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We had never been to a Sandals resort before or the Bahamas either, so our trip to Emerald Bay was truly a new experience. We didn't know exactly what to expect but from the moment we arrived we felt we were in paradise.

The new Emerald Bay resort lies in the waters of the Exumas. In the brochure they describe this Bahamian Out Island as 'a privileged enclave' designed to feel 'as if you are the only ones there'.

Emerald Bay sits in 500 tropical acres along a pristine, mile-long beach. The resort has everything you could ever want for the perfect holiday.

There are three swimming pools - one occupying a half-acre with a dramatic fire pit in the middle.

The seven restaurants are exceptional - and if golf is your thing, there is a Greg Norman-designed course, voted one of the Caribbean's best by Travel & Leisure Golf. Ola and I play golf so we were in seventh heaven.

Perhaps what surprised us most was the fact that the place is so beautiful. We've been to the Caribbean before - to St Lucia and stayed at a nice hotel, but the Sandals Resorts are in a different league.

My parents have been using Sandals for the past seven years, and they've always said to us that they're fantastic. I think they've been to Jamaica a few times with Sandals to the different resorts that it has there, but our resort was, honestly, second to none. It was just fantastic.

Our days had a dreamlike quality to them. We'd get up early in morning, play a round of golf, finish about 10.30am and then go down to the pool or the beach.

We particularly loved the beach because of the stunning turquoise colour of the water in the Bahamas. When you look at the pictures in the brochure beforehand, you think that maybe they enhance the colour, but the colour of the water ... I've been to so many different places in the world, but I've never, ever seen water that colour.

And the sand obviously was pure white. Every morning, because we were in a beach-front villas, we would see a guy on a tractor raking the sand so there wasn't a single footprint on it. As a result, when people went down to the beach in the morning it was just immaculate.

We also really enjoyed the huge choice of places to eat and drink. One of our favourites for dinner was the beachfront restaurant on the sand where you could have surf and turf and salad and burgers. It was amazing: the surf and turf was brilliant. I miss this culinary delight now we're at home - I fancy one now!

We also liked the Italian restaurant and the French restaurant - and we loved the pubs, especially the Irish one, which was a cool place to hang out as they had lots of things going on day and night.

Actually, there were always lots of things going on throughout the resort at almost any time of day. There were always games for the guests to get involved in - table tennis, volleyball and much more.

What really impressed was that the service was so good, second to none. You'd be sitting around the pool and people would keep asking you if they can get you anything: 'Would you like a drink? I'll get you a drink,' and they'd bring you drinks - you are waited on hand, foot and finger, it's incredible.

If lazing about being waited upon isn't enough, there are also a wide range of excursions. We signed up for the James Bond themed Thunderball trip, inspired by the 007 movie which was filmed in the Bahamas. It was the most surreally brilliant trip I've ever been on. Part of the film was shot in the cave that we were taken to for snorkelling.

It was a big open cavern that you could look up through and see the sky. And when you dived down - the fish! I've never seen so many in my life, of all different colours.It was beautiful.Then we went to see iguanas, which were not quite so beautiful!

We went to one beach and massive iguanas came running out, and we fed them with grapes. It was extraordinary: the iguanas look like little dinosaurs.

We were told they can attack you. Women with painted toenails are seemingly most at risk, so they were told to hide them in the sand because the iguanas think they're grapes and will try to eat them, which was quite funny.

And then we swam with sharks. They were nurse sharks, so apparently they're safe, but they did say don't put your hands underneath the sharks because that's where their mouths are. Again, obviously, you've just got to be a little bit careful.

It was certainly exciting and the first time I've ever experienced sharks at such close quarters. To have 50 sharks swimming around you, touching you, that was quite a nice episode.

But the best moment of the tour was when we arrived on a beach and as the local pigs heard the sound of the boat, they all came running down the beach. Pigs! They trotted up and swam right up to the boat.

I didn't know that pigs could swim. But here they were, massive wild boars in the water. The tour guide said: 'If you want to jump in and swim with the pigs, jump in!' I went in and I was holding on to a massive pig's tail - I mean, I've never seen pigs so big - and it was pulling me along. Unbelievable! I never thought it was possible.

That trip was amazing, something special that we'll definitely remember for the rest of our lives. And yes, there was dancing at the resort in the evenings. We finally joined in after a couple of cocktails. I didn't do anything fancy: I might have got beaten up if I'd started doing ballroom dancing!

On our flight home we agreed that it was by far the best holiday we've ever been on.

Getting there

Sandals Resorts is offering seven nights on a Luxury Included® basis at Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas from £2,099pp, saving £1,194pp. Price includes return flights from London and resort transfers for travel on selected dates until December 5. Prices are subject to availability. For further information, or to make a booking, contact Sandals Resorts on 0800 597 0002 or visit sandals.co.uk.

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