Wake up to the Exuma sunrise, ocean views and three kilometers of beach, covered with white sands and the most beautiful turquoise waters you can imagine. Jump into your freshwater pool or take a dip in the warm ocean; enjoy Exuma’s rock-free seabed – the only thing between your toes will be lovely white sand. It’s your very own private Exuma beach resort!

Head out to Exuma’s Duck Cay Island on a calm day for a snorkel and feel like you are a castaway.

Wavy day? Grab a body board and surf the waves. Wander the beach or grab a beach chair, cooler and a good book. Have a game of volleyball.

Too wavy and windy? Enjoy your sparkling clean pool sheltered by landscaping and semi-shaded by palm trees. Lots of palm trees! Fire up the new BBQ.

The rare rainy day? You have the awesome games room to enjoy. Make sure you keep your beer fridge well-stocked. Everyday is a play day at Dillycrab.

Also, don’t forget about all of our brand new toys! There are three kayaks and one of them is a tandem.

Other than the fact that your house is on (we think) the best beach in Exuma, you can paddle your kayak to your own “private” island. This is not a Bahamas beach resort; you will have your own beautiful pool and games room for your private use.

Also different from many Exuma vacation rentals on the island is that we have a very, very long driveway (800 ft.) from the main highway. Many beach resorts and rentals are next to this busy road. The last thing you want is traffic noise to ruin your Exuma vacation.

No other house for rent in Exuma sports your own 1000 sq. ft. games room with pool table, ping pong table, darts, treadmill, exercise equipment, 50” flat-screen TV (with Wi-Fi & DirecTV programming).

A $1,000 USD deposit is required. If nothing is lost or broken, all deposit money is fully refunded after your departure. This is only in the unlikely event that your kayak floats out to sea because it was left unattended (the tide can catch you off-guard) or there is carelessness at the property. Life happens. Living on a small island like Exuma makes all the wonderful toys and comforts very precious; import duties and shipping costs are VERY expensive. We love our home and hope you love it back as if it is your home.

Our beach is awesome for swimming. What is truly wonderful is the bottom, which is all soft, white sand, all the way out to the island in front. There are no stones to hurt those tender toes. This is the white sand and turquoise water the Bahamas are famous for!

If you paddle out to Duck Cay Island in front of the house, you will find a reef on the north side with many fish. Don’t forget to pull your water craft higher on the sand than you think it should be. The tide can be stealthy, come in quickly, and leave you stranded.

Our property is directly on Exuma’s ocean. Our property is not a compound of rentals or a beach resort. It is just the small one-bedroom owner’s cottage and the guest house, as well as a garage we use for cars and toys. This was built so our family could have privacy. Everyone is busy with their lives now and we think it’s sad not to share the Dillycrab experience with others.

Walk out your door and within 30 steps, along our private path, your toes will be in sand. Splash in the warm, turquoise water that make the Bahamas so famous. You can walk east or west on the white sand beach. Our 3 km beach connects to more beaches just past each point. We are biased, though, and still think we have the prettiest water and the best beach on Exuma – even nicer than Sandals Emerald Bay Resort.

People? Usually we find we have the beach to ourselves. There are a few other houses on our beach, but people vacation at different times. There are no hotels or beach resorts.

All beaches in Exuma are open to the public, which makes it wonderful to explore. Look for beach access signs and just park where you can.

No. Our property is not a rental compound or a beach resort. You will have it all to yourselves.

• 5 minutes from Exuma Airport
• 45 minutes to Little Exuma
• 25 minutes to Georgetown
• 15 minutes to the fish fry
• 20 minutes to EBR Dance Party Friday nights
• 10 minutes to Frankie’s Bakery for hot bread – Yum!
• 15 minutes to Palapa Bar and Grill at Grand Isle
• 15 minutes to Prime Island Meat Deli
• 15 minutes to the Best Liquor store
• 30 seconds to the Exuma beach
• 15 seconds if you skip!

Exuma International Airport (George Town GGT) has many incoming flights from major airlines, as well as charter companies and private planes. See below for details.

	Air Canada	1-888-247-2262	Thursday and Sunday flights to Exuma (GGT) from Toronto.
	Air Charter Bahamas	305-885-6655 or 1-866-359-4752	Flights to Exuma from Nassau or South Florida.
	American Airlines	1-800-433-7300	Twice daily from Miami (MIA).
	American Eagle	242-345-0124	Daily flights from Miami to Exuma (GGT).
	Bahamas Air	242-702-4140	Twice daily flights from Nassau.
	Bahamas Express	954-356-1540	Includes shared charters and private charters to the islands of the Bahamas including the Out Islands.
	United	242-345-0280
	Delta Air Lines	800-221-1212	Flights from Atlanta (ATL) to George Town, Exuma (GGT) on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
	Silver Airways	1-800-881-4999	Daily flights from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) except on Wednesdays.
	IBC Travel	754-200-0005
	Jet Blue	1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583)	Flights to Nassau from Boston, NYC/JFK, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
	Sky Bahamas	242-377-8993	Three daily flights from Nassau to Exuma (GGT).
	Privaira	844-778-2472	Charter
	US Airways	1-800-428-4322	Weekend service to Exuma International Airport.
	Virgin-Atlantic	UK: 08705 747 747	Direct Flights from the UK to Nassau.
	WestJet	1-888-WESTJET 1-888-937-8538 1-800-538-5696	Toronto to Nassau Dep: 10:50am Days: Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday Non-stops flights between Ottawa & Nassau

