where we enjoyed lunch and some tasty beverages.

The evenings were filled with a variety of entertainment. We listened to a steel drum band, some jazz by a saxophonist, and had sing-a-longs with the piano player in the piano bar. They had cultural dancers and live bands that got many guests up dancing.

If you just want to relax for the evening after a delicious dinner, there are comfy  lounging areas with a fire pit that brings a nice blend of warmth to balance the cool ocean breeze. 

By the time you leave here, you'll feel well rested!

Cayman Islands - Tropical Island Travel Specialist

Grand Cayman - The largest of the 3 Cayman islands but still only 22 miles long and 8 miles wide. We rented a car and drove around the island many times, seeing different things each day. It took a bit of getting used to driving in the left lane with the steering wheel on the right side of the car. We stayed on the NE end of the island at the Wyndham Reef Resort. We had a 1 bedroom suite on the 2nd floor with an absolutely gorgeous view. We had a gorgeous ocean view. There are a number of restaurants on site. You could eat inside or have every meal right on the beach under the Tiki Huts. There were 2 swimming pools, a hot tub and a large, wide open bar on the beach. A long white pier stretched out overlooking the reef where you could see the coral and fish through the crystal clear water. We snorkeled right there and around the pier and got to see a variety of fish, including an eel.Day 1: We went to the Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Garden and saw Blue Iguanas, known as the “Blue Dragon”, and a number of island wildlife and wild flowers. We stopped at Rum Point, located on the NW point of the island to schedule some excursions. It had a soft sandy beach and coral reefs for snorkeling and boardwalk paths that lead to all the colorful buildings where you could purchase food and tropical drinks. There were colorful picnic tables placed under the Casaurina trees (aka Whispering Pines or Weeping Willows). There were comfy lounge chairs to sit in the sun or shade and enjoy the beautiful turquoise water that surrounds the point. The long white pier stretched out far enough to reach deeper waters where you could get picked up or dropped off after a tour. It had the most perfect ambiance to spend the evening and watch the sunset.Day 2: Today was a waverunner tour through the Mangroves. Riding on the ocean at full speed, jumping 1-3 foot waves was a blast. Riding through the mangrove we were going at idle speed. The guide pointed out the various plant life, wildlife and large sand dollars on the ocean floor. One place we stopped had Starfish which we were able to pick them up and hold them. You could feel their little suction cups adhering to the skin on your hand. The next area was an opportunity to zip around on the ocean at full throttle, turn in circles, race the others and simply have some fun. After about 30 minutes, we continued on to a snorkeling location. We saw an Eagle Ray and many other types of fish.  After returning to Rum Point, we hung around  and saw a Lion Fish while snorkeling.We ended the evening at our resort, enjoying happy hour, ordered dinner and listened and danced to some lovely live music. Day 3: We started the day on a tour to “Stingray City”. A big sandbar out in the ocean. Historically, this is where fishermen used to clean the fish they caught. This create a feeding ground for the stingray. We got to hold them and feed them, it’s so cool!From there we were brought to Dolphin Cove where we got to interact directly with Dolphins. The director instructed the dolphins to perform different tricks with each of us. I was in heaven!  I would highly recommend this activity.After finishing here, we went to “Hell”. Yes, there’s a place here called Hell! This area is filled with sharp, pointy lava rock formations that, if you can imagine, look pretty Hellish. Our last stop for the day was 7-Mile Beach and named well. It was a beautiful day, calm breeze, clear skies and soft sand for as far as you could see. We spent the rest of the evening walking along the shore, checking out other posh resorts for when we come back and watched the sun as it descended below the horizon.Day 4: This was my 1st experience scuba diving. They offered a training class so we could dive the same day. What an amazing experience. We went diving in approx 20-30 feet of water. We saw an array of fish, coral and other sea creatures.Day 5: We spent today in Georgetown. We came to watch the Batabano Festival, held each year in early May. It’s a celebration for all people to gather and celebrate community spirit. They really showed off their spirit with this parade. There were guys on stilts, dancers, floats and a big truck blasting Soca music from their huge speakers. Everything in this town was so colorful!After the parade, we walked around, took some pictures and had dinner at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. On the way back we came upon some large crabs crossing the road. I was careful not to run them over.Day 6: We spent the day exploring the South Sound (SE part of the island). There were many scenic places where the waves crashed along the rocky shoreline. We found a huge blowhole and stopped for pictures. We discovered a most unusual tree. The "Shoetree". Find the story behind it online. We came to Smith Barcadere (cove), another beautiful white sandy beach protected by coral and limestone formations. Great for swimming and snorkeling.Day 7: If you're sad to leave, you know you've had a wonderful vacation! 

Cancun Mexico Travel Agent Specialist

Mexico has many popular places to visit. Whether you want to spend all your time  on a beach or exploring the places such as the Mayan Ruins in Chichen Itza, you've come to the right place.

Cancun - Are you're an avid beach goer by day and frequent dance clubs by night? If you're looking for this type of atmosphere, I may convince you to go to Cancun. The busiest season is generally in the Spring when Spring Break is in full force.

