This summer, for our 10 year anniversary, we took a trip to the Bahamas to celebrate. We were up for an adventure, and just wanted to go somewhere fun. The parameters we gave our travel agent were that we wanted somewhere that was adults only all-inclusive, somewhere that was easy to fly to, and somewhere that was a quick transport from the airport. After some discussion, we decided to go to the Sandals Royal Bahamian resort in Nassau, Bahamas. Since our trip, I’ve gotten many questions, so I wanted to put together a review and travel guide.
Bahamas Travel Guide: Sandals Royal Bahamian
The Sandals Royal Bahamian was a fairly easy trip for us from Lexington, Kentucky. We flew out of LEX, had a connection in ATL, and landed at NAS. Sandals has a reception area at the airport, so we waited there for transportation on a shuttle bus that was arranged for by Sandals. The resort is only 15 minutes from the airport, which is amazing–we went to Sandals in Ocho Rios for our honeymoon and neither of us were fans of how far it was from the airport.
When we were booking, we decided that we wanted to be close to everything, so we booked in the Balmoral building, which is one of the tow main buildings. There are also small buildings with lodging further back. Our room was a Balmoral Honeymoon Oceanview Club Level Room. Club level entitles you to room service and help booking dinner reservations. It was a decent size, and had a separate area to get ready outside the bathroom, along with a closet.
I’ve had some questions about pricing. We booked the week before our trip, and was able to take advantage of a big sale they had going on–it was a substantial discount.
The resort was beautiful. The beach was good-sized right outside of our building, but Sandals also has an island that you can travel to by boat, which was probably our favorite part of the resort. I don’t ever recall thinking that either area was crowded. The sand is white and smooth, and the water is amazing.
We ended up with a spa credit while there. Chauncey didn’t want a massage, so I opted for a 90-minute massage on the island. If you want to do this, make sure that you specify that you want to be on the island when you book your appointment. This was an incredible experience that I’m glad I took advantage of.
The food was delicious! We had breakfast each morning at Baccarat, but they also have buffet options available. For lunch, we ate at Schooners Seafood Grill (on the island) and Bella Napoli. For dinner, we ate at Casanova, Kimonos, Gordon’s Pier Restaurant, and the Crystal Room. My favorites were Casanova and Gordon’s Pier Restaurant, which is where we had our anniversary dinner at (get the cheesecake!). Gordon’s was just a fun experience, as we were dining over the water. Chauncey’s favorite was Baccarat.
When I travel, safety is always important. The Bahamas did have a travel advisory when we traveled. We felt safe at the resort, but we only left the property to travel back to the airport. Always check travel advisories before traveling out of the county, and talk with your travel agent.
We truly had an amazing trip to the Sandals Royal Bahamian. If you’re looking for a travel agent, I highly recommend Kari with All Coasts Travel Agency. She’s amazing. We had two issues crop up–one before we left and one while there–and she handled both like a champ! I didn’t have to stress because she took care of everything.
This is our third Sandals resort, and it’s our personal favorite. We went to what is now the Sandals Ochi for our honeymoon, and Sandals Grande Antigua for our two year anniversary. We just really enjoyed this resort, especially the island!
