ISO: Bahamas All Inclusive Resort

2,838 Views | 14 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by nosoupforyou
dCON81
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The wife and I are looking for a trip to the Bahamas and would like to get an All Inclusive Resort for our Anniversary. So far the two we like are Sandals Emerald Bay (Great Exuma, Bahamas) and Atlantis Bahamas (Nassau, Bahamas). We would like to see if anyone has any recommendations for us. We are looking for a good price as we are on a budget and somewhere that gives us plenty of extra activities in the area. I have heard that they are giving massive discounts to go to Bahamas as the traffic has been low due to last year's hurricane. I can't find these discounts but then again I just started looking yesterday.
breezecustomtravel
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AG
Sandals Emerald Bay is beautiful and a great All-Inclusive Resort choice in the Bahamas since there are very few all-inclusive options there. Clients have loved being able to explore the island as well and the beaches are beautiful. Not as many flights to Exuma but you can get there via American and United- Southwest does not fly here.

Atlantis in Nassau is not All-Inclusive but they do offer certain meal plans as add-ons. Nassau and Paradise Island is fun with lots of activities not only in the resort but across the island. Southwest will fly to Nassau and you can usually get some decent prices with them depending on what time of year it is.
Lauren K '07
www.breezecustomtravel.com
@breezecustomtravel
JMac03
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AG
I have stayed at Sandals Royal Bahamian and Atlantis. As Breeze mentioned, Atlantis is European plan unless you purchase an add-on. I loved SRB except for the staff - I found them to be more "meh" and not care as much about serving you than I did at Sandals in Jamaica or other all-inclusives. They weren't rude by any means, more of on their own time. I found this to be true at Atlantis (had to beg to get tea refilled) and the other restaurants we ate in Bahamas. I assume it is more cultural. I would still go back, just know that the service may not be outstanding. The resort was beautiful and the food very good.

Note - food/everything at Atlantis is expensive. I think our sit-down lunch was $50+ for nachos, bbq sandwich and 2 teas. We ate dinner offsite.
PlanoAg98
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AG
If you plan on scuba diving while there, I highly recommend Stuart's Cove. They offer shark dives. Even their non shark dives have tons of sharks. The sharks are used to the boat feeding from the shark dive trips so they are attracted to the boat. Our cruise line would not allow shark dives as an excursion through the boat. However, our non-shark dive had several dozen sharks swimming around us at the bottom.
JMac03
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AG
That sounds terrifying
01CivilAg
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AG
Wife and I have been to the Sandals in Exuma twice, it's a fantastic property. We've also been to the Sandals Royal Bahamian (a 3 night stay on our way back from one of the Exuma trips, actually).

Nassau in general is very touristy and there are too many people for our liking. Traffic, etc.

Sandals Emerald Bay is nice and quiet, with not too many people, plus the island is more 'chill.' That also means there is considerably less entertainment in general, though, if that's your thing. One of the best things we did on our last Exuma trip: we rented a car directly from Sandals for an entire day.

I know we 'paid' already for the property and all, but we packed away some snacks and booze and drove up and down Great and Little Exuma, stopping at Tropic of Cancer Beach, and some local hotspots. One of the best things we did - I think the all in cost was $100 for the car and insurance.
kyledr04
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AG
Stuarts cove is awesome. We did the mini submarine and snorkel.

We got a club level room at Atlantis that had access to their club with breakfast, lunch, sodas/juice all day, happy hour, then after dinner dessert. So you only have to buy dinner. Seemed like a good deal. It was years ago so it may be completely different.
nosoupforyou
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Exuma!!! and that Sandals Emerald Bay used to be The Four Seasons so it's especially nice - do it!

Then they can set you up on a tour to Thunderball Grotto, Swim with Pigs, Snorkel tour - it's awesome - it's called the- Staniel Cay Day Trip - and we used Robert's Island Adventures

We also did a day trip on our own boat for private snorkel/beach time- drive a few minutes to George Town and rent a boat from Minns Water Sports - open 8:30-5:00.

if you do this, I can share a lot more details to help you plan
AggieStan
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Just booked yesterday to Sandals- Exuma
nosoupforyou
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AG
a few ideas for your trip - you will love Exuma! Wife and I went this past summer - our favorite trip by far


o Confirm tide schedule that week - low tide shows the sandbars so arrive an hour or so before low tide and enjoy! Tide Schedules can be found HERE and HERE
o Exuma Tourist Office (242) 336-2457
o Bug Spray, sunscreen, snacks, ground coffee. US Cash, waterproof camera and waterproof iPhone cases. Bring Snacks/Bars.
o This island drives on the left side of the road (KEEP LEFT!) and wheel is on the right side of the car.
o Stop by Smitties and CNK for booze
o Lunch at Shirley's Seafood Restaurant, then if more groceries needed stop at Exuma Markets.
o Drive 25 minutes past George Town afternoon drinks and shade at February Point Rusty Anchor Bar and Grill.

