Antigua - Beaches Galore!

From my Disney Southern Caribbean Cruise - 06 Oct 2014

Antigua will always hold a special place in my heart because back in 2000, it was the first Caribbean island I ever visited.  It's the place where I fell head over heals in love with the Caribbean and the island that started a 14 year love affair with this magical place of swaying palms, white sand beaches, and clear, turquoise water. It was also the first of five islands in five days on our Disney Southern Caribbean Cruise aboard the beautiful Disney Magic sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico.  My first time in Antigua was a one week stay at an all-inclusive resort so this would be my first time checking it out as a cruise port, to see what it has to offer cruisers. I already knew it had a lot to offer beach lovers!

My husband, Mike, and I on the Antigua pier

On board the Magic, we woke up at 6 am to watch our mighty ship pull into port. One of the hidden gems in cruising is watching the ship sail up to a new exotic island each morning.  For anyone who appreciates modern technology, it doesn't get any better than watching a ship that's as long as the Eiffel Tower, maneuver into a parallel parking space. The sun had just risen over Antigua when we got ourselves up to our preferred viewing deck, deck 10, with our delicious, included coffee.  At first the sun was behind a thick layer of clouds on the horizon but as we drew nearer to the island, the clouds opened up and the sun shone through as if heaven itself had opened up to welcome us.  It was a beautiful sight!

Heaven shining down on Antigua

The reason I have dubbed myself the Traveling Travel Agent is because I am committed to finding the best vacation spots for my clients and I have found in my experience that no amount of reading can compare to experiencing a place firsthand.  So in addition to my research on Antigua as a port of call, I arranged a tour of Sandals Grande Antigua. This sprawling tropical paradise has the honor of being awarded the "World's Most Romantic Resort" for the last 14 years and I wanted to see for myself if it measured up.  Oh boy, did it ever!  From drop-dead gorgeous views to sprawling tropical grounds to one of the nicest beaches in the Caribbean, this resort is a lovers paradise.

View from the lobby of Sandals Grande Antigua

My official property tour didn't start until 1:00 pm and we had arrived at 9:00 am so we had time to enjoy the property or more specifically, check out the beach! We changed into our swimsuits in beautiful changing rooms and headed for the water.  The beach took my breath away.  It was the whitest, softest sand I have seen anywhere and it was immaculate. The sand felt so soft and warm beneath my toes, it felt like heaven.  I would be remiss not to mention the color of the water.  The light blue green looked almost fluorescent has it shimmered back at us.  I could gaze out at its beauty forever if I had the time. The beauty of the Caribbean is food for my soul and even 10 days later as I write this, I still feel nourished.

One of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean

After a glorious swim, we worked up an appetite for a 2nd breakfast and headed to the buffet at the Bayside Restaurant. We enjoyed probably the best smoked cheese I have ever had and indulged in mimosas since after-all, it was all-inclusive!  There was still plenty of time before my property tour so we went back to the water to work off some of the food by way of another swim.  We then went back up to our lounge chairs to relax to the sound of the gentle waves.  I should note that there were vendors on the beach but they were not at all pushy and responded to our "No thank you's" with a "Have a great stay."  It was refreshing compared to some Caribbean beaches I have been to.

Bayside Restaurant

It was finally time for the property tour so we went back to the changing rooms to get dressed and met Marcia for our tour.  She was a gracious hostess just as the rest of the Sandals staff had been extremely friendly and accommodating.  She showed us a few rooms and walked the entire resort with us, giving us the highlights.  I won't bore you with every last detail but you can see my tour through pictures here.  My overall take-away from the tour is that this resort is indeed a place for romance.  I could feel the love in the air as we walked by couples enjoying their stay. From the beautifully manicured, tropical grounds to the picture perfect beach, the resort was made for couples in love.

