North Andros Taxi service: Irvin Mackey, proprietor. Mr. Mackey, a thorough professional, has a new carryall for your convenience (see picture, parked in front of the Lighthouse). He also operates convenience type stores at the Andros Town airport where you fly into Fresh Creek, and in Bowen Sound. He services the whole of North Andros daily and is able to find most anything you might need while on the island, during business hours from about 7 - 5.
He is also able to provide a degree of personal "after hours" service for those needing particulars in the evening or early morning or for hard to find items. His phone numbers are, Work: 1 - (242) 368-2333 (machine) . . Home: 1 - (242) 368-4247 (machine). You may also meet him at the Andros Town airport when you fly in.
Please ask for him by name when you arrive and he'll be able to take care of your needs. Mr. Mackey may also be able to provide you or your family with a tour service of the North Island if you like, for very reasonable hourly or daily rate if you're looking to get a better idea of your surroundings or would like to see more of the island's resources, as well as being able to introduce you to the local business people and artisans, according to your interests. Mr. Mackey may also assist you in renting bicycles and cars.
Bradley Mackey, Professional Flyfishing Bonefish Guide: Bradley will be able to provide you with any fishing experience that you may be interested in: bonefishing to be certain, but also jacks, tarpon, snapper, 'cuda, shark and reef fish. He is a Certified Flyfishing Guide, through the Bahamian government, which along with his reputation is your assurance of his credentials and experience. He may also be able to interest you in touring and naturalist opportunities away from settled areas by land and boat.
Bonefish Bradley, can trailer and boat you to any part of the North Andros Island, from Cargill Creek in the south to Joulter's Cays in the north, for fishing or to reach your lodging, as well as to the middle cays, Big Wood and Mangrove, or all the way to South Andros by water if you're looking to travel to other accomodations or even try other fishing areas at a distance. Bonefish Bradley can provide the tackle you need, both flyfishing and spinning, if you're looking to try out the tremendous fishing as a novice or an experienced fisher or just want to add an unexpected element