June 2018. This cottage is on a remote island; but, it is just a short 10-15 min. boat ride to Staniel Cay. If you want truly private beaches and down time this is the place for you. I was on this trip with my husband and 18 yr. old daughter. We rented a golf cart for our entire stay and is all you need to get around the island. There are only 3 named roads and some "paths" accessible by golf cart to private beaches. There are 4 restaurants and 4 very small grocery stores. We were able to get everything we needed there, although prices are high as everything has to be shipped to the island. We rented a boat and guide one day and paid attention, as we planned to rent just a boat another day. Cottages are clean and well kept, and if you have a problem, Ida will handle it. She was able to provide us with a marine radio and navigation charts the day we took the boat out alone. I loved learning about daily life on the island and everyone was welcoming and willing to share their stories. We never felt unsafe on the island.
If I could do it again the only thing I would change is 1. bringing our own snorkel gear or renting from Ida for our entire stay- we missed out on this our first day; 2. GoPro or waterproof camera is a must! 3. Visit the open "aquarium" at the national park - I learned of this too late to get there. 4. snorkel at the plane crash site 5. visit sandbars-this can only been done at low tide so we missed timing due to other activities.
Things we did do: swim with pigs, feed iguanas, swim with sharks, snorkel at Thunderball gratto, hangout on private beaches, kayak, collect shells & sand dollars, learn about island life.