Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report Finally Exumas trip report with pictures

Exumas trip report with pictures
Aug 23, 2014, 11:24 AM
Okay, really all about the pictures, so report only has highlights:

2nd trip to Exumas, first was at Great Exuma, this one at Staniel Cay Yacht Club.

Flew from Nassau on Flamingo air

Stayed in Ocean Blue cottage which was gorgeous. A/C worked amazing, power went out a couple of times but within hours was back. Got package which is a great deal--food is excellent! Biggest lobster I've ever had. Only negative is it gets so hot at dinner you kinda loose appetite halfway. If they can change this (might be in the making) it would be perfect.

Skiffs included in package were functionable. Beat up, but won't sink. We explored different cays every day.

Highlights: Sandy Cay, Sampson Cay, Compass Cay, and of course Pig Beach (the reason I came, loved it!) Actually Called Big Major

Many gorgeous beaches, but most came out only at low tide. Cresent Beach at Compass Cay was probably the best, loved Sandy and Big Major beaches too--Pirates beach on Staniel is also outstanding.

Felt like an adventure, every cay has it's own personality. One has pigs, one has iguanas, one has sharks, one you can snorkel (sea and land park), one was a movie set (Thunderball Grotto), others had sand bars.

Additional adventures: taking picture of a pig, another sideswiped me and my camera lens loosened. But I saved it! Being tripped by a pig was an experience. Got caught in squalls on a boat, thunder, lightning, waterspouts, so needed cover fast! Ended up on a celebrity's island for shelter and the guards couldn't have been any nicer. They let us stay until storms passed, so they saved us! (now I'm a huge fan, thank you!)

Another day stopped at a beach on a private cay, (only an abandoned looking building on it, and beach line is public and never passed that line) Well all of the sudden by boat the owner comes flying and yelling at us. YELLING "I'm asking you kindly to leave or I'm calling the police" What's kind about that? The use of the word? Had he been kind we would have left right away and apologized, but being a jerk made me tell him, "Call the police, we're not breaking the law, we know the beach rules of the Bahamas" Funny how better treated we were by the celebrity.

After telling the story we found out that's the "meanest guy in the Bahamas" so maybe he is a celebrity! (or at least infamous)

Overall impressions:

Loved this trip, but I must say I love Great Exuma area more. Skiffs were kinda hard on this old back! 6 hours on these tiny boats takes a beating, I went for 6 nights probably could have done 4. Still had a nice time though.

Beaches overall are much nicer around Great Exuma, actually one of my favorites. The difference is Staniel Cay area feels more of an adventure (swimming pigs, petting sharks, etc)

I only have Norman Cay left, which is fascinating to me, but heard it's changing fast (I want to see drug dealer ruins and plane wrecks)

We ended our trip with a layover in Atlantis. (I know, what was I thinking?) Having been twice before, I feel it's really gone downhill fast, yet costs more. The Cove used to be classy, now it's like an adult Spring Break with topless girls twerking (Yes I know the term!) in the pool. Playing loud music, and tons of vendors on the now non-turquoise looking beach. So many jet ski they looked like they were going to crash.

Enjoy the pictures, ask questions!

…photobucket.com/user/…202014