Honeymoon Romeo & Juliet Suite's Over-sized Balcony

After the tour, we had a little more time before we had to get back to the ship.  We put our swimsuits back on and went to the swim-up bar at the largest pool in the Eastern Caribbean. After all, it would not be a proper property tour without testing the swim-up bar!  They passed.  They made us a delicious rum punch with Appleton Rum (only premium liquor is used and it's all included), and they didn't skimp on the rum. That's a good rum punch in my book! We sat at an underwater table and sipped our tropical drink while watching couples swim by, talking and laughing.  It was delightful and I was sorry our time there was about to end.  

Largest pool in the Eastern Caribbean

We had met the nicest taxi driver on the way to Sandals and had arranged for him to take us back to the ship. He was waiting for us outside the lobby and took us back as planned. His name was Cutty with Jus Nice Taxi and he was great! I left my camera in his van and when my husband went back for it, he was waiting for us so he could return it. We slowly walked back to the ship, enjoying the walk and the scenery. The shops were colorful and inviting.  Once back at the pier, I experienced a peacefulness I have not know before. The way the light was shining on the bay and the calmness of the water gave me such a sense of well-being.  It was almost miraculous the way lighting like that could have such an peaceful effect on me.

Colorful shops at the Cruise Port

Overall, it was an amazing day and I couldn't have asked for more.  With 365 beaches to choose from, Antigua is a terrific cruise port for the beach lovers out there. To get to the beach, its easy to hop into one of the many waiting taxi's at the cruise port. For history buffs, there is something for you too. Nelson's Dockyard and Shirley Heights are historic sights giving you insight into the islands British history. Sandals Grande Antigua is an amazing place to spend a week in luxury with the one you love. A great option for couples cruising is a day pass at Sandals Grande Antigua. There you have it, my day in Antigua and my findings!

Sailing away from Antigua

Click here for more pictures from my adventure in Antigua!

I hope you have enjoyed reading my entry from this Traveling Travel Agent's travels.  I am a travel agent because I love to travel and I love helping other people travel! Through strategic partnerships, I offer my clients preferred rates, complimentary upgrades and extra amenities like wine or shipboard credit. If you would like to receive weekly travel offers from my agency, Purple Palm Vacations, please sign up for our Exclusive Travel Specials.

Happy Travels!

Old San Juan - Charming & Delightful

From my Disney Southern Caribbean Cruise - 04 Oct 2014

From the moment Disney Cruise Line announced they would be sailing out of San Juan for the first time for Southern Caribbean Cruise Sailings, I knew I needed to be on one of these voyages.  I had never sailed the Southern Caribbean before and I have long desired to visit Puerto Rico.  I also knew Disney would do it right.  They didn't disappoint!

My husband, Mike, and I left Denver at 10:37 am with a 2 hour layover at JFK. After a long day of travel, we finally began to approach San Juan.  I was a mixture of tired and excited as I saw the city skyline lit up in the darkness and noted it was bigger than I expected. Suddenly into my head popped, "I love San Juan."  I had barely just met her and wondered where that thought came from and if it might prove to be prophetic. A minute later we landed and the passengers erupted into an enthusiastic applause. The landing was nothing spectacular so I wondered if this was tradition. If so, what a nice way to thank the pilot for a safe trip.

We landed a half hour early at 10:30 pm and I was still full of energy despite the over 10 hours of travel. I am a born explorer and nothing gets my juices running like discovering a new destination. We easily found our luggage at baggage claim and I noted how nice it was not to go through customs since Puerto Rico is a US territory. The taxi stand was as easy to find as the luggage and we hired a driver for a fixed rate of $19 to take us both to the Sheraton Old San Juan. Driving on the wide multi-lane highway, it was hard to tell we had left the US.

Sheraton Old San Juan

At the Sheraton Old San Juan, the hotel clerk at the front desk was very friendly and my late night enthusiasm was rewarded with a free upgrade to a partial view ocean view room. We were very pleased (we had also gotten upgraded on the first leg of our flight, things were looking good!) and headed up to our room.  It was getting late by this time but I knew I was too excited to finally be in Puerto Rico to even think about sleeping. 

