EXPLORING THE EXUMAS- Lindsay on Location
There are 700 islands in the bahamas. 365 of them are part of the Exumas. That is one for everyday of the year. I was on a mission to visit as much as I could in one week. The ocean is the clearest I have ever seen. The shades of blue reeled me in from the moment I saw them flying in from the plane.
Scott Kelly, the famous astronaut, said that The Exumas were the most beautiful place on earth from space. He loved the view from above so much, that he made it his mission to go when he got back to earth. You can actually see the turquoise water from space.
I had the honor to speak to the Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper about his love for The Exumas. We talked about all the things it has to offer. Whether you are a thrill seeker looking for adventure, wanting the luxury wellness route, or the perfect family getaway. There is something for everyone.
I was blown away at all the nature. It is all around you. They say that nature outnumbers man in Exuma. There are under 10,000 people who live there. There are no traffic lights. There isn’t even a jail. Exumas are known to be really safe. I fell in love not only with the beauty of the islands, but the warmth of the locals.
There are a lot of famous people who have homes and come to Exuma, but the local celebrities are the pigs. The Swimming Pigs are basically their ambassadors. I wanted to meet these famous pigs. We spent the day on the boat with The Crazy Bahamian. Our full day boat adventure took us all over The Exumas. We swam with the pigs, fed the rock iguanas who look like baby dinosaurs, dove the Thunderball grotto from James Bond, and I even held a nurse shark. The water adventures were some of the coolest I have ever experienced. I will never forget swimming under a rock through a hole into the grotto to see an underwater world.
I love to eat seafood, but it really has a different meaning when you catch your own food and learn how to cook it right on the beach. This was an amazing experience. For the first time I learned how to go conching. You have to dive to find the conch shells. You are looking for the larger ones that are pink on the inside. That means they are ready to eat. You then have to get the sea snail out of his shell. It is said that they are stronger than man. You can not pull them out. You have to make a hole on the outside to be able to release them. They also can live up to 30 years. We made Conch salad in the boat. Similar to fish ceviche, you mix veggies and fruit with some citrus to naturally “cook” the snail. It is fresh and delicious. We also grilled lobster on the beach from our daily catch.
Rum is a staple in the bahamas. I was on a mission to find a rum holiday cocktail. I fell in love with Gully Wash from Coconut Club. You mix Gin, Rum, Coconut cream, coconut milk and finish it with grated nutmeg. It looks like melted snow and tastes like a tropical vacation.
Stay: February Point- we had our own condo over looking the water all week. I love to stay in properties that allow you to feel like you are moving in. For me, it helps me really immerse myself into a location. February Point has a lot of accommodation options with a main house that has a pool and restaurant bar for everyone to use.
Eat: We did not leave hungry. We ate well all week long. Some of my favorites were:
Peace and Plenty- A stable in The Exumas. From pork chop to fresh seafood catch. You can not go wrong. Make sure to visit their bar that is the oldest on the islands dating back to late 1700’s.
Coconut Club- Get on the water taxi and head to stocking cay. The new addition, Coconut Club is a must see. It is a perfect full day adventure. Games, water floats, frozen drinks and tacos.
Exuma Yacht Club- Everyone heads to Exuma Yacht Club on wednesday. There is live music, fresh sushi and live Junkanoo performace. We had the honor of the chef curating a meal for us. One of my favorite meals of the trip. Get the mahi mahi ceviche!
Blue on the Water- We had lunch at this adorable boutique hotel and restaurant. You are directly on the water. The seafood is fresh and the cocktails are refreshing.
Do: Adventure is all around. Get on a boat, take an ATV history tour and visit the straw markeyt.
EXUMA ADVENTURE TOURS- I only want to ride around on ATV’s now. It was so much fun exploring the island on our own ATV’s. We learned so much about the history, visited a cave, and even did some riding on the sand.
Boat- You have to get on the water. This is what The Exumas are all about. You can not go wrong. You can get on a caterman. We got to explore with Exuma Water Sports and The Crazy Bahamian.
Junkanoo- It is said that Junkanoo dates back to the 1700 (also featured in James Bond: Thunderball). It is all about celebrating. They use instruments based on what they have. Pales, saws, cheese graters etc. They let me be the head "rusher" hat, cane, cheese grater and all....The music and the vive is infectious. You have to see a Junkanoo performance!
