Podcast Ep.60: How We Saved on a Trip to the Caribbean (& Enjoyed It More)

In this episode we are super excited to talk about our recent trip to the Bahamas! Not only because we liked the sun, sand, and warm clear waters (duh...), but how we were able to enjoy a full two week stay while saving money. Accommodations, food and excursions can get really expensive, but there are ways to have a great vacation without blowing your budget. We also share some of the highlights for us of the island, what we ate and some things we brought along that turned out to be really cool.

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Our Caribbean Vacation

Get ready for photos! The promised selfie on the beach:

And the podcast by the ocean fail set-up:

Though the sunset was sure pretty, wasn't it?

And here's the screened porch area of the Airbnb we stayed in:

If our experience sounds good to you, then I would recommend this listing (close to beach, fun island vibe, but not 5-star by any means...), especially because the host takes the "super" in Airbnb's "Superhost" designation to a whole new level.

Here is the listing on Airbnb. And if you're new to Airbnb, you can use this referral link to get $40 off a booking of $75 or more!

The Bahamas Activities

Above is an example of the quiet local beaches we frequented (vs. the resort beach areas). This was Goodman Bay, just before the Cable Beach tourist area. It's lovely, peaceful, and you're not bothered by anyone except the occasional person who walks by and says "hi."

This is Queen's Staircase, which is an easy walk from downtown, and leads to a small old fort that has history and some nice views (the fort cost $3 but the staircase is free).

Downtown Nassau was cute with its older buildings painted bright colors. You can see the huge cruise ships docked and when they were in port, it was really crowded. And when they were gone, it wasn't.

But for me, the trip was all about the water that I remembered from a trip to the Caribbean when I was in college. Isn't it amazing? Clear, warm, and wonderful. We spent hours swimming, snorkeling, and just reading on the beach so we could look at the beauty surrounding us.

I also appreciated (which I didn't mention in the podcast) that the temperature was pretty much the same all day long so when you got up you could put your skirt and tank top on and know you'd wear it all day. Except when you changed into your swim suit, that is!

Let's just say this is WAY different from western Oregon (and most places in the states, I'd guess...).

Here's a link to the Bahamas visitor official site where you can see more activities and offerings.

What's Cooking

Brian trying the local beer (he thought it was good). This was a restaurant in The Fish Fry, which is an area just west of downtown that holds a LOT of restaurants. They all seem to serve about the same things, but the ambience of them are different.

We ate at three, I think, and the one pictured above, Frankie's Gone Bananas, was the one we liked the best.

Here is just one pile of conch (pronounced "conk") shells you see around the island. This was behind some restaurants in The Fish Fry where almost every place sold conch salads, fritters, chowder, and fried conch. So, yeah, a lot of conch.

No pictures of our salads and egg scrambles we ate, but I'm sure you can use your imagination there, ha!

This is Really Cool!

Brian's: Long-Sleeved Rashguard that saved his back from sunburn. (I also used a rashguard that I talked about here that I love, especially because it zips up!)

Jami's: The versatile Sarong! The sarong pictured above is similar to my sarong in length and fringe edge and since I love it, I tried to find one just like it in case you wanted one, too.

Programming Note: We announced we're taking a summer break! We'll be back in September with more stories, farmhouse updates and how the garden turned out, so be sure to subscribe to be notified when the newest episode drops.

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