Exuma Bahamas | Grand Isle Resort
Exuma Bahamas with Grand Isle Resort
Map of the Exumas at 23 North Beach Club at Grand Isle Resort!
Hey guys! I am SO excited to share this Exuma, Bahamas blog with you! It has been a whirlwhind of a year but let’s get right down to it!!!!
In May, during our trip to Greece and Italy, I got engaged to the love of my life aka my best friend aka the most amazing human on the planet aka....okay I will stop there... :) All the heart eyes!!!
Flashback to Dinner at Scorpios in Mykonos, Greece when we got engaged in May!
As much as I would love to say I have been dreaming of the perfect wedding since I was a child, I can't! I have zero plans or goals for a wedding! Sooo terrible I know, but what I DO know is that Baxter and I both LOVE EXUMA BAHAMAS! And after our trip to Grand Isle Resort, I have all the wedding plan options I will ever neeeed!!!
When thinking about where we would get married, we both immediately said EXUMA! To us, Exuma represents raw beauty and nature! We have traveled to a lot of places and I can honestly say the water in Exuma, Bahamas is hands down the prettiest I have ever seen!
Private Beach at Grand Isle Resort
I began to research a few places in Exuma and Grand Isle Resort and Spa was No. 1 on my radar!! This Luxury resort is exactly what we were looking for!
Grand Isle Resort and Spa is located in Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, which is about a 10 minute car ride from the the airport in Georgetown!
Situated on its own private beach overlooking the most INSANE neon turquoise water you have ever seen....you almost don't even believe this place to be real?! The new addition to the Resort called 23 North Beach Club was especially on my radar for a possible venue for our destination wedding we want to have! More about that later...eek!!!
Before, during and after our trip, I had so many people from the states contact me about the condition of the Bahamas and wondering why we would go there just after the devastation Hurricane Dorian left! But what a lot of people do not realize is that Exuma is a lot more southern than the Abacos, that got affected by Hurricane Dorian! Exuma and many other areas in the Bahamas are still open for business!!
In fact, where we stayed at the Grand Isle Resort and Spa they are offering the Bahamas Strong Package where some of the proceeds will go to the Northern Islands affected by Hurricane Dorian from now until December 2020!
So amazing how the Bahamas, as a whole, has worked together in all efforts to help aid their brothers and sisters!
Below is a picture we took at ChatNChill with a banner that has the hashtag #LetsGoBahamas! Everyone is pulling together and it is very heart warming!
I can not say enough about Grand Isle Resort! Let’s dive right in on the details of this awesome resort!
Check out this ariel shot of the entire compound…BEAUTIFUL!!!
Image courtesy of Grand Isle Resort
Accommodations
Grand Isle offers villa style accommodations ranging from one bedroom up to four bedrooms!
We stayed in the two bedroom Panoramic that overlooked the bay/marina AND the private beach, there was never NOT a view of that amazing water!!
We had 3 balconies to enjoy, have a coffee, eat dinner or have a cocktail on, it was so nice!
With a full on kitchen, living, and dining room we felt right at home!
Image courtesy of Grand Isle
You can take a look at my Exuma insta stories here to take a full walk through with me of our place!
Living Room Balcony Views from the two bedroom Panoramic. Image courtesy of Grand Isle
BONUS!!!
Each luxury villa comes with your own golf cart and garage to store it in/charge during your stay!
This is such a game changer when you forget something in your room or ate entirely too much pasta at dinner lol :)
Luckily for you, the resort has a gym you can work that pasta off the next day :)
The gym is right next to the pool and overlooks the ocean! Dream!!
The resort offers two infinity pools!
There is one on the main grounds that is connected to the restaurant/bar called Palapa Grill and then there is an adult only infinity pool at 23 North Beach Club (that new addition I was telling you about) a few yards away!
Ariel views from the Palapa Grill and Pool!
Image courtesy of Grand Isle
We ate breakfast at the Palapa Grill as well and it was YUMMY!
It is the perfect set up to have your restaurant/bar and pool all right there!
The other infinity pool is located a few steps away at what I envision as the perfect wedding ceremony or reception spot, 23 North Beach Club!
23North, a luxurious indoor/outdoor beach club, is a new addition to the Resort and it is AMAZING, all 30,000 square feet of it!
My view from the 23 North Beach Adult only pool!
Infinity Adult only pool at 23North Beach Club!
When I first walked up I was blown away! It is Perfect for a wedding, wedding reception, private party and etc! There is a fine dining restaurant, full service indoor/outdoor bar just steps away from the adult only infinity pool!
With doors that open up completely to the ocean views, this place is perfect for a wedding and reception!
Just off the bar area
Image courtesy of Grand Isle
The design and decor….
As always, when I am staying at a new place, the first thing I notice is the design! I was so obsessed with the design at 23 North!
Hospitality Design is a tough trade to nail but they NAILED IT!! It was beautiful, coastal, chic and all the above!!
The huge indoor fireplace in the dining area, with the cathedral ceilings boasting the most perfectly rustic wood beams you have ever seen…perfection!
