A Day in the Exumas
We were lucky enough to spend a week in the Bahamas for Spring Break this year and it did not disappoint. It was really a tough decision now that my boys are at school age and abiding by the school calendar. No matter where you go during this time will be expensive and crowded. We love adventure but we are also smart economically about it. Disney is just too crowded at this time of year for what you’re paying. Cruises aren’t our thing although our family was slated for one during the same time and very much wanted us to go. And we have, we’ve tried it several times with our family and this time we passed. We could have done a Florida trip and visit different cities but we can do that at any time since we live there.
So we decided on Nassau!! We had some close friends who were going to be down there and our family would actually be docked there on a day we were there. So it was perfect. We would get our fun in the sun while seeing friends and family! So we planned 8 days there and it did not disappoint. I will split my blog up into different “adventures” as that is what it was. We visited both Atlantis and the new Baha Mar Hyatt property and I will give you my thoughts on both.
But I want to first start with our boat excursion to see the “swimming pigs” which was actually on our 6th day in. But it was so much fun and exciting that I just want to jump to it. My husband and I were a bit unsure of what to expect as the boat ride from Nassau to the Exumas was a good hour ride on top of all the other “stops” on the agenda. But we knew it was a bucket list item we had to do with the kids. So we boarded the boat at 8:45 AM with the crew from Hidden Beaches. We had 3 captains that day on the Jalapeno has the one captain was being dropped off for his “holiday!” Not bad, right?! So it was about a 53 minute trek on the speedboat. It’s pretty windy, so I’m glad our seats were behind the drivers and a bit shielded as I’ve seen other boats where the seats are up front. The boys actually did great. They had some snacks to keep them occupied and a couple toys to play with. Our first stop was with the iguanas where you get out and feed them some bread. Maksim is a bit more hesitant when it comes to animals, rodents, fish and the like. So he took a bit to warm up whereas Kristiano jumps right in. We had long sticks to place bread on and feed the iguanas. We honestly only spent about 15 minutes here which was plenty to just see them, feed them and move it on along.
The next stop was another 50 minute boat ride to pet and swim with the nurse shocks. On the way, our captains showed us the homes of Tyler Perry, Johnny Depp, Louis Vuitton and Pablo Escobar. It’s quite interesting to see and curious as to how you choose an “island” for your home. I missed that episode on HGTV but I’m all for it….just need the cash!! But hands down, Tyler Perry has those most impressive house. We also saw a Texas billionaire’s property that rents his out to “anyone” for a price tag of $300,000/per week which includes a private yacht, helicopter, chef, butlers and cleaning ladies which Justin Bieber has already frequented at least 3x. Very impressive and the water is a swimming pool all throughout these islands.
Finally we made it to the nurse sharks. Quite shocked as to how many were there. Also a bit timid as they are still SHARKS!! But again, Kristiano had no troubles jumping right on in with them which forced my husband to get in when he’s much more hesitant than I am. But….I take the pictures and video, soooo!! 😉 It was good to know that the locals actually feed these guys well before the tourists show up. Although they are very docile and don’t attack humans, they don’t want hungry sharks hanging out with the tourists, its quite bad for business. This was another quick stop. We stayed for about 30 minutes before moving along to another island for lunch. This was only a 20 minute boat ride away.
We then head to the infamous pigs! The big ‘ol bucket list check mark we were yearning for and it was worth it. Not to say I would go back multiple times but it is a sight to see. We are forewarned by the captains of the big pigs that are spotted and colored like dalmatians. They are almost blind and come at you smelling the food out of wanting to be fed and not to be mean but they can come off as aggressive because of this. They are quite bigger than Maksim and Kristiano so the boys are a bit intimidated but were in love with all the piglets that were there. The pigs were very smart and were practically trained like dogs with all the visitors they get. They take demands as in “no more” and even this massive pig new how to “sit!”
We had a good lunch where we stayed for about an hour and 15 minutes. The lunch was pre-arranged and selected at time of booking. So the food was brought out upon our arrival. It was decent enough and they served different drinks and cocktails. After we ate, my husband decided to jump in for a quick dip but then off on our way to to Sand Key.
I will say that I’m so glad we took this boat ride to check off all the bucket list items we always wanted to see and do. But the best thing by far was seeing Sand Key and next trip I would love to just a take boat and spend the day there. It’s basically a sand bar that is so shallow and so clear! Kids loved it and we loved it…..it was definitely a highlight and we didn’t nearly have enough time to spend there. I could definitely have spend hours just lounging and swimming in the ocean pool!!!
The trip back was another 55 minutes. So we spent a lot of time on the boat but it was totally worth it and our boys who are 4 and 6 who fight over everything……did awesome, lol! They enjoyed the boat ride….it was very relaxing and calming and we had lots to talk about between the different stops.
I definitely recommend it and to check out Hidden Beaches. I know there are plenty of companies but this boat wasn’t over-crowded and seating was in the back which is a must when you have wind in your face for that long!