Hanna G
#BYGRACETHROUGHFAITH
Bahamas Birthday in February [Bimini Style]
Posted on May 14, 2019
Looking into a Bahamas getaway? Have you visited Bimini yet? If you’re traveling from Florida it’s quite the easy-breezy route, a 15 minute sea plane journey to be approximate! What better place for a Bahamian getaway than just around the corner? The Bimini Islands are a quick 50 miles from Miami. Located right in the middle of the Gulf Stream, Bimini attracts hundreds of marine animals and pleasant temperatures year-round- so going in February like us, was a perfect idea, the chillier ocean temps were the only drawback + we realized after the fact that February is the only month that the island offers a dive with great hammerhead shark- WOW! Though relatively overlooked in the Caribbean, the Bimini Islands have always been popular with deep-sea fishermen. It’s a quiet island; gorgeous beaches, no cruise ships and one of the best places for a tropical vacation. Did I mention GORGEOUS beaches!? Absolutely stunning views.
Here’s a few tips to keep in mind when planning:
To Know Before You Go: Arrive in a timely fashion from the air–the best way to enjoy exhilarating views of the emerald waters! Board the Cape Air seaplane, which offers 4 daily flights from Miami in an intimate 8-seater. Or opt for the comfortable Silver Airways plane, (which we did, since the ferry was out of season) direct from Fort Lauderdale to South Bimini. Once landing, you can hop onto a ferry to North Bimini! Some hotels offer direct flights from Miami via seaplane– Resort World offers daily flights direct to the resort in North Bimini, so that is another terrific option!
Here’s a glimpse of what the view is like walking down the pool steps to the ocean.
A breathtaking sunrise taken right from the rooftop of the Hilton Bimini.
A FEW THINGS TO EXPECT WHEN PLANNING A TRIP TO BIMINI:
Bimini is the westernmost chain of islands in the Bahamas, located about 50 miles east of Miami. Bimini is made up of three islands: North Bimini, South Bimini, and East Bimini. The largest islands are North Bimini and South Bimini, so you’ll most likely stay on one of the two!
North Bimini is about seven miles long, and home to Alice Town, a collection of shops, restaurants, and bars on a road known as “The King’s Highway”. Scuba diving and snorkeling are popular activities, because there are many shipwrecks in the area that make for fun diving experiences!
South Bimini is home to the airstrip, South Bimini Airport, and offers a quiet alternative to the lively nature of North Bimini. There is a small community of homes on South Bimini known as Port Royale, and an epic nature trail.
Language: The official language is Bahamian English, so it is quite easy to converse and talk with locals!
Currency: Bahamian dollar– same value as the USD!
Credit Cards and Banks: The majority of retailers and restaurants accept debit card as payment, but it’s always a good idea to carry some cash with you. Some larger resorts may except credit cards. But keep in mind when visiting this small island destination, cash is king!
Climate: Bimini has a warm and tropical climate– averaging 70 degrees in the winter and 80 degrees in the summer months. The rainy season in the Bahamas runs from May to October, and October and June are the wettest two months.
HOW DO WE GET AROUND THE BIMINI ISLANDS?
The greatest way to get around the gorgeous 7-mile North Bimini is with a golf cart or bike! Shuttles are usually a little slower, making them a secondary, not best option for cruising down King’s Highway for some snacks or souvenir-shopping.
Taxi: Bimini is so small that cars are limited. Taxi service is available by telephone, radio (VHF Channel 68), or you can flag one down on the street. We never actually found any use for one so didn’t experience it.
Boat: There is a daily ferry between North and South Bimini. We only used this to and from the airport (which is quite small, but you might want to bring a book for the way home, as we sat inside a very tiny terminal for a few hours before boarding our flight
Golf Cart: The main form of rental transportation available on North Bimini is a golf cart. You can also rent a bicycle to get around. Pedestrians should remember to first look right and then left before crossing streets. For maximum mobility, pick up a golf cart ($75-90 per day) first thing in the morning before they sell out!!
Bicycle: You can find several bike rental spots on the islands.
Check with your hotel to see if they supply any bikes/ golf carts before renting from a vendor. You never know, they could offer them right in front! We actually rented a golf cart this day and took it down to the other side of the island where we stumbled upon a ship wreck!
Location: Alice Town, North Bimini
These are cute, pastel villas available. Seaside, and several pools on the property and gorgeous oceanic views.
HILTON at RESORT WORLDS BIMINI
Location: North Bimini, new as of 2017! This is taken on the rooftop pool deck 🙂
We stayed here and oh, it was absolutely perfect. Breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. Since we went in the off peak month, I think we were one of just a few other couples in the entire hotel! The casino connected had amazing food too.
We absolutely loved the infinite pools that overlooked the clear blue ocean! Who knew?!
This sunset shot was taken from the Hilton’s Fitness room! UH-mazing.
I have a feeling this little location right here would make an awesome wedding or events’ venue! Talk about an incredible view. (It’s elevated on a cliff-like level)
Highlights
- Exciting Caribbean water activities and unique shore excursions plus 2 pools
- On property casino featuring table games, slots and sports book
- Many restaurants and bars with a variety of cuisines
- Beach Bums Kids Activity Center, games and family beach
- Suites and deluxe rooms with marina and resort views
On this night, we drove our little golf cart to dinner at Big Game Resort where we were told they would be feeding the bull sharks! It was a lot of fun and casual atmosphere.
