We arrived at the Staniel Cay airstrip with no-one to meet us so the island cop drove us to our destination on his golf cart.

One day the whole island ran out of potatoes but there were plenty of lobsters so nobody complained. The post office didn't have postage stamps but who cares?

Ask for Tony (everybody knows him) and get him to take you to the Land and Sea Park. Take the trouble to find Pirate's Cove, you have to drive off the track through piles of roofing shingles and heaps of wood but it is just one of the gorgeous beaches on this island. In October 2003 we spent every day on a different beach and didn't see another living soul.

Don't go here if you crave sophistication but if you want to unwind with what must be the loveliest people on this earth you cannot go wrong. I'm not a church goer but the Sunday morning service is a wow!

Our transport back to the air strip was a builder's truck and we wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Eight days of unwinding in paradise.

I dragged my husband off to Staniel after seeing an ad in a Caribbean travel magazine that looked like my idea of a perfect vacation. The thought of being without TV for days scared me--he is addicted to the remote. But I tell you what--he did not want to come home. We had a small blue cottage directly over the clear blue water with a covered porch and small dock outside. The cottage was absolutely charming inside and spotless--with a refrigerator and air-conditioning--and we woke up to a view of the beautiful ocean every day. We rented a little boat one day and went around to the surrounding cays and small beaches--went snorkelling at Thunderball Grotto and saw the swimming pig. (you can get all the gear from the club) The next day we went sea-fishing for the first time and caught over 14 mahi with the help of our guides Frank, Sylvia, and Slick. I'm sure there are a million more things you can do but we were perfectly happy just hanging around and soaking up the sun and atmosphere. The staff is amazing--friendly and helpful and attentive. The food was outstanding. You must try the lobster and the pancakes. Oh--and the conch fritters. There are 3 small shops on the island for food, but I would suggest bringing it in with you. The club sells beer, wine, and liquor, film, cameras, etc. and will help you organize any activity. The pink shop is where to go if you need a cigar. I would go back here in a heartbeat. And so would my husband. This place is paradise. Notes on getting there: you can sail or you can fly. We took Flamingo Air which has daily flights from Nassau. I think there is also a way to get there from Ft. Lauderdale. SCYC can give you more info. Our experience with Flamingo was that the flight would happen, but the time was a little flexible.= Regardless, it was gorgeous to fly in over the blue waters of the Exumas.