Monday, April 5, 2010

The Honeymoon: Sandals Dunn's River Villaggio

Good news! I got my photo discs today! I figure I've been really boring lately (low comment counts much?) so I sucked it up and am just recapping my whole honeymoon in one post, sans sunburn (which you already saw!)

We left the Monday after our wedding. It was AMAZING to have that extra day to relax, pack, and buy those last-minute things we forgot we'd need in Jamaica.

Our flight left super duper early on Monday. We connected through Charlotte and arrived in Jamaica mid-day! There was a Sandals lounge when you got through customs and all the jazz. Then they took you via bus to the resort. Ours was the Sandals Dunn's River Villaggio. It was the smaller of the two in Ocho Rios, and Italian themed. Here we are on the bus:

I'm so greasy and so excited!

We made sure to sit on the coast side of the bus so we'd see the ocean.

I didn't take these pictures until the last day, but anyway here is what we saw upon entering the resort:

Gorgeous Italian themed architecture in their open-air lobby!

It was so beautiful and had a chic, classic European feel.

Because we were concierge level, we were checked in immediately. I was very glad our travel agent, Robert from Beach Bum Vacation, suggested a concierge suite!

We were on the top floor - floor #5 but actually the 6th floor, which was weird - but anyway, we had an AMAZING view. Here was the view in the late afternoon when we were getting ready in our room.

The first day was the most overcast... only got better from here!

It was a small resort which we liked... it felt more private and special, and we didn't have to hike places.

We had a balcony that we'd sit and drink on for hours after our time outside.

Our room was fully stocked with liquor, wine, and beer... here's the beer of choice in Jamaica!

We were also given champagne... oh champagne how I adore you!

I did a little ring-photography with the beautiful backdrop!

The first night we noticed a private dinner above the waterfall... isn't that a crazy place to be able to eat!?

I discovered at this point that my favorite drink was... the MUDSLIDE! Oh yum. You can see one I guzzled on the bar next to us below. We got dinner and drinks and enjoyed the heat.

There was really cool entertainment... fire breathers and dancers.

The next morning we woke up... oh if only we knew the burns Mr P would sustain that day!

We'd sleep in every morning and go to breakfast around 9:30. These birds would always watch as we had our buffet breakfast!

We saw lots of couples getting married over our week in Jamaica. I was mildly stalkerish and took pictures of this couple getting their photos taken.

We actually saw him around the resort and I was WAY awkward and said "HEY I HAVE PICTURES OF YOU, YOU JUST GOT MARRIED!" Luckily he was nice and enjoyed seeing the photos I took from our balcony. They were getting married all by themselves - no guests! I bet it was so intimate and a really romantic occasion for them.

I couldn't believe we were both wearing RINGS! WEDDING BAND RINGS! OFFICIAL RINGS!

It was great to be able to relax, decompress, and call this hunk my husband :)

I also did a TON of this... sleep. The sun took a TON out of me... I was pretty much only awake 9am-9pm every day.

There were tons of events at the resort over our stay, including some great all-resort buffets. You could see them setting up tables, like below.

It was so HOT in Jamaica too! Great chance to wear my tank tops.

(Lots of honeymooners means a lot of "I'll take your picture if you take ours" exchanges!)

Little known fact- I LOVE pigeons. If I lived somewhere that they were a menace, I'm sure I'd hate them. But they were so cute hanging around our lunchtime spot, and I admit I gave them a few tiny scraps. I don't know why but they just coo their way into my heart.

One of the nights we got a tray of chocolates and a lovely note to celebrate our honeymoon.

I should also mention we got a LOVELY spa treatment, courtesy of the spa credit we got for booking a concierge level suite. It was amazing. We didn't leave the resort, we didn't do any excursions. But the couples massage on our last day? It. Was. Awesome. It took our relaxation to the next level and they also did a sunburn treatment that made Mr Pug's legs feel a lot better.

I was really glad I got my hair cut pre-honeymoon... I couldn't have endured long hair stuck to my neck in that heat. Not sure what I'm doing in this picture...

Ever notice that they serve Coke Light in other countries, not Diet Coke? These recap pictures are becoming random.

After a relaxing spa visit on Saturday, we packed and left the resort early Sunday morning. I was relaxed and rejuvenated, but ready to go. Although not ready for a full day of travel!

Mr Pug braved his painful legs and was a trooper on our extremely long travel day.

After almost having to sit next to a drunken half-naked man, a stopover in Philly, a ton of time in customs, and an over-sold flight back to Indy... we were home! It was very late and thus, very hard to go to work the next day. But we've made it... more than two weeks married! Woohoo go us!

