Opening Our Doors Again on October 18th!!!

We have had a very busy closing season here - upgrading our cabins, updating our lodge and grounds, maintenance of our boats and dive equipment - and we can't wait to show you everything!

We first opened our doors in 1960, and we are still gong strong!!!

And we are offering some great deals too! Save 5% off our all inclusive rate when you stay 7 nights or more. or ask us about our Ocean Special, our Fishing Special, or our Adventure Special!

Book Now and Save!

See you soon!

 

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Bundle Your Adventures and Save!!!!

Andros is an ideal getaway for all adventure seekers! Whether you are interested in scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, nature tours, or learning the art of Batik - we've got it all!

And at Small Hope Bay Lodge, the more adventurous you are, the more you can save! Check out our new Specials!!!!

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Things To Do on Andros Island, Bahamas . . .

Just because we are off the beaten track doesn't mean that there isn't plenty to do! Andros is an island adventure for the lucky few who come here . . .

Here are just a few of some of our favorite island experiences:

1. Scuba Diving - We are situated right next to the Tongue of the Ocean, a mile-deep trench. Needless to say, we got some great wall diving. But we've also got several blue hole dives, a shark dive, coral gardens, caverns, and wrecks! Excellent diving from beginners to masters!
2. Fishing - Andros Island is considered the Bonefish Capital of the World. Miles of pristine flats and waterways make this a bonefishing dream destination. But we've also got fantastic reef and deep-sea fishing too!
3. Nature Tours and Birding - Andros is also known as "the Big Yard" because we have miles and miles of pristine national parks and forests. We have hundreds of inland blue holes, lots of local and migratory birds, all in a gorgeous setting . . .
4. Sampling our favorite island dishes - Every Bahamas island has their own local flare, and Andros is no different! Come sample the Chicken Souse, or the "Fire Engine" Corned Beef. How about some Stew Conch, or Guava Duff? It's all here, and it's all delicious.
5. Listening to some Bahamian music - Nothing completes the island experience better than listening to a local Bahamian band play their favorite tunes! At Small Hope, we have a band play on our "Bahamian Nights", then we have a beach bonfire!!!!

Bonus:

6. Crab Fest! - June on Andros means a great party! Crab Fest brings people from all over the Bahamas, as well as other countries. The festivities include live music, games, crafts, and crab cooked over 20 different ways . . . .Mmmmm!

Come to Andros and build your own adventure . . . 

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Working Out and Staying Fit on Vacation!

 

Vacation can be a tricky time for staying fit. Eating lots of delicious food, basking in the sun, and sleeping in make keeping your healthy routine difficult.

Thankfully it is still possible to stay healthy, even when you are enjoying your holidays! At Small Hope Bay Lodge we offer lots of ways to keep active and eat healthy.

We have several activities - from scuba diving, snorkeling, nature walks, kayaking, paddleboarding, and beach combing - to keep you moving and having a blast at the same time.

We have an outdoor body weight fitness area, complete with a pull up station, dip station, and ab station, plus some wonderful suggestions and instructions for all fitness levels written up by a professional fitness trainer.

And we have a wonderful kitchen who, while also preparing some of the more naughty food items like conch fritters, cookies, and pie, also cook tasty and healthy options at every meal! At breakfast there are healthy options like yogurts, fruits, cereals, whole wheat bread, and the chefs can make you a poached or boiled egg, or egg white omelets!


For lunch, in addition to several sandwich options as well as a hot meal choice of the day, we also offer garden salad, Caesar salad, and a special salad that changes daily. And at dinner, there are 3 salads to choose from every night, in addition to a soup, vegetables, and a meat and seafood option which can often be freshly-caught grilled fish or grilled lobster tails!

Stay fit, have fun, eat well!

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Small Hope Staff Party 2016!!!!!

Another season is over. We have had a great year, and now we begin preparing for another wonderful season. Like every year, the Small Hope staff celebrates a great year with a great party.

Our fearless leader, Jeff Birch, treated us to a fantastic party - private cay, diving, snorkeling, delicious food, drinks, dancing, and more!

Thanks to all our guests for a marvelous year! Looking forward to the next one . . .

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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!

Davis Creek Kayak Tour . . .

Davis Creek is a great spot for paddling around in a kayak or paddleboard. We will sometimes even offer a guided kayak tour, but our guests usually just pick a kayak and take the adventure on their own.




The creek is a great nursery for small fish, sharks, and rays. And on the way out of the mouth has got some excellent snorkeling. Just pull the kayak up on the beach and snorkel till your heart's content!