A great website for this is www.sandpiperexuma.com. The Minns family have been on the island multiple generations. Drop into the Sandpiper Arts and Crafts store in Georgetown and say “Hi” to Jessica Minns for us. While you’re there, check out her beautiful hand-thrown, hand-painted pottery.

Prime Island Meats (10 min. from Dillycrab) is a great deli to get all your picnic fare. Ronnie and Susan make fresh potato salad, macaroni salad, egg salad, and even homemade brownies! There are deli meats and cheeses, fresh buns, and even wine. Pick up some great cuts of meat for that BBQ as well. One-stop shopping!

Also, for smaller groceries there is Smitty’s, which is like a convenience store (15 Min. from Dillycrab).

The large grocery store is in Georgetown: Exuma Market (20 Min from Dillycrab). They have an array of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as organic choices. I have purchased butter from New Zealand, Kerigold cheese from Ireland, sausages and cheese from France and Vermont. They have organic Eden canned beans, as well as Kettle brand potato chips. I have found tofu and soy milk, Chinese sauces and makings for Japanese sushi rolls. It is a store that always surprises me for a small Island. They supply food to all the private yachts in the harbor, so even Johnny Depp and Goldie Hawn will be satisfied. Yes sometimes you can spot the famous roaming around town.

Frankie’s Bakery (10 min drive from Dillycrab): Go at noon. It is hot, sweet and it will not make it home…

Mama’s Bakery (45 min. from Dillycrab): Homemade chocolate rum cake and coconut bread! Located right beside Santana’s bar and grill. One-stop shopping for fresh grilled lobster and dessert! Mama is famous, so make sure you take a picture with her. She is lovely and very proud of her ovens.

Really good wine is available, around the same price you would pay in Canada. Hard alcohol is much cheaper. There are many stores that sell alcohol on Exuma island and you can drink that beer anywhere. Every store also seems to be a bar. Just be aware that when you order a drink at the local establishment they pour generously!

Yes, we are following the British custom of driving on the left side of the road. At first, the traffic circle is a brain teaser, but you quickly get the hang of it. If you love adventure and have lots of energy, a rental car is a must. Book early to get what you need. Taxis are very good, especially if you want to drink at night – but they are a little pricey. Gas is expensive on the island as well as import duties (70%, approx. on a vehicle). Scooters are also available to rent, but you will be more exposed to the hot Exuma sun.

There is a brand new state-of-the-art hospital and a medical clinic in George Town. We highly recommend medical insurance before you travel, which you can buy online or at your own bank.

There are no poisonous snakes on Exuma island.

There is the rare Black Widow spider, which we have in Canada as well. We have never seen one in the three years we have been here.

There is also a poisonous centipede and a Cuban tree frog, but I have not spotted any of these yet.

Also, there are scorpions, but not the “I will kill you” kind. They leave a bite like a wasp sting, and you would be lucky to see one.

Mosquitos and no-see-ums come out when there is no wind at dawn and dusk. Just wear long skirt/pants at that time of day. No-see-ums are found even in the North Pole. For a natural repellant, use coconut oil on your skin and eat some raw garlic. The problem with these almost invisible insects is that you do not feel their bite, but the next day you wake up saying, “What happened, are there bed bugs?” No, its not bed bugs! The reaction on the skin happens overnight. If you have self-control and do not scratch, the itch will disappear quickly. Frankly, we barely notice them anymore, but pack an anti-itch cream just in case.

Stingrays and sharks are rarely seen, but are present in the waters in all of the Bahamas. The last shark fatality on the island was over 30 years ago and involved a spear fisherman with a bleeding fish hanging from his belt.

One of the important reasons our family chose Exuma was because we have two younger daughters. We all feel very safe and welcome. I, as a female, am comfortable walking the beach without worry of harassment. This is a small town, so everyone knows everyone’s business. There is a strong British, religious background here. It is shocking how wonderfully polite the children are as they pass you with a greeting, “Sir” and “Ma’am,” dressed in school uniforms.

No. Cruise ships cannot enter our shallow waters. It is the shallowness that makes Exuma so incredibly beautiful with its turquoise water. There are no crowds of tourists at all. You will find American and Canadian sailboats escaping cold winters in the Elizabeth harbour off of Georgetown. It’s very pretty to see them sailing by. You may even see a movie star yacht or two. Exuma is sparsely populated with just under 400 islands, with only 5000 people throughout.

