The Treasure Houses are a great place to stay in Treasure Cay, on a beautiful, uncrowded beach about a mile outside of town. The lovely, sunny units are each two bed/two bath, with full kitchen (our unit had basic supplies included from previous renters, but our friend's kitchen came completely empty), living and dining areas, and a ground-level shed (with washer/dryer and bicycles and pool toys!). The pool has multiple grottos, bridges and waterfalls -- great for kids. There is a communal gas grille for cooking.

The houses are separate, elevated, octagonal buildings, clustered around the pool. The elevated part means walking up and down a lot of stairs over the course of the day! All the units have great views, and a nice private feeling, particularly units closest to the beach. They are individually owned, and therefore each has its own interior style.

We flew into Marsh Harbor and rented a car for the week (A&P Auto Rentals at (242) 367-2655) , which cost just an extra $100 over the round-trip cab fare.

Treasure Cay has only two restaurants, both owned by the same group, which are mediocre quality and very expensive. Dining in Marsh Harbor was a treat (at Curly Tails), but you can only get there if you have a car. Cabs are very expensive -- $85 for a group of 4 from Marsh Harbor to Treasure Cay (40 minutes), so the car rental really makes sense if you want to get around. We read that Coconuts was a great Treasure Cay restaurant, but were disappointed to find it has gone out of business.

There's a reasonably-stocked grocery in town, but beware of island prices (Oreos $7.50, milk $7.00, chips $5.50, salsa $6.50; fresh tomatos $8/pound). Basic necessities like eggs, cheese, and meat were reasonably priced, but the "luxury" items cost luxury prices!

These units were a little farther from town than the Seacrest Treasure Cay Villas, but infinitely nicer. The other units are right on top of each other, with no water views and no privacy.