Sleep: Choices abound, from the casual and fun Club Peace
& Plenty in George Town (800-525-2210) to the Sampson Cay Club
(242-355-2034), with its
everything-you-need-in-one-gorgeous-setting compound. Want a real
treat?
Head for the wonderful-and-worth-it Fowl Cay (866-369-5229),
a 50-acre private island with a few exclusive villas - your own
golf cart and 17-foot-boat included. Come spring, the Four Seasons
(242-358-4185) will grace the Exumas with a new resort, spa, and
Greg Norman-designed
golf course, followed shortly after by a
casino, marina, and private homes.
Eat/Drink: Staniel Cay (population 85) boasts the Jimmy
Buffet-approved Staniel Cay Yacht Club (242-355-2024) for a great
dinner and laid-back atmosphere. For local flavor, try Two Turtles
in busier George Town (242-336-2545), where you can eat, drink, and
dance to live music under the stars.
Play: The archipelago of Exuma Cays
is a water-lover's playground and the Exuma Land and Sea Park is
its crowning glory - 176 square miles of blue holes, caves, exotic
marine life, and pure natural beauty.
Local Insight: Folks here are amazingly friendly. Oliver
"Bonefish Slick" Munroe on Staniel Cay can set you up with tours,
fishing excursions, and the like. Park warden Ray Darville is a
walking database on the Land and Sea Park and the Exumas in
general.
LONG ISLAND
Vital Stats: Living up to its name, Long Island spans 80 miles
and offers two dramatically different shores - one with powdery
white sand, the other rocky and cliff-filled. On an island never
wider than four miles, you hardly have to choose between the
two.
Claim to Fame: Seclusion, peace, quiet, and raw beauty.
Dive, snorkel, fish, boat, windsurf, or kayak if you feel compelled
to move.