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Trip Report 25 July/11 Aug ( Sorry Long Winded Affair)

Dublin, Ireland
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1 558 posts
6 reviews
4 helpful votes
Trip Report 25 July/11 Aug ( Sorry Long Winded Affair)
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Exuma 2016

This was my 4th trip to the out islands and my 2nd trip to Exuma, last year i did a week on Eleuthera and a week on Exuma which was great but this time round i decided to spend my 16 days exploring Exuma and some of the surrounding Cays,

Getting there from Dublin is a bit of a chore mainly the 9 hour flight from London to Nassau , there were a few delays this year , my first flight from Dublin to London was 45 mins late which meant i had to run for my Nassau connection, good exercise first thing in the morning . Flight from Nassau to George Town was an hour and 15 mins late which sucked , when i finally arrived i was driving to my rental in darkness. Flight stuff out of the way lets get down to the good stuff. This year i stayed in Exuma Vacation Cottage rentals owned by Valerie. I arrived at 8.30ish and was met by Valerie and her 3 wonderful dogs , i was pretty wiped after all the travelling and the time difference so after Valerie showed me around the cottage i showered and hit the hay ! Valerie cottages are in Heartswell which is great as it is a short kayak ride over to Mariah Cay and Man O War , Moriah being one of my favourite places in Exuma. Up early next morning and after breakfast ( Valerie had picked up provisions for me prior to my arrival) I headed into town to do some shopping, Exuma Market, Prime island meats, then off to check out some beaches , one of my favourites from last year “ The Cut “ was my first stop i noticed some new construction on the road heading down to the area i usually park and also a few private no trespassing signs that weren’t there last year.The beach hadn’t changed and spent a few hours checking it out in glorious sunshine, a little snorkelling around the rocky area but mostly relaxing in the sun. Next up was Pretty Molly bay , pulled up at the red roofed buildings that are still being demolished , this is an exquisite bay and again i hung there for a while checking it out , there was a jet ski anchored in the bay but no one around , things changed here during my stay on further visits more and more stuff arrived in the bay , jet ski’s (3) 18 foot Wailer, large bouncy slide thing all sitting there with no one using them , and it definitely took away from the ambiance of the area , turns out these toys all belonged to the large house (Sandy Blue) which sits on the main bay, kind of looked to me they may have been left to deter people from using the bay . Next stop The Fort beach , this is a long fabulous beach wind was picking up when i arrived but if you walk all the way down to your right it is sheltered and an amazing place to spend an afternoon, saw some rays snorkelling and quite a few fish diamond shaped silver white guys not sure what there called, curious fish that would swim around me.

Dinner was Santana’s love this place and all the staff , they recognised me from last year and and made me feel right at home , had prawns which were great, I ate here and Shirley’s most evenings during my stay , meals included Grouper, Snapper, lobster , conch , all sea food which i love. and of coarse Moms bakery this is a must stop if your in the area , her cinnamon and raisin bread is amazing. That evening Valerie showed me around her property and where everything i needed was , there is a great dock with several kayaks .Next morning i pack all essentials and head on my first kayak trip over to Mariah, tide was going out so parts of the trip would be shallow, slightly breezy too but a nice ride over , secured kayak and off i set , i know this Cay well having covered most of it last year , it a great place to get good photographs, I hit the sand bars first , saw a small lemon shark in the shallows , walked all the way up to the wonderful bays (Ocean Side) this place always amazes me , you come to one beautiful sheltered bay walk to the end hike up and over some rocks and then “ Boom “ another spectacular bay greets you , I spent several hours here , i always bring plenty of water and a packed lunch , another glorious sunny day hot hot hot !! but i like it like that :))

I decided to head back towards the Kayak around 4.00 the closer i got the winder it got when i arrived it was full tide and boy was it blowing , white caps !! packed everything into the kayak and set off knowing i was in for a tough crossing , as soon as i got halfway across i realised the extent of the wind and waves which were coming from the east so hitting me side on had to go at it hard to get over , when i eventually did i pulled up to someones dock emptied the water from the kayak and took a bit of a breather before i set off again this time i was going into the wind so not as much wave action coming into the kayak, later learned the winds had picked up to 20+ MPH during the afternoon turned out to be a windy week although the weather was perfect just not for kayaking . For the rest of my trip I had the use of a small motor boat which made the crossings a breeze :))