Staniel Cay Day Trip - Robert's Island Adventures. Low Tide 7:41 am Steventon area.
o Robert's Island Adventures- arrive at Barraterre Dock by 7:50am. Sights included:
Thunderball Grotto - 007 James Bond movie filmed here. Bring underwater camera!
Major Cay to swim with the pigs and Leaf Cay to feed the iguanas. FUN!!
Compass Cay to swim with the nurse sharks like puppies!
Visit Musha Cay Sandbar - mile long sandbar at low tide tide was too high so we went to Pipe Cay sandbar which was really great. Also stopped to feed turtles.
Island hopping including Hollywood Stars homes- Tim and Faith, Fry's CEO, D Copperfield.
o 4:00 Drive 15 mins to Grand Isle Resort you can use their Outdoor Shower and locker room so we stayed there for an hour at Palapa Restaurant for lobster salad before heading back home.

Stocking Island boat tour of Elizabeth Harbour Low Tide - 9:59 am, 10:53 pm
o Drive 15 minutes to George Town and rent a boat from Minns Water Sports - open 8:30-5:00.
o Went straight to Man O War sandbar - low tide at 10:00 pictures, starfish and sand dollars!
o Drive the boat along other islands - snorkel around and stop at various secluded beaches.
o Went to Chat N Chill for lunch and fresh conch salad, and got to swim with the stingrays.
o Went to the Mystery Cave to snorkel there, then to Sand Dollar Beach, then back by 4pm.

Tropic of Cancer Beach - Low Tide - 10:40 am, 11:46 pm
o Drive 25 minutes to Tropic of Cancer Beach.
o Eat lunch at Santana's Grill and Tropic Breeze

10Aggie10
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AG
Sandals Emerald Bay Exuma is beautiful. We also rented a car (for two days). We drove all over and went to where the road ends both north and south- we had a lot of fun.

Even you just stay on the property, you'll enjoy the trip!
nosoupforyou
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how many pot holes did you hit! man... I wasn't ready for that and remember - KEEP LEFT!! those roundabouts were tricky
10Aggie10
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nosoupforyou said:

how many pot holes did you hit! man... I wasn't ready for that and remember - KEEP LEFT!! those roundabouts were tricky


Haha, my fair share...but not as many as I do when I'm driving through Louisiana.

Other than the stretch between George Town and Moss Town, we almost never saw any other cars.

It was a very different keep left/roundabout experience from my time in Scotland. Wow! That was.an.experience. everyone drove fast and most of the roads had cars parked on both sides of the road; there were some tight fits
nosoupforyou
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quick recap from our amazing trip to Exuma - really want to go back!!


Man-O-War Sandbar - we took a boat from Minn's to get there - amazing!!


Swimming pigs tour - everything we could have hoped for - so great and the highlight of the trip



My sandbar - (well - my wife's) - not a person around!! This was at Moriah Harbour Cay
AustinCountyAg
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Not knocking anyone, but I seriously don't get the fascination with swimming with pigs? How is this so popular???


Also when travel gets going again wife and I are wanting to go to Bahamas but not the Atlantis type of trip. Looking for small island where you can hang around town, walk to different bars, shops, etc. any recs?
nosoupforyou
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AG
AustinCountyAg said:

Not knocking anyone, but I seriously don't get the fascination with swimming with pigs? How is this so popular???


Also when travel gets going again wife and I are wanting to go to Bahamas but not the Atlantis type of trip. Looking for small island where you can hang around town, walk to different bars, shops, etc. any recs?

re the Pigs - it's just a unique thing that is nowhere else - it was fun - but 1 stop out of 4 that we made on the snorkel tour (including Thunderball Grotto - google it if you need to - super cool underwater cave)

These photos are from the Exuma islands- not Atlantis/Nassau - so it's pretty much exactly what you're looking for
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