foodiechan

Hello my friends. Sorry that this spring hasn't been to eventful for the both of us, as our spring travels had taken us to non-caribbean destinations.

Now that we are setting our sights back on the islands again, we are contemplating a trip to the out islands, this time either Exuma or Abaco.

We had been to Eleuthera in the past (in late July) and liked it very much as some of you may know we are big time beach people, and liked to cook and chill in our villas. We intend to do more of our own cooking this time, which means, so long as we can keep our fridge supplied with rum and beer, and that a local watering hole is not that far away, we are all good.

Really, we just want to know what we should expect between each island, and what you like and disliked about each one. Suggestions are always welcome, and especially if there's one island where we could actually rent a dinghy and island hop a little....

We are contemplating Grand Cayman and Anguilla as well, but that would be for a different discussion.

We like quiet, disserted white sand beaches with calm waters, good local street food, and if available, places where we could buy fresh catch off the dock.

Cheers,
Ed and Peg

ishkribbl

I have been to both more than once but I would love to hear Callalou's opinion and explanation as she is so much more articulate on this subject. Hopefully, with the bump she will weigh in -

Callaloo

Unless you are facile with boats, I would suggest the Abacos as a more realistic destination compared to the Exumas, but each has much to offer.

Overall, I would say the Exumas are better for deserted beaches than the Abacos. And, truth be told, both destinations are best explored by boat. However, the Abacos offer more options for the boat-challenged in terms of ferries and inhabited islands where you might rent a golfcart (and also offer more boats to rent/charter for those who are boat-capable). From Marsh Harbour or Treasure Cay, you can get to the outer cays (Elbow, Man-O-War, Great Guana, Green Turtle) by ferry, and explore to your heart's content to find that perfect spot.

In the Exumas, there are really only two bases where you might be able to take advantage of enough population to rent vehicles or boats or avail yourself of a water taxi. One of those is Great Exuma (Georgetown) -- to which the vast majority of visitors fly, and you can rent a boat if weather permits, rent a car, or take a water taxi to Stocking Island. The beaches are pretty amazing there. The other base is Staniel Cay, and the cottages at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club come with use of Boston Whalers. Your range will be limited by your skill and the weather and water conditions. But ... wow ... the beaches you can get to with those little Whalers are just breathtaking. (See my webpage for photos: http://islandtime.homestead.com/)

Both groups are going to have the same kind of local food -- conch, conch, conch and more conch, plus some fish and lobster -- basically the same stuff you saw in Eleuthera. There's a bit more of it in the Abacos, because they are a bit more developed and traveled. I've had more luck buying fresh catch in the Abacos than the Exumas, since there just isn't much population in the Exumas to supports much trade.

You can't go wrong with either. (And I'd be happy to weigh in on Grand Cayman and Anguilla as well ....)

Callaloo

Sorry, looks like my link didn't work. Trying again: http://islandtime.homestead.com.

ishkribbl

I would only add that since you said you liked to "cook at your villa" that you would have more luck finding groceries to do that in the Abacos or in Great Exuma. On Staniel Cay the meal plan at SCYC is the way to go if you are staying there. If you rented a house on SC you would find the couple of stores there are tiny and don't have much in the way of supplies. There are at least a couple of true supermarkets on Great Abaco and fairly well supplied little stores, liquor stores and bakeries on most of the outer cays. There is also a wide array of homes for rent on Great Exuma as well as on most of the Abaco cays.

ishkribbl

I forgot to mention that there are many companies renting boats in the Abacos so the competition keeps the prices reasonable and the boats in top shape. There is much less in the boat rental market in the Exumas. I love both places but for different reasons- I am not sure you could make a bad choice!

foodiechan

Back to my friends here.

So I am for sure a novice here and it looks like renting my own boat may be a bit dangerous? Certainly didn't want to be stranded on the open sea....

Can we also comment on the difference between Anguilla and Grand Cayman?

We are trying to keep the budget to about $3k for the week (rental/car/air fare), and had been shying away from Anguilla as we fear that the addition to a St. Marteen leg as well as good dining options will blow our budget up.

We thought GC might be a cheaper alternative because we think we could foresake the dining, and other than a tour to Sting Ray city it will be all about 7 mile beach.

Suggestions??

Callaloo

Given that you are a boating novice, head for the Abacos -- you'd still be able to island-hop by ferry.

As for Anguilla and GC, both are rather expensive destinations, though you can manage costs if you are prudent.

Though I enjoyed my stay on GC, it's not on my list of places to return. It's more commercialized, crowded and homogenized than I would like. Even if you skip the higher-end dining, food is pricey. In low season, when rates are lower, our hotel was mobbed with ... how to say this? ... "entitled" families. It's just not my scene, though lots of other people clearly love it, so I'm not going to diss it too much.

Anguilla is a lot less of those things. The beaches are beautiful, and the island has a beach bar culture that is second only to the BVIs (which is quite important to me). You are right that there are good dining options, but you can just as easily get a local (and delicious) fish meal at Nat's or Gwen's and go happily on your way without having your wallet too badly dented. The real key to managing Anguilla prices is going off-season. I'd made the mistake of staying in a 3-star hotel (on a 5-star beach) in February, and paid a rather hefty rate, and feeling like I didn't get my money's worth; I'd have felt much better about staying there in July when the rate was half.

The fact that St. Maarten is nearby can be a plus. St. Maarten has a LOT more air travel options, which tends to moderate airfares; once you get to SXM, it's a cheap and convenient ferry ride over to Anguilla. Flying directly to Anguilla will double your fare. Also, if you add to your trip a stay in St. Maarten/Martin, you'll find a wide range of choices for places to say, in many budget ranges. And, while the dining there can be very pricey, there are many affordable options as well -- I love the lolos in Grand Case, where you can eat and drink for less than $20/person.

mnag

Between Exuma/Abacos I would pick Exuma based on our personal preference of desserted but fantastic beaches. Easier to travel between the diff cays in the Abacos. We stayed on Elbow and took a day trip to Great Guana Cay. You drive around in golf carts in the abacos. Beaches were nice but I think Exuma has the edge in terms of beaches. Tropic on Cancer beach on Exuma is stunning. Other beaches towards the airport just off the main road were practically empty. On abacos my fav beach was tahiti beach but I would not call it desserted. Elbow Cay has more of a quaint town feel, lighthouse etc. I was not impressed with the restaurants on Exuma. Abacos was a bit better. We stayed at February point on Exuma through VRBO and the homes are beautiful. We did take the boat over to Stocking island one day but were content driving around to the diff beaches on the mainland the rest of the week. However the beaches are not as plentiful as Eleuthera.