I made a new discovery on one of the many trips i made over to Moriah Cay , an interesting small cove thats only visible at high tide , its the last accessible cove on foot before you;d hit the tip of The cut , its created by a large rock/cliff formation that has a large gap that allows the water through at high tide creating a small lagoon big enough to just float it , i enjoyed hanging out there !! Two beaches that i didn’t really check out last year where Forbes Hill and Tropic Of Cancer , I generally try to avoid the busier beaches but I am really glad i checked them this trip , they are wonderful beaches with lots to explore one of my trips to TOC i walked to the far west end and hiked over the rocks and bush and arrived at Fort Beach. The watercolour at TOC is a striking aqua blue and on a bright sunny day is a perfect place to hang out. The same goes for Forbes Hill beach only negative on both these beaches is the trash that people leave behind not sure why maybe those who leave it behind think its picked up, but its not …. Another change i noticed from last year was the bay at the old Club Shante again new construction going on there are now 4 houses on this small bay , and they where taking the roof off the Shante so i didn’t really go back there which is a shame as this was really neat place to go .

Another day i took a trip up to Coco Plumb (Sand-dollar beach) hit it at low tide and the sand bars are pretty spectacular along with the rest of the beach , spotted lots of sand dollars and even some conch while snorkelling and my first sighting of a nurse shark ,I had a great time here had the beach to myself for most of the day . Definitely a beach i will return to on my next visit, and once again another spectacular weather day I really lucked out again with the weather i encountered 2 spot showers in the entire 16 days its was hot and sunny every day. I would normally hit 2 to 3 beaches most days and on the way back from Coco Plumb I stopped off at Jolly Hall the first of many visit here you can snorkel around the rocky points where i saw some rays and a turtle , this particular evening i stopped off at Splash Bar and Grill and grabbed a Pizza to go which was very good ! At some point during the first few days of my trip i stopped at BCT store and picked up a sim card for my unlocked phone and bought 1G of data which just ran out the day before i left i would definitely recommend this as they use LTE which is super fast,

Next up on another trip over to Moriah Cay this time on the motor boat i came across Vince and his family from San Diego and what a lucky encounter that was for me as they had a private charter with 4Cs the next morning and two of there friends couldn’t make it so they invited me to join them , I have never meet anyone on my many trips over to Moriah and here I am getting an invite to see the Pigs, snorkel the grotto, swim with sharks, iguanas ! Wow ! we arranged to meet first thing next morning outside Peace and Plenty where a 4Cs bus took us up to Barreterre Dock where we boarded our ride for the day ‘Yellow’’was our captain for the day, there was only 10 of us on the boat and off we set, 4Cs had another much bigger boat i think there was 42 people on it which left shortly after us . Again the weather was superb and the guys cranked up some Reggae to liven things up. First stop was an old plane reck lying on the bottom on the ocean , I think captain Yellow only stopped to show it to us but we were in the water within minutes checking it out and the reef shark that came from under the wing that was a big surprise that no one expected , I missed it with my GoPro but one of the girls got it. Yellow was very informative about the area and all the wealthy homes that are dotted on various islands. I got the impression that we were in a bit of a race to beat the larger boat to the various locations we stopped at and our unplanned stop at the plane reck had put us behind a bit, on some parts we were really moving which was a blast, the water colour up this part of the Cays is pretty stunning going from a very clean deep blue to sparkling Aqua ! Next was the Grotto we anchored what I thought was a little too far away but I think that was to accommodate the larger boat that was on its way. Getting into the Grotto is interesting you have to manoeuvre between rocks until you get to the main entrance then you dive under to enter the cave , it's impressive especially with the sunlight streaming down from the opening at the top. I was off exploring diving through the shoals of fish trying to get decent footage with my GoPro , I did notice quite a pull from the current at one end which I informed the group about , Yellow took 3 of the family I was with up to jump into the grotto from the opening on top I wish now I had done it , but spent my time snorkelling. During all this the larger boat had arrived and an extra 42 people which is too many in there so we all headed back , our exit was through the area where I noticed the strong current I would say all in our group where pretty strong in the water but once we were out in the open you could really feel the pull of the current I aimed for the side of our boat as did the 2 in front of me as I originally thought the larger boat had indeed anchored much closer than we did, the two in front of me managed to get to the ladder I had to hang back a bit to allow them room then I went for it but was quick to notice I was not moving having the GoPro in my hand didn't help , Yellow was with us somewhere in the water his first mate who was on the boat was keeping an eye on everyone in the water and hurrying to get the anchor up ,ok one last big push GoPro down the front of my shorts and I really went for it, it was crazy the boat ladder was no more than 10 feet in front of me and it took a big effort to get there when I was on board we noticed that 2 more in our group had been taken too far from the boat and where picked by another vessels they were fine and didn't panic just threaded the water , when the guys got the anchor up it was bent out of shape , that adventure over we headed to the next port of call on Compass Cay and the swimming sharks , now i was pretty sceptical about this kind of thought it would be like a petting zoo thing , but it was brilliant the nurse sharks hang around the dock probably waiting to be fead , but you can get right into the water and snorkel all around the dock area which i did go pro in hand getting great footage man some of these guys where big and would swim right up to and under you at one stage i had 4 right under my stomach , it was pretty cool . You can also hang on the dock and stroke them , of coarse the larger boat arrived and now there is a ton of people in the water , one kid in front of me grabbed and i mean grabbed a smaller shark by the tail , the shark spun round quickly towards him not impressed , i tapped him on the shoulder but to no avail he tried to do it again , I”am pretty sure these sharks are pretty harmless but we where told before we went in not to put our hands near there mouths or grab at them.With so many in the water i got out , but it was great experience :))

