SO, I WAS RECENTLY FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET TO GO TO THE EXUMAS, BAHAMAS… MORE SPECIFICALLY, STANIEL CAY, BAHAMAS… AND BOY I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL THERE. CRYSTAL CLEAR BLUE WATER, BLUE SKIES, AND NO WORRIES (OK MAYBE A FEW WORRIES LIKE POSSIBLE SUNBURN, TOO MUCH RELAXATION, HAVING TO WAKE UP TO GET ON A BOAT TO SEE TOO MANY PRETTY PLACES 😉 ) IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET THERE, HERE ARE MY TOP THINGS WE DID THAT YOU MUST DO….
PIG BEACH
This is a must-do for sure. Wild pigs live on an uninhabited island near Staniel Cay. Only accessible by boat. The pigs are used to being fed by humans so will definitely come right up to you if you have food! (FYI, they loved carrots, so bring some if you are planning a trip here). They are friendly but also way stronger than they realize, so be careful (I put my hand too far in mouth and ended up getting bit pretty deep… totally worth it though!) Not many places in the world to do this, cool experience!
THUNDERBALL GROTTO
There’s 3 parts to the Grotto….. FIRST: Climb up on top off a hill on a tiny island ……
SECOND: Jump into a tiny hole on top of the island….. (I’m an adrenaline-junkie at heart)
THIRD: Land in/Snorkel in/Enjoy the views in an absolutely breathtaking natural cave!! The only way out is to swim under/between the rocks of the island. It was both fun and beautiful. Definitely need to be a strong swimmer to do this though. The current of the water was SUPER strong once down there, so I recommend going with someone else just in case you need some help.
STANIEL CAY YACHT CLUB/COMPASS CAY
So before this trip I had a serious fear of sharks (let’s be real, I kind of still do) BUT the sharks at these places will not hurt you.. The first picture below is at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club where a bunch of sharks hangout under the docks since a lot of people feed them there. The first picture below was also when we first arrived unsure about them…. Shortly thereafter we were ALL in the water with them taking pictures with them.
Next 2 pictures below were taken at Compass Cay. Just a short boat ride away from the Yacht Club. Same sharks, different place… and by this time I was apparently so comfortable with them swimming all over me. My first time ever swimming with sharks, and if you haven’t done it before this is the perfect place for you to do so!
RACHEL’S BUBBLES
So there is also more than one part to Rachel’s Bubbles. First, the crystal clear water once again.
Then, if you look in the background of the picture above.. there is a small opening in the rocks to the right of me. That is where the current from the ocean meets the calm of this side of the water and the water will come up and make a huge splash, hence the name Rachel’s bubbles. See picture below for example….
And lastly, climb to the top of the rocky hills next to Rachel’s bubbles for FANTASTIC VIEWS. (see below….) Definitely worth the walk up the hill… Although I recommend BRINGING WATER SHOES because the rocks are very sharp! (I was an idiot and cut my toes a few times) And again, as always, this place is only accessible by boat like majority of places in the Exumas.
ROCKY DUNDAS
Another island that just looks like an island from the outside…. but little would you know if you SWIM UNDER THE ROCKS, there is multiple natural caves in it! These caves did not have a strong current as the Grotto so possibly a bit safer for those who aren’t strong swimmers, but also not as large as a cave at the Grotto.
When you’re done in the caves, and if you have gloves and shoes (because rocks are sharp to climb on) and a sense of adventure, you can climb to the top of this island and jump off of it! Seems like every trip I go on, I find a way to jump off of something high. P.S. This is what island looks like from outside, and you swim underneath it to get into the cave pictured above.
SUNSETS/THE WATER/THE GEOGRAPHY
In all honesty, you don’t even have to do anything at all in Staniel to enjoy it… just look around you. Just laying down or sitting and looking at the water, the sunsets, the STARS (no picture could do them justice, the visibility of stars was UNREAL). Everything natural about this place was absolutely beautiful. See a couple pictures below as examples… It’s just a beautiful destination to get yourself to one day.
I flew over by private plane and took the picture above shortly before we landed.
IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR TRIP ABOUT ANYTHING OR ARE JUST CURIOUS, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME!
Quick answers:
*How to get there: Small plane or boat (Plane ride about 2 hours from South Florida, boat ride about 8 hours from South Florida) – Private planes from wherever, small commercial planes do fly out from Ft.Lauderdale executive.
*Currency: Have their own but accepts US cards
*Where to stay: Staniel Cay Yacht Club or Isles Inn
*How to get around land: rent a golf cart
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THANK YOU! GO FIND YOUR HAPPINESS!
-Kelly
Kelly Nicole Travel 