We were beyond excited because today was the day for our world-famous swimming with the pigs excursion. We have been talking about this as a family for more than two years while planning our Exuma Bahamas family trip, and today was it! My daughter could not wait to see the cute little piglets. We headed north about 8am and drove straight to Cocoplum Bistro where we had a fantastic breakfast. It was so delicious that my son was determined to go back another day.

We jumped in the car after eggs, yogurt and coffee to get on the boat.  We booked ahead of time a private half-day tour with Exuma Water Sports. We checked in and paid – it was easy and super-fast.  The boat was in perfect condition with a lot of horsepower, so we glided across the water and could see neon blue and turquoise water for miles.  It did not even look real. As soon as we stepped on the boat my husband pointed to a sign “As Seen On The Bachelor” ha. Do you guys remember the pigs on the show? The boats were stocked with lots of beer, water, Capri-Suns and snacks. My kids could not stop eating the coconut macaroon cookies. We were the first boat at pig island, or officially called Big Major Cay, that morning so you can imagine the pigs were waiting on us. They could hear the boat engines roaring and our favorite girl, Frankie, swam out to greet us.  She was the perfect hostess to greet us on our Exuma Bahamas family trip.

First, the guys showed us how to properly feed the pigs and how to deter them if we did not want them coming to us. We could not wait to get out into the water. My daughter and I jumped in first with the boys following behind.

They told us that they could be aggressive since we were the first boat there. Pigs were everywhere. Baby pigs everywhere.

The pigs are big and mostly stayed in the shallow water, only coming up to you if they think you may have something in your hands. If you don’t want them coming up to you, simply hold both hands out so they can see you do not have anything, and they turn around and walk away. They know the drill. Boat tours bring boats full of people to their island every day from sunup to sundown and they could not be more thrilled.

We then headed to another island, previously owned by Nicholas Cage, who later sold the island back to the Bahamian government because of the iguana takeover. These iguanas love to eat grapes, so we hung around for about 45 mins feeding them what they love.

The captain and first mate (Ty and KJ) were so nice and great tour guides who also became our family photographers. They guys knew how to get the best shot. Loved them.  The best experience on our Exuma Bahamas Family trip was getting to know the locals and hanging out with them.

This was on Monday so literally every restaurant we stopped at was closed. We found out quickly that most restaurants are closed on Monday and Tuesday. Everything opens back up Wednesday through Saturday and spotty on Sunday.

We drove back to Hideaways to eat at Splash – they were open. We could always find food there whenever we were hungry and needed a quick bite to eat.

It rained a little this afternoon but the kids played in the pool then we cleaned up for dinner and headed to Blu Restaurant. Blu is south of our hotel, towards Little Exuma. We sat outside on the back deck overlooking Man-of-War Cay and watched a couple get engaged down at the water below us. It was a perfect setting for a proposal.

Next day we stopped for breakfast at Driftwood Cafe. The cutest little restaurant in Georgetown. Avocado toast, eggs, bacon, French toast with mango, papaya and banana smoothies.

We were then off to see some amazing sea turtles on a public beach. We headed north from Driftwood Cafe, past Smitty’s grocery, and the very next public beach access sign, you have arrived. Do not park in any of the residences’ driveways. You then walk down a path between two houses, turn right when you get to the beach and head all the way down to the boat docks. The turtles swim all around the docks.

It was about 10 of them with a-small baby turtles as well. It was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had. Get there early. Boats start bringing people into the bay around 10am. We arrived first day at 9:30 and had about 30 mins to ourselves. It was just a super cool experience I am so glad that my kids got to do it and recommend you consider it when planning your Exuma Bahamas family trip.

I did not think anything could beat it. Then we got in the car and drove south to Tropic of Cancer – named the most beautiful beach in the world – and I COMPLETELY understand why so go ahead and add this to your Exuma Bahamas family trip.

Before we got there, we stopped at Haulover Bay and ate a little snack at Haulover Bay Bar and Grill. The food was okay, but the views from the back of the restaurant were gorgeous. We jumped off the dock a few times.

