This is one of the most beautiful places we have visited, and by that I am talking about the surrounding water of incredible beauty and island after island to feast your eyes on. Staniel Cay Yacht Club itself consists of a bar and an attached open air restaurant. You MUST have dinner at 7pm. no choice. Everyone is served at that time. The food is very good at times, but not gourmet at all, sometimes the "salad" of the evening was a few tired slices of tomatoes with a little vinegar or a large dollop of coleslaw on a saucer. We never had a salad with lettuce or salad dressing. The rest of the dinners varied from good to very good. Breakfast was great, and all of our lunches were packed to go in coolers with ice. Keep track of your bar tab carefully. It is all handwritten and will surprise you when you leave. We found a few mistakes in their favor, and it is expensive. Beers are $4. Some nights the bar closed at 11:00pm, and then you can go up the road to Big Dogs, cool little bar that is like someone's kitchen counter. Friendly locals and great conversation. There is a lot of construction on the island at this point, (November 2011).which is distracting sometimes, but make sure you rent a golf cart and go exploring. There are numerous stunning places to visit, just go ahead and drive up those hills and through the brush. You will be rewarded. Make sure you look up Wade (ask at the bar, they will find him) and hire him and his boat for the day to take you everywhere. Snorkeling, spear fishing, couch diving, and fresh conch salad on a tiny island that you might want to stay on for a few hours. We would go back and stay in a privately owned house, but you have to bring EVERYTHING with you as far as food and drink. There are no "grocery stores" on the island, (no matter what the map says) only a tiny one with very limited supplies. Next time we would stay in Nassau for a day and shop there first, or you can fly from Ft. Lauderdale, Fl and fly from there. All the locals were so friendly. My son and daughter-in-law were married on 11-11-11 on Sampson Cay, a stunning resort about a 20 minute boat ride from Staniel Cay. It was the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen. Don't miss Pig Island (look it up, amazing) Our cottage (Ocean Blue) was small but very clean, but the downstairs "bedroom" was a daybed in the small downstairs, and the air conditioning did not work downstairs. The upstairs bedroom had great air conditioning. You get a boat with your all inclusive, but it is very small and you are pretty much left on your own as far as using it and bringing it in and out by yourself. We had a great time, even though the accommodations are not what you are used to in a usual caribbean vacation, and no night life, but, this is an extremely beautiful area, and worth it if you are adventurous and looking for water and sky in more blue shades that you have ever seen. The stars at night are unbelievable!

Water so clear you might try to drink it, pigs that swim, a secret (though in some circles world famous) snorkling cave only reached by Boston Whaler with puffer fish the size of pugs, conch chowder/fritters/salad that you dream about years afterward, an island runway with cracks that grass is growing out of, tropical breezes, kind people....

This is Staniel Cay Yacht Club (very loosely termed) with its six bungalows on stilts, and smaller cottages tucked amongst the trees. I first discovered Staniel Cay in the 70's while sailing down the great Bahama chain. The children, white sand, and sheer easterly remoteness of this small island (technically part of the Exumas) took hold of my imagination and my heart before I had even stepped on to the dock.

Getting there can be a bit dicey and pricey. You can fly in from Marsh harbor, but the easiest way is to charter in from West Palm Beach (making arrangements is a breeze -- you will do it all through the yacht club web site). Your small plane will make a quick passport stop on Andros, then continue on to Staniel. The cottages are multi-colored and spotless with their own small docks, and without a doubt reasonably-priced. From there, you are free to relax completely, taking a Boston Whaler out amongst the small islands to snorkle and explore...but mind you, this is NOT a delux, exclusive, or even posh resort. THIS is a true gem, far better than that.

And who knows whom you might see....but if you're very lucky, nobody.

Everything really has been said about this place in the previous reviews. I cannot say enough about the island, the people, the activities, the food, etc. My next trip is already scheduled for their New Year's Eve party next year! I loved the watermakers air flight down, it was so easy. I also used Lane's Limos in Fort Lauderdale to get us to the Watermakers hanger and that was great.

