The Points Mom

A Big Anniversary Trip To Antigua’s Jumby Bay

IMG_9388By Emily Ginsberg

For our big anniversary, my husband and I wanted to go somewhere with 1) a white sandy beach, 2) clear calm water, 3) great food and service, and 4) luxurious accommodations.  After doing some research, Jumby Bay, a Rosewood Resort in Antigua, fit the bill perfectly.

Jumby Bay is a a 300-acre private Caribbean island two miles from Antigua. Antigua is a quick flight from New York and many of the flights on American and JetBlue are direct.  When you get off the plane in Antigua, a friendly representative from the Jumby Bay Resort is waiting for you.  Even better, they give you a “fast pass” through customs and then escort you to a car waiting to take you to a small marina.  At the marina, you board a boat that takes you on a less than ten minute ride to the private island resort.

Arriving at Jumby Bay is quite an experience. My husband compared it to the television show “Fantasy Island”. The resort staff is there to greet you with warm welcomes and tropical drinks . It seemed like they were preparing for our arrival for days! They knew our names, where we were from, and everyone we met wished us a happy anniversary.  After a speedy check in and quick golf cart tour of the resort, we were taken to our room. There are only 40 rooms and villas on the island, along with private homes.  There are no cars on the island. It was important to us to be close to the beach and we were!  Each room/villa came with 2 bicycles for exploring Jumby Bay. The rooms were beautiful and each had a private outdoor (as well as an indoor) shower and footed bath tub.

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That’s me on the crowded beach

Jumby Bay is an all inclusive resort.  Most of the food and drinks are included, as well as the food and drinks in the daily stocked mini fridge in each suite. There are 2 restaurants at the resort. Each one had something special on most nights such as live music, a Caribbean barbecue , and a “White Party” on the beach.  The food was very good. Breakfast was served as a buffet in one of the restaurants, and lunch was served in both restaurants.  You could also grab a bite at a small beach shack that had the best lobster avocado Roti (similiar to a wrap).  If you were feeling really lazy, you could order lunch directly to your beach or pool lounge.  Room service was also available for any meal for a small delivery charge.

IMG_9432The resort amenities were spectacular.  The beach was gorgeous and the water was crystal blue and calm. There were amazing starfish everywhere!  There were comfortable bed-like lounges, set up along the beach with thatched umbrellas offering plenty of shade.  You could also borrow floats everyday to float around the beautiful ocean.  There was also an infinity pool off of the beach.

Water sports were included everyday as well.  You could go tubing, water skiing, snorkeling, kayaking, and sailing.  There was also a kids club that we thankfully didn’t need, but looked really nice.  One of my favorite parts of the day, was when one of the extremely friendly staff members (that shockingly always knew our names!), came around the beach every hour or so with a delicious treat.  These treats included items such as: smoothies, special drinks, fruit, ice cream sandwiches (made with fresh baked cookies and homemade ice cream) or coffee frappacino drinks.  Amenities also included a spa, lap pool and tennis courts.

Jumby Bay is all about the special touches. When you returned to your room each night, there was always a special sweet treat and a different resort themed painted sea shell.  The service was impeccable!  Throughout the resort, the staff went above and beyond.  They were so friendly and polite, and always knew our name and what we liked to drink…….our favorite perk. 🙂

If you like to relax on a beautiful beach, eat great food, and be treated like a celebrity, then Jumby Bay is the place for you.  It is one of the most private and luxurious resorts in the Caribbean!