Last year my DH and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary. As I reminisce over those 10 years, I have to say that our marriage has been a very enjoyable experience. I can say this is because we are so in love and all that other sappy stuff. While we are very much in love, the truth behind why and how our marriage is so blissful is because he has learnt the art of compromising… or really conceding. You see, he knows that if the wife is happy… we are happy.

Even though he gives in a lot… he is not one of those pansy, push over kind of husbands. He does wear the pants in the family. But he also understands that he should pick his battles wisely. And most battles aren’t worth fighting… especially not with the person who prepares your meals anyway. So this keeps peace in the home, keeps me happy and keeps us happy.

Anyway for our 10 year anniversary… we had a wonderful time. I used to have this job that I really hated… I mean really hated. In order to get me through the day, I would go to the Cayo Espanto website and imagine myself in all of the pictures. It really took me away, if only for a moment. And it got me through the day.

Eventually, I found another job, but I could not let go of Cayo Espanto. I daydreamed about it all the time. Cayo Espanto is a private island off the coast of Brazil. The island is surrounded by mesmerizing turquoise water. There are only 6 villas on the whole island. And they are spread so far apart, that you never have to see another guest while you are there. There is some limited interaction with the island staff, but it really is a place where you can recess into tranquility. No email, no smog, no cell phones ringing… a true escape.

But Cayo Espanto is not a place to vacation for the meager. The villas cost upwards of $3,000 a night with a minimum stay of 3 to 7 nights depending on the season… this does not include airfare, taxes and any other expenses, such as mini excursions off the island. But regardless of the cost, I wanted to go. I had been saving up my pennies and I figured in 20 years or so, I might have accumulated enough.

Reserving time at Cayo Espanto is not easy. Villas are usually booked six months to a year in advance. But occasionally something happens that causes a slot to become available. So I signed up to receive notifications about their  rare specials and promotional rates. And I really mean rare… I signed up to receive notifications fours years ago… and in all that time, they have had only two special rate offers.

The last one I receive 4 weeks before my 10^th anniversary. They told me that a last minute deal was available, but that I had to book within 2 weeks and travel dates were only available for a short date range. The deal… 50% off the regular package rates… practically a give away. Although I still did not have enough pennies saved up… I resolved to move some money around so that we could go.

And we did. We booked the Private Island Honeymoon package and for 5 nights (including our anniversary night) we laid out on the deck of our villa and watched the sun rise and fall over blue water. It was surreal… the best experience I’ve ever had.

Although last minute travel deals to Cayo Espanto are an unusual find… there are many other last minute travel deals that you can find that’ll save you hundreds if not thousands on your next vacation. You can begin your search here :

Last Minute Travel

American Express Travel

Grand Circle Travel

Travelocity