We ride in Exuma as often as we can. It’s great exercise and the roads are very good with little traffic. My husband packs our bikes in bike boxes and, for a small fee, they fly with us on Air Canada. This ensures we have good functioning bikes and helmets. Sometimes we use road bikes and other times our cross bikes. There is a strip of road that is very busy from the Sandals Beach Resort into Georgetown. This stretch can be a bit hectic, so we throw our bikes into the car and have a choice of two directions.

1) Going west: We park our car at Big D’s around 9 or 10 am when everyone is at work and head up to Barraterre and /or Rolleville. It’s a great way to see Exuma island. Give a wave hello to people and you will receive a big smile back or a car will toot a hello in response. On this trip we can do 38 or 48 km, depending on how much we danced under the stars the night before. We are lucky if three cars pass us on our journey.

The best part: If we time our return by noon, Big D’s has a great beach to cool off the muscles with a splash in the ocean and an outdoor bar with icy cold beer waiting. Pair that with a fresh conch salad or conch burger – I swear they’re the best on the island!

2) Going east: Drive all the way into Little Exuma, almost to the end of the island, and park at Santana’s Bar and Grill. You can ride 65km into town and back, again with so few cars.

The best part: Ending the ride with an icy cold beer at Santana’s beach bar with the best, best, best lobster on the island. You have earned it! They have a sweet little beach as well.

Bonus: Ask to look at the Johnny Depp photo album. Seems he likes to hang out here.

3) Charity Ride project: To raise money to help equip the hospital with much needed medical machines, such as an MRI.

In our Gallery, you can see pictures of a few members from our Canadian bike club, Les Domestiques (Toronto), riding in Exuma. This was a test ride with a police escort. November 2015 is our first public ride and we hope to make this an annual event. This is not a race, but rather an event. The invite goes out to anyone with a bike: young and old and those in between.

There will be different distances to ride with food and water stations along the way. There will also be a breakfast party in Georgetown Park with an invite to the town to come out and participate in some manner. Getting more people on bikes is our objective. It’s all part of preventative medicine!

If this interests you, stay updated by emailing us at seeandknow@yahoo.com. We’ll be glad to answer any questions.

How close is the beach house to Queen’s Highway?
Many houses for rent are directly on the road. The last thing you want is traffic noise in paradise.

Describe the beach?
Many rentals, such as February Point, have a small shared beach with a rocky shoreline. Ask for a detailed description.

Is the pool private or shared with a community?
There are only a couple of rental homes on the beach in Exuma that have a private pool, including ours.

Does the pool and pool dining area have shelter from the wind?
Doesn’t seem important, but some days are windy and it is nice to have an outdoor living area around the pool that can still be enjoyed.

Is there a property manager to answer questions, or who can help to put things right if something goes wrong?
You don’t want any headaches on vacation and having a manager helps fix any problem much faster.

If the price is low is it a good deal?
It is a competitive market but if the price sounds too good to be true, then something is wrong. Living on a small island in paradise is expensive. Gas, electricity, and clean water are all more expensive than Canada. There is also a VAT tax and import duties on everything. An Ikea sofa would be 3x more expensive by the time it gets to your front door. Cars pay a 70% import tax. Wow is right.

Can I speak directly by phone or email to the owner to ask unanswered questions I might have before my trip?
It is always good to chat and get more information about Exuma or about the property.

If I just want to chill at my beach house and not rent a car, can I arrange groceries and things I may need?
We can look after most reasonable requests.

Will the property be safe and good for children?
Our guest house was built with family in mind.

Is there a damage deposit?
If a damage deposit is required, that means there are nice things to keep nice.

There is the local BOB Bank, as well as Scotia Bank and the Royal Bank (ATMs of course). The U.S. dollar and Bahamian dollar are equal and are used together.

Sugar Adventures: A full-day of swimming pigs, iguanas, sharks, stingrays and so much more. It would be great if you could give Sugar the heads-up by phone or email in advance so he can watch the weather for you and plan a day you will never forget! You pay at the end of your trip – normally around $200 per person – but it is so worth it. Sugar will either drop by the house or call you and let you know the when. www.sugaradventures.com

5 stars on TripAdviser. I give them 10!

Also, pre-book your rental car before your arrival.

Please remember that you must drive on the left side of the road!

• Airport Car Rental: 242-345-0090, or visit exumacarrental.com
• Exuma Transport: 242-336-2101
• Thompson Car Rental: 242-336-2442, or visit the-bahamas-car-rentals.com/thompsonscars
• Up Town Rent-a-Car: 242-345-0112

You can also contact Patrick Dorsett at 242-464-1411 who has a large van and can pick you up at the airport.

Yes, you can have a wonderful professional massage given to you in the games room.

If there are two of you interested in a massage, the therapist will make a house call and set up her table in the recreation room. It’s a lovely way to end the day. Her number will be in the coffee table book when you arrive.