I've stayed in three places on Long Island and i have to say this place is the best you can get short of renting a house of your own.

Gem's is a brilliant place to enjoy gorgeous views, the most stunning grounds on Long Island, brilliant service when you need it and solitude when you don't. Last time we were there, the Prime Minister of the Bahamas had stayed there not long beforehand and it is very clear why.

The grounds are gorgeous and situated on an incline towards the water which makes for some of the most gorgeous views on Long Island. Also, because Gem's faces the ocean, you get amazing breezes, more blue water, and cleaner sand than you do on the caribbean side of the island (e.g., Chez Pierre's sand is an off-white, almost brown and there's not much of it). The proprietors do a brilliant job of making you feel left alone, but are there to satisfy any need you have at a moment's notice.

Gem's is a collection of buildings strewn across a gorgeous property. We stayed in a house style building with gorgeous verandas, and wonderful communal areas. There is also another building that was new when we arrived that seemed to have self sufficient apartments in it, but I'd confirm that with the proprietor before booking! All of the rooms seemed lovely though.

There is a tiny beach at Gem's, but the best beach is just down a road (not the main one) out a gate to the south side of the property. It has white sand, shallow crystal clear blue waters, and a gorgeous lagoon. We've been to Long Island a couple of times and it's one of our favorite beaches on the island.

Being situated South of Deadman's Cay means you're close to some of the best beaches on the island. The beaches towards the north are quite pretty, but the sand isn't as white as the beaches down south. Whil you won't find pink sand beaches here like you will on Harbor Island and Eleuthera (i know one reviewer said so, but it's just not the case i'm afraid), Long Island does have some of the most beautiful secluded beaches in the Bahamas. These beaches are to the south of the island, have gorgeous white sand, blue water, and rarely anybody around to bother you.

Also, being situated south of Deadman's Cay means you're close to Dean's Blue Hole, one of the islands most beautiful swimming holes. Please don't miss this one if you go.

If you need a car, the staff at Gem's will be happy to help you out. We rented cars from the Constantakis who were lovely and easy to deal with.

If you want to venture North, I wouldn't miss the following:
- Colombus Point
- Newton's Caye (hopefully it'll be fairly clean when you're there)
- RENT A CAR. Without one, you're going to miss out on so much of the island. Gem's is close to nice beaches, but you'll still want to explore the hidden "Gems" (sorry but i had to use the pun here) of Long Island on your own.

By the way, your best bet for getting to Long Island if you plan on staying at Gem's is Bahamasair into Deadman's Cay (if they're still flying there after Hurrican Noel). Stella Maris airport is all the way at the top of the island which means you'll have about an hour drive to Gem's. That said, if you are flying through Stella Maris, Gem's is still worth your while as you'll want to check out the length of the island during your stay.

We just returned from a 9 nights stay at this hotel and it could not have been better for us. The island is really beautiful and gives you lots of places and beaches to explore, make sure that you have your own car. We were travelling with our two little children and the Gems at Paradise Resort really offered everything we needed for a perfect vacation. Our children, 2 and 4, played with the owners children every afternoon at the beautiful private beach of the resort, they grilled hot dogs at the beach for us and even took us on a boat trip. We were all very sad when our time was over and our children are already planning to return. Overall I can highly recommend this resort if you are looking for a peaceful vacation, beautiful beaches, super friendly people and spotless rooms.

This is the second time my husband and I stayed at the Gems at Paradise. We had a wonderful time last year and couldn't wait to come back and stay again. If you are looking for a place to relax and unwind, this is the place to go. We stayed in the condo unit with a kitchen and a deck overlooking the water. We spent every morning having coffee watching the clear turquoise waters and deciding what we would do that day. Mostly we would just walk down to the beach and lay in the sun and read a good book. We had the beach mainly to ourselves and it is very private and clean. This is the best way to unwind and enjoy the sun and the Bahama breezes. This is a very quiet and restful resort. Mizpah and Shavonne are gracious hostesses and will accomodate any request that you have. They make you feel at home and part of their family. We did rent a car to see the island and ate at a couple of the local restaurants, Harbour Restaurant and The Forest, that both serve wonderful local dishes including cracked conch and peas and rice. Be sure to try the Guava Duff at the Harbor, it is fantastic! The locals are very friendly and helpful as well as all the guests that we met. We can't wait to go again next year and hopefully be able to stay longer!

Gems at Paradise - Truly a Gem
My husband and I just returned from the resort on Long Island, Bahamas and can hardly wait to return. What impressed me the most was the hospitatity of Mizpah, who upon completing our registration said, "think of this as your home, let me show you the kitchen". Now some travelers would probably ran away, but not I. I am one of those people who like their private time in the morning. Every morning I would rise about 6:00 A.M. (while my husband slept), and sit peacefully in their gracious dining room while the sun rose with coffee and music. During the day my husband and I would plan our day and explore the island, but always end our days sitting in the dining room with music and watching the stars shine with such brightness that one can now experience some of the more simple things in life we all take for granted. Gems at Paradise is located on the Atlantic side and sits high on a hill overlooking the Clarence Town Harbour. Their beach has crystal clear water and one can swim or float on gentle waves. Or, if that is to strenuous swing in the shade covered hammocks catching the breezes. Gems at Paradise is such a relaxing resort to stay and just let all of your stress and tension escape, sit back, put your feet up, and feel at home. This June my husband and I will return to Gems at Paradise and look forward to the peace, quite, and beauty of it all. If it is peace, quite, hospitatlity, cleaniness, beauty, restfull days, then we highly recommend this resort. Diane and John Kantor