It is with great hesitation that I write this review about this wonderful location. I only hesitate as I don't want the secret to get out as to how beautiful and relaxing the cottages are because everyone will want to go there. This was a surprise trip for my wife encompassing our anniversary, her birthday and my birthday so we had lots to celebrate. She had no idea where we were going, only to pack light, and that it would be warm and sunny. I read all the reviews and found them not only helpful, but absolutely true in all respects and then some. One of the most special aspects of the cottages is Valerie. She truly goes out of her way to ensure that everything is in place to make it a memorable vacation. Valerie even offered to shop for us so groceries would be waiting. We arrived on Monday morning and were greeted when we pulled into the drive by Casper and Bridgett, a pair of large "potcakes." Of course this is not a recognized breed of dog anywhere else but very prevalent on the island. The story of the breed and how they got their name is interesting and Valerie is happy to explain it to you. We found the cottage to be exceptionally clean, well appointed and cool on an otherwise hot day. Valerie explained the layout of the property and gave us an idea of things to do around the cottages. Some would say it's not much but we found it to be plenty. The kayaks are available anytime and, although when the wind is coming at you are a workout, they are tons of fun. We paddled across to Moriah Cay the first day just to try it out and, just as a heads up, when the tide is out you may have to drag the kayak because the water is very shallow in lots of places. Learned that lesson the hard way but still had a ball! We kayaked over again later in the week and went to the other side of the Cay and found the most beautiful beach, unspoiled, uninhabited and all ours. Valerie also let us use her small boat with a motor and this was much easier and she suggested another cove on Man o' War Cay which may have been even more beautiful. We drove to little Exuma and checked out the official beach accesses. The first was really crowded with a family and one other couple...6 people...totally overrun but with a beautiful cove and beach. The next beach access turned out to be even more secluded. We chose to go there one day and stayed for most of the day...got real crowded at one point as a gentleman came to the beach, walked down the other direction, returned and left. There went the neighborhood! We loved the privacy and you could totally get into the feeling of it being your own private paradise on the beaches.
Some suggestions for traveling to Exuma.....We shopped at Exuma Market and found a good selection but expect to pay at least double or more for most items. Everything has to come in by boat or plane and this jacks up prices. One idea is to pack a cooler with food, or a suitcase with staples and bring it with you. We plan to do so on our next trip. There are a number of restaurants but we found that we loved the Fish Fry, a number of small "shacks" where they sell what they caught that day. Crack conch, essentially beaten breaded and fried, grouper fingers, snapper, and conch fritters were our favorites. The meals almost always come with peas and rice, mac and cheese, plaintains or cole slaw. Typically, we found that one order was more than enough for us with all the sides included and would cost 12 or 13 dollars for a full meal. Drinks can get expensive, usually 7 or 8 or more for mixed drinks. Kalik beer is the beer of the Bahamas and probably cheap but not our cup of tea. Did not have a bad meal. Definitely go to Eddie's Edgewater in George Town for Rake and Scrape, interesting music played with some homemade instruments. Other bars and restaurants have entertainment and Valerie is a wealth of information about the various venues. Driving is an experience, drive on the left, but our rental had the steering wheel in the right place and this made it easier. We had no television, no papers and the internet was on Bahamian time for the most part, but we each managed to read a lot of books from the cottage and to just generally veg, which was the idea for the trip anyway. We will definitely go back to visit Valerie and the dogs as this was the most relaxing vacation we've ever had. Thank you Valerie!
