A year ago I was in Turks & Caicos, the unspoiled Caribbean!

Hello!
I’ve just returned from the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos where I received my annual certification for my “Certified Sandals Specialist” training and had the opportunity to visit three resorts and see the new and exciting updates at each. The trip was so fantastic that I couldn’t wait to tell you all about it!

Pristine beaches of Sandals Great Exuma

Our first stop was the beautiful island of Great Exuma.  There are 365 Keys; one for each day of the year.  It was here that I saw the brand new All Butler Suites at Sandals Emerald Bay.  I now know why it’s called Emerald Bay!  The water was like nothing I’ve ever seen before!  It was like it was electric; the most incredible hues of green and turquoise blue I’d ever seen before.  This resort is a gorgeous property that is a private exotic hideaway set on over a half mile of pristine white sand beaches.  The awesome ocean views from the butler suites are only to be described as breathtaking!  And did I mention this was an ALL BUTLER property?  That’s right! When I asked Simon how I could explain to my clients what a butler does for them he said, “Anything as long as it’s legal and humanly possible!”  So from unpacking your luggage to making your tee times to drawing you a romantic bubble bath complete with rose petals and chilled Champaign, they are truly the way to go if looking for the ultimate pampering experience.

Personalized Butler Service!

For those of you who golf, or know someone that does, the 18 hole Greg Norman designed golf course that is on the property is just waiting to be played.  Not a golfer? Well how about a spa service at our Red Lane Spa?  It’s the largest in the resort chain, encompassing two stories and 29,000 square feet!

Golfing in the Exumas

The next stop was a short 58 minute airplane ride to the family friendly Beaches Turks & Caicos. I was greeted by our friends at Sesame Street with their nightly parade!  Elmo, Zoe, Abby Cadabby, Bert & Ernie and the most recent member to join in the Caribbean fun, Big Bird, were there!  With their lively music, smiles and interaction both kids and kids at heart, it was a super fun way to begin my adventure in Turks.  This beach paradise, which is surrounded by crystal clear blue water, has spectacular views. There were three sections to the resort; I stayed in the Caribbean Village but there was also the very pristine French Village and recently built, Italian Village.  With the variety of rooms, there is a room category that will appeal to everyone.  In addition to the 16 restaurants on this resort, selecting where I was going to eat was definitely a challenge!   I had to make a conscious effort to stay away from my weakness, Café de Paris, a specialty salon that is filled with a variety of freshly baked mouth watering pastries, espressos and cappuccinos!

View from our room at Beaches Turks & Caicos

I also got to see the newest children’s program at Beaches called, “Night Night, Sleep Tight”.  This is the ultimate experience for the child to get tucked in by their favorite Sesame Street character and make their wishes come true, even before their head touches the pillow. Package includes 15 minutes of personalized time with a Sesame Character, some bedtime stretches, reading a story, and singing a lullaby before tucking them in for the evening.  

Night Night, Sleep Tight!

I was in meetings most of the day, so I didn’t have the opportunity to swim in large pools at Pirate’s Island Water Park with the swim-up pool bar where a tropical beverage is always waiting, but I did get to enjoy a leisurely walk down the pretty white sand beaches.  It was here I saw a variety of sea shells and birds flying in the baby blue clear skies.

Pirate's Island Water Park at Beaches Turks & Caicos

The last stop on my tour was in the Bahamas at The Royal Bahamian Sandals. This beach paradise, which is surrounded by crystal clear blue water even has its own private island, Sandals Cay!  Of all the room categories I saw here, the walk out beach front concierge room was my favorite, but with only seven of them on property, I can imagine they book up early!  They are in close proximity to not only the beach, but also the very popular pizzeria, pool and beach bar.  The highest room categories, the Royal Windsor Butler Suites even enjoy private nonstop airport transfers via a Rolls Royce or Mercedes Benz!  We took a short ferry ride over to Sandals Cay where an amazing lunch buffet complete with lobster tail was waiting for us.  The Bohemian music played and you could barely help yourself from dancing from station to buffet station!  The music gets into your soul, I’m telling you!  From there, we were surprised by musical talent, sheik dancers and the very captivating fire-limbo!  Just 12 inches off the ground with a limbo stick on fire, he brought new meaning to the question, “How low can you go?”

Please feel free to contact me with questions or visit our fan page on facebook to see more pictures from my trip!  With exceptional quality, excellent service and proven reliability, I hope that you will consider one of these properties for your next vacation. But remember, the Internet is for LOOKING and your Travel Specialist is for BOOKING!

Jennifer Maki

DIVINE Destinations
Jennifer@4divinedeals.com
www.4divinedeals.com
218/348-2825

Welcome!

My name is, Jennifer Maki, and I am a Vacation Specialist at Divine Destinations.  I was bitten by the travel bug at a young age and therefore have turned the love of travel into an exciting and rewarding career!  I have three young children and a husband of 12 years.  We've made our home in Northern Minnesota, therefore, traveling to opposite climates where the breezes are warm and the drinks are frosty have been my pleasure and therefore, my passion.  I hope to share our travels here along with sporadic tips and tricks for successful traveling!  Feel free to follow, share and of course, reply as often as you'd like.  I look forward to hearing from you and sharing many more blogs from here!

Ciao!