When Mike and I decided that it was finally time to take the honeymoon we couldn’t afford 27 years ago, we started looking for a destination that would make both of us happy. Since he loves civilization and I love nature, we knew that wasn’t going to be an easy job. Ultimately, though, we agreed on three criteria:
- We wanted to go somewhere unusual–somewhere we hadn’t gone before, hadn’t thought about a great deal, and somewhere most of our friends hadn’t traveled either. We didn’t want others’ recommendations and the pressure to try things someone else had loved; we didn’t want the pressure of fulfilling someone’s lifelong dream. We just wanted this to be our vacation.
- We wanted to go somewhere with natural beauty, but nothing too rustic. Hot showers and cold drinks would be readily available. We’d spend more time relaxing than taxing ourselves with physical activity. Mike would not be asked to marvel at the flora and fauna (or, not too much); I would not be expected to pretend that I find architecture endlessly fascinating.
- We wanted to focus on enjoying time together more than exploring a new place. That meant we had to agree to having no set itinerary, wherever we decided to go.
Once I started doing some online research, it didn’t take long to discover Galley Bay Resort & Spa in Antigua, an island we knew very little about. (We actually had to look it up on a map.) Right from the start, what surprised me most about the online reviews of Galley Bay was the fact that so many people keep going back over and over again. When you see that happening, it’s pretty clear that the resort must be getting something right.
We arrived at Galley Bay late on a Saturday afternoon, after a long and very hectic day of travel. We were greeted at reception with cold towels–most welcome, after a humid shuttle ride from the airport–and a delightful glass of rum punch. After a quick check-in, the porter put our bags on a golf cart and drove us across a lagoon to our home for the next week.
The photo just above was taken a few steps from our back patio–we were only yards away from the Caribbean Sea for most of our time at Galley Bay.
As I said earlier, Mike and I had agreed that we wouldn’t pressure ourselves to follow an itinerary while we were on our trip. We thought about taking one of the many available boat tours around the island–Antigua is only 17 miles across–or a land tour by Jeep. Ultimately, though, we decided to stay put, because there was plenty to do at Galley Bay. We did hike up a hill just outside the resort property one morning, where we were told we’d find a better view of the ocean, and that’s where we ran into one of Antigua’s many herds of wild goats. I was surprised and saddened by the number of animals roaming the island–not only goats, but cattle and horses, as well as many dogs and cats. It’s a hard sight to see, for an animal lover, and it made me all the more grateful for Galley Bay’s efforts to conserve the dwindling sea turtle population. There’s also a tortoise sanctuary on the property.
Speaking of which: one of my favorite parts of our stay at Galley Bay was a garden tour with Curt, who told us a lot about the gorgeous flowers on the grounds, the island’s natural history, and the resort’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. For instance, Galley Bay uses solar water heaters and has started to grow its own produce. Leftover food is passed along to a local pig farmer; used cooking oil is also given to a local farmer, to power his vehicle. The resort provides every guest with a reusable water bottle and provides “hydration stations” all over the property, to reduce the need for bottled water–although it’s available, for guests who want it. (Galley Bay has its own desalination plant, so the water provided at the resort is both potable and eco-friendly.)
I could go on and on about this, but I’ll just mention that Galley Bay has a two page list of its environmental efforts in every guest room. They’re not just doing this to make a show of being green; they’d proud of and committed to sustainable business practices. If you look at some of the reviews of the resort on Trip Advisor, you’ll see that some guests complain about having to walk to the hydration stations for their water refills, or about the fact that the mini-bar in each room isn’t automatically restocked with canned or bottled drinks. Personally, I’d rather vacation at a resort with a conscience than a place that provides a few luxuries at the expense of the planet we all share. Call me crazy, but walking a few yards to get some ice and water seems like a small price to pay for a habitable environment.
And that’s especially true when those sustainable practices are handled so beautifully, as they are at Galley Bay.
When I needed a break from the grit of the beach, I lounged at poolside, where I occasionally enjoyed a Banana Slide (banana, pineapple, rum. Kahlua) or another glass of Galley Bay’s signature rum punch. A nature hike to Fort Barrington and a Caribbean cooking class were also available to resort guests who didn’t choose to book excursions off the property. Since we’d taken our own hike, we skipped the scheduled one, but we did attend the cooking class and sample the Salt Fish Cakes we learned to make. (We were also given the recipe, so we could try making them at home.)
Mostly, though, Mike and I spent our days lounging around–reading, talking, and remembering what it felt like to be focused on each other for a change, not on the thousands of details involved with running a household and a family and a career. That was the point of taking a honeymoon, after all.
The food at Galley Bay deserves a mention as well, because it was phenomenal, and we ate most of our meals at the “regular” restaurant on the property, The Sea Grape. There are two other options, both of which require reservations and one of which provides fine dining at an upcharge. We ate dinner our last night at the Gaugin, sitting in a private tiki hut near the waves. I wrote a whole post dedicated to the food at Galley Bay–it’s just that good.
Within a few hours of our arrival, Mike and I were already talking about a return trip. By the time we had to leave Antigua the following Saturday, we’d decided there was just no way this could be a one-time experience. I can certainly understand why people keep going back to Galley Bay. I know we’ll be doing the same.
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