Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/162471
destination+honeymoon Top: The mile-long crescent beach at Sandals Emerald Bay allows you to stretch out in style. Middle: Service at Emerald Bay is as gracious as the resort's architecture. Bottom: Caribbean treatments are a specialty at Sandals' Red Lane spas. you're looking for particular florals or cupcakes to match your colour theme, an online catalogue presents endless options for your big day. The same flexible services are offered throughout the Sandals resort chain, including my next stop: Sandals Emerald Bay on the island of Great Exuma, largest of the 360 islands that make up the Exuma chain. A quick hop aboard Sky Bahamas southeast from Nassau landed me in the George Town airport in less than an hour. Then a few minutes' drive through lush countryside brought me to Sandals Emerald Bay, where another warm greeting awaited, along with a refreshing glass of chilled bubbly, before a charming butler walked me to my spacious private villa. Complete with cool stone floors, cosy rugs and handsome dark-wood colonial furnishings, the homelike space opens out onto a private patio with an inviting hammock steps from the beach. And what a beach it is — a mile-long crescent of white powder sand lapped by clear turquoise waters just beckoning for a cool dip. Formerly part of the Four Seasons chain, the property reopened in 2010 as the sparkling new Sandals Emerald Bay. Spread out over 500 acres, the all-inclusive resort received the deluxe Sandals treatment and now features a lush Greg Norman-designed championship golf course, seven restaurants varying from barefoot-casual to French chic, three spectacular pool areas, a 16,000-square-foot spa and a wide choice of luxury rooms and suites, all offering dedicated concierge or butler service. Brides and grooms have no shortage of options at Emerald Bay, including a choice of picture-perfect ceremony sites, from pretty gazebos to pristine stretches of beach. Combined with the attentive service of the resort's wedding planners, Emerald Bay delivers a highly personalized experience, whether your special day is just for the two of you, or for you and a hundred guests. As at all Sandals resorts, "all-inclusive" means just that. You can stow your wallet in your room's safe and forget it, while you (and your wedding guests) indulge in the resort's numerous amenities, including restaurants, bars, daily activities and your choice of land and water sports. In most cases, gratuities are already covered, leaving you to a carefree stay, no matter how you choose to while away the hours. After the glitz and glamour of Emerald Bay, my next stop caught me by complete surprise. Back in Nassau, I boarded a small charter plane heading southwest and in a mere 15 minutes, landed on Andros, the largest yet least populated of the Bahamian islands, an area renowned for its world-class bonefishing. Then all it took was a 20-minute taxi ride from the airport and a five-minute ferry crossing to transport me into a whole other world: Kamalame Cay. Built and run by one local family, the resort is set on its own private island and has been welcoming visitors in search of a tranquil escape since 1997. Kamalame Cay is the creation of Jamaican-born couple Brian and Jennifer Hew, whose dream was to give guests a taste of the quiet, gracious island life they enjoyed growing up — back when time seemed to move at a slower, more peaceful pace. 92 COURTESY SANDALS RESORTS The islands of the Bahamas are renowned for their genuinely warm and welcoming locals R E A L WEDDINGS pg90-100_Honeymoon.indd 92 12-09-24 1:25 PM