Where in the World Wednesday - Italy in Antigua?

Our group at scenic overlook during jeep tour.

I recently visited the island of Antigua on a Travel Agent FAM trip, and was able to visit a number of beautiful resorts and boutique properties. It was a wonderful work trip sponsored by the Antigua Tourism Authority, and I could definitely go on and on about how beautiful the island is, with a relaxed vibe and friendly people. We had 3 full days of hotel visits and site inspections, and still didn't get to see all the amazing resorts and styles of accommodations! We even did an island jeep tour, visited one of the amazing 365 beaches, and enjoyed an evening sunset BBQ. It was exhausting but SO. MUCH. FUN! (I love my job!)


So I'd like to tell you about a property that really stood out to me, and I absolutely loved! It got me to thinking about how popular Italy is as a bucket list destination for many of my clients. But I bet you didn't know you can also get the feel of Sardinia or the Amalfi Coast just 4 short hours away from Atlanta, at the beautiful Ocean Point Resort and Spa in Antigua.

Upon first walking in to the quaint and adorable reception lounge area, I had a true sense of being in Italy. There is a complete Mediterranean feel to everything about the property, beautifully decorated yet very relaxed and comfortable.

Just a side note: The resort is even owned by an Italian couple, and it was so fun during our tour listening to the romantic Italian accent of our handsome tourguide ;-) What can I say?! :o



The hotel has been refurbished and fully redone to resemble a true Mediterranean ocean front villa. So quaint and cute! And the views at the property are incredible. This resort sits at the north point of the island of Antigua, and only a short 7 minute transfer to/ from the airport, so it's in an excellent location. It's also right on the beach, whereas some other properties in Antigua are on the mountain so you must take a short transfer if you want to go to the beach. But not at Ocean Point Resort where you can sink your toes in the sand and swim in the calm relaxing ocean waters right off the property.

Another aspect I really loved about this property, and is very important to many clients, is the FOOD! Although we didn't actually eat a full meal there, we were treated to some amazing traditional Italian bites and snacks from the master chef at the property. Seriously, what a treat!! The chef is from Sardinia, runs an impeccable kitchen (we saw for ourselves), and sources many local foods from Italy to be shipped to the resort. So you can even have true, authentic Italian food and wines at this resort. The atmosphere and the food had me daydreaming that I was actually in Italy (and on vacation! Oh, I wish)....

Almost all the rooms at Ocean Point Resort have a beautiful ocean view with small balcony to sit and have morning coffee or tea. The rooms are nicely decorated, but not ostentatious, and seem very comfortable with all the necessary amenities you could ever need. Besides, Antigua is definitely the type of island that you can really truly enjoy and feel safe getting out and about. And Ocean Point Resort is one of those places where you want to be out enjoying all that the resort, and the surrounding area, has to offer. One cool thing that they will do for guests staying at the resort is prepare a To Go lunch in a cooler box that you can take with you to enjoy while you're out for the day. There is a small island that you can take a boat over to, and enjoy some peace and tranquility, go into St John's to do some shopping, or head to one of other amazing 365 beaches on the island. Getting out of the room and exploring the island is really highly advised so that you can truly experience the destination. So even though the resort itself has an Italian feel, you still get the easy-going, relaxed vibe and Caribbean flavor of the islands!




And one of my favorite parts of our tour at Ocean Point Resort and Spa was meeting the new resident, who is probably much bigger now, sweet little Mia. Puppy kisses... Amore!



I really loved Antigua... it's safe, it's beautiful, amazing weather, and 365 beaches to explore. It's the perfect destination for a family vacation getaway, destination wedding, Honeymoon, Spa trip... whatever!  It truly is beautiful, and is very safe to be out and explore while enjoying the local culture.

So if you would like more information about Ocean Point Resort and Spa, or are interested in an amazing vacation to Antigua, please contact me! 

And as I mentioned, there are so many hotels and resorts in Antigua, many are smaller, boutique-style that you don't hear a lot about. Whatever you do, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to use a Travel Professional to help you with arranging your vacation, and helping to match your desires with the right destination and hotel. I hate to see people waste their hard-earned vacation dollars on a bad vacation! You get your hair cut from a stylist, have your car oil changed by a mechanic, and you should definitely use a Travel Specialist to book your vacations! 

Call/ text 404-913-1285 or info@getupgotravel.com

*All photos are owned by Get Up Go Travel. Please do not use without permission or credit.

Happy New Year! 2016 Bring it on!

I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season and enjoyed time with friends and family! For me, I had a great holiday and spent some nice time with family --- Plus, the weather in Atlanta was incredible... although rainy, the temps were in the 70's which I absolutely loved. I had a fun and memorable New Years Eve with friends, rockin' in 2016 listening to a great local band!
(And this guy.... :o)

I'm definitely feeling really excited and looking forward to 2016 being an amazing year!

Speaking of a great year, 2015 was incredible and we are so happy to have had the opportunity to plan some amazing and life-changing trips for our clients. Our business at Get Up Go Travel is continuing to grow, and we are so appreciate of all our clients (who have become friends) for entrusting us with their travel plans and allowing us to help fulfill those travel dreams and bucket list experiences.

We have been very busy behind the scenes getting ready for the new year, and have spent the month of December putting some plans in place. For starters, I'm VERY VERY EXCITED to say that soon we will have a brand-spanky-new website!! Woohoo! This is something that I have been wanting to get done for a very long time, and I'm really excited that it will soon be coming to fruition. I think the website will have a much more clear design, and provide some useful info in an easier to read format. Even though the website is not quite ready yet, it should be done very soon, and I will definitely keep you posted with updates and timing of completion.

We've also been working on designing some new destination itineraries and potential group trips for later in 2016 and 2017, so stay tuned for more news on that. Once I have more details, I will be sharing more information in a future blog post and newsletter.

Another new exciting plan for 2016, I will be starting a weekly Newsletter highlighting destinations, travel info, things to be aware of when traveling, tips and of course pictures.
Look for my first newsletter to come out this Wednesday!
If you would like to sign up for the weekly newsletter, please sign up here --- Sign Me Up!

So I think that's all the main updates for now. Sorry it's been a while since my last post, but am committed to being more regular with posting and sharing some great info with you all.

Have a wonderful week!! Best Wishes for 2016!