Eleuthera, Bahamas

[Srbenda]

Killing it, and making me jealous while I stare at flooded cotton fields. Are you renting a house off of VRBO? I have considered staying at the Hilton in Bimini with points but I want to do Eleuthera as well.

I think you mean the Hilton on Nassau? Don't go there, just skip New Providence entirely.
We've stayed at this house for a number of years, we did originally rent it via VRBO, but since then have just dealt with the owners directly. Keep in mind, this island doesn't have casinos, much shopping, or many restaurants. It's definitely not Cancun or a typical island resort. You have to be prepared to be creative with food, and amuse yourself with fishing, endless beaches, and reefs full of fish for snorkeling.

[doomtrpr_z71]

Killing it, and making me jealous while I stare at flooded cotton fields. Are you renting a house off of VRBO? I have considered staying at the Hilton in Bimini with points but I want to do Eleuthera as well.

I think you mean the Hilton on Nassau? Don't go there, just skip New Providence entirely.
We've stayed at this house for a number of years, we did originally rent it via VRBO, but since then have just dealt with the owners directly. Keep in mind, this island doesn't have casinos, much shopping, or many restaurants. It's definitely not Cancun or a typical island resort. You have to be prepared to be creative with food, and amuse yourself with fishing, endless beaches, and reefs full of fish for snorkeling.

No, theres a Hilton at Bimini as well near Bimini Sands. Thats why I want to go, normally for my anniversary my wife and I go to the smokies, I rather have the amusement of fishing and beaches than casinos and shopping. Did you rent a car? Did you fly Silver?

[Snapperlr]

Hilton Resort World(RW) is on North Bimini. Sands is on South Bimini. The atmospheres are very different. I stayed at RW on my return from the Exumas earlier this year. It was my first and last time. I prefer the Sands.

Awesome pics Benda. I will try to pull out a few of ours as well.

[doomtrpr_z71]

Hilton Resort World(RW) is on North Bimini. Sands is on South Bimini. The atmospheres are very different. I stayed at RW on my return from the Exumas earlier this year. It was my first and last time. I prefer the Sands.

Awesome pics Benda. I will try to pull out a few of ours as well.

Have you stayed at the sands since the management changed? I was looking at the Hilton just because I could stay with points and the 5th night is free plus they have enough generators to keep the AC on where the Sands does not at the moment.

[Srbenda]

Better the out islands than Bimini.

I mean, Bimini is better than Florida, but if you're going to make the flight, might as well go further.

[Srbenda]

I fished a bit less the last two days, as we needed to meet the legal requirements of visiting the Bahamas by feeding some pigs. Normally, pig feeding is done on a farm, by a farm hand, and no one volunteers to do it. However, when situated on a beautiful beach, suddenly this changes, and people will pay money to feed some pigs.

Fortunately, I had a friend who took us to the island, so we avoided the typical charter fees, and managed to only pay $10/head to feed the pigs. I will say, it was amusing to see the pigs chasing you for a bit of hotdog, and the girls enjoyed it immensely.



We then received a tip from my friend about a beach that was used for charters to feed turtles, and since this beach was also accessible by road, we found some frozen squid, and headed to the beach. After a few minutes, a turtle did show up, followed by several of his friends. The turtles did enjoy the squid snacks, and were a bit less friendly than the pigs, but would still get quite close. Eventually a sting ray showed up, and we decided the party was over. Since turtles are protected in the Bahamas from harvesting, the population is healthy, but they do not have the restrictions that the US does on "harassing" the wildlife.



It was also important just to get some R&R.

And the beaches on this island are some of the worlds best, and certainly some of the easiest to get to from the US. This particular beach is over 3/4 mile long, and the most crowded I have ever seen it is when we've had to share it with 8 other people.

[Srbenda]

No, theres a Hilton at Bimini as well near Bimini Sands. Thats why I want to go, normally for my anniversary my wife and I go to the smokies, I rather have the amusement of fishing and beaches than casinos and shopping. Did you rent a car? Did you fly Silver?

