beachbuff

We are staying at the Westin in late July with our children, ages 4 and 8. I'm curious about the beach there--clear water, clean beach, any peddlers? Also wondering about side trips to Abaco from Grand Bahama. Are there ferries that go to any of the other islands from GBI? And finally, what other beaches on the island would be good to see? We will probably rent a car--we have never been here before and would love to spend a day exploring. What are the best things to see and do with kids? Thanks so much for any advice.

caribtraveler

Hi Beachbuff...My husband and I were there last October. The beach is gorgeous...really long..absolutely clean..clear and gentle surf. And the best, NO peddlers. We didn't do any trips to any other island and we didn't go with our son so I can't tell you there. If you do a search of my screenname, you will find my trip report "Westin at our Lucaya TR".

caribtraveler

I meant I can't HELP you there.

beachbuff

Great trip report! Good restuarant suggestions, too, that I'll keep in mind. Are they at the International Bazaar or within walking distance from the hotel? We'll be looking to eat economically since we'll have the kids with us. We stayed at the Westin St. John last year without kids, and, while the resort was nice, the beach and the food on site were horrible--that's why I was kind of wondering about this Westin. I think I've seen you post on the same subject, so we must be visiting the same places. Thanks so much for your helpful posts!

caribtraveler

Hi there..yes, the restaurants I mentioned (the ones not part of the resort), are all right across the street from the Westin at the market place. You literally just walk across a road and you're there. The area all around the hotel is absolutely safe.
We were PLEASANTLY surprised by the beach at the Westin Our Lucaya. Since you've been to St. John, I'll compare. Let's say Trunk Bay is a 10, the beach at Our Lucaya is a 7-8 (only my opinion).
The other beach that I mentioned in my trip report (the one where we went to for snorkeling) was JUST OKAY if comparing to Trunk Bay. I won't say it's a must-see...but if you have the extra day to do it, go ahead.

beachbuff

Thanks, caribtraveler. That really gives me something to compare it to. St John is wonderful and I hope to return one day, but the closest flights from here (New Orleans) are still expensive for the whole family. We are leaving from Fort Lauderdale via Discovery Cruise to GBI. From everything I've seen and read, it looks like there will be plenty to keep the four of us entertained right there at the resort. The kids are happy as long as they're in the pool or on the beach, my husband loves to snorkel and I just want some R & R in the sun. Sounds like this just might be the place.

caribtraveler

Have a WONDERFUL time.
For perfect R&R, make sure you go to the infinity pool all the way at the end of resort, lay on a lounge chair in the shallow part of the pool with a good book, gaze up once in awhile to look at the pool water blending into the beautiful sea.
That was the BEST for us! My husband and I would look at each other and we'd say "Okay, we miss him (our toddler) BUT THIS IS REALLY NICE!"
Ahhhhh....memories...Now I'm envious of you!

sbarra

We just returned from the Westin and absolutely loved it. Our kids are 13 and 18. The beach on the property is gorgeous. It's long and has areas with lots of watersports and tranquil areas.

The pools are gorgeous as well. The Sheraton has a pool with a water slide. My 13 year old spent alot of time there. Remembering back to when my kids were your kids' age - they would have been perfectly happy never to leave the combined resorts! There were lots of kid friendly activities.

There were no peddlers on the beach. We would go back in a minute.

We hired a driver to take us into Freeport and to the main marina. It was interesting to see where the "real" people live. Freeport is not much to look at, nor is its harbor. I'm sure there are plenty of day trips. In fact you can walk to the marina and make arrangements to swim with the dolphins.

But I bet the kids would be quite content to stay at the resort.

beachbuff

Thanks for the positive reports. Another question...we will only be there 4 days, and I'm sure we'll have plenty to do at the resort. But I think we might regret not getting a chance to look around and explore the rest of GBI. Would it be better to see the island by taking the bus, getting a taxi, or renting a vehicle? sbarra, if you don't mind me asking, how expensive was it to go to the marina? I bet the kids would love the Dolphin experience. I also hear good reports about Gold Rock Beach but I have no idea where it is in location to the resort.

philbilly

My girlfriend and travel 2-3 times every year. We went to the Westin over New Year of 04. The property is nice, but the staff sucks. They have their hand-out for everything!! Way too expensive place-$6.25 for bottled water? Eat accross the st. Luckily we were only there for 2 nites. Not much to see on the Island. Nice beaches and water. But felt like a rip-off.

Fasst1

Beachbuff,
If you are interested you may find a great deal of good stuff on my amateur web site about GBI at www.fortunecity.com/oasis/bahia/443/index.htm There are links on the home page to a message board, hundreds of pictures of the island (many of Our Lucaya), and extensive trip reports which discuss many aspects of what to expect when there. If you choose to check it out and have any questions feel free to email me at home at [email protected]. I think you'll like it, and if you go NOT expecting things to be done quickly you'll enjoy it more. Bahamians do not do much of anything quickly. That's the way life is on the islands and we've become very acclimated to the laid back atmosphere in over 24 year of visiting.

Regards,
Danny

beachbuff

Thanks fasst1. Great site! This started out as a business trip I have in Ft. Lauderdale, which has now turned into the "family" thing. We were debating over whether to do the "hype" of Atlantis with kids or the laid-back scene at Freeport. You have so many great pictures that I know we've made the right decision. We are VERY laid back folks and don't enjoy schedules. Only problem now will be trying to fit in everything in a just a short amount of time! The room I booked was through a package deal with Discovery Cruise, but I called the Westin to confirm that we could have a higher floor room at Breaker's Cay. We didn't pay the extra to get the club level--I hope that was not a mistake. I may email you with specific questions as it gets closer. I'm ready to be there now...and I still have 3 months of waiting.