I have seen a lot of beaches all over the world, but this one took my breath away. There is no other way to describe this place – it is an absolute MUST SEE! Go there and plan to stay all day. It is incredible. There is a little grill with awesome drinks – I had the rum punch. Go there to support the locals. This beach is really like something out of a dream and another MUST DO while on your Exuma Bahamas family trip.

We needed dinner after the beach, so we drove about 2 miles south to Santannas. Red snapper and grouper for the win. It was excellent.

Then we went next door to Mommy’s for the most SERIOUSLY AMAZING rum cake and banana bread. We devoured it.

This is the one-lane bridge that takes you into Little Exuma.

Next day, my daughter and I dropped my husband and son at the Cays to finish with a local fisherman. Maven and I ate breakfast at Peace and Plenty in Georgetown and then chilled at the Hideaways pool before we headed back to get them later that afternoon.

After we scooped them up, we headed north again to Big Ds Conch Spot. This was the best meal of the trip. Fresh conch salad made at the bar in front of us. Margarita, mango daiquiris for the kids, and the most EXCELLENT conch sitting right on the turquoise water. My day was made and you definitely want to do this on your Exuma Bahamas family trip.

We hopped back in car and drove about two miles further north to CocoPlum Beach. Home of the largest sand dollars at low tide. We pulled up at high tide, so we didn’t find any white ones. We saw one dark sand dollar that we left behind. My son found a few large conch shells too.

On the way back to our hotel we stopped at Lighthouse (on the left) for some ice cream. The ice cream is delicious, made in Nassau and shipped over.

Next day we drove back to Hoopers Bay to see the sea turtles again. First, we dropped into Cocoplum Bistro for another breakfast, stopped to get gas ($7.50 a gallon) then straight to see our turtle friends.

We swam for about 1.5 hours then checked in at Peace and Plenty, sister property to Kahari Resort, over on Stocking Island.

We took the water taxi over to Stocking Island. The shuttle runs on the hour from Peace and Plenty and on the half hour from Kahari Resort.

This room was right on the beach and pretty amazing. We hung out at the little pool and then showered for dinner.

We walked over to The Beacon Restaurant on site at Kahari. We had the bruschetta, sea bass and rack of lambs with pineapple martini.

Next day we rented a boat with Minns. We were told that you cannot go to Exuma without renting a boat so that is exactly what we did. We took the water taxi over to Peace and Plenty ate a quick breakfast then walked across the street to Minns Water Sports. If you are looking to rent a boat while on your Exuma Bahamas family trip, we highly recommend Minn’s as their boat rentals are reasonably priced.

We jumped on our 23-foot boat about 9am for a full day of fun. First, we had to strategically fit under this small little bridge by taking the Bimini top down. The water, the blues and greens, against the white soft sand and blue sky is something you would see in a picture book. Even our kids were in awe.

It was low tide first thing in the morning, so we went straight to Man-O-War Cay – which is south directly across from Blu Restaurant. Sand bars for days. Like a giant kiddie pool. Absolutely make sure and go there on your Exuma Bahamas family trip.

Chat N Chill is where we took off to next. A little beachside restaurant only accessible by boat. The kids loved it – swimming with stingray, playing on the swings, the water mat, corn hole, fantastic eats, and the amazing conch salad. It reminded me of Shackleford Banks or Masonboro Island in NC, the way boats lined the shoreline. Super fun for the entire family. We played then ordered lunch and ate it on the boat in the shade. There are picnic tables under shaded trees, but they were full. Boats start rolling in at noon.

Then we pulled the boat right up to our beachside bungalow at Kahari and chilled on our own beach. The kids wanted to cool off so they jumped in our outdoor shower rinsed off and then hung out on the screen porch for a little while.  Kahari resort is definitely worth a stay while on your Exuma Bahamas family trip as the views are breathtaking.

I laid under the beachside gazebo and read my book.

We cleaned up and were off again on the boat. Retuned it to Minns, it’s only about a 5 min boat ride, and then jumped in our car parked at Peace and Plenty and drove down one mile or so to Shirley’s Fish Fry. We walked in this restaurant and she had the AC blasting. It felt amazing inside after being on the boat all day. I ordered the lobster wrap with plantains and it was delicious. Everything here was amazing. We then drove back to Peace and Plenty jumped on the water taxi and glided back over the blue water to Kahari. The kids went out front to paddle board for a few mins before sunset.

