There’s probably two dozen decent resorts that you can book accommodations at if you are planning to visit Harbour Island.
Some have been going strong since the early 1950s, like The Pink Sands, which was originally developed by J. Allen Malcom.
Back in the day, the only way you could stay here, was if you knew someone.
Today, it’s a much different story
Now, you can make resort reservations by booking on-line (just like any other hotel) but you can also easily rent fully equipped houses (which is what we decided to do.)
There are many rentals on the island to choose from, complete with their own house name.
We learned very quickly that the street address didn’t matter as a location landmark.
All you had to do was tell an Islander the name of the house you were staying at and they’d know instantly exactly what part of town you were in and whose house you were staying at.
We stayed at a house called the Little Arches.
The whole house can accommodate 8 people in 3 separate units, each with their own lockable entrances, kitchens and bathrooms.
A lovely lady (who is originally from Hati and is named Yolette) attended to us about halfway through the week and she also cleaned the entire house from top to bottom upon our departure.
If you needed any assistance during your stay, we were advised that we could either call the owner of the house or Yolette for help. Contact numbers were given as well as the number for the local fire and police department (which is all one unit on the island). There is also a small hospital if emergency health care is needed.
Complimentary highspeed wifi and Vonage phone service to the US, Canada and within the Bahamas was also provided. (Both telephone service and use of the internet could be accessed from any part of the house).
Each segment of the house also had independent air conditioning and the finishes, furniture and appliances were all in good working condition.
Generally, I found the house to be well-appointed and comfortably decorated. This invited use as opposed to being so opulent that you were afraid to touch anything or let your hair down (so to speak).
Lets have a look so that you can #seewhatisee
We stayed in the second floor suite which you can reach via a set of stairs located outside, at the far side of the house. At the top of the stairs is a fully furnished roof-top balcony which wraps around half of the house.
The photo (above) is the balcony and we enjoyed some wonderful meals out there made with fresh ingredients that we bought either from an Islander directly or at one of 3 grocery stores located on the island.
In the photo (above) you can see Patricia’s Fruit and Vegetable store. This store has been in operation since the early 1960s and you can still find “Patricia” sitting behind her counter everyday. (She’s now in her early 90s.)
The fruit was perfect.
On “Sundays” you can buy food prepared by the local residents (in the traditional Bahamian-style) right from their house kitchens.
Allegedly, the woman who lives in this house, makes the best key lime pie on the whole island.
We didn’t buy pie but we did buy lime infused fried chicken wings dusted with lemon-pepper. They were made by an 80+ year old Lady (named Shelia). This is her house (in the photo above) and if the door is open, it means you are welcome to stop in and “see” what she’s got cooking and for sale.
(Shelia makes the best chicken wings that I have ever tasted and I will be trying my own hand at making them because I enjoyed the flavour combination so much.)
We also purchased a mixture of beans and rice (which you can see in the photo below). It was made by a fellow named Kevin and he lives right beside the local Barber Shop.
I waited on his front stoop while he whipped this dish up for us. I think that I interviewed his whole neighbourhood in the process.
If you want to learn about the culture of a people and learn about their way of life, talked to them about their food and you’ll quickly learn what makes them tick.
Both the wings and the beans and rice were incredibly flavourful.
There is also a liquor store and a Royal Bank of Canada on the island.
USD is accepted everywhere and the Bahamian dollar is pegged to it. We were advised to use up any Bahamian currency that we were given as change before we left the island (because like any fiat currency) it is pretty much worthless anywhere else.
Here’s the rest of the suite we stayed in:
In the photo (above) you can see the living room.
Off the living room is a 3-piece bathroom.
Then, the kitchen with an “eat-in” dining room.
Then, the master bedroom where all the magic (like sleeping, if you’re really lucky) happens. LOL!
Personally, I suffer from severe insomnia. When I travel to most places, I am forced to take a tolerance break from cannabis. Without the herb at the right concentration, I don’t sleep but I am happy to report that I did get lucky and I slept a few nights. This had nothing to do with the house per se, or the bed. It was very comfortable. Unfortunately, it’s just what my brain doesn’t do without help, that is...shut off.
I should tell you though, that the whole island is filled with free-range wild roosters and chickens.
Trust me when I tell you that you’ll find yourself on island-time pretty quickly, if you don’t bring a set of ear plugs. The chorus starts before the sun rises at 5 am and you won’t need to set an alarm clock. (Lol! Yeah, I can laugh about it now, but a few days ago, choking a chicken seemed like a viable option. Especially, with very little sleep.)
Ok, I digress, back to the story... the ensuite bathroom:
French doors opening into a very spacious bathroom.
A separate shower and a tub for soaking.
A generous vanity with good lighting. ( I didn’t take a picture of the toilet but it was positioned between the tub and the vanity.)
All three suites are decorated in the same manner and to the same level.
It didn’t seem to matter whether it was 7:00 pm or 2:00 am the views from the balcony were spectacular.
Like many of the estates on the island, this home is for sale.
For those interested, $2 million will get the job done.
For booking inquiries, please visit: www.little-arches.com
Thanks for making it all the way to the end of this story. So far, I’ve gotten all of us to the island, put a roof over our heads and fed everyone. In subsequent posts, we will be going for walks so that I can show you the island, some of the resorts, multi-million dollar yachts and some gorgeous beaches.
I welcome your comments and I invite you to follow me on my journey...sometimes it’ll be a world away from the everyday. ;)