Palm Island, Grenadines

With cold weather blowing through Dallas this week, I was feeling a bit nostalgic for warmer, sunnier weather, and I immediately thought about our trip to Palm Island in the Grenadines for our honeymoon.

Funny Story. We left our honeymoon planning up to Donovan’s dad. Things were stressful enough during that time – I had just switched jobs, and we were also trying to plan a wedding. The last thing I really felt like doing was planning a honeymoon — too many choices! Donovan’s dad LOVES surprises, so we were happy to release him to come up with something fun. Our only request was for the honeymoon to be relaxing. We had seen friends backpack through Europe and do all these crazy exotic things for their honeymoons, and that just seemed downright exhausting to me, especially after coming down off the high of a wedding! Personally, I just wanted to go someplace where Donovan and I could enjoy each other’s company and relax.

All throughout our wedding planning, Donovan’s dad kept the location a secret. At times, it was frustrating because I was trying to move my belongings into Donovan’s apartment and I had no idea what to pack or prepare for. All he told us was that it was going to be a beach location. Well….that could be anywhere! Was there nightlife? Were there daily activities and excursions? Does he know that I get motion sick on cruises? … so many questions, but he was very tight lipped! Even my parents had no idea where he was sending us! He told us he’d tell us where we were going when it was time for him to bring us to the airport the morning following our wedding night. I literally threw random things in a bag and hoped for the best.

The morning of our flight, we had to be ready to go at 5:00am. I am not a morning person, in general, but I am definitely not functioning well anytime before 6:00am. Donovan’s dad arrived at our apartment at 5:00 on the dot, and he sat us down on the couch …suspense was killing us!

He exclaimed, “You’re going to Palm Island!”

Donovan and I looked at each other with blank faces. Clearly, we had no idea where that was.

“It’s in the Grenadines!”

Donovan and I looked at each other again. His dad was so excited, but we were so darn clueless! Neither of us had heard of Palm Island or the Grenadines, so we were really struggling. (Don’t forget it was also 5:00am.)

He finally whipped out a map to show us where we were going.

Palm Island is a very small island near the very end of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – almost near Venezuela! The whole island is an all-inclusive, adults-only resort. Once we found this out, we were very excited!

The trip to get to Palm Island should be a post all in itself, but we had to fly from Dallas to Miami. Then Miami to Barbados. Then, we had to take very small plan from Barbados to Union Island. Then, we had to take a very small ferry from Union Island to Palm Island. It took most of the day to get there, but it was totally worth it once we arrived!

I do have to laugh looking back at some of these photos. I mean, I had no idea where I was going … clearly … I wore sweat pants to an island. HA!

Since the resort makes up a majority of the Island, the whole vibe is pretty relaxing. Our daily routine was pretty much the same every day. We spent a ton of time at the beach (obviously) but did a few fun things each day as well.

One day we “rented” bicycles. I use quotation marks because we really borrowed them. The resort lets you use them for free. The island isn’t that big, so we didn’t have to go very far!

One of the days we opted for an excursion on the Pink Lady. The excursion included a trip on a hot pink sailboat to the Tobago Cays with a barbecue lunch. We made some friends with some of the other guests, so we all went together.

Is now a good time to remind you that I get seasick??

I don’t really know how long it took for us to get to the Tobago Cays, but I do remember feeling incredibly sick the entire time. The waves in the Atlantic were huge, and I felt like we rocked all over the place.

Donovan likes to remind me that when were sailing up to the islands, the captain told us that we couldn’t get any closer, and we’d have to take the dinghy the rest of the way. I think I must have been looking rather “green” because then he said, “if you’re feeling sick, jump over the side of the boat and float.” Well…you don’t have to tell me twice! I think I was in the water before he even finished his sentence.

Once we got to the little island, the crew had brought gear for snorkeling. Apparently it was a hot spot for sea turtles. Donovan was giddy with excitement. I am not a seasoned snorkler, so Donovan had to give me some quick lessons beforehand. Let’s just say, I only hyperventilated once. Donovan likes to tell people that I also kept my eyes closed the whole time (inside the snorkel) and that I legit almost stepped on a sea urchin. I can neither confirm nor deny either of these things! I will say, the water was impressively blue and so clear, so I can see how snorkeling would be really good here.

One of our favorite things to do at night was to hang out at the Tiki Hut. (Remember: there is hardly any nightlife here) The Tiki Hut only sat like 10 people, so you had to get there early to get a spot. Since there was no cable tv or internet on the island, we had to have some good ole fashion fun…and lots of alcohol! Typically, after dinner we’d meet up with the friends we met for drinks and conversation. We played a lot of logic games, told jokes, gave the bartenders a hard time, and just generally had a great time.

One night, one of the couples we met eloped on the beach, and they asked us to be their witnesses, which was pretty fun! I spent a few hours helping the bride get ready, and we were there at the “reception” for more drinks and fun. Talk about a gorgeous place to get married!

It is really hard to describe the beauty of Palm Island, you just have to go! The beaches have such white sand, and the water is so blue. It’s unbelievable. And the Palm Island Resort is such a fantastic place to stay. It’s upscale, but relaxed. Totally worth it for a relaxing honeymoon!

We can’t wait to return for our 10 year anniversary!