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Heading to the Bahamas looking for heat climate, quiet seashores and crystal clear water? This is without doubt one of the most picturesque island places and definitely worth the effort, however there are some issues to know upfront to make your expertise a bit of smoother. Listed below are 10 issues I want I’d identified earlier than vacationing on Exuma.
By: Lisa Fennessy
Exuma is a bit of slice of paradise identified for its crystal clear waters, swimming pigs, blue holes, colourful snorkeling and white sand seashores. Principally an 11 out of 10 on the “picturesque island residing” scale—a lot in order that it has celebs scooping up its 365 islands left and proper for private use.
Wish to identify names? Celebs like Johnny Depp, Tyler Perry, Religion Hill + Tim McGraw, John Travolta, Sir Richard Branson, Eddie Murphy, Nicholas Cage and David Copperfield all personal their very own Exuma island. It’s additionally identified for Fyre Fest—the glorified celebrity-endorced music competition failure of the 21 century. And to not point out a ship journey to Samuel Bankman-Fried‘s (now defunct) infamous FTX crypto forex alternate headquarters.
Talking of the David Copperfield island, you’ll be able to lease it out for your self if you’re . It comes absolutely staffed with facilities like…5 homes, a restaurant, an out of doors theater, 40 non-public seashores, a non-public air strip, a lighted championship grass tennis courtroom, out of doors bathtubs, a fitness center…or discover the waters with what you see match through a 28-foot Nautilus Rib Catamaran, a 23-foot jet boat, Boston Whalers, sailboats, paddle boards and jet skis…all of that are included. You and 23 of your closest associates can get pleasure from (meals and alcohol included) this non-public Exuma island for 400K USD per week lol. Who’s coming with me?!
Anyhow, evidently, that’s NOT the place we stayed however we did drive by it and it was B-A-N-A-N-A-S. As a substitute, we selected to remain at Hideaways on Nice Exuma because it appeared like a handy central location to native sights.
All in all, we had a good time on our Exuma trip however there are positively some issues I want I knew earlier than going which might have made our expertise a bit of smoother. Right here they’re in no specific order.
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1. Money is king
One option to smash your Exuma trip is to not have money in your pocket.
When you find yourself on the water you’ll need money for tiki bars, lunch, entry to sights (just like the sharks at Staniel Cay), suggestions for captains and extra. When you find yourself on land you want money for seashore bars, eating places, grocery shops, the man who simply picked and reduce you a recent coconut…
We acquired caught with out money too many instances. We needed to depart a breakfast spot as a result of we had no money. One other time we needed to depart a cart filled with groceries behind as a result of we didn’t have money they usually didn’t take AMEX. And we nearly misplaced out on swimming with the sharks as a result of we had been in the midst of the ocean and 6 {dollars} brief! It’s no joke.
PLUS there are solely three ATMs on the island—and the closest one to us ran out of money whereas we had been there. (The subsequent closest one was 25 minutes away).
Additionally, NO ONE takes AMEX. And nobody has a Paypal or Money App. I should have requested like 5 completely different individuals if that they had an app and everybody checked out me sideways like I used to be talking in tongues.
MY ADVICE: Because the alternate is 1:1 for USD, my recommendation is to simply convey your individual money (ALL OF IT) and keep away from this complete headache earlier than it occurs. You should utilize USD as native forex.
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2. Discovering meals is usually a actual challenge
Exuma is an island so a lot of the meals there may be imported and when eating places run out, they run out. This occurs A LOT.
Let me paint the image of what this appears like:
The final day we had been there, my husband wished to do that place that had an enormous signal that stated “breakfast” out entrance. He went in and requested in the event that they had been serving breakfast. They stated no. So he went to Sandpiper Cafe (which is tremendous cute and yummy – completely advocate) however they had been money solely so he left to go to the ATM which was out of money so then he got here again to the lodge we had been staying at and tried to order breakfast at that restaurant (Splash) and all that they had was toast and yogurt as a result of they had been “ready on meals from the boat.” (That they had been ready on “meals from the boat” for DAYZ).
One other time we went to strive Coco Plum Bistro for breakfast they usually stated that they had no eggs.
Additionally, as an extra word, it was nearly unimaginable to eat right here with celiac. There aren’t any gluten free merchandise within the shops and nothing marked on menus. Servers additionally gave me unconvincing wish-washy solutions to typical celiac questions. Which suggests there have been a number of meals the place I simply ordered the fries and hoped the cross contamination didn’t do me too soiled.
Thank goodness I occurred to purchase a stack of corn tortillas as we had been on our option to examine into the lodge. They turned my lifeline as I fried them up within the room for egg wraps, bean wraps, avocado wraps…One time the meals sitch was so dire I simply ordered two glasses of Savi B and known as it an evening.
Additionally, “open” and “shut” instances are unpredictable. So for us, Christmas was on a Monday, some shops are usually closed on a Sunday after which shops had been nonetheless closed on Tuesday for Boxing Day so this (shops and eating places being closed for 3 days straight compounded with eating places having no meals) was simply wild.
MY ADVICE: My recommendation (particularly if you’re touring with youngsters) is to hook your self up and hit the grocery retailer to STOCK UP on stuff for breakfasts and packed lunches (at the least).
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3. Prepare to attend
“Island time” is so enjoyable till you might be residing it lol. In case you are going out to dinner be ready to attend HOURS.
We went to Shirley’s Seafood Restaurant in The Fish Fry on a Friday. We acquired the primary seating at 5:45pm and didn’t get out of there till 7:45pm. Full cease. One time I waited 65 minutes for an order of fries at Splash. And customarily talking no sit down meal was shorter than 90 minutes. You’ll WAIT to be seated. You’ll WAIT for the meals. And you’ll WAIT for the service. Good luck ordering a second drink lol.
