Private Island Sneak Peek!

Copyright Karen Schaler all rights reserved

I’m getting ready to head to Jumby Bay, the 300 acre private island paradise in the Caribbean where the cover of the TRAVEL THERAPY book was taken!  

As soon as people see the glossy cover of TRAVEL THERAPY: Where Do You Need to Go? they always point to the beach umbrella and ask, “Where’s that, I need to go there!” They’re in good company because this private island just two miles off of the northeastern coast of Antigua in the West Indies is a favorite first-class escape for anyone wanting the ultimate getaway. It’s a TRAVEL THERAPY favorite for a romantic getaway and a top honeymoon haven! 

The first time I visited Jumby Bay, a Rosewood Resort, it was more than a year ago when I stayed in one of the private estate homes for a magazine piece I was writing. First of all let me say the homes on Jumby Bay are phenomenal and the best part is about a half dozen of these multi-million dollar homes are for rent! I got to stay in Eagles Landing where I felt like Alice in Wonderland slipping through the looking glass.

This dream home is right on the beach, with five bedrooms, your own private butler and chef and an infinity edge swimming pools that seems to spill right into the Caribbean, I was in heaven! The photograph is of the private estate home called Oleander and yes, it’s for rent!

This time I’ll be checking out one of Jumby Bay’s villas that are also incredible. They’re smaller than the private estate homes, in case you don’t need all the room, and they also have their own private pools.  What’s exciting about this trip to Jumby Bay is that I’m getting a sneak peek at all the renovation going on at the island.  

Jumby Bay closed down last June for a multi-million dollar expansion and renovation project. The resort consists of 40 rooms, 12 villas and about a half dozen private estate homes for rent. Part of the island’s charm is that it’s so tiny there are no cars. Instead, you’re given a bicycle to get around and there are also golf carts if you prefer. It takes about 20 minutes to bike around the entire island but the scenery is so beautiful it’s hard not to stop and take photographs or take a stroll on the different sugar sand beaches.  

As part of Jumby Bay’s new renovation the island is going to have its first resort spa and a new infinity edge swimming pool. All the suites are being redone and there’s a new award-winning chef on staff and a long list of other additions and upgrades.  

I’ll be one of the first journalists to visit the island since it officially closed in June so I can’t wait to see how Jumby Bay is transforming itself. What I find so impressive is that even before the renovation the Jumby Bay Resort was already top rated in the Caribbean.   

In 2007, Jumby Bay was honored as “The World’s best Caribbean Resort” in Travel + Leisure magazine. It just goes to show you that even when you’re on top you can never rest on your reputation, you have to continue to reinvent yourself and make sure you’re providing the best service that put you at the top in the first place! 

When I told a friend I was going to Jumby Bay they said “have a great vacation,” and I laughed because I can’t remember the last time I had a true “vacation.” As a travel writer you’re always working when you’re on the road, writing a story, taking photographs and interviewing people. 

Okay, sure, it’s a GREAT job and every day I’m thankful for it, but it’s still a job and on this trip to Jumby Bay there’s work to do. For this “vacation” I’ll be taking both my still and HD Video camera to get some amazing images for a few TRAVEL THERAPY videos I’ll be putting together.  

Be sure to keep an eye on this site and my author page on amazon.com for the Jumby Bay video and other videos coming up where I’ll take you behind the scenes of some of the top TRAVEL THERAPY destinations in the world!  

Besides being on the cover of the book Jumby Bay is also featured in TRAVEL THERAPY: Where Do You Need to Go in the section on private island escapes and how to pick the islands that’s right for you. Just because it’s says “private island” doesn’t automatically mean crazy expensive. If you do your research and take advantage of some great deals you can have the vacation of a lifetime! More on that coming up….