It's a great activity for any day of the week and great for all ages!

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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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Small Hope's "West Side Story"

The west side of Andros Island is a virtually unexplored and pristine oasis. It is miles of waterways and mangroves, estuaries and sand banks. At Small Hope we offer tours to this paradise for nature lovers.

We have several guided tours of Andros Island - half days and whole days, and to some of the beautiful natural attractions this island has to offer - but nothing compares to the West Side. This tour is unique since we have to go by boat rather than vehicle.

It is a whole day tour and starts early in the morning. We drive down to Cargill Creek where we get in to the skiff and start the ride through North Bight, the large waterway that crosses Andros. The tour includes bird watching, fishing, snorkeling, and sight-seeing. You can see the old sponging locations and you'll pass the historic Bang Bang Club, which worn down now, used to have guests like Al Capone! Some of our guests even spot dolphins on this trip!

Check out our guests' most recent trip to the West Side. Looks like they had a great lunch with some very fresh snapper! They also made a new friend - one of the rare iguanas we have on the island.

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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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Land Tour of Andros

Though I am not new to Andros and have visited several times throughout the course of my life, I have never really explored the island. I am currently working as an intern for the next few months and will be sharing some of my experiences here at Small Hope and around the area. I've only been here for a week so far, but on my day off I joined some guests (Cheryl and Jeff) on a land tour with Dennis. The agenda was to explore some blue holes, caves and check out the northern part of the island. On our way up to Conch Sound, we passed pine forests, schools, colorful houses, a Mennonite farm, and a handful of building projects that were left abandoned. It was certainly insightful to ride with our knowledgeable tour guide (and trusty divemaster)Dennis, who answered our questions with ease. When we reached the sound, we saw the flattened water which signified a blue hole underneath and we all got our snorkels on to explore.

Blue Hole at Conch Sound

Caves

What a sight! The cracks in the limestone fell deep and hundreds of fish were passing through as the limestone walls bent and curved in different directions. Several schools of fish of varying size swam beneath us as we floated at the surface. A large blowfish hovered in the open space while another hid behind a crack and slowly peered out everytime I moved a different way. As I watched a lionfish swim around, Dennis called me over and pointed to a sleeping nurse shark, which was exciting for me but  unfortunately it swam away before Jeff and Cheryl could make it over to see.



Unfortunately we set out on a relatively chilly day and the water was so cold I had goosebumps and we were all shaky. We returned to the car, cracked open some drinks, and further explored the island and saw some lovely beaches, Captain Morgan's caves in Morgan's Bluff, and met some locals after having experienced some car malfunctions. We missed out on Captain Bill's Blue Hole, but I'll check that out sometime soon when I have the time. All in all, we had quite an adventure and I look forward to more trips like this. Pin It Now!

Special Offer for May/June! 

Here at Small Hope we have decided to offer another special to celebrate the start of Spring. Between May 1st and June 18th, we are offering 2 FREE snorkel trips or a half day land tour when you book a four night stay with us. Simply quote this ad and where you saw it during booking! Easy as that! 

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Snorkeling at Small Hope..............

There are many places to snorkel around Small Hope; here are some descriptions of two of the more popular snorkel spots.

The Under and Around the Dock

The dock is a place of marine abundance and a great starting point for snorkelers, weather you are just learning to snorkel or are experienced. The dock is where the ruins of a previous dock is, which has been claimed as a home by an enormous variety of marine life. The dock and its surroundings are also delightful for a night snorkel. There is every chance you will see some Sergent Majors, Snappers, French Grunts, Barracudas and schools of sliver sides.




Sergent Majors



Barracuda



Silver sides

John Rock



John Rock

If the tide is high then snorkel out towards John Rock, south from the dock across the sand patch. Keep a look out for sting rays. Look into the crevices at the edge along John Rock and you could come across some needle fish, yellow goat fish and long spined urchin. Early morning and late afternoon is a good time to see southern stingray and spotted eagle rays.

Southern Sting Ray

Yellow Goat Fish

Houndfish

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Fishing and Snorkeling for Couples

Peter and Carol have been coming to Small Hope Bay Lodge for years because they can do both of their favorite activities -- great snorkeling and fantastic bonefishing -- all in one place. Carol surprised Peter for his birthday with a trip to wander the Andros flats and she got her fill of Bahamas snorkeling while he was at it!

Thanks for sharing your special day with us!

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