As Director of Reservations at Rental Escapes, Rick Johal has helped oversee hundreds of parties travelling to beautiful destinations throughout the world. He recently got married and decided to give all of you an inside look into his honeymoon experience. Spoiler alert: It was amazing!
When it came time to choose a destination for my honeymoon only one spot came to mind. It had to be Saint-Martin! The Caribbean island is renowned for its beauty, pristine beaches, gastronomy and culture. Not to mention a slew of concierge services that we here at Rental Escapes regularly book for our guests… Insider knowledge at its best!
Our arrival on Thursday to our villa was as smooth as can be. We arrived at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) from Montreal where we were greeted by one of our wonderful drivers, Jocelyn. The transfer (complimentary with all our French Side bookings) brought us straight to the gorgeous Villa Giselle which was a surprise. I chose the destination but my colleagues took it upon themselves to plan the rest. Lucky guy, eh!
The estate was unreal! A perfect balance of luxury and comfort creating an awesome vibe. The infinity pool and open layout took our breath away. The rental is ideal for couples travelling together as it has four equal king size bedrooms and an apartment located below the villa, sleeping up to ten comfortably.
A great perk of our vacation was our car rental – a yellow Mustang from our preferred supplier. Our car was waiting at the villa when we arrived which eliminated the stress of having to pick it up. Driving top down was awesome and allowed for a lot of freedom to do our own thing.
*Quick tip: The delivery of the car is complimentary so make sure to ask when you speak with a Villa Specialist.
The first full day of our trip also happened to be my wife’s birthday so, being the wonderful husband that I am, I arranged a few surprises. The first was an in-house full body treatment designed for skin regeneration. I couldn’t think of a better way to begin our holiday. We disconnected from the world and finally began to relax.
St-Martin’s beaches are spectacular. Plum Bay Beach, which is located only five minutes away on foot from Villa Giselle, is where we soaked up rays and watched breathtaking sunsets. One evening, we received another surprise arranged by my colleagues. A private chef was on hand to prepare us a four course meal. The meal included amuse-bouche followed by a crisp Caesar salad. Our main was perfectly cooked filet mignon and shrimps. A decadent desert was served to top off an incredible evening.
*A private chef is a perk that I highly recommend to all my clients, especially those who want a more romantic experience. You can’t put a price on love, right?!?
We had a day of adventure with an amazing Rhino Safari Tour – riding on Rhinos (inflated jet skis) through the Simpson Bay Lagoon and up the North Western Coast of the island was a trip! We had amazing views of Marigot, Happy Bay, Friar’s Bay, and finally Grand Case where we snorkeled at the impressive Creole Rock.
*High octane activities aren’t for everyone but I urge this activity to all my clients who want to switch up their holiday experience. Never disappoints
Due to the nature of my work (where I want to inspect every villa for our guests) we switched villas to the gorgeous Villa Mango located near Orient Beach. This estate has a nice separation between the suites while still having interior access to the main house. This is an ideal location for 3 couples or families with up to 7 guests. The beautiful views over Orient Beach provide impeccable views and some epic selfies.
Our honeymoon wasn’t all play and no work! I love my job (and my wife is awesome) so we jumped at the chance to tour some estates such as Sandyline and C’est La Vie, Villa Agora and Dreamin Blue. All the villas held the incredibly high standard of quality, class and design that we at Rental Escapes covet for all our clients.
Our final day was quite the experience! We spent eight hours aboard the incredible Funseaker Catamaran. And let me assure you that the boat has earned its name as every step of the way (I should say wave) was fun! Our first stop was the beautiful island of Anguilla where we snorkeled at Little Bay, paddle boarded and relaxed on the small water-access-only beach. We then travelled to Sandy Island off the coast of Anguilla where you can find only three things: Powdery white sand, palm trees and a small hut that serves some amazing cocktails. I can honestly say that I don’t believe I will ever see water so clear or sand so white ever again! But I will try…
Unfortunately, the holiday had to come to an end. As we reluctantly drove back to the airport we reflected on our amazing experience. St-Martin was the perfect destination for our honeymoon and I will continue to recommend it to all.
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