Happy World Oceans Day!

We are so fortunate to be on such lovely waters . . .

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Our Island Batik Factory . . .

Come for a relaxing vacation, and see what the island has to offer. Small Hope Bay Lodge offers an escape from the hustle and bustle, at an all-inclusive resort on its own secluded beach. We have as much or as little activity for your vacation as you could wish for . . .

One of our favorite activities is a trip to Androsia, the local batik factory. Our resort uses the fabrics for our cabins and lounge, and they are all hand made right here on Andros! Guests can visit the shop, take a tour, and even take a batik lesson! See for yourself . . .

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Easter at Small Hope

Another fantastic holiday at Small Hope Bay Lodge!

This Easter we had a great day, including an Easter Egg Hunt, a sunny day with diving and relaxing, and a superb feast with roast pig, lobster, ribs, duck, and more desserts than we could count.

See for yourself . . .

And come and spend your holidays here with us! Every day is wonderful, but the big feast holidays are US Thanksgiving (the next in the lineup), Christmas, New Years Eve, and Easter. Holidays usually get booked early so make your reservations today!



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Dolphins playing with the boat . . .

It's been a great month for divers at Small Hope!

First they got a rare glimpse of a whale while diving one of our caver sites. Then, just a few days ago, a pod of dolphins played with the dive boat on it's way out for the first dive of the day. Great video of the pod. The dolphins look like they're having a blast . . .

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How to Get to Andros Island, Bahamas

It's Easy!

Getting to Andros Island is a piece of cake! There are many ways to get to this beautiful island. Here are some of them . . .

1. Fly to Nassau and then take the short hop over to Andros from there. Book your flights to and from Nassau, then contact our wonderful office staff and they will arrange your flights between Nassau and Andros, there are two flights daily each way. Don't forget to go through the "Traveling Through to Family Islands" line at Immigration in Nassau to skip the long line! Ask us about our Fly Free special too - you may be able to fly to Andros for free!
2. Fly the Fort Lauderdale and fly to Andros via Watermakers Air, or another air charter airline. Watermakers has flights to Andros scheduled on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. They even offer Small Hope guests special rates, as well as Island Hopping packages to Small Hope and Staniel Cay to see the swimming pigs! Contact us for more info or package rates.
3. Fly your own plane! Fresh Creek, Andros is a Bahamas port of entry which makes a quick hop down to Small Hope easy. We often have private pilot specials, too. Check our Specials page for more info.

Those are the most common ways vacationers come to Andros Island. But just contact our office if you have any questions or need any advice or assistance in making your travel arrangements!

We look forward to seeing you soon . . . 

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Island-Style Thanksgiving at Small Hope Bay Lodge

Celebrating the holidays abroad can be a real treat! Enjoy all the great food, as well as being with great family and friends, without ever having to do the dishes!

At Small Hope we celebrate 4 holidays with incredible style. US Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, and Easter. On these days we make huge feasts and have great parties.

This Thanksgiving was no exception. Our fantastic kitchen staff created a delicious blend of classic Thanksgiving fare with traditional Bahamian dishes. Not only savory dishes, but a plethora of tasty desserts, too! Here is just a taste of what we had: Rosemary baked turkey, Honey glazed ham, Sage and sausage stuffing, Grouper fingers, lobster salad, mac n cheese, peas n rice, potato salad . . . With desserts like coconut tart, pumpkin pie, guava duff, pineapple tart, sweet potato pie, pumpkin roll, Oreo cheesecake, and many, many more!

We are so thankful for the great family and friends.

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A Kid-Friendly resort in the Bahamas!

When planning a vacation, we always want to make sure we find the right fit. This goes double for kids. Cuz when the kids have a great vacation, the whole family has a great vacation!

At Small Hope Bay Lodge, we know this and do our best to ensure the kids have a blast! We also like to give the parents a wonderful and, most importantly, stress-free vacation.

