We arrived. We relaxed. Enough said.
In all seriousness, the Bahamas were just what the post-wedding doctor ordered.
Flying from to Eleuthera Island, Bahamas via Miami (‘Welcome to Miami, Bienvenido a Miami), we arrived in pristine warm weather, on the small, idyllic island with approximately 8,000 inhabitants.
Our resort, The Cove, was an incredible place for us to get away – with our own beautiful villa, views of the private beaches, a cliff-top cocktail bar and a fabulous restaurant. It’s no wonder that after only our first afternoon, we felt like the ‘real’ honeymoon had finally begun. (George says: Even Nat had a snooze while relaxing on the beach.)
Each night was spent dining on fresh seafood and lots of tropical fruit (with the sweetest pineapples in the world), while the days were an opportunity to explore a largely untouched, beautiful island of dirt tracks, pristine beaches and hospitable locals.
We took the opportunity for the perfect weather on our first full day to charter a 44-foot yacht and spend the day snorkeling, hiking, sailing and exploring tiny islands around Eleuthera. (And yes, George did spend some time steering the boat under the not-so-watchful eye of our very relaxed Captain).
Captain Bob picked us up from a small pier on the island, and proceeded to take us on an amazing day-trip. We saw sea turtles from only metres away, snorkeled with amazing tropical coral & fish (which begs the question why we haven’t even snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef yet) and hiked across beaches that only see visitors in the dozens every year.
While we were sunburnt and exhausted by the end of the day, it was truly one of the most memorable, picturesque days of our entire holiday.
Our second day was spent whizzing around the neighboring Harbour Island on golf-carts (the preferred means of transport). Harbour Island is significantly more populated by tourists (in particular, noted celebrity visitors include Mariah Carey and Gwyneth Paltrow); but the fresh lobster we ate at a small restaurant on the water, was truly a foodie-highlight for seafood-loving Melburnians such as ourselves!
The last 2 days on Eleuthera were spent reading, walking along isolated beaches and uninterrupted coastlines, driving around and exploring the nooks & crannies of the island and getting caught in a tropical thunderstorm while driving back to the resort (sadly postponing our spear-fishing and surfing escapades until our next trip to the Bahamas *says Nat hopefully*).
BILINGUAL TRIVIA: For the non-Greek speakers, ‘Eleutheria’ means ‘freedom’ – which is exactly what it felt like, while we soaked in the tranquility and natural beauty of this Bahamian out-island.