Exuma, Bahamas
My husband and I have a thing when it comes to traveling for finding those hidden gems where comfort and simplicity meet and in a matter of hours we naturally feel like home.
A few years ago, while still living in Australia, we came across the already fairly known swimming pigs in the Bahamas and instantly wanted to meet them. Years went by, we moved to New York, we found ourselves enjoying living on this side of the globe (very close to SO many exciting destinations) and yet, we were still looking for our dreamy one-of-the-kind place to stay near Big Major Cay (the pig beach). Something we found hard to find at first, between our wish for easy transportation, our love for snorkeling, our taste and budget and more importantly, our preference for bookings that don’t require setting an alarm to get a spot. As a first timer to the Bahamas, our expectations were high so we waited.
It was a snowy day in New York when my eyes stopped on the small Great Exuma’s pristine barrier island, Stocking Island where the newly Kahari Resort is beautifully nestled. The joy of this exquisite find was like a surprise birthday! This was it, we had found our perfect rustic (not so rustic) seaside idyll. With only 12 eye-catching bungalows, overlooking magnificent scenery, a sensational restaurant (perhaps the best chef we have ever encountered) serving exciting upscale-casual food, with different Mains on the menu every night; from the best lamb rack to the incredible lobster 360 ways, amazing local fishes prepared in exotic sauces and desserts! (my mouth is watering again!); all this surrounded by barely touched Bahamian beaches. This feel-like private island blew our socks off within a few days.
We opted for the Turtle Lagoon bungalow (number 12 which has a panoramic view of the 50 shades of blue lagoon). The enchantment was real, we loved its perfect combo between beach shack/nautical chic with an understated luxury feel (just enough to feel special). The white shiplap interior was like staying inside of a wooden sailboat and had a ton of natural lights; a beautiful vaulted ceiling and English style windows in teak (or mahogany?). The outside terrace was a large wrap around screened-in porch (sorry bugs, entry reserved for humans only!) with Adirondack chairs where you can admire both sunrise and sunset without moving a toe. Living the dream!
Did I mention that the Great Exuma is 100% the right choice if you are planning to explore the off-the-beaten-path wonders. To get around there is no better way than calling a local water taxi as roads on the main island are pretty rustic and won’t take you to the secluded little islands and reefs. It is also more than likely that you will be the only person on the beach there. Without surprise, we did the full day tour around the Exuma Cays, meeting with the beloved pigs, and once again we had the time of our life to our greatest amazement. Aquaquest Escapes was by far the best tour we ever did, knowing that we are not really the tour guide enthusiast type. Observing the locals in their authentic-good-nature, sharing their beloved paradise made me wonder if the whole wellness industry should move to the Bahamas. Coming from New York, you know “I have no time for this” but pretending to be totally into the slow living movement, I have to say, the reality was that our perception of living relaxed was miles away from what we were about to experience. There is no hurry in life over there, and this was actually a good thing, their laid-back vibe became very relaxing over time. Just embrace it and enjoy it!
The bottom line, we are ready to go back and do it all over again. Oh, I nearly forgot, no vacation to Exuma can be complete without a visit to the local landmark, the Chat’n’chill, about 5 minutes walk in shallow water from Kahari beach club. Their conch salad (pronounced kaangk) is another reason to keep smiling. Every bite is simply a step closer to pure bliss. How can this even be possible when you are already in paradise? That my friend, is the Bahamas effect.
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