We are located in a secluded and very safe area. With two private beaches, we give the kids the space to roam around and explore but remain on property. We have a Games Room just for kids! (It's even being completely renovated right now - photos coming soon!). In there we have a kiddie castle, arts and crafts, their own cubbies, a ping pong table. We have a swing set with attached fort, located right on the beach so they can swing in style. We have Nature programs for the kids who want to learn more about our environment and the flora and fauna around the resort.

Our Kids Dining program is one that has been proven to be great for both parents and kids. At 6 pm, the kids go to our Games room with one of our highly capable babysitters. There, they have their meal together (kid-friendly meals or the adult menu of the day - their choice!). After dinner, they play, or make crafts, a play games. This gives the kids time to be just kids and the grown ups time for some adult time with the other adults at our cocktail hour and dinner.

We have Family Packages available or you can make you own! Call us for more info at 800-223-6961 or email at info@smallhope.com!

Not a bad view for the kids fort, huh?

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What is Included in "All Inclusive" Rates? At Small Hope, A LOT!

There are many resorts that say they are all inclusive. But many only include breakfast, and most do not include beverages or bar drinks. There can also be added resort fees.

At Small Hope Bay Lodge, we like to make it as simple as possible! All Inclusive to us means totally ALL INCLUSIVE! Included in our nightly rates are the following:

• Beachfront cabins - All the cabins are just steps away from crystal clear water!
• Breakfast - Made-to-order and continental selections including omelets, toasts, bagels, yogurts, french toast, etc. There is even a special Bahamian breakfast each day so you can try some island flavors.
• Lunch - Three different salad options, sandwich fixings, and a different island-style hot lunch every day such as Pepper Pot Curry or Conch Chowder. And, of course, plenty dessert choices!
• Dinner - A soup, multiple salads, a seafood course, a meat course, a starch dish, and a vegetable dish. Plus homemade bread, and at least three different dessert options!
• Snacks and hors oeuvres -  At cocktail hour we serve our famous conch fritters, as well as some chips and dips. And if you fancy a bite at any time during the day, just pop your head in the kitchen and our chefs will whip up something tasty for you!
• Beverages and Bar Drinks - That's right. All your drinks are included in the all-inclusive rate! Plus you can even hop behind the bar and show us how you make your favorite drinks!
• Resort fees - That means use of all the extras: hot tub, bikes, kayaks, paddleboards, sailboat, wifi (in lounge and bar areas), etc. 

The only things not included are any optional guided activities like scuba diving or fishing, and the Bahamas VAT of 7.5%.
 

All Inclusive means you don't have to carry your wallet. Everything made easy!Come and see for yourself . . .

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Great Hope for Small Hope!

We believe Hurricane Matthew will not hit us too hard but it is always better to be prepared!!! We will keep you posted with updates . . .

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What to Bring on Your Bahamas Vacation? Here's a List to Get You Started

 Packing for vacation is always so exciting because it means . . . your going on VACATION! But with airline luggage fees, not to mention the hassle, it's great to bring just what you need.

Andros, Bahamas has such a lovely climate year-round, so no need for big heavy jackets or boots. Scuba divers and fisherman often want to bring their own gear, but Small Hope Bay Lodge has everything you'll need for scuba diving, snorkeling, and fishing here if you don't want to pack your own.

Here is a list of some of the essentials to bring on your Bahamas holiday:

• Swimsuit - The water is way too nice to miss out on swimming
• Good walking shoes - There are great nature walks around here
• Flip flops or sandals - The weather is warm. Give your feet a break with comfy sandals
• Light, comfortable clothes - Summers are very warm, but Autumn, Winter, and Spring often have beautiful warm weather too.
• A light jacket or hoodie - Not absolutely necessary in summer, but always a good idea
• Small, compact umbrella - We get lovely, tropical showers that are usually quite brief, but the umbrella will make getting from your cabin to the bar that much easier!
• Sun glasses - We get lots of sun
• Sunscreen - We get lots of sun
• A hat - Not mandatory, but . . . we get lots of sun
• Bug spray - We provide some bug sprays, but you may have a favorite brand that we don't carry. 
•  A good book - Always great to finally have the time to enjoy a book  . . . 
• Toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, etc) - We will be adding these to our bathroom provisions soon, but contact us to ensure we have them or bring your own