We decided to go outside and walk along the water which was just across the street from our hotel. After crossing the street we found El Malecon, the waterfront boardwalk, and walked east along it. It was wide, well-lit and felt very safe. The night was lovely, with a bright half moon shining on the water and couples enjoying their love and the night, just as we were. Both Mike and I were very impressed with the boardwalk. We followed it until the end and then turned around and went the other way a little beyond our hotel. I finally felt I could get to sleep so we turned in for the night.

The colorful shops of Old San Juan

I sprung out of bed at 6:15 am the next morning and hopped on my computer to finish up the work I needed to get done now that we had wifi. We then went downstairs and checked our bags to be stored while we explored Old San Juan before our cruise. We asked the attendant where a good place for breakfast would be and he pointed us to La Mallorca. We headed out for our first glimpse of Old San Juan in the daylight and I was charmed and delighted with boldly colored shops lining narrow cobblestone streets.

Hacienda Isabella

We failed to find La Mallorca but found a charming little coffee shop called Hacienda Isabella instead.  We walked into a small, well decorated, cheerful coffee shop and were greeted by its friendly owner, who's pride for his business shown through his hospitality. He invited us to sit anywhere we liked and offered us free mimosas and we happily accepted! We ordered lattes and breakfast and I decided to try the local pastry for which our first place was named, mallorca.  It proved to be delicious and was similar to a donut but sliced with butter and not quite as sweet. We had a delightful time at this quaint local coffee shop and even bought some of their locally grown coffee before we left, which turned out to be delicious!

At breakfast we had studied the map of Old San Juan and I realized that all of it was walkable. This pleased me because that meant we could walk to the famous fort I see in all of the pictures of San Juan.  We chose the San Felipe del Morro, or El Morro for short, out of the 3 on the map because it looked the biggest and most important. We were right!  El Morro was impressive on so many different levels. Literally, it is 6 levels of a military engineering masterpiece that has stood proud from the 1500's to the present.  The fort is massive but intricate and very well preserved.

One of many cannons at El Morro

A sign inside the fort says, "Castillo San Felipe del Morro has stood watch over San Juan harbor since 1539.  To pass through these gates is to step into the past."  To me that sums up the feeling I had as I explored the massive fort built by Spain to protect San Juan Bay's deep harbor from attack by sea.  It protected Spain's access to New World wealth for almost 300 years and I could almost see the generations of soldiers standing guard at the cannons and walking the labyrinth as part of their daily lives. It was enriching yet hot!  Had it not been for the extreme heat and humidity, I could have wandered for hours more.  As it was, I was a pool of sweat and the cruise ship's pool was sounding very refreshing.

We left the fort via the back and found a beautiful trail along the ocean offering both views of the sea and the outside of El Morro. The outside gave us a better appreciation of just how tall the walls really were.  We walked back to our hotel and enjoyed more colorful buildings and the blue adoquine stones that paved the streets. We picked up a bottle of Don Q rum for the cruise then picked up our luggage at the hotel and grabbed a taxi.  It was cruising time!  Our taxi driver was the kind I love, very animated and full of stories.  There is no better way to know a destination than to listen to the stories of the local people in my humble opinion.  Our much anticipated Southern Caribbean Cruise aboard the beautiful Disney Magic was about to begin.  Stay tuned to see how it turned out!

The beautiful Disney Magic

Click here for more pictures from my Puerto Rican adventure!

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my entry from this Traveling Travel Agent's travels.  I am a travel agent because I love to travel and I love helping other people discover our big beautiful world! Through strategic partnerships, I offer my clients preferred rates, complimentary upgrades and extra amenities. If you would like to receive weekly travel specials from my agency, Purple Palm Vacations, please sign up for our Exclusive Travel Specials.

Happy Travels!