I had been to Nassau Bahamas on a cruise once and felt I never wanted to return. Exuma Islands are magical-I am glad I gave the Bahamas another chance because the beauty is truly amazing. I used to dream about going to the Polynesian Islands, and now I feel like I do not even need to spend the time it would take to get me there. I cannot imagine that anything could get much prettier than this! We swam with the pigs every day, snorkeled the grotto, fed the iguanas, went to Compass Key to swim with the nurse sharks, picnic lunches on our own beach, bicycled the island, went to church(that was great, they were so welcoming to us), we really did it all. We even saw flying fish~they were so beautiful.

I think everyone should have the opportunity to visit this place at least once in their lifetime, maybe I will be lucky enough to move there someday! I would be happy to answer any questions you may have~Relax and Enjoy...I think this is truly one of the best places on earth!

This was our first trip to Bahamas and our 18th country visited. Most of our travel has been to warm water tropical locations. We stayed 7 nights here and 7 nights at Small Hope Bay Lodge in Andros. Travel is a passion, but understand that we prefer authentic experiences. We avoid franchises at home and would never go to Cancun or Nassau. If you prefer and expect Sandals or a stay at Ritz, this place might not be right for you.

After carefully reading previous TA reviews and then visiting, I believe the many other reviews are very accurate. Getting here is easy if you work with Watermakers. The flight from Ft. Lauderdale Executive is a total of 90 minutes with a very short stop to clear customs in Andros. If you bring more than 35 pounds of luggage including your carry-on (everything) be prepared to pay a surchage. Candidly, you need very little. I didn't wear shoes the entire time.

We highly recommend the all-inclusive package. There are no other comparable dining options - period. If you include the use of the boat, it is a no brainer. Once your plane arrives it is a 5 minute ride to SCYC. You check in at the bar and the good life begins. The bar is extensive. Beers are $4 and wine and drinks are similar to US prices. If you want high-end tequilla or wine; no problem. Carl and David are the bartenders and friends from the minute you sit down. Meals are tasty. Breakfast is typical American favorites plus ala carte options. Lunch can be packed for the beach or enjoyed any time throughout the day. I especially enjoyed the fish and club sandwichs and the wings. The fried fish fingers are wonderful and ask for a grilled cheese if you are a vegetarian (eat fish) like my wife. Dinners are soup and a salad course followed by fish, chicken, lamb, beef or lobster. Each are served with sides like rice/potato and veggies followed by a simple dessert. If you are a full vegetarian, they will work with you but your options are limited since they have to ship or fly in everything and perishable items are not practical. Save everything leftover from your meals. The pigs, birds, sharks, rays and other critters are fun to feed.

The rooms are rustic but clean and simple. We stayed in the blue cottage. While it has some blemishes, they are cosmetic not functional. The lights, water and toilet all worked fine. If you prefer it, the A/C was strong and would drown out any noise,


although I'm not sure there was any. While we were there, the bar and music was shutting down by 10ish except for Sat night when we stayed up until ~11:30. Our "king" bed was 2 singles pushed together - very common if you travel much. I did not ask about other cottages. The in-room coffee will get you by until the restaurant opens around 8. You do not need to worry about security but if needed the office will put small items, cash or passports in the safe.

The boats worked fine contrary to certain reviews. This is an amazing perk. We got in daily around 10 for beach hopping, animal encounters and fantastic adventures returning about 3 for a late lunch and siesta. I will make this very clear. In our dozens of trips we have never, ever seen more prefect water and countless beaches. A yatchie couple we spoke to said it rivals Polynesia. A critial TA review noted the beach in front of the cottages are poor - duh; they are on the leeward side of the island. With your boat and a few minutes drive, you can visit dozens of deserted beaches that are amazing.

We did not fish but others had good success. I planned to dive, but the boat wasn't working. Snorkeling is good but not great. Sites to not miss are feeding the pigs, the igaunas, Pipe Creek,Thunderball Grotto and the 2 sunken planes you can snorkel. We also used the bikes once. They are included. I would note that we didn't see any children; only couples.

In summary, this place is magical. The people are wonderful, the surrounding water, beaches and islands will boggle your mind, the facilities and food are fully adequate given you are in the middle of nowhere. The adventure is up to you.