The Wonderful Nature and Birding Tours at Small Hope!

Nature? - check! Birding? - check! Island history? - check! We have tours for everyone here at Small Hope! Our extensive list of tours offered include (but are not limited tot) the following:

• Our most popular Blue Hole Tour - a half day tour that visits Rainbow Blue Hole, Maidenhair Coppice, Cousteau's Blue Hole, and Captain Bill's Blue Hole; 
• West Side Story - an full day trip by boat to the West Side of Andros Island. Great for nature and bird lovers alike!
• Kayak Tour of Davis Creek - a half day tour exploring the mangrove and creek right in our backyard. The tour ends with some snorkeling at the mouth of the creek.
• Birding Tour - Half or whole day guided tour to various spots nearby where our guides have spotted many varieties of birds.

 And speaking of birding guides . . . Our very own Dennis Burrows has completed his Bahamas National Trust/Audubon Bird Guide Training and is now an Audubon certified Bird Guide! Congratulations Dennis!!!!! We have known for some time of his great nature guide skill. We are proud of him on his certification!!!
Come and go on a tour with him to see for yourself!

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Amazing Photos from Our Guest, Alex!

A few months ago we had a group come stay and dive with us. Some of the group have actually been coming to Small Hope for over 30 years!!! Other members of the group were brand new to Small Hope and came specifically to do some underwater photos of their dives.

Check out these amazing photos . . .

You can see more beautiful photos by Alex at 

                                    www.shureunderwater.com
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Beautiful History of Small Hope . . .

In 1960, on Christmas day, Small Hope Bay Lodge opened the doors to our first guests. We started (and are still continuing 55 years later) as a small, personal lodge, with an emphasis on enjoying the natural surroundings we are blessed with, and developing lasting friendships while here.

The Birch family, that started Small Hope, has grown and evolved many times since that day, and continues to grow. But the things that never change - the laughter, the adventure, the fun, and the commitment to giving our guests a taste of the Real Bahamas!

Check out some of our history in photos . . .

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Check Out Our Videos from the Holidays

We had another phenomenal holiday season at Small Hope. Two excellent feasts, tons of delicious desserts, fantastic guests, bonfire, fireworks and more! Check out the videos and see for yourself!

 

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Get to Know the Staff: Meet Nicky!

Introducing . . . 

Nicky!!!

One of the key members of our Office Staff, Nicky is one of the first faces our guests see when they arrive at Small Hope. He is always helpful and quick to respond to all inquiries and emails. Whether our guests need a massage, want to book a fishing trip, or are ready to pick up their repeat t-shirts (each return guest gets their own t-shirt whenever they return), Nicky is the man. He is one of the familiar faces here everyone is happy to see!

Sporting New Years Eve hats

Fun facts about Nicky:

Real Name: Chad Nicky Hinsey

# of Years at Small Hope: 9

Family: His mother, Cinderella, and father, Thomas run the best Bahamian restaurant on the island, Taste & See. He also has 4 nieces and 3 nephews.

Favorite Thing to do Outside of Work: Listen to music

The Best Part About Working at Small Hope for Nicky: Meeting different people

Favorite Food: Any kind of fish
 
Favorite Color: Black




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Ringing in the New Year at Small Hope!

Every day spent on this magical island is a treat. That said, New Year's Eve is hands down my favorite night of the whole year here!

It's another wonderful feast day (the others being US Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter) which means our kitchen delights guests and staff alike with wonderful things like roasted pig, smoked turkey, stuffing, mashed sweet potatoes, grouper, shrimp, lobster, etc. Then bring on the desserts - again, a minimum of 20 desserts, like key lime pie, guava duff, sweet potato pie, bread pudding, all kinds of cookies, and so on . . .

After the feast the party really starts. Music starts rocking, people start dancing, drinks are imbibed. Our games room is turned into a craft shop. This is where EVERYONE makes a het. Hats are made from anything we've got - construction paper, felt, Androsia fabric, glitter, plastic jewels, feathers, and more! And they are meant to be representative of the past year.

On the beach a bonfire pit is ready, and at the stroke of midnight the Christmas tree that was in our lounge is tossed into the flames, along with everyone's newly made hats! It is a cathartic release and then we get a fresh start for a brand new year!

It is AWESOME!
 

From all of us at Small Hope, Happy New Year. We wish you a wonderful 2016!!!!

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Androsia, the fabric of the Bahamas . . .

 Back in 1973 (coincidentally the same year the Bahamas became an independent nation) Rosi Birch decided she wanted to give the women on Andros Island a vocation. She decided a batik fabric factory would be perfect. Using the colors of the islands - golden yellow, royal blue, shell pink, etc - and the design found in the nature around us, like sand dollars, conch shells, groupers, palm trees, Rosi and Dick started Androsia.

Well over 40 year later, Androsia is still making the fabric of the Bahamas. They have tons of new stencil designs and still use gorgeous, vibrant colors to create their cloth and clothing. Androsia is also still a big part of Small Hope Bay Lodge and the Birch family. It was passed from Rosi to her step-son Jeff Birch, and now Jeff's daughter, Casey, is there.

And they have a brand new website! 

Check it out here!!!!!!!

Androsia's new website has a handy-dandy online store for those who are (unfortunately) not on Andros. Or better yet, come visit us at Small Hope and take a tour of the Androsia factory or come shop in their boutique for all your fabric or clothing needs!

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