Photo recap from my trip to Bahamas!

It was actually my first time in Nassau so I was excited to explore the main island and also stay at the Atlantis. My mom and I went to Exuma a few years back so we kept the mother/daughter Bahamas trip tradition alive by coming here together. I hope this tradition continues because life is better in Bahamas.

Nassau, in comparison to Exuma, was very alive. From the casinos, to the trendy restaurants to all the cruise ships that make their stop here- it is never a dull moment. There is also never a dull moment at the Atlantis with the 4893 kids that are there by the pool area. My mom and I made our way to the Adult only Cove pool ( pictured above with the red cushions) and felt much more relaxed here. No offence to kids, but their vocal cords can really reach high levels on vacation and that is not my idea of a vacation. Next time, I would only stay at the Cove tower!

My mom and I ventured off the resort to downtown Nassau and went to the area with all the local restaurants which was so fun! We also went to The One and Only a few times which was out of a magazine.

My mom and I get along so well and had a blast. It was a special trip as its our last one before I get married…….but I have a feeling that will not stop us from travelling together. Super good excuse though to make this trip happen!

Through my travels, I have been able to see some pretty amazing wildlife and animals but my favourite spottings have been on beaches!

Here are some of my favourite beaches to see some beautiful and unique animals all while catching some rays!

#1: THE BEAUTIFUL BEACHES OF EXUMA, BAHAMAS: PIGS!

Pig Island in Bahamas was once a farm. After the owner realized that having a farm on an island wasn’t ideal, he set all of the animals free. The pigs stayed put and made this place their home. At least this is what the tour guide told me on my boat! I had the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE swimming with these guys and it was truly a dream come true to visit them. Notice how their snouts curve upwards? It’s because they have adapted to breathing and swimming in the water. Also….so friendly that you can actually pick up the smaller ones. Swoooon.

The only way to reach Pig Island is through a tour Guide….or if you have your own boat! The tours that are offered are amazing because you often get to check out some other notable sights close by and see the changing shades of blue in Exuma. It is a little bit up there in terms of costs but worth it!

#2. FLAMINGOS ON RENIESSENCE BEACH, ARUBA

So Flamingos are not native to Aruba. Like Exuma, Bahamas- seeing these unique animals on the beach takes planning, some money and research! Is it worth it to do all of this? My answer would again be yes! Look at those guys!

The pink flamingos in Aruba can be found at the Renaissance Hotel which is not open to the public. This means that you have to either book a stay at the hotel OR you can secure a day pass through them.

There are some other things to note too if you want to see the flamingos on the beach:

-It gets really crowded so best to go in the morning!

-The cost for a day pass is $125 USD per person. This makes it very tempting to get a room at the hotel depending on season or time of year! If you are going with a family- that can really add up

-Make sure to keep your space at first and let them get comfortable with you!

#3. SWIMMING TURTLES AT MAKENA BEACH, MAUI, HAWAII

This long stretch of paradise not only includes perfect sand and amazing views..it also comes with lazy and big sea turtles. You can be lazy with them and tan but if you snorkel in the area- there is a very good chance you will be able to swim with them. Double win!

#4. BOULDER’S BEACH, SOUTH AFRICA: PENGUINS

Located in Cape Town, South Africa, Boulder’s beach is a coved sandy beach that comes with roaming African penguins. They are not phased by all the tourists that come to visit them on the daily but one should avoid harassing them by getting too close or chasing them. They are not like the Penguins in “Happy Feet” and can bite viciously! Still….so cute to look at for the day!

#5. THE SEALS IN LA JOLLA COVA, SAN DIEGO

Located about 30 minutes from downtown San Diego, La Jolla Cove has a stunning coast line view and an abundance of seals. When we visited, my brothers were kind enough to nickname this sea creature my spirit animal- “Loud, lazy, clearly likes to eat and yells out nonsense- just like you Marisa’. THANKS GUYS!

While you can find the seals around throughout the day and there are a TON of them, they tend to head out into the water during lunch time to catch some fish. It is important to note that you should never touch or come to close to them. They are generally harmless but any sort of touch can stress them out and is just disrespectful.

The beach is free to visit but make sure to park in a zone that is allowed to avoid getting your car towed!

The rest of my snaps from my vacation in Exuma, Bahamas! I couldn’t get over the various water shades that we saw on all over the island. Each section was so clear or blue or green and just different from the next. Can I somehow make my bath water turn a cool shade like this? IMAGINE!?

My mom and I, having never been to this island before, decided that this will be our “spot” from now on. And by “spot”, I mean…we would love to try to come once every few years just us two! I need to stop falling in love with so many beautiful places..

XO

Both bathing suits: Target, Sandals: Target, Mom’s Bathing Suit: JCREW

They say “Life is better in Bahamas” and I can confirm this to be true. Being a Bahamas virgin, I was excited to take a trip that really consisted of not doing much. Most of my travels are filled adventurous itinerary’s so it was a much needed change of pace. We decided to head to a small little island called Exuma and stayed at a gorgeous villa thanks to a super generous friend/coworker who offered her family’s place to us. It was extremely quiet, filled with insane blue and green water shades and is known for it’s wild, swimming pigs. Ok maybe the last part isn’t that peaceful or tame!

Although we stayed on the main island of Exuma, there are tons of baby islands and cays that sprawl off the north and south ends. We took a boating trip one of the days and got to hop from island to island and one of the islands is filled with these adorable little guys! A farmer used to live there and when he realized farming in Bahamas wasn’t going so well, he decided to let the pigs roam free. They adapted to their surroundings and voila- swimming pigs! So interesting that their little snouts point upwards to stay clear from the water. I WAS IN LOVE WITH THEM!!!!!…. it was definitely a dream come true.

On the boating trip we also saw sunken drug planes (drug lords would be on this island constantly in the past), swam with sharks and colourful fishs and went into a cave grotto. It was magical.

After spending a month at the hospital with my dad and having him pass away just over two weeks ago, it is safe to say that the last little bit has been mentally and emotionally draining. My mom and I decided we needed to take a quick trip to get some much deserved rest and rejuvenation so we booked a last minute getaway to Exuma, Bahamas.

I am really excited to get away from everything including this disgusting, never ending winter.

Here are some items I will be packing!

1. Missoni Dress from Eluxe.ca (perfect with flats for a nice dinner out!) // 2. Floral Bathing Suit from Forever21.ca (No tan lines with this bather) // 3. Pink Blouse from John & Jenn ( local designers in Toronto- yes please!) 4. Rebecca Minkoff bag from Exlue.ca (that colour is everything) // 5. White denim shorts from Guess (what’s a vacation without a pair of daisy dukes) // 6. Hat from J. Crew (just necessary) // 7. Theirry Lasry shades from Shopbop.com //8. Chambray button up from Guess (it goes with everything and can even double as a cover up) // 9. Tom x Jonathon Adler Shoes (THE MOST COMFY!)