Small Hope Bay Lodge - Bahamas

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This was our fourth visit, and it keeps getting better! Visited: August 2008 Posted by waterbug589 My husband and I made our fourth pilgrimage to Small Hope Bay Lodge this August. We have gone before with our two kids (6 and 13) and they enjoy Small Hope as much as we do. But while they were visiting the grandparents, we decided to sneak off for five days this time! Small Hope is a relaxing getaway from the nonsense of politics, traffic, cell phones, and general stress of the “real” world. The beaches are beautiful with hammocks between every palm tree on one beach, and a half mile of white sand and hot tub on the other. The rooms are actually steps from the water - just like it says on the web site. The rooms are easily cooled by the ocean breezes, but you can get air-conditioning if you find the need (for an additional $15 per day). My husband and I love to dive, and find the diving there safe, interesting, and fun. We both also enjoy the meals at Small Hope. Being there with just my husband was wonderful and romantic. We went in the beachfront hot tub and stargazed from the hammock on the end of the dock (you have to look for it, as it is hiding behind the dive shop). We flew from Boston to Nassau on Jet Blue, then took the 15 minute Western Air flight to Andros Town. It is actually pretty easy (at least from the east coast). It is unique and a little rough around the edges, but that is what I like about it. Oh, and don’t let me forget to mention that they have the friendliest staff of anywhere I have ever traveled. 4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was not as advertised! Visited: August 2008 Posted by diver_guy I found the diving to be very poor. There were very few fish compared to diving near Nassau (Exuma Cays). As a PADI resort, I felt that they didn't follow the guidelines that PADI has set for Rec Diving. Diving at 45 feet for 45 minutes is not like a 45-minute safety stop (which I was told by the dive staff) - especially after doing 90 feet+ dive with only a ten-minute (or less) surface interval. This sort of diving can be dangerous to new divers who do not know their limits or the NDL (no decompression limits) calculations. There were many times that I saw new divers exceed their NDL - especially on the second morning dive. By the way, the dive staff never participated in the second morning dive. The first dive of the day, all dive staff participated (which meant that the boat was left anchored but unmanned). I was informed that there was no air conditioning (unless you pay the $15/day), but what I wasn't informed of was the partial fresh water showers. I must admit that the beach looked just like the pictures on the Small Hope web site (long beach, nice sand, etc.). What the pictures didn't show was that at high tide, the beach disappears. The water goes right up to the rock. The food was hit and miss. Making your own sandwiches every lunch for $289 a day was not exactly what I had in mind. To be honest, I thought that they had a fairly nice, rustic resort, and I would have been slightly more satisfied with the the actual resort stay (not including the diving) - if it hadn't been for the luxury price. 5 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was a piece of paradise. Visited: April 2006 Posted by larkin My husband and I spent seven days in April here, and it was everything we expected and more. We had never stayed at an all-inclusive before, due to the expense and wanting to stay away from the glitz and masses. I did a significant amount of Internet research before booking here. The descriptions and pictures on their web site were an accurate representation. Small Hope Bay really seemed to be all about attitude. It was very low key, relaxed and friendly. Food was excellent and more than ample, and the service was impeccable. The rooms were sufficient and clean, with in-room safes and glorious views. Meals were buffet-style with seating with guests and staff. That may sound odd if you haven’t experienced it. However, it was a wonderful, non-intrusive way to get to know people. I was impressed to notice that if someone was newer or alone, staff would subtly sit and eat with them. It was a nice touch to ensure no one was left out. Within a couple days, visitors were laughing with each other and staff, sharing drinks and the day’s events. Activities were well planned and posted, guests just asked if they wanted something. We are experienced snorkelers who have been to several Caribbean islands. The sites weren’t the best, but they would rate at least average. There were not tons of fish to see, but some nice exotics, and other sea life. The dive staff was extremely accommodating, while maintaining visitor safety. I attempted the Discover Scuba experience, but my own fears made me unsuccessful at it. Shannon, the dive master assisting me, tried ever so hard to get me through it -patient and encouraging. The pace was good, with time between meals and activities to relax in a hammock, talk with new friends over drinks in the patio area overlooking the water or take a walk on the beach. If you want more, you can use the bikes, kayaks and maps to see other areas. You can rent a car for the day. I would say that we enjoyed the first half a little more. The seas were calm and school was in session-not the fault of SHB! It wasn’t Disney World and things like rain and wind, and the US school breaks happen! There were still other things you could do. There were no phones, TVs, etc - very nice. If you require a lot of activity, higher level of amenities (like cruise ships or Club Med) and really want to be catered to, it isn’t your place. If your kids constantly play video games or can’t entertain themselves, they won’t be happy. However, if you enjoy nature, swaying palms, reading on a hammock and living barefoot in a bathing suit, I think you’ll be glad you booked here. 4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Small Hope