Last spring on an Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Valor, I had the pleasure of visiting the lovely tropical island of St. Maarten. One of the most fascinating things about the island is that it is actually two countries. The Dutch side of the island is called St. Maarten and the French side St. Martin. Our tour guide said he lives on the Dutch side and his girlfriend on the French, so every time he calls it’s an international call and they talk several times a day… now that’s love!

Currency is another difference: the Dutch Side uses the Antille Guilder and the French side uses the Euro. Luckily, we were also able to use US Dollars to buy our ice cream cones and US dollars are also accepted at the colorful open air markets where you’ll find an array of local crafts, clothing and food. Shopping is one of the biggest draws for St. Maarten/St. Martin and with duty free shops it makes sense to make jewelry purchases on the island. The most amazing diamonds, tanzanite, emeralds, and pearls are on display in jewelry stores throughout the area and you can practice your bargaining skills here.

Of course, St. Maarten/St. Martin has many, many beaches. Over 37, in fact. What a wonderful destination for a beach wedding, or renewing your vows. The best part is that you can give your guests a little European flavor and a lot of the Caribbean! And while planning a wedding so far away can be difficult, many of the hotels have wedding departments that offer advice on everything from the license to flowers to catering and music, and of course, a beautiful venue. I have included several pictures of locations for a fabulous destination wedding!

Families love St. Maarten/St. Martin, too. Wouldn’t your children be fascinated by a Butterfly Farm? You can walk through hundreds of butterflies fluttering around you and since each stage of the butterfly’s life is on display, it will be a learning experience! Another great travel adventure is the scenic hike to Fort Amsterdam, which is several hundred years old and older kids will love spending the day on a racing yacht or parasailing!

If St. Maarten/St. Martin sounds like the perfect destination for your wedding, honeymoon, or family vacation….please contact me. sandi@totemtravel.com

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The Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, is the ultimate family destination resort.  I recently had the pleasure of a personal tour of the Atlantis.  What an experience!

The entire resort is centered around water, water, and more water!  From the amazing Aquaquest, that features a 120-foot tall water slide to The Abyss, a 200 foot long body slide that makes a 50-foot near vertical drop and plunges into a lagoon infested with alligators!  Other water slides and current rides shoot you through a glass tunnel with sharks all around you!  Talk about heart-pounding!

We enjoyed meandering through The Dig, which is actually an underground maze of passageways. Throughout the labyrinth we discovered the ruins of the ancient city of Atlantis, complete with artifacts and hieroglyphs!  Most amazing, though, was being surrounded by sea animals: stingrays, sharks, jelly fish, sea anemones and so many different kinds of fish!  Many of the stingrays love to ham it up for the camera.

Atlantis recently opened their own Dolphin Cay, which allows for very special interaction dolphins.   The kids love playing with these fun loving animals!

And we can’t forget the beach and swimming pools for those of us who just want to lounge in the sun or under one of the umbrellas.  There are 13 different swimming areas at this resort.  There are zero-entry pools, my favorite, children’s pools, and a 7 acre protected lagoon, where snorkeling is fantastic!

Of course, while at the Atlantis you would like to have somewhere to lay your head at night, the rooms are beautiful.  Accommodations vary from tower to tower, the Royal Tower being the most luxurious, but the Coral and Beach Towers are undergoing a full upgrade, to bring them in line with the Royal Tower.    Of course if you really want the most luxurious suite at the resort, the Bridge Suite, might be the place for you…that is if you feel the need to pay $25,000 per night!  That’s right, $25,000 per night.  Oprah loves this suite!

If you prefer to have a bit more than a hotel room for your family, Harborside at Atlantis, in Marina Village, across the lagoon from the Royal Tower, offers one, two and three bedroom villas.  The villas are like a home-away-from-home, complete with a full kitchen.  The Reef Atlantis, which is located right on Paradise Beach, is the newest addition and features studio and 1 bedroom units.  The Reef units also have full kitchens, which make them a great choice for small families.

Dining at the Atlantis is an experience all its own. Restaurants range from gourmet to quick and casual.  Southwestern cuisine to Japanese and everything in between.  With 22 different restaurants and 20 bars and lounges, there is sure to be at least one to please everyone.  Also, Back by popular demand is Atlantis’ meal plans.  You can pre-purchase one of 3 different meal plans and best of all: children 6 and under eat free.

Oh, and don’t forget the Casino!  Atlantis has one of only a few casinos in Nassau.  It has all the gaming you would expect.  But what you wouldn’t expect are the Dale Chihuly glass sculptures!  A nice touch of home!

When you are ready to experience all that the Atlantis has to offer, please give me a call!
Sandi@totemtravel.com