Next i think we went for lunch at SCYC the place was all laid out and ready for us and the other boat , food was great , it was a buffet loaded with grouper, bacon slices , rice and peas mac and cheese after lunch we headed to our next stop The Pigs this was the only part of the trip that i was slightly disappointed with , the larger boat had arrived before us so 50 people in the water and on the beach was too many , these pigs ar’nt shy and will take the bread right out of your hand , it was interesting but just too many people the animals were running round frantically ! At this point we started our journey back with one last stop at Musha Cay this was great it was low tide too so you could see the sand bar cutting through the ocean , we anchored and walked to the sand bar and best of all we where the only ones there I think this sand bar was used in Pirates of the Caribbean ! We were back at Barreterre Dock 5.30 ish and took the bus ride back to George town , its was a great adventurous day and so glad i was invited along !

I had dinner at Shirlies before heading back to Heartswell . I headed over to TOC beach for an evening swim i got used to doing this if i was in the area especially after dinner at Santana, Next day another new one for me “Stocking Island” never made it last year so was keen to check it out, arrived at the dock in GT at 9am on a slightly hazy overcast morning it seemed quite one guy approached me to see if i needed a ride over he said he worked for Elvis as i was the only one i told him to hang tight a bit and see if anyone else might show up , and they did another family , i asked to be dropped off at the old Peace and Plenty dock charge was $20 i mentioned this to Valerie later and she was surprised , she thought it should be between $12 and $15 , very short trip over and i set off i had a plan of were i wanted to go google maps is great for spotting nice looking coves . I crossed to the atlantic side hiking over rocks to find Powder beach which had another couple on it so i kept going over the next rocky point to the next cove there are about 5 or 6 of these small coves , finally settled at one and went in for a snorkel the weather wasn’t playing ball it was still hazy and overcast I had gotten used to sunshine everyday and the water in Exuma looks so much better in the sunshine, but all the same these little coves are wonderful , one these trips i bring a packed lunch because i never really know where i am going to end up and as always lots of water , I crossed back over to the harbour side in search of sand dollar beach , nice beach but no sand dollars this day , explored this side a bit coming across another beach with kind of a make shift dwelling on it , back over to the other side again and walked back towards St Frances where i had arranged for the ferry to pick me up this was a long walk and the sun had decided to come out in all its glory , The main Atlantic beach is good but i much preferred the smaller coves , when i did arrive at St Frances i needed a drink as my water at this stage of the day was on the warm side , there was no one in the place i went into the bar and had a mango daiquiri delicious and cold but at $14.00 a pop a bit over priced , Elvis boat appeared and i hopped on the guy who dropped me was picking up at Chat & Chill wasn’t sure if i should have waited for him .Didn’t check chat and chill i was beat from all the walking and figured i would make another trip over on a sunnier day. One restaurant i wanted to check out but was closed for my stay was Tropical Breeze , hopefully next trip i can get to eat there a lot of locals said it was really good.That pretty much it for the rest of my days i hit all my favourite beaches several times oh ! and of coarse Hoppers Bay I went there a few times and had a lot of fun with the turtles it was funny there was some quite large ones there this year and one who was very curious of my full face snorkel mask i was wearing and literally put his mouth to it , got some good go pro footage of those guys. A bit about Exuma Vacation Cottages in Heartswell , there are 3 cottages that the owner Valery rents out a 4th that is a long term rental but only used when the renters are in town , its a quite peaceful place with 3 resident dogs that are very friendly , Valerie has rescued them from terrible backgrounds . The Cottages themselves are clean with everything you could need , good air would cool the place quick at night i was never really there durning the day , there is also a pool which i only tried once . There is internet but the router is in Valerie’s cottage so you can really only use it sitting on the porch of the cottage. Nothing fancy here but good clean accommodation in a super location, I will be returning !!