Optional items:

• Mask and/or snorkel and/or fins - We have plenty here that fit most sizes but some people love to use their own stuff
• Dive gear - see above
• Fishing gear - see above. If you are wondering what fishing gear is best for Bonefishing click here

What we have at Small Hope Bay Lodge so you don't have to worry about bringing:

•  Towels
•  Water bottles - in your cabin, and you get to keep them!

And we have a boutique at the resort, just in case you forget anything!!!!

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Diving the Backside of the Blue Hole!

Check out this incredible, and one-of-a-kind dive . . .

See more about diving Blue Holes here

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Feels Like Summer!

The way summer is  . . . at Small Hope Bay Lodge . . .

Morning: Water like glass. Perfect conditions for diving, snorkeling, swimming, bonefishing, or pretty much anything you feel like doing . . .






Afternoon: Right around 2 pm a gorgeous summer storm rolls through with rain, thunder and lightning. It usually lasts about 20-30 minutes.







Later afternoon: The sun is shining once again. We do our afternoon dive and come back to cocktail hour and gentle evening breezes.







Night: We frequently get to watch lightning storms over Nassau and to the north and east, while enjoying clear skies above and more stars than you can imagine . . .

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Excellent Kayaking!

 

As we get closer to summer the seas are getting calmer and calmer< These mornings the water is so calm it's like glass. You don't even have to dive or snorkel to see the fish. You can be on the dock or the boat and look down and spot all kinds of beautiful Caribbean life.

The calm water also make for excellent kayaking! One of our guests recently took a kayak all the way to Goat Cay, about 1.4 miles away for some snorkeling. Beautiful day for it . . . . Pin It Now!

A Beautiful March, on Andros Island, Bahamas!

Sometime it is just too pretty here and we have to share it . . . Check out some of the gorgeous days we have been having here.

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Summer Camp has Come to Small Hope!

It's a lot of fun for the Ancat summer students to spend the day at Small Hope Bay Lodge, going out to the coral reef and experiencing the smooth running of the best dock in the area is a big treat for the youths.  

Every summer Ancat works to expose the island children to the many wonders of Andros and while we're instilling within these children a love of the outdoors and a great appreciation of nature, we're teaching them as well: to swim, snorkel, hike, kayak, to identify birds and fishes, corals too. We're building the youth's self esteem and showing

them that they too can make a difference, as each year they participate in a community project to remove marine debris from the shoreline, beaches and waterways. 

Peter and Gabrielle Douglas, of Small Hope family fame, run the Andros Conservancy and Trust, (Ancat), a local environmental NGO and  have run this camp for six years now, understanding that its only through exposure to all that Andros has that they'll be able to build the baseline environmental knowledge of the Bahamian populace, who will be the future custodians of our island saving its resources for generations yet to come to enjoy. 

We firmly believe that ignorance is not the fault of the ignorant but the fault of those who know, but choose not to pass the knowledge on. It is in all of our hands to conserve the natural resources of Andros, to pass on the baton to the next generation. If you would like to assist in any way be it through a donation of funds, equipment, volunteer or just a prayer at the right time we would be grateful, there is a lot to be done.

Please contact Ancat at ancatoffice@gmail.com or visit their website at www.ancat.net to find out about more of the work of the Andros Conservancy and Trust.

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Weddings Galore!

We've had three beautiful weddings in the last month! I can't think of a more beautiful location for a destination wedding - white sandy beach, the bluest turquoise waters, and sparkling Bahamas sunshine!

Ashley and Justin . . . 

Destiny and Dave . . . 

And Mike and Wendy . . .

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