On our trip to the Bahamas this year, the resort offered an offshore excursion to the Exuma Islands through Island World Adventures. We were a little skeptical at first because of the price, but that all faded away once we saw the islands.
Saddleback Cay(one of 365 islands that make up the Exumas) is about a 1 hour fast boat ride from Nassau. As you approach the gathering of small islands (cays). The anticipation builds as you glide through the variegated shades of blue and green Caribbean waters. As we pull in towards our first destination we are warned about the sharks on *this* side of the island and complete lack of them on the other side. Sufficient warnings were given as we pulled in towards the dock and we could see the sharks gliding through the water – very close to the 
boat! We learn very quickly that the sharks inhabit this side of the island and we will get a chance to feed them after lunch!
As we disembark the speedboat I feel like I’m on a Swiss Family Robinson type of escape. There are wood walkways that weave among the trees. There are covered picnic tables, a makeshift bar, a restroom, and a very rustic ambiance to the whole place. We had a great lunch with ice cold drinks and any leftovers were thrown over the rail at the awaiting sharks and sea gulls.
The lagoon is as pristine as advertised in their brochure. It was surreal to see is vacant cove with a white sand beach and water that can only be described as Caribbean blue (and that doesn’t even do it justice). While walking on the beach someone notice a rather large black object swimming in our direction. We called immediately to the captain and he comes over and identifies our guest as a stingray. As it comes closer he runs up to the food area and runs back down with a big
handful of fish. The ray is immediately interested in our captain as he runs a hand through the water with a bit of fish in it. Sure enough, the ray ate right out of his hand. He showed us how to repeat this up close and personal experience. We lined up, opened our hand with a little fish in it and this ray just floated from person to person for his lunch. Just so you know, when it eats the food out of your hand there is a gentle sucking sensation.
We took a quick trip out to a sandbar with the hope of finding shells, but the pickings were slim. They also took us out for snorkeling and we were met with great marine life. A huge ray sails over in our direction, stops to pose for a couple of pictures and takes off. We find a huge and brilliant red starfish that I had never seen the likes of before.
On the way back we stopped at Leaf Cay which is home to about 500
iguanas. What a hoot! We put grapes on the end of sticks and they were very quick to take their treats!
When we signed up for this trip we choked a little at the $200 per person price tag. In our opinion it was worth every penny! The staff was fun and provided great service. The destination and ammenities were fun. Everything that was promised was delivered. This is a day trip that we will recommend to all our friends!
Check out Island World Adventures, Nassau, Bahamas
One thing with Sandals is a wide variety of room choices. You need to do your homework to understand the terminology and what comes with that choice for the money you are paying. Not every room has a stellar view. Big rooms/suites may be close to the pool and noisier than others. Our advice is to determine what is most important to you – is it the view – a larger room with butler service – or just being there and on a budget.
All throughout the property you will notice that it is clean and tidy. Staff members are always on the lookout for trash are grooming the beach and picking up empty dishes. Everywhere you go it shows that they are meticulous about keeping the grounds in tip top shape.
There are ten restaurants at this Sandals Resort; each with its own style and ambience. They range from the very casual to elegant but the service at all of them is special. They serve conch in so many different ways that it becomes a game to figure out what other possible ways there could be. Don’t miss the Baccarat for either breakfast of eggs benedict and caviar to dinner of duck and lamb. There are a wide variety of choices at every meal and remember – it’s all inclusive so don’t be afraid to ask for a little of this and a little of that!
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