Great Exuma is a beautiful, untouched Out Island. The tiny capital, George Town, is located next to picturesque Elizabeth Harbour and features many restaurant and bar choices, from French cuisine to local dishes, within walking distance of the dock. The local straw market, where one can view Bahamian women and their traditional straw craftwork, is located just minutes from the dock, as is the “fish fry” where one can sample local cuisine at budget prices. If it is relaxation that one is seeking, this island is well worth staying on for a few days. The beachfront hotels are tranquil and lovely. Nightlife is limited and outside George Town one can find total relaxation.
The Caribbean Explorer II accommodates 18 guest comfortably in 9 double staterooms, all of which have private bathroom facilities and most of which have queen-sized beds. Both vessels have air-conditioned salons includes dining tables, TV, VCR, CD/DVD, video library, light table and lounge area; a large sundeck with lounge chairs for relaxing. The large dive deck is equipped with a bathroom, individual gear lockers, camera table with low pressure air hose, recharging station, air and nitrox filling stations, tank racks, and a separate fresh water rinse for both scuba and underwater camera equipment. Caribbean Explorer II has two sets of stairs accessing the dive platform, where two in-water ladders hang for easy access to and from the water. Both are also equipped with a satellite telephone for incoming and outgoing calls worldwide.
The Bahamas encompass more than 700 islands, many of them uninhabited, and span more than 1,000 square miles of ocean. With a maximum elevation of 206 feet, the islands nonetheless vary widely in history, atmosphere, and diving. When Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the hemisphere on either San Salvador or Cat Island (depending on who you talk to), the 500-year residency of the peaceful Lucayan Indians quickly came to an end; since then, the Islands’ proximity to Florida has caught the fancy of explorers, settlers, pirates, and traders alike.
Daily direct flights to George Town in the Bahamas are available through Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Charlotte with American Airlines, Continental Airlines, and U.S. Airways. Flights on BahamasAir, Continental and Delta are also available from Miami. In addition, charter flights to Nassau are available from Canada with connecting service with Bahamasair to Georgetown.