Modern, crisp and clean but still felt like you were inside of a very well designed home for a private dinner party! KUDOS!!
Again, you can watch my video walk through of the grounds on my Exuma Insta Stories on my Instagram page here
Those beams…all the heart eyes!!!
Image courtesy of Grand Isle
The bathrooms were gorgeous! Get a load of those custom ceramic driftwood sinks!! Stopped me in my tracks!! I need those for every bathroom please!!!
Womens bathroom at 23North
I loved everything about this place! The adult only pool, the indoor/outdoor dining and bar and the food!
Speaking of food…
I was very impressed with the food at the resort and especially at the 23 North restaurant.
I am generally not blown away by food/restaurants at hotels/resorts but this place was top notch. The best Ceviche I have ever had and such unique dishes, pleasantly surprised!! Good food, good drinks, good decor on a private beach with an adult only infinity pool......um YES PLEASE!
I could envision our wedding, reception AND rehearsal dinner there! Everything right there, and the views are so incredible they just simply speak for themselves! The staff was beyond accommodating and so very sweet! I fell in love with everyone there!
Speaking of views…
23 North Beach Club has some pretty epic “instagrammable photo ops” like this spot right here where the ocean meets the sky so perfectly…..at the end of a little driftwood pathway….
The most Instagramable Spot!
Grab that phone stat!!
My favorite place to take pictures any time of the day!! epic!!
If you find that you would like to do other things at the resort besides eating, drinking and taking some pretty epic pictures for the gram….The resort offers kayaks, paddle boards and non motorized sports equipment all within your reach!
When you want to venture off of the resort they can arrange your excursions for you with TRUSTED companies!
Another important perk! This is SO CLUTCH when you want to explore all of what Exuma and the Bahamas has to offer. Knowing that you will be taken care of by a referred company, it makes it that much more stress free!
You can go swimming with the Pigs, Sharks, Turtles and even go hang out with the Iguanas!
We used Triple A Adventures, recommended by the resort, and we were so pleased! You can book them here.
They offer full and half day tours to suit your needs! Pack a bag with snacks, drinks, change of clothes, if you wish.
Our tour included lunch at Staniel Cay Yacht Club and it was very yummy. I absolutely loved the vibes and design there. Such a cool spot, you should definitely check them out!
The tours are so great to pack in a day all the fun things…here are a few pictures of the tour!
Swimming with the sharks!
Nurse sharks are very friendly!
One of my FAVORITE spots in the entire world….the Sandbar…SO AMAZINGLY beautiful!!!
Iguana Island! These coral Iguanas are native to Exuma! They are so sweet and let you feed them…shredded lettuce is their favorite!
Watch out! Did not nail this “Jurassic Park” shot…it is still really funny :)
Our stay at Grand Isle Resort and Spa was so very magical and I highly recommend them!
Whether you are wanting a place to have a wedding, anniversary trip, family trip, reunion, friends or solo they can accommodate virtually anything you have in mind!
Thank you again Grand Isle for hosting this very special trip for us…wedding planning has begun!! So excited!
In my opinion, Grand Isle Resort and Spa is the perfect destination in the perfect location in the beautiful Exuma Bahamas!
Make sure to check them out and see what it is all about for yourself!
Ariel shot of 23 North Beach Club at Grand Isle Resort
Image courtesy of Grand Isle Resort
We always take this pic when we visit Chat n Chill, do you see your hometown?!
Chat N Chill is one of the coolest places you will stop at!
Miss Kwanza is such a sweetheart! Her and her husband and daughter are so sweet! This is their little slice of heaven and I am so glad they let everyone have a little bit!
This is one of my favorite places to visit while in Exuma! You literally CHILL!!!
Team RELAXATION!!!
Getting to Chat N Chill…
Chat N Chill is only attainable by boat.
Make sure to go rent a little skiff boat from Minns Water Sports From there it is literally a five minute boat ride to Chat n Chill
If you are in town on Sunday, that is the best time to go to Chat N Chill because they have a Pig Roast every Sunday! AND OMG!!! BEST FOOD EVER!!
On Sundays, ChatNCHill has a pig roast! Bring some cash for these plates!! YUM!!!
Fresh conch salad and swings in the water, along with volleyball court and cornhole! There is something for everyone!
You can swim with the stingrays and feed them:) One of my favorite places on earth!
Just hanging out with the Sting rays at ChatNChill
Some of our good friends live on a sailboat right at ChatnChill and they have a company called Silent Flight Studios. They dive and find beautiful seaglass from these amazing waters and turn it into beautiful jewelry!
We were so lucky that George and Montana were there while we visited! I even got me a little piece of jewelry pictured below! Check out their website here, such amazing jewelry they have!!
My beautiful seaglass ring from Silent Flight Studios!
From Chat n Chill you can easily hop around on the boat and snorkel, explore the waters, islands, and all this lovely place has to offer.
We always find a new spot that we fall in love with!
With over 300 islands to explore, Exuma will keep you coming back for more! Trust me!
An island we stopped at after leaving ChatNChill! SO beautiful
Until next time Exuma….
xo
Court