Paradise Island and the Atlantis
resort was the perfect honeymoon destination! Chris and I were married on
October 31, 2017 (yep! Halloween) in Napa, California. Spending almost two
weeks in wine country to celebrate our love felt like it was the perfect amount
of time for both a wedding and a honeymoon, but once we got home and the winter
took its toll we thought there was no better way to extend our time in Napa by
heading to the Bahamas!
Accommodations
The Cove at Atlantis was
phenomenal and absolutely beautiful! The open air concept throughout the whole
hotel allowed for a small breeze to keep it cool and the landscape to be
awe-inspiring. The view from our balcony was equally as stunning and was one of
my favorite parts of our trip (there really is nothing like waking up to palm
trees and the ocean right outside your window!). The room as a whole didn’t
disappoint and included a step-down living area, generous walk-in closet and
spacious bathroom, but the benefits of staying at the Cove far exceed the room.
As a guest of The Cove, you have the ability to wine and dine at Sip Sip, the
islands locally sourced and inspired food haven, tan pool side at the Cove Pool
exclusive to adult guests and receive access to the private Cove beach (worth
every penny)! As a part of your stay you also have access to Aquaventure, the
island’s water park, which is discussed in more detail under entertainment.
There simply wasn’t a better choice for us when it came to where to stay, Chris
and I both appreciate luxurious accommodations while on vacation (who doesn’t
love a good splurge) and there couldn’t have been a better option. I can see
The Cove becoming our winter home in the future!
Entertainment
The entertainment on Paradise
Island is endless! There are so many different activities going on throughout
the week that it is nearly impossible to see them all, but that makes for a
perfect excuse to come back! Dolphin experiences, water slides, turtle feedings
just begin to skim the surface (that was punny!). Our favorite activities
are listed below:
1. Aquaventure
I LOVED THE LAZY RIVER! I loved
it so much that Chris and I hopped on a tube multiple times a day. In fact, we
loved it SO much that we rode the Rapid River almost thirty times in four
days. This love of lazy rivers wasn’t always the case. Growing up, I
had one lazy river experience and it was awful, which of course, left me
scarred me for life. There was nothing particularly dramatic about it, I just
felt as though it could have been much cleaner (leave it to a 8 year old to
draw that conclusion!). Naturally, this made me extremely skeptical to join in
on the fun of the Rapid Rivers at Atlantis, but because Chris loves all water
activities I decided to give it one more try and I am SO happy I did!
Outfit Details: Top (Old), Shorts
(Old), Sandals
The Rapid River at Aquaventure in
Atlantis is full of rapids making it not as lazy as a lazy river should be, but
totally better. Any experience on the Rapid River starts with a large push from
a huge wave, you are then carried down the “river” to your next stop, which is
a large conveyor belt that pushes you up a hill and pushes you into the water
once again. From there, you are met with two sets of rapids (biggest advice:
keep your butt up and feet in, rapids are not soft!), then you get a slight
break where you can relish in the lazy part of the River Rapids before you are
met with another set of larger rapids. Then there are options! The Rapid River
has strategically placed exits that lead to all of the water slides so if
you’re feeling a little adventurous you can hope off your tube and climb the
Power Tower to access a variety of different tube water slides. Climb to the
very top of Power Tower to ride the water slide with the largest drop! Once you
have made your way down this very large drop you are spit back out to the river
to continue on and do it all over again!
2. Dolphin Cay:
Dolphins and elephants are by far
my favorite animals. Growing up my mom would always bring me home a necklace of
a dolphin from the Big E, New England’s great state fair. They have since
become some of my most treasured possessions. At a young age I knew that I
wanted to have the opportunity to swim with dolphins. Being an avid Animal
Planet viewer, I knew how intellectually and emotionally intelligent they were
and it was an experience I wanted to witness first hand. The Dolphin Cay at
Atlantis was my first chance to meet these adorable creatures and still feels
as if it were a dream. As a slow introduction to the dolphins at Atlantis,
Chris and I went paddle boarding with them in the morning. They played tricks
on us, swam under us. and splashed us. The next morning we scheduled a Shallow
Water Interaction session were we got to swim, kiss, play and learn about the
dolphins. Bimini, our dolphin host, was unbelievably adorable and so smart. The
best part about both of these experiences was that it was clear that the
dolphins were happy, they were taken care of and well fed, and they had
extraordinary relationships with the trainers. They ran the show and were not
forced to perform any tricks they didn’t want to, their involvement was
entirely up to them. This is one part of Atlantis that no one should miss out
on!
3. The Casino:
The Casino at Atlantis is a
pretty popular place and even though we aren’t big gamblers we heard that if
there was a place to give it a go it would be here. Of course, being the big
spenders that we are we frivolously put in $40.00 into a slot machine, crazy I
know! (haha) We even ended up walking away with $100.00 so it worth it!
Wine & Dine
As hard core foodies, Chris and I
were somewhat disappointed with the food options at Atlantis. That’s not
to say the food wasn’t good, it was, it was delicious, we were just hoping to
escape hamburgers and indulge in more Caribbean fare.
There are so many restaurants in
Atlantis, which makes choosing difficult especially for Chris and I because we
always struggle to make decisions leading to the typical conversation - “What
do you want to do for dinner?”, “Ill do whatever you want, what were you thinking?”,
“Im not sure, why don’t you chose.” This could go on for hours if getting
hangry was not a serious concern so Chris and I made reservations before we
arrived to avoid getting to that point. The restaurants that we loved and ate
at are below.
1. Plato’s became our go to for
breakfast each morning. Preferring a lighter breakfast we would grab juice, an
assortment of fruit and a ham and cheese quiche to share! They also had the
most delicious looking donuts and pastries.
2. Poseidon’s Table is set up as a buffet style
brunch and was priced at $30.00/per person. As light breakfast lovers, we only
ate here once because we were eager to hit the pool and get our tan on!
3. Sip Sip was one of my favorite spots. The
outdoor patio seating overlooking the most gorgeous plan tree I have ever seen
was perfect. The food is locally sourced and Bahamian inspired. I strongly
recommend the conch salad.
4. Shark Bites provided a quick and easy option
for lunch while we were out enjoying the River Rapids. We would either share a
salad or split a panini.
5. The most out of place
restaurant in Atlantis was Virgil’s BBQ, but the BBQ was fantastic and
the mac n’ cheese was to die for!
6. The Village Burger Shack should be known for
their milkshakes if they already aren’t. Similar to Johnny Rockets, The Village
Burger Shack has a very vintage style.
7. Frankie Gone Bananas on Bimini Road brings the
islands Caribbean flavors to the table and is a taste of the local cuisine.
8. Cafe Martinique was exceptional and the food
was delicious there really is nothing else to say about that expect that you
have to try it!
xoxo
Victoria
Love the dolphins!!
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