Go Bananas!

On the weekend of 11/11/17, my husband and I celebrated our 6th year wedding anniversary.  I surprised him with a trip to Banana Island!  Yes, that is the real name of the island.  Take a look at this video:

It’s actually a resort by Anantara, just a 25 minute catamaran ferry ride away from Doha, Qatar or a private helicopter ride.  It’s a luxury, dry (alcohol free- out of respect for the local Islamic culture) resort.  The resort features 2 & 3 bedroom villas with private swimming pools and 1 bedroom hotel rooms.  It also offers over-water bungalows. We stayed in the hotel since it was just us.

I’m trying hard to stick to my commitment of saving versus traveling but last year was our 5th anniversary and we spent it on two different continents so I wanted this one to be special.  Is a weekend on banana Island expensive?  Yes, but still cheaper than paying for a flight, hotel and food someplace away from Qatar and wasting time on a plane ride for a quick getaway.  I called Darryl on the phone three hours before I left from work and instructed him to pack for a weekend.  It wasn’t until we were on the Corniche, being dropped off by our good friends Jennifer and JD, that he realized where we were going.

You check in to the resort while still in Qatar and as soon as you enter this small building, you’re treated with royalty.  The banana island check-in is located near the MIA on the Corniche.  As soon as we walked under the arch, someone greeted us and took our bags.  We were offered dates and water.  Ten minutes later we boarded the ferry.  In less than thirty minutes we arrived to the sounds of beating drums.  Our preferences were reviewed and we were escorted to our room. Our bags met us shortly there after.

The room was huge, featuring a full bathroom including a large rain shower head, dual sink vanities an attached sitting area and closet.  The bedroom had a sitting area, mini bar, small refrigerator, Keurig machine, king-size bed, and a large spa tub in front of the balcony overlooking the ocean.  We turned on the t.v. to check the channels and was surprised by the Boss surround sound that followed into the bathroom.

The island is beautiful.  It has several restaurants, a public pool, large play area for the kids, surrounded by beach of course, golf carts that will take you around with one call, a cinema, bowling and more.  I was actually surprised by how cold the beach water was, but we still enjoyed it.

What about the food? Well, they did not disappoint.  You know if the food is good, than you got me.  They were very aware of my vegan diet and at each restaurant the Manager came over to greet me and consult with me about what I wanted to eat so that they could prepare it fresh for me.  He even asked what I would want the next day, so that they could prepare it.  I mean top shelve service, even down to room service.

There were only 3 things, I had a problem with: no villas for single couples, no alcohol, and the pillows, where your head sunk right to the bed.  So take your pillow and the other thing with you (if you know where I am coming from) and enjoy a 5 star vacation 25 minutes away from Doha.