Click on the Images to view the Photo Album.
I think if they put a wooden shack up on this site, the newest property in the Sandals chain, it would have been enough. Well perhaps that's an exaggeration but truth be told, it is really quite hard not to break out into a wide grin when you pass through the absolutely gorgeous lobby, stroll past the massive signature pool (measuring a whopping half an acre!) and venture onto the white sandy beaches and into the turquoise waters that border this resort. I mean seriously, notwithstanding whatever realities await you back home, the mere fact that you could find yourself in this place means that something, somewhere must be A-Ok in your life.
It was an unseasonably chilly weekend when I took the 90 minute flight from Fort Lauderdale airport to Exuma International - the dot of an airport that awaits you in the Exumas. The airport itself is beyond quaint and having passed through the roughly 400 sq feet that took me from arrivals to immigration and on through baggage claim and customs. I was immediately whisked off to Sandals Emerald Bay.
It is remarkable to think that this homegrown, Caribbean brand has taken over a property that no lesser than 'the' Four Seasons had tried and failed to make a success since opening their doors in 2004. So what precisely is "wrong" with the property one might ask? With something like US$15 Million spent in renovations since they took over in November 2009, exactly nothing as far as my eyes could see. From the beautiful, exquisitely appointed lobby, to the charming , cozy and authentic English Pub (playfully named The Drunken Duck) which was built, disassembled and transported from the UK.....and then reassembled by the same crew that built it on site... little or no expense has been spared in getting this property Sandals-ized. There are 5 dining options from the chi-chi Italian cuisine of Il Cielo to the tasty wood-fired oven pizza of Dino's Pizzeria, and with 24/7 room service available via your trusty butler cell, going hungry or thirsty is never an issue.
I can well imagine some arrogant Four Seasons stalwarts indignant that this property is now part of the chain who's tagline boasts "luxury-included" but the truth is from the attentive butlers (the entire res
ort is butler only), to the charismatic maitre'd at the signature Il Cielo (he's extremely personable and very very good) restaurant to a decor that boasts muted colours, luxurious woods and finishes and incredibly comfortable beds they really have spared little expense in the decor and outfitting. Even the carefully manicured grounds attest to the care and attention that are paid to the 'little details'.So while you could theoretically, luxuriate in your room or sit by any of the 3-4 pools scattered around the property (including the "quiet pool" - perfect if you have a particularly garrulous plus 1) being waited on hand and foot by your personal butler -- the sheer beauty of the location DEMANDS that you get out and about.... I took an Island Routes speedboat tour around the Exumas which was great fun. I am really not one for 'structured outings' but the father and son crew were extremely personable and I quite enjoyed my tour-cum Bahamas history lesson! At one point it was truly heroic when he leapt off the boat and re-emerged with a gorgeous starfish in his hands.......he seemed to ignore me when I suggested he do the same with the sting ray that was swimming nearby however...go figure! Quite remarkable was the fact that you could actually, in a depth over his standing height, see all the way down to the bottom of the ocean floor well enough to recognize a starfish.
I must say I never thought I could be impressed by coconut trees. While many of us scratch our heads about what the future holds in these uncertain economic times, we ventured upon an island whose sole purpose is to grow coconut trees for the well-heeled who will be building their palatial (Exuma) getaway homes on yet another island; and I thought that ordering that fancy Sake at Sushi Samba was over-indulgent! These 'economically challenged' souls had apparently 'pooled' their resources to purchase the Coconut Tree island and then had these trees brought in and planted.....next I will hear that the coconut water is being sold as 'organic'!
As beautiful a property as this is, I was taken aback by the golf course. Aside from being picture perfect it is simply NOT for the faint of heart. I am not a particularly good golfer except for the sw
ing at the tee box -- I am REALLY quite good at that...(that "particularly" is really taking liberties...LOL but hey).....anyway....this course is beautiful but it's also amusing in a cynical way. I mean no offense to Greg Norman but I would pay to watch him play this course and get par. Not only are some of the holes incredibly long but when you factor in the wind and the size of the various landing areas you would have to walk with about a case of balls just to finish a round (I played 9 holes - trust me) ; I suppose if you're selling balls in the gift shop this is not such a terrible downside . I could really see myself getting hooked on the course though....I mean the back nine was stunning...the vistas, and depending on the tide, time of day and the wind watching the spray drift across the course as the ocean crashes into the rocks below...priceless.
Anyway I should really end the way I should have started.....look at the photos.....Enough said.
(Click on any of the photos to view the photo album.)
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