MUST EAT:
STUART’S CONCH STAND
The Conch Salad is Bimini’s main claim to fame–a tasty mixture of tomatoes, green peppers, onions, raw conch, orange and lime juice spiced with Scotch Bonnet peppers. Never have I ever had a conch salad so FRESH! Nobody does it better than Stuart’s, a beachside wooden hut and favorite with the locals. We actually saw it on the following week’s episode of The Bachelor! We enjoyed some Bahamian beer too! I miss that pink!
More Restaurant Recs:
1, 2, 3 FLOOR BAR
EDITH’S PIZZA
SCANTS JERK
SHERRY’S PARADISE BEACH BAR
What To Do:
SNORKEL AT THE SAPONA WRECK
Dive down to the floating Prohibition-era liquor cargoship, which ran aground in a 1926 hurricane. The tip of the boat is visible above water, making it perfect for snorkeling. You’ll find every form of coral, sponges and lobsters here!
DIVE WITH GREAT HAMMERHEADS (SEASONAL)
The best time to visit Bimini is in February, the month when huge hammerheads collect off the coast of Bimini. This is the only time of the year you can swim with these shy animals–so don’t miss your chance to get up close and personal! Join a qualified diver for this fun and unique dive of a lifetime. If you’re lucky, you’ll even catch the shark feed at Triangle Rocks Reef.
SAILING
If you don’t have your own sailboat, you can rent one from the marina and take it out for the afternoon.
SNORKEL WITH SHARKS:
The Bimini underwater is a rich playground for snorkelers and divers. The crystal-clear water makes for unforgettable swims with fish and coral….and SHARKS.
NATURE WALK
On the Bimini Nature Hiking Trail you’ll learn a lot: ecology, wildlife, history. Guided tours are led by professionals. You’ll find birds, iguanas and the endemic Bimini Boa that call the islands home!
BE A BEACH BUM
I mean, what would the Caribbean be without the beach! The islands’ top three are Radio Beach, Blister Beach and Spook Hill Beach, plus a couple of really cool cays more south.
Port Au Prince, Haiti
Posted on August 9, 2018
I had the opportunity to spend some time in Haiti in November and it was absolutely amazing. The amount of joy these people have with so little is inexplicable. They don’t compare their lives to their neighbors’, they don’t sit not their smartphones wishing they had someone else’s looks, house, possessions. They are constantly joyful. They have faith in the Lord and that He will provide for them. These people are grateful. They are resilient. They work all day. Their government is corrupt. Their homes are tiny. There is an orphan cycle that occurs because mothers of babies can’t afford to have children. A lot live in villages and the children may not see food for a week. Yet, when we visited one of those villages, the kids were so excited to see us. They just wanted to feel our love, our attention. They pulled us by the hand to join them in playing soccer, braiding hair, painting nails! I loved being able to SERVE these kids. We helped bathe the children, clean their wounds, and bandage up any cuts. A lot of the kids didn’t even have parents. It was A LOT to take in. And as difficult as this day in particular was (which is actually the photo at the top) I was surrounded with such JOY and LOVE and HAPPINESS. Joy is absolutely eternal.
Reflecting on that day though, I don’t think the take-away was suppose to be guilt. Guilt that we were born Americans and don’t live this life. I don’t think we were meant to feel like we are horrible human beings because of the shallowness of our minds sometimes. Of our worries, our comparisons, our conversations… when kids live so impoverished in another country such as this. I think God’s plan and objective is to use us as vessels of us HIS love wherever we may go. To tell the Haitians’ stories when we come back home. To help out how we can, and get others involved in the cause as well. But most of all, I think these type of “mission” trips is truly a change in “vision” trip. A change in our perspective is almost always a direct result of spending even a few days with these children. It’s so easy to lead us to A change of heart. A change in direction. A change in perspective.
Meet Banner. He has CP. It was believed that he would never walk on his own. But after working with the organization located in Haiti made up of volunteers and PTs, Banner has been working on his walking and pushes a walker while playing with other children. Pure JOY is found with one glance at Banner’s smile.
Are we doing all that we can to the best of our potential? Are we truly LIVING our best life, as in taking every opportunity that we can to SERVE others, to INSPIRE, to LOVE, to LEAD, to ENCOURAGE, to REACH out to someone in need, someone struggling, someone feeling alone. We don’t need to travel to the other side of the world, or a third world country to make a difference in this world and someone else’s.
We never know someone’s story. We can’t judge, we don’t know what they’re going through. What if tomorrow we started treating others like we saw the face of Jesus in their face? What if we chose to go out of our way to help make someone’s day a little more special, a little more bright? What if we chose to get OUT of our OWN feelings, our own mind’s, our own issues, and just think of how much someone else could be needing us, our story, our lessons we’ve learned, in their life this very moment?
Sometimes we just need to remove ourselves from the current mindset and situation. Gain a new perspective of the bigger picture. We are surrounded by people who are lost, lonely, and unhappy. By a few kind words, a smile, a “Good Morning” might make all the difference in their day. You could be in a long line at Starbucks drive-thru and decide to take care of the car behind yours’s order. They may be caught so off guard and pleasantly surprised by this that they pay it forward and do the very same thing to the car behind them, and so forth. You could brighten someone’s day with such little effort, and they’ll be left smiling the rest of the afternoon, holding onto that small gesture, that small, random act of kindness that YOU displayed.
When you are being you, YOU look your best. Chose to be you regardless of what you dislike about yourself. Flaws make you unique and quirks make you shine ✨ you are great, so let your greatness be known 🖤 #beyou
I think we all can get out of our own head and try to serve someone today. Try a little random act of kindness. Be a vessel of His love. Choose joy. Choose to be happy, grateful, hopeful, and see how many people you can bring joy to. BE A LIGHT.
Hanna G 