So thats all i can think of for now its all a bit long winded , i am already looking forward to my next trip to the out islands , next summer i hope to do 2 islands again :))

Link to a few pictures i took :)) may have to copy and paste

https://flic.kr/s/aHskFEHm1o

Strandhill, Ireland
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251 helpful votes
1. Re: Trip Report 25 July/11 Aug ( Sorry Long Winded Affair)
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Nice Don!! Interesting to hear how you think Exuma is changing! For sure in 2008 when we first went it was so remote, hard to get to - we had to ring Sky Bahamas to book flights to GGT!! Each time we've returned it has got more built up & busier. But the area around Moriah as you say is still very quiet! We'll give it a 4th trip next year I think as we love the quiet parts & the local people are awesome & remember us every time we're back - my wife blends in like a local with her Jamaican heritage!

Must check out where you stayed it sounds great! (Ps: when you say full faced snorkel mask, did you use one of the Tribord things? I can snorkel fine, but my wife finds it hard to find a mask that fits so was thinking of one of those next time for her, would love to know if that's what you used.).

Dublin, Ireland
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2. Re: Trip Report 25 July/11 Aug ( Sorry Long Winded Affair)
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Hi Mark , the mask was the Tribord I used it quite a bit , I had my usual gear too I like the Tribord as you can breath through your nose or mouth , it's comfortable I would recommend trying it

Cheers

Houston
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3. Re: Trip Report 25 July/11 Aug ( Sorry Long Winded Affair)
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Great report, just like being there and I want to frame some of your pics!

Next time, check out the snorkeling at Pretty Molly. There's a reef that runs between the two outcroppings. Moriah is a great place. I know the shallow cove you are talking about. One trip our daughters and their friends sat in there for HOURS just talking and enjoying the surroundings.

Dublin, Ireland
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4. Re: Trip Report 25 July/11 Aug ( Sorry Long Winded Affair)
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Hey Little John , Pretty Molly is neat at high tide there is a small opening you can snorkel through , spent a lot of time there last year , this year was the first time I had the use of a small motor boat , now I,am hooked can't wait for my next trip to get out more on the water 🚣

Charleston, West...
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5. Re: Trip Report 25 July/11 Aug ( Sorry Long Winded Affair)
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Great report and pics Don K! We were actually on Island during the same time! Can't wait to get back!

Charleston, West...
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6. Re: Trip Report 25 July/11 Aug ( Sorry Long Winded Affair)
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Im curious how you compare Exuma to Eleuthera? Do you prefer Exuma hence spending your entire vacation there this year?

Dublin, Ireland
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7. Re: Trip Report 25 July/11 Aug ( Sorry Long Winded Affair)
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sitmeonabeach,

Thats a tough one ! They are both fantastic islands , i have been to Eleuthera 3 times and Exuma now twice, Eleuthera is a bigger island and way more beaches to discover by car, Exuma has more to discover by boat Exuma has a watercolour like no other ! The people on both islands are just great very friendly ! One of the finest beaches i have had the pleasure of visiting is Lighthouse Beach on Eleuthera and Moriah Cay in Exuma, i suppose bottom line i will continue to visit them both when i can.....

Charleston, West...
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8. Re: Trip Report 25 July/11 Aug ( Sorry Long Winded Affair)
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Thanks for the comparison Don K! I think the water color in Exuma has me hooked! I may still explore Eleuthera, Long and Cat Island some day but I feel like will never find more beautiful water than Exuma.

Annapolis, Maryland
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9. Re: Trip Report 25 July/11 Aug ( Sorry Long Winded Affair)
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Don K - thanks for taking the time for this great report. Nice details and great pictures. I'm going the other direction next trip to Long Island ... I figure I'll love both Exuma and LI, and like you, will have tough decisions in years to come.

Houston
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268 reviews
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10. Re: Trip Report 25 July/11 Aug ( Sorry Long Winded Affair)
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Being on the water is the best way for sure!

You really get an appreciation for the beauty, deserted beaches, sandbars and wildlife.

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