Orange Hill Inn

[Uber]

Cosidering a stay at the Orange Hill Inn in November - has anyone here been there? I went to trip advisor (now I need "dive advisor'!):blinking:


thanks

 

[mike_s]

Send a PM to BradEllis. he's been there...

 

[Uber]

thanks - will do

 

[down4fun]

I stayed there in Nov 2005. From what I remember it was a clean, and quiet. Just your basic rooms, had a pool and sits on the side of a hill across the street from the ocean. I was there as part of a package deal with Stuart Coves. It's a little ways out of town, but there are buses that stop right in front of the hotel than go into town. Maybe a mile down the road there is a cave where they say pirates used to store bootie, and a huge chair made of seashells. It's kind of kewl to poke around in the cave. Hope that helps.

 

[Uber]

Yes it does - I was looking at a Stuart Cove package - I have a friend getting wed at Cable Beach - might as well combine the trip with some diving.... I only want a place to sleep and am not looking for the lap of luxury!

 

[Uber]

OK _ I'm all booked up for a few days at Orange Hill and Stuart coves (2nd week of Nov)... we are going for a wedding... so I kinda padded the trip to getting the diving in... and yes...I prebooked the shark feeding and 4 days of 2 tank dives.

I would really appreciate some info on the "operational" stuff... like
Can I leave my gear at Stuart Coves so that I don't have to carry it each day?
Are there secure storage lockers?... can I save $$ by taking my own padlock (some places have tried to charge me $30 for a padlock:11... what are the best food options? et cetera....et cetera...et cetera...

Any hints and tips would be great...

When I get back I will give my review of the experience and the all important "lessons learned".

Thanks everyone

 

[Uber]

Just got back from my stay at Orange Hill with a dive package at Stuart Cove's.

The hotel is reasonable... you know you have the cheap seats when the dog has a crap next to the pool :yuck: The people are reasonably freindly, although you have to work at it a bit. The food was passable... better than the Travellers Rest down the road which was appalling...only the service was worse. I recommend getting the Jitney (local bus $1 anywhere) to the "Fish Fry" - a bunch of little restaurants by the sea prior to reaching Cable Beach… beware…not all take plastic… but the food was cheap by Bahamian standards and well cooked (recommend the grouper fingers)..

Stuart Cove’s was a well run Dive op… the bus always picked us up at 8:10 am for the 20 minute ride to the boats… I prefer to dive in the morning as it is generally quieter. The registration was easy and you can leave your stuff there although there are no lockers and you have to trust the rest of the diving world… I did and wasn’t disappointed.

Water temp was about 77-81… not bad for November although I would recommend a 5mm if you don’t like the cold…especially true of the “extreme shark adventure” because you have to stay still for 25 minutes… I only had a skin on and was shivering by the end.

The shark dive was awesome as an experience…nothing like being jostled by reef sharks trying to get their dinner…. Although turning them into a commodity this way left me a little cold in more ways than one… I preferred the first acclimatization dive where you just got to swim with them.

Recommended dives… “Hollywood bowl” 35 ft…lots of life …sharks… and you can spend a good hour there…”Heineken Wall”… LOTS of sharks…near the feeding site…

There is a big problem with Lion Fish in the Bahamas… nasty poisonous little buggers… ran into researchers bagging them on the last day…

I enjoyed my trip… I did things that I have always wanted to do… but I don’t think I would go back of my own volition.

Special mention to Bahama Divers… past Paradise Island bridge… had a problem with a first stage… took the Jitney (#10) & (7a) and they sold me a generic for $99 US.. they would have fixed my Scubapro, but it would have taken time and I just wanted to be diving again… that price was cheaper than a repair…and the first stage worked flawlessly….