MY ADVICE: For those who don’t plan, you’ll find yourself spending your total trip ready at a restaurant. Make some meals at house or strive ordering takeout.
4. Issues e book up early
We went to Exuma throughout Christmas break so I don’t know if that performed into this expertise in any respect however I can inform you we couldn’t get a reservation at Blu On The Water—which I actually wished to strive. The automobile rental choices had been sparse. Exuma Water Sports activities Excursions (#1 on Journey Advisor) had been bought out for your entire week. We couldn’t get in touch with Dive Exuma to scuba. And Minns boat rental was bought out for the week.
MY ADVICE: The minute you resolve on dates, lock within the issues which might be most necessary to you.
5. Renting a automobile? Reserve a jeep should you can
I positively advocate renting a automobile so you’ll be able to discover the island at your leisure. This isn’t a walkable island and you’ll positively have to drive to seashores, excursions, water taxi stops, eating places, e.t.c.
That being stated, when you’ve got the selection to lease a jeep, DO IT. There may be one main highway (Queen’s Freeway) that runs the size of the island. Most of it’s paved however components aren’t and there are some severe pot holes that would depart you with a flat.
On high of that, if you’re going off Queen’s Freeway to get to a seashore, it’s actually like off roading. To get to Coco Plum Seaside I needed to principally drive by a puddle the dimensions of Lake Erie and to get to the Tropic of Most cancers Seaside it was nearly undriveable in some components.
MY ADVICE: Hire a jeep over a sedan if attainable and put the 2 police numbers in your cellphone for should you break down, get a flat or have to name for assist. George City Police: 336-2666. Farmers Cay Police: 355-4034.
6. Know the best way to dig for sand {dollars}
Do you know it’s a must to dig to seek out sand {dollars}?! I didn’t! So right here I’m going to Coco Plum Seaside in search of all of the sand {dollars} everyone seems to be speaking about and I see nothing! Little did I do know, sand {dollars} burrow within the sand so to seek out them it’s a must to dig. I didn’t know till we had been on the seashore and a few man advised me as we had been leaving empty handed—then we discovered a ton proper alongside the shoreline the place the waves break.
MY ADVICE: For those who discover a brown sand greenback that appears fuzzy, it’s STILL ALIVE so put it again.
7. Know the place to search for starfish
Likewise, we went to Starfish Seaside and noticed ZERO starfish. I’m like what’s everybody speaking about “Starfish Seaside”? There may be nothing right here. It wasn’t till we took a GUIDED snorkeling tour to the identical seashore that the captain advised us to snorkel to seek out starfish. I’m like omg I’m so dumb—the starfish are within the ocean, not on the sand. I used to be in search of starfish skeletons not reside ones lol. Immediately we noticed 5-6 enormous starfish (like the dimensions of basketballs) about 15-20 ft from shore.
MY ADVICE: Join excursions or rent a captain to take you round Elizabeth Harbour. We rented our personal boat and noticed nothing. Then we went to the identical spots with a captain and noticed all of it! A blue gap, large starfish, one of the best snorkeling websites, a barracuda (!!), The Lazy River, the Rolletown sandbar and extra.
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8. Use bug spray
Hear, we had been there for 8 days and I noticed no bugs however I left with a zillion, itchy AF bug bites. It’s the no-see-ums, or biting midges that may tear you up and also you received’t understand it till it’s too late. On breezy days the wind retains them away however on nonetheless days, look out.
MY ADVICE: Purchase and use bug spray marked particularly for no-see-ums whether or not you assume you want it or not.
9. If the climate sucks there may be NOTHING to do
There may be little or no infrastructure on Exuma which means there aren’t any fancy accommodations or film theaters or malls. The entire level of an Exuma trip is to both be on the water, within the water, at a seashore or on a ship—that’s the place it’s at!
So when it rains, you might be principally S.O.L. You may go to a bar and hope they’ve meals, learn a e book or sit in your lodge room. (Most streaming providers received’t work there both. We couldn’t get entry to HULU or Netflix and so forth. though Apple TV did work).
Likewise, if the climate is tough it’ll have an effect on the ocean visibility. We tried to see the ocean turtles at Hoopers Bay not as soon as however twice and each instances we didn’t see a lot. It was too murky from windy climate.
MY ADVICE: Set your self up for achievement and don’t go to Exuma throughout the wet season!
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10. Verify the tide schedule
The tide schedule issues and it WILL have an effect on your expertise on Exuma. For instance, there may be one tour everybody does after they go to Exuma and it’s the one the place you see the pigs, swim with the sharks, see the iguanas, see what’s arguably one of the best sandbar on the earth, snorkel Thunderball Grotto, and so forth. All of the tour corporations do that tour and belief me, you need in on it.
Nevertheless, full cease. For those who go on this tour when it’s excessive tide, you will be unable to snorkel the Grotto or see the sandbar. They’re inaccessible throughout excessive tide. I used to be on this tour with a girl from LA who stated this was her fifth time happening this tour and he or she by no means acquired to see both of these two issues as a result of it was all the time excessive tide.
Additionally you don’t need to go to Coco Plum Seaside at excessive tide as a result of you’ll miss the spalling sandbars and a possibility to go sand greenback looking. Likewise, should you go to the Lazy River at Moriah Harbour Nationwide Park at low tide it’s not a lazy river in any respect and you’ll work to swim down it lol. Belief me, I’m talking from expertise.
MY ADVICE: For those who can, e book every week there when low tide occurs throughout nearly all of the daytime hours.
I’ve a lot extra to say about this journey however for concern of writing a e book, I’ll cease right here. Be at liberty to ask me any questions and we are able to chat extra within the feedback. I need you to get essentially the most out of your Exuma trip!
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