Vacations have a way of flying by, and before you know it, youβre back home scrolling through a camera roll full of cocktails, blurry selfies, and that one random shot of your toes in the sand. The Sandals photo session is an easy way to make sure you come home with a few truly great shots β the kind youβll actually want to frame, not just filter.
If youβre staying at any Sandals property, you can book a complimentary 20-minute photo session with one of their professional photographers. Yes, FREE. Zero obligation. No βweβll just charge your card laterβ shenanigans. I always tell people β do it! You lose nothing, and you might end up with frame-worthy vacation shots.
If itβs your first Sandals getaway, you might also want to check out my Sandals Resort Tips and Vacation Checklist β it pairs perfectly with this photo guide and will make planning your trip even easier.
When you book your Sandals trip, you can arrange your free photo session online ahead of time. Or, if youβre like me and prefer to micromanage the perfect lighting, you can adjust the time once you arrive.
I always book the latest available time online before the trip.
Once Iβm on property, I check the actual sunset time (thank you, Google) and reschedule my session to be as close to that golden-hour magic as possible.
Pro Tip β I do not recommend a daytime shoot unless itβs in the pool or by the ocean β otherwise, youβll be glistening (and not in a βdewy glowβ kind of way).
Even if you skip the formal shoot, Sandals photographers are constantly roaming the resort. Theyβll snap shots while youβre splashing in the pool, lounging at the beach, or sipping a cocktail at dinner. Iβve ended up with some of my favorite candid photos from these moments.
This is why I wait until the day before checkout to go to the photo desk and look through all the shots from our stay. That way, Iβm not missing any spontaneous gems that might happen on the last night.
Buy individually β Around $20 per photo β perfect if you just want one or two.
Photo packages β If you want several, the price per photo drops. (And yes, they will tempt you with gorgeous sunset shots until you cave.)
Iβve been known to say βjust one or twoβ and leave with enough photos to fill a coffee-table book. Oops.
Look, Iβm all for βcome as you areβ vacation vibes β but for your official session, I highly recommend coordinating outfits. Not full-on matching (unless youβre into that), but colors that complement the scenery.
I usually pack an outfit specifically for our Sandals photo session:
β’ Light, airy fabrics
β’ Colors that pop against the ocean or sunset
β’ Something comfortable enough to move in so we can do candid, playful shots
And donβt be shy! The photographers are used to going with the flow. If youβve seen a cute pose on Pinterest or want to try something specific, just tell them β theyβll help make it happen.
Bottom line: the free 20-minute Sandals photo session is a no-brainer. Even if you think you wonβt buy any pictures, you might be surprised at how much you love them once you see them all. Plus, with photographers snapping pics around the resort all week, youβll have plenty to choose from when youβre ready to decide.
Do it for future you β the one who will thank you when youβre looking back at your trip and not relying on that one blurry selfie to remember how incredible it was.
And if youβre still deciding where to stay, you canβt go wrong with Sandals Antigua β stunning beaches, unbelievable sunsets, and some of the best resort photographers weβve met.
Amsterdam has a way of making you feel like you need to see everything, and then rewarding you most when you slow down anyway. The museums and canal cruises are worth it, but so is just wandering neighborhoods, eating whatever looks good, and sitting along the canals with a grilled cheese and nowhere to be.
First-time visitor guide is on the blog. Link in bio. π·
#travelling #travel #amsterdam #visitamsterdam #traveleurope
10 stops. One very full day. Zero regrets. Amsterdam has one of the best food scenes Iβve experienced anywhere in Europe, but the honest caveat is that some of the viral spots come with lines that will genuinely test your character. I skipped a few. I regret nothing.
Hereβs what actually made the cut on my self-guided Amsterdam food tour:
Fresh stroopwafels at Hans Egstorf: made right in front of you, warm caramel, no line. This one won.
Lourens cookie croissant: flaky outside, gooey chocolate inside. Did not share.
CafΓ© Winkel 43 apple pie: one of the rare viral places that fully lives up to the hype.
Davieβs Amsterdam for the Lelie sandwich: pastrami, pickles, marbled bread. Deceptively simple. Absolutely excellent.
De Kaaskamer to end the day: 400+ cheeses, grilled cheese with what they call ketchup (itβs not ketchup, and itβs better), and bunker cheese aged in underground military bunkers.
The full route covers 10 stops through Jordaan, the 9 Streets, the canal district, and the flower market area with a Google Map included so you can just follow along.
Full guide with every stop, tips for beating the lines, and what Iβd skip vs. do again | link in bio.
#amsterdam #visitamsterdam #netherlands #travel #visitnetherlands #traveleurope
Thereβs a version of Gatlinburg thatβs all fudge shops and tourist crowds, and then thereβs the version that actually makes you want to come back.
Hereβs everything worth doing downtown, in the order Iβd do it: ποΈ
β¨ Start at @gatlinburgskypark before the crowds hit
β¨ Walk the strip mid-morning when itβs still manageable
β¨ @googooclusters stop (see my post from Tuesday: donβt skip it)
β¨ Dinner at one of the local spots off the main drag
β¨ Wander back out at night when the lights are on and it gets actually pretty
This isnβt your overscheduled Smoky Mountain itinerary. Itβs more of a βhereβs what Iβd actually do if I had one solid dayβ kind of list.
Full downtown Gatlinburg guide linked in bio. π
If someone told me Iβd spend five hours at SkyPark, I would not have believed them. And yet. π
Gatlinburg SkyPark sits above the strip and itβs one of those places that looks like a quick stop on paper and turns into most of your afternoon. The SkyBridge alone is worth it β longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America, and yes, you will look down.
β¨ SkyBridge (longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America)
β¨ SkyLift ride up with views of the Smokies
β¨ Walking trails with mountain views in every direction
β¨ Way less crowded than downtown
Fair warning: if heights genuinely freak you out, the bridge might not be your thing. The rest of the park is still 100% worth it. Full guide with tickets, tips, and what to skip linked in bio. π
I walked into Goo Goo Cluster in downtown Gatlinburg thinking Iβd spend five minutes and leave with a small piece of candy. I was wrong on both counts. π
You build your own chocolate cluster at a kiosk: caramel, sea salt, pretzels, cocoa pebbles, you name it, and then watch them make it right in front of you. The whole thing takes about 15 minutes and costs $15.
The caveat? This is not a snack. This is a full-size brick of chocolate that I was still eating two days later.
If youβre already walking the Gatlinburg strip, this is an easy yes. Especially if you have absolutely no self-control around caramel. (Asking for a friend.) Full experience breakdown linked in bio. π
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