County Wicklow Ireland - Picture Perfect

From my Ireland Vacation in May 2010

Selfie in County Wicklow

After taking an "easy" day yesterday and only walking 7 miles, I was quite relieved to be transported by bus for a tour of the famed Wicklow Mountains.  I had signed up to do a tour of the largest castle in Ireland, Trim Castle, but that tour was canceled since I was the only one booked on the tour.  I'll take just about whatever comes at me while on vacation though because I figure its all bonus anyway, so I didn't let the change in plans phase me.  Besides, no matter what tour I was on, I would have a tour guide talking all day long with that great Irish accent and I still couldn't get enough of it! Our guide, Martin, did indeed have a lovely accent and was packed full of information, from what various names meant in Irish (for example: Wicklow in Irish literally means toothless church) to different movie locations that we passed on our journey. 

Guinness Lake

The Wicklow Mountains are 420 million years old, therefore, they are rounded and look more like big hills (at least, to someone who lives with the mighty Rocky Mountains as a daily backdrop).  They are covered with heather which is a grey brown when not in bloom so they are not nearly as green as I had expected. Apparently when the heather is in full bloom, it is purple which I imagine would be beautiful. We stopped to look at Guinness Lake which looked just like a glass of Guinness with its dark water and tan sand at the top.  The Irish do indeed love their Guinness and even nature cooperates!

After a lunch stop at a pub featured in the movie Leap Year, we came upon the main event, Glendalough, which is an early medieval monastery founded in the 7th century by hermit priest St Kevin. Situated in a magical location between Upper Lake and Lower Lake, the Irish name Gleann Dá Loch appropriately means Glen of Two Lakes. Glendalough lived up to the hype in my mind because it was absolutely beautiful with countless shades of green shimmering in the sunlight and a peaceful feel like few others.   

Trail between the lakes

We had an hour and a half to walk around to hike the many trails around the two lakes.  A beautifully green and lush trail led me from the Lower Lake to the Upper Lake.  The trees created a lovely canopy above me and my views were breathtaking with the sunshine creeping in where it could.

Once to the Upper Lake, I chose to take another trail, again with completely beautiful scenes to overwhelm my senses, to the Poulanass Waterfall.  I am always a sucker for a good waterfall. 

Stairs to Poulanass waterfall

Unfortunately, the rain totals were down for the year so it was much smaller than usual.  It was still nice and the hike beyond the waterfall was wonderful.  There were two different streams that fed into the waterfall and I was able to get close to them, throw in sticks and watch the sticks pick a path and flow away.  It was very therapeutic, and for me a nature bonding experience with the wonderful country of Ireland.  The trails, the lakes, and all of those shades of green captivated me so much that I never made it to the monastery itself!

The Upper Lake

View of Monastery

Upon return to Dublin, my husband and I went in search of more good live Irish music.  After a delicious dinner of Fish & Chips and some souvenir shopping, we found our music at Gogartys.  It was cleverly hidden upstairs so we never would have known about it had I not asked.  We went upstairs to a small quaint, well lit bar with seats available (which rarely happens when a good band is playing).  There were two men, one playing guitar and one playing the flute.  With the flute in the mix, the music was softer than what we'd heard during our past evenings.  We still enjoyed the traditional Irish music so we sat down and ordered dessert, an Irish coffee.  Half way through our Irish coffee, the fiddle player showed up and the band got really good.  As soon as the fiddle started, people started clapping and the music became the lively toe stomping music we had become accustomed to.  When it was time for a break, one member would get up and leave while the other two played on, thus never leaving us without live music.  The beers were flowing, both in the crowd and the band, and everyone had more and more fun as the night went on.  Our newly met friend from Toronto was clapping enthusiastically to the beat of the music, our waiter from Brazil was smiling at every turn, and the band kept downing the beers and playing great music.  No one in that pub had a care in the world including me and I knew this was a night I would hold in my heart forever.  I love these travel moments that I know I will always look back on with a smile!

I hope you have enjoyed reading my entry from this Traveling Travel Agent's travels!  I am a travel agent because I love to travel and I love helping other people travel! Through strategic partnerships, I offer my clients preferred rates, complimentary upgrades and extra amenities like wine or shipboard credit. If you would like to receive travel offers from my agency, Purple Palm Vacations, please sign up for our Exclusive Travel Specials.

And please add comments from your own travels in this big beautiful world!