If you're looking for a quieter or more local experience, explore areas outside the Hotel Zone, such as downtown Cancun, Playa Mujeres, or Puerto Morelos.

I we here in October and loved it. There weren't any large, roudy crowds to be exposed to. The specific area we were in is known as the Zona Hotelera. It's a long stretch of beach with numerous resorts and night clubs which are all set back from the ocean so the beach area is plentiful. You’re right on the beach, yet close enough to walk to the El Centro area where there are even more night clubs like Playa Coco Bongo and Mandala, restaurants like Senior Frogs, Hooters and Monkey and many options for shopping.

The water is calm and refreshing. You can play in the sand all day and not have to worry about burning your feet because it's composed of microscopic plankton fossils and crushed coral so it doesn't get hot! 

We walked to the end of the beach to the Los Cubos de Forum are where the water is semi-shallow. We saw a number fish while snorkeling. It's a great place for beginners if you want to try it out. 

We rented a car and picked it up at the hotel next to ours. Then drove to Chichen Itza. We chose to drive ourselves so we could follow our own schedule rather than the tour bus schedule. Plus it saved a few bucks between 4 of us.
We also stopped in Valladolid, the same town that the bus had stopped for shopping and dining, only it was less crowded because we arrived after all the tour buses had left. We found a spectacular restaurant and didn't have to wait to get seated and we weren't rushed to do some shopping.

We found an wonderful restaurant, El Meson del Marques, with delicious food and the ambiance was amazing. It was right across from a park.

After returning the rental car, we walked into town again and watched some street entertainment. I look forward to making another trip to Cancun and having a whole new experience.

When you're ready to visit Cancun, I'll help you plan for your own amazing experience.

Here is 1 tip: If you do drive to Chichen Itza, be sure to have the exact amount for the Toll booth. There's no place around to get change for larger pesos and they'll tell you they can't give you change, which I'm sure they could but wouldn't.

Kaua'i - The Garden State Travel Agent Expert

Kaua'i - It's called "The Garden State" for a good reason. Many people would believe 5-7 days is enough to see everything but my husband and I were here for 10 days and we could have seen more had we stayed longer. Everything about this island made me not want to leave. We were there in mid April so it was a great time of the year, nothing was crowded.

What I love most about Kaua'i is, it's not commercialized. You won't find a McDonalds or any other fast food chain here and the food at the roadside vendor was yum yum yummy!. Kaua'i has a grand canyon too! It's called Waimea Canyon, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" and is just as beautiful as our very own Grand Canyon.

The Na Pali Coast is also a grand sight to see and is a popular backdrop in some Hollywood movies. We rode on a catamaran along the coast and one of the tour guides pointed out the site where 6 Days, 7 Nights was filmed. As we sailed along the coast, a school of Spinner Dolphins swam alongside us. The captain stopped so we could get pictures. I got an amazing picture of a dolphin jumping out of the water. We continued onto our destination where we were able to do some snorkeling. Unfortunately, I was a little seasick by then so I didn't get to snorkel much on this trip. On the trip back, we saw a beach that seemed to go for miles. It was all at Polihale State Park and Barking Sands Beach, over 5 miles long.\

Being seasick also kept me from eating lunch. So, when we got back to shore, we found a drug store and I picked up some real ginger-ale. It helped a lot and now I bring ginger with me on every trip.

We hiked to a number of waterfalls, Wailua and Opaekaa Falls are the most well known, but we saw many others while hiking, and some from a distance.

On another hike we did, just outside of Princeville, was to the Hanalei Valley Lookout and the Bayside Lookout. Such beautiful scenery and a great view of the bay from above! There was a bit of elevation change but very manageable and worth the energy. We also took a horseback ride out of Princeville. The trail we followed took us up to the Namolokama Peak and got a secondary viewing of Hanalei Bay, from a different perspective. One of our day trips was finding a beach. We always bring our snorkel gear with us in case there's an opportunity to see some sea life. Sure enough, we were snorkeling in some shallow water and came across an eel. At first , my husband thought it was a rubber toy. LOL Of course the camera was on the beach and we were about 30 ft out. My husband went to shore and got the camera while I watched the eel, hoping it wouldn't swim away before capturing a picture of it. He made back it just in time. The evening entertainment was phenomenal too? One of the nights we watched Fire dancers, they put on a great show. One of my favorite excursions was the kayak, zipline and waterfall tour. We started paddling a kayak down a river, used a rope swing to jump into a cold swimming hole, then climbed the platforms to begin the zipline portion of the tour. The last part was spent at a large waterfall where we could swim in the water below. There was a ladder, about 20' high, to climb up to the top of the waterfall and jump off the rocks near the waterfalls. What a great day that was.At the end of each adventurous day, we relaxed at the Islander on the Beach with an ocean view of the Waipouli Beach. To top off the trip, we rented a convertible to explore the island. Such a great trip!

Oahu Travel Agent Expert

TBA

Bora Bora Travel Agent Specialist

TBA