We slept in for the first time since we have been in Exuma. My husband took the water shuttle over to Minn’s to pick up the boat for a second day. He drove over to our beach bungalow and parked the boat outside our door.

We jumped in and drove over to Peace and Plenty for breakfast. We sat inside this morning because it was already hot and they had the A/C turned up. They had a brand-new menu and it all sounded delicious. Our breakfast was great. After breakfast, we took the boat over to the Blue Hole checked that out for a minute then we went out to the point where the ocean comes into Elizabeth Harbour. It was like something out of a Vineyard Vines catalog. Just gorgeous. We hung out there, paddle boarded, found more starfish then cruised over to Chat N Chill for lunch.  Chat N Chill is a must do on your Exuma Bahamas family trip!  The sting rays were swimming all around us and then a nurse shark creeped in to check things out. Because of the way the island is situated here it gets no breeze at all, so it is really hot on this day.

We finished lunch and headed back to our bungalow to chill on our beach for a while. The kids kayaked and paddle boarded.

We then showered and jumped on the water taxi to Snappy Turtle. It is connected to St Francis Resort on Stocking Island. It was just okay. I would not recommend it. We had the Mahi Mahi and it was fine but there are many other restaurants that are much better. Skip this one.

After dinner, we waited on the dock for our taxi driver to come back around to pick us up, but another local Bahamian pulled up when he saw us and asked if we needed a ride. We jumped in his boat and he drove us over to Kahari Resort. The Bahamian people are the sweetest. My husband kept reminding us how no one on this island has walked up and asked us for anything – but they are offering whatever they possibly can to help. Just the nicest, caring people. They were so appreciative of tips.  We’ve said it once but we’ll say it again..  Hanging with the locals was one of the best parts of our Exuma Bahamas family trip.

We had coffee on our front porch and then walked over to The Beacon Restaurant at Kahari Resort.

We went back to our bungalow lathered down in sunscreen and went on hikes around our resort. We walked the Art Trail to the other side of Stocking Island and came up on another amazing site.  This was an unexpected pleasant find and definitely worth a visit on your Exuma Bahamas family trip.

Later, we trekked over to The Beach Club for lunch – veggie burger, Mahi sandwich, wings and cheeseburger with mango and strawberry daiquiris. Today, was the Bahamian’s Independence Day and they celebrated big. It was so cool to see while on our Exuma Bahamas family trip.

Around 2pm, I showered in the outdoor shower and walked over to Spa Room #2 for one hour deep tissue massage.

Afterwards, I went straight to the beach and hung out with the kids for a little bit then we cleaned up, jumped on the water shuttle and had dinner at Peace and Plenty. I had ordered the lobster and it was soo amazing.

We woke up, packed our bags and hopped on the water shuttle for breakfast at Peace and Plenty. Then, filled up the car with gas in Georgetown (it’s $25 per gallon at the airport) and turned the car into Airport Car Rental. We checked into our flight and walked across the street to Kermit’s Airport Lounge until it was time to board our flight. It is very difficult to leave this island and these people and our Exuma Bahamas family trip was AMAZING!

Our two rules: Don’t leave your hotel without a bathing suit and goggles. You never know what beautiful beach you may find.

The Bahamians are truly the kindest people that we cannot wait to see again.

My recommendation is to bring your own sunscreen. We are big believers in Sun Bum and love their new ultra line. I brought about 5 spray bottles and 1 liquid bottle. If you have kids, bring their googles and one bottle of bug spray. That’s all you need. We had bug issues 2 out of 8 nights so one bottle of bug repellent was plenty. We kept all the sunscreen in this Aloha bag. These are my favorite travel bags.

My kids could not understand why we kept running into the same people everywhere we went. We knew someone at every location we went to. That’s how small this island truly is. Our flight home was full of people that we met all over the island. It was something special.

We will return soon to this magical place. We absolutely love Exuma and the Bahamian people. My pictures do not do it justice – you have got to experience this sweet little island yourself so go ahead and plan your Exuma Bahamas family trip!

See you soon, Exuma!

Kim

Next up, Nantucket.