SANDALS EMERALD BAY

This is the latest addition to the Sandals family....and is absolutely incredible.  It is located on Great Exuma island in the Bahamas, just a short plane ride from Miami.  The Exumas are in the southern part of the Bahamas, right where the Atlantic becomes the Caribbean.  This is also where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed.

I was fortunate enough to visit in early February and was thoroughly blown away by the quality of this resort...fabulous food, beautiful rooms with laaarge bathrooms, amazing beach and water, attentive service and great golf.

Sandals bought 500 acres of prime beachfront property and includes a Greg Norman-designed golf course.  The resort was previously the Four Seasons, but Sandals has added restaurants, their signature pool with swim-up bar, and many more amenities that are Sandals favorites. 

The beach is probably the best beach in Sandals chain.  Sugary, white sand stretches for a mile on a private beach and the water is a gorgeous blue...what the locals call "Exuma Blue".  This is a great location for scuba, snorkeling, kayaking, etc.

There is a 16,000 sq ft signature Sandals Redlane Spa with fitness center, his and hers plunge pools, and treatments galore.  Be ready to be pampered.

All rooms and suites are serviced by butlers, making this the first all-butler resort.  All accommodations have espresso coffee makers, flat-screen TV's, the traditional Sandals 4-poster beds, stocked bars and room service.  All face the ocean but the villa locations are all beachfront.

One nice thing about the staff...it is very international...I met employees from England, Ireland, Germany, Italy, India, Croatia and, of course, Great Exuma.

I highly recommend this resort but be aware it is not the traditional Sandals...it is more upscale but still has the Sandals flavor.  All meals are ala carte...order off the menu...and there are specialty event nights for your night-time enjoyment.

SANDALS WHITEHOUSE

This is the newest Sandals built from the ground up and has been open since Feb 10, 2005. I have stayed there three times and thoroughly enjoyed it each time.  It is fantastic.  There is an incredible beach and has the watersports to go with it.  And with 1400 beach and pool chairs, you never have to worry about finding a place to relax.  The beach is so large, there are plenty of places to lounge in privacy. 

The food is plentiful, but the best place for lunch and afternoon snacks is Bluefields, for great jerk chicken, burgers, etc.  It is on the beach at the French Village and offers great views of the water and sunsets.  The patisserie is very popular for those after-meal treats such as fresh-baked cookies, pies, torts and more.

In the evening you can enjoy the sing-along piano in the martini bar as well as special nights such as carnival, when the Montego Bay Boys and Girls Drum and Bugle Marching Band performs.  A real treat. 

Many people think the isolation of Whitehouse is a drawback.  Quite the contrary.  The 50 acres of resort offer plenty to do and it's a real pleasure to have over a mile of beach that is truly private.  For those wanting to explore outside the resort, there are lots of interesting excursions such as visiting the Appleton Rum Factory, going up river on a camera safari to 'hunt' crocodiles, climbing YS Falls, river rafting and tubing and the newest attraction...the Canopy Tour, where you 'tour' the jungle across the tree-tops on a cable as you cross streams, gullies and beautiful scenery.  One of the more unique excursions is a visit to the Pelican Bar, built on the reef a short ride from the Black River.  This is a must-see place and can easily be added to the Black River Crocodile Safari.  For