offers great scuba diving, among many other things. Visited: July 2002 Posted by madeline_meade Small Hope Bay Lodge, located on Andros Island, Bahamas, is the most unique place I have ever travelled to. I have been here twice (and plan on returning) - once by myself and once with my teenage sisters. I originally came here as a new scuba diver and loved it. The diving was amazing (my favorite dive was the Ocean Blue Hole), and the dive staff was very helpful. I learned a lot. It is hard to say what the best part was. The diving was great, the staff was extremely friendly (the dive and live-on staff eat meals with the guests), and there were lots of other things to do if you didn't dive or if you just didn't feel like it that day. It was all-inclusive, so the meals (very good, by the way), drinks (open bar), taxes, service charges, bikes, nature walks, kayaks, and sail boat were all included in the price. They also had a beach front hot tub, solarium (for an all-over tan), and a huge library in their lounge. The rooms were large, basic, and pretty, with great views of the ocean (they were right on the beach). They were also decorated with Androsia Batik fabrics and local art. Small Hope seemed well suited for families, couples, or singles. They had a friendly-family atmosphere, but there was enough space so that you could have romantic moments and a lot of privacy. They had 2 beaches and the one where the hot tub was, was quite nice. A note for families: Kids 11 and under ate dinner in the games room with Small Hope's babysitters. This service was complimentary from 6:00PM - 8:30PM. My youngest sister (10) ate in the games room and my 12 and 13 year old sisters chose to do so as well (they had more fun in there than with the adults). It also gave me a break. Andros Island is still undeveloped, safe, and special. It is not to be missed. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The real island place for real island people. Visited: June 2002 Posted by tomryan If you enjoy seeing real island people, being surrounded by a real island atmosphere, with great entertainment and lifestyle, then Small Hope Bay Lodge is your island dream come true. The rest of you please give your patronage to Nassau and Waikiki and boutique-type cruise ships. Small Hope Bay Lodge means beach-front cottages on a true beach on a real island, and that means no crowds and no sirens and no neon. It also means softly sighing surf, clean air, a huge moon and all the stars in the world glittering just a little bit beyond the reach of your outstretched fingers. Small Hope Bay Lodge means lots of good island food and good island libations in a romantic outdoor setting (always when it's not raining and frequently when it is as well). There are also friendly people in a relaxed casual island setting. Small Hope Bay Lodge is where you go to truly get away from it all and to unravel the tangles of everyday cares and worries. The consensus is that Small Hope Bay Lodge is the standard by which other island resorts and other dive trips and other personnel are to be judged, and that the people you meet there are people you want to meet. A word of caution: Don't think you will get the same treatment, care, service and quality from the high-visibility, big-business, glitzy, all-inclusive resorts; you will be very, very disappointed and waste an awful lot of money. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Wonderfully rustic, great diving and great for families! Visited: October 2001 Posted by lstew Small Hope Bay is definitely not for the tourist who insists on 5-star everything with tons of nightlife. Do not visit here if 5-star is your taste and especially if you are not flexible. However, if you are looking for a natural, rustic, family-atmosphere getaway with diving and snorkeling, this is a great destination for a traveler. The rooms have no TVs, phones, clocks or air conditioning. You don't need them. The peace and quiet is marvelous. The ocean breezes and open windows were more than enough to keep us comfortable. We encountered no bugs in our room during our stay. The rooms are rustic, but always clean and neat with plenty of walk-around room. There is an ample storage area just outside the bathroom, and lots of counter and shelf space in the bathroom (shower stall only, no tub). The grounds are well maintained and clean. Nighttime noise only came from the wind in the palms or the ocean surf—or the occasional conversation from fellow guests enjoying the stars. The food is tasty and plentiful with a home-cooked style. Breakfast ranges from continental to cooked-to-order (eggs, pancakes, French toast, etc.) Lunch included sandwich fixings, salads, and a hot dish. Dinner includes salads, soup, and choice of hot dishes. Bar drinks includes wine, hard liquor, mixings and sodas. You could wait for the staff to make a drink or more fun, you could go behind the bar yourself and mix up your own tropical concoctions. The base rate of $175 adult is all-inclusive. The dive rate ($235) includes three dives a day (two tank in a.m. and one tank in afternoon) with tanks, belts and weights. All other equipment can be rented and is per boat trip (ie, BCD rental is counted twice per day). If you only want to go on a couple dives during a week's stay, it would is easier to get the adult rate ($175) and pay per dive. Otherwise, you must pay the diver rate for each day of your stay, except your last night, which is automatically charged at the adult rate (since you shouldn't fly and dive within the same 24 hours). I highly recommend Small Hope Bay Lodge to singles, couples, groups of friends, and families with children - all staying at the lodge at the same time. The staff is very friendly, eating meals with guests and mingling at all times. The dive staff is excellent - Skeebo, Pete and Kathy are wonderful. If you have folks in your group who might like to dive, Small Hope is the place to learn with a free resort course and excellent staff. 4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?