Our honeymoon was exactly the relaxing, "together-full" experience we needed. Now if I could just get another one... LOL!

PS- I promise that my wedding recaps will be more organized than this post!

PPS- Mr Pug's legs are majorly improved and looking better every day! Just lots of peeling right now... still!

20 comments:

  1. Wow, the view from your hotel room is so pretty! Glad you guys had a great time in spite of the sunburns. Can't wait for your wedding recaps!

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  2. I was loving the recaps until the pigeon comment... dear lord I HATE THEM! Rats of the sky I say. Horrible little nasty creatures!

    On another non-creepy note, your honeymoon looked AWESOME! Living so close to the Caribbean you'd think we go all the time but I've never been! (Okay a trip once to Antigua for a week when I was 6, that does not count.) I'm going to have to stalk the blog to see what you ended up getting/paying because it looks ah-mazing!

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  3. JEALOUS!! We're going to a Sandals resort (don't know which one, Josh is keeping it a surprise) for our honeymoon, as well. I can't WAIT! Looks like you had a fantastic time :) Really looking forward to your WEDDING recaps!!

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  4. Oh my gosh, I totally want to go to a beach now! I'm in major need of some R&R and your amazingly fabulous honeymoon just pushed me over the edge. I heart Sandals. Best place ever. So glad yall enjoyed every second and also glad B's legs are getting better!!!

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  5. Hahahaha Kelly our experiences were almost identical (sans the sunburn!). I have pics of "Coke Light" the free beer, champagne and liquor in the room and also a picture of a couple getting married. It's meant to be...we're twins! LOL! Great post!

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  6. I LOVE Jamaica! Were you terrified on the drive over to the resort? They are CRAZY drivers over there!

    Oh, and are you as obsessed with their accents as I am? I could listen to them talk all day :)

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  7. I interned at a Sandals resort in St.Lucia and I never wanted to leave at the end of the day. So being a guest there would be the bomb. Glad you had a great honeymoon. So now it's back to life and as a married woman.

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  8. Looks fabulous!!! I'm glad you had such a nice time.

    I have to laugh at your pigeon comments...ahhh! Just please tell me you didn't feed the seagulls. I would punch you. The tourists on the beach here alllllways feed the seagulls, and it has made the darn birds FEARLESS...they will literally fly up behind you and snatch your food out of your hands. I had one take my sandwich one day...I saw one take a guy's bag of chips...just flew away with it in his beak!

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  9. You crack me UP with the pigeons 'cooing their way into your heart'!!!!!

    The honeymoon looks AMAZING. Relaxed, gorgeous, perfect.

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  10. How absolutely wonderful! So relaxing. I am totally looking forward to a similar type of vacation. We leave in just 11 days! I can't believe it is almost here. Your pictures are so great and share lots of where you stayed. If we were going to an all inclusive resort I, too would have laid around and sunbathed and ate all day. :) But we are traveling along the coast and don't even have super specific places that we are staying for most of the 2 weeks we'll be gone. But I'll take lots of pics!

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  11. Oh my goodness, this looks so relaxing and amazing. I got all excited and teary eyed there thinking we might not do a honeymoon. Screw the finances we're going on a honeymoon. I want that. I want that so bad. You two look so happy, well how can you not be right? Lol. SO awesome!

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  12. Loove your pictures!! I'm so glad to hear it worked out so well to leave the Monday after the wedding. We're doing the same thing - We leave suuuper early Monday and get there early afternoon. And I hope there are lots of honeymooners at our resort so we can get cute non-self portrait pictures! :) Sounds like you had an amazing time!

    I'm sooo excited for your wedding recaps! All the pictures on facebook have been gorgeous!

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  13. Glad to hear he is healing nicely! I think it's funny that you took the picture of your hands with both of your rings on... I did the EXACT same thing on our honeymoon. LOL Must be from all the excitement.

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  14. Your honeymoon looks like you had alot of fun - the pics are great! Congrats on being married!!!

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  15. Your honeymoon sounds amazing! Glad Mr. P's legs are healing up! Your rings are beautiful!

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  16. Photo disc!!!!! So excited!!!!!!

    Love that you took photos of the other wedding, and the coke can. Looks like photos from our honeymoon. I totally stalked out the wedding at our resort - but they got married the day we left. Sad face.

    And we took photos of our rings too!

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  17. Looks absolutely wonderful!!

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  18. looks like a fabulous time! sounds very relaxing. why oh why do we have to go back to work.

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