Daily Life
WARNING: When you are in Great Exuma, you may have to change some of your pre-conceived vacation habits.
While on vacation, do you normally worry about where to put your
room key when you go down to the beach? You do not have to worry about this here.
Most people do not even lock their doors. There is virtually no crime in Great Exuma.
Some people have compared the vibe here to one of a small-town in the 1950’s.
In fact the people of the Bahamas are very kind, talkative and also religious. You
will notice that everything is closed on Sunday because most people spend the morning
in Church.
Another thing that you might find yourself doing more often is saying, “Hello!” Everyone here tends to be really friendly. Many guests say that the people of Exuma are among the most friendly that they have ever encountered, while on vacation or otherwise! People wave as they drive by, and are more than willing to give you directions on the street. In fact they might go out of their way to walk you to where you are going!
Although only a short 4 hour flight from New York, you end up in what seems like, a different world! Your neighbors are caring and you want to take the time to get to know them. Imagine not only knowing who your neighbors are “in theory” (i.e.: you think you know their last name, but you wouldn’t be able to point them out at a party), but you have actually taken the time to get to know each other.
The Bahamian people are also big fans of the family and in their conversations with someone new they will often try to establish kinship. Any common relative, no matter how distant will give you acceptance as “some kind of cousin”.
When you think of the Bahamas, you might think of Nassau. Although Nassau has many things to offer, the Exuma Islands cannot be compared to the capital city. With so much less traffic, virtually no crime and so much less light pollution, Great Exuma is like a whole other country. In fact there is only one road that crosses the entire island.