Yes, we rent a car each trip, it's too tough to get around otherwise. I've rented from the same guy each year, his cars are clean, in relatively good shape, and they have good AC. The rate is a bit steep at $75+/- a day, but unfortunately, that seems to be the going rate.

No, we do not fly Silver, and would not suggest them. They have a very high incidence of canceled/ delayed flights. This was the first year we took Delta into ELH from ATL, but typically, we have flown to Nassau, and then taken Pineapple Air to the island. This year, the price on Delta was comparable, and it is a bit easier.

[Pirate]

Cant beat that view. Sounds like a great trip! If the crossing wasn't a problem would your own boat be an advantage in your location?

[Srbenda]

Cant beat that view. Sounds like a great trip! If the crossing wasn't a problem would your own boat be an advantage in your location?

Absolutely, having a boat is a huge fun multiplier. However, the options for harbor/docking are fairly limited, so you'd need to consider that when picking a rental location.

[Srbenda]

Fishing in the Bahamas is much easier from a boat. However, this was all shore fishing, kayak excluded. While many photos show the white sandy beaches, there are certainly some rocky areas, and even in the sandy areas, there were dangers. On my very first day there, I managed to smash a sea urchin with my foot.

Or more correctly, the sea urchin smashed my foot.

I ended up with about 15 piercings in my foot, and a solid amount of pain.
I hobbled around for a day, and then finally went to the store in search of a needle. Over the next 4 days, I was able to slowly remove the urchin spines from my foot. I was fortunate that nothing got infected, and I didn't have to experience island medical care! After that, I wore my shoes everywhere, and suffered no more injuries.



I only ended up catching two fish on bait while I was there. A shark from the kayak on a drifted live baitfish, and the reef fish on a piece of cut bait. However, overall, bait was hard to come by. The sabiki rigs worked a little bit, but many fish were far too wary in the clear water to bite. I ended up with a few that way, but ended up fishing almost all artificial bait. This, of course, was much more expensive, because I lost tons of lures to rocks, barracuda, and other mysteries of the deep.

[kenfly]

Wow , an amazingly trip! My wife and kids want me to take them to swim with the piggies, maybe in a couple of years


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[doomtrpr_z71]

I really need to figure out what were going to do, the pictures make me want to go and it looks awesome.

[Snapperlr]

A lot of folks told us to skip them, but the piggys really are a must see.

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[Srbenda]

Last Post:

I never did catch a bonefish. I think I got close, fishing a jig tipped with squid, and hooked a fish, I got it very close to me, and it got off about 3' away. It was practically invisible in the water, so maybe it was a grey ghost. There will be next time, and I'll be a little bit more skilled, and I'll be a bit better equipped.

Anyway, it's a fantastic island.

A few tips for visiting.

1) Don't expect a resort type island- there are no casinos, no Wal Marts, and any Dollar General will be far better stocked than a grocery store on the island.
2) Pack your essentials. We always take a suitcase of dry foodstuffs. Drink mixes, pasta, spices, etc. This helps reduce costs, and many of the items are unobtanium on the island.
3) If you're fishing? Pack far more tackle than you think you'll need. There are not many replacements, and those you can find are very expensive. I lost plenty of tackle to reefs and other cut offs, and I wish I 'd had a bit more.
4) Dining options are slim. And there's only one place in Governors Harbor with air conditioning. Everything else is cooled by island breezes.
5) Be sure to go the Friday Night fish fry in Gov Harbor. I'd skip the meal, go later for the drinks and fun. It's a blast.

Costs? We have a sweet deal on 3/2 waterfront house with a private beach. It costs about $200/ night. PM me if you want more details.
Tickets usually cost around $350 to $400 a person, but we typically go in low season. Christmas will cost you a lot more.
You'll need a rental car too, those are about $75/ day.

1648, the restaurant with AC, and a incredibly friendly staff



The pool at French Leave resort



Street sign in Gregory Town

[dombern34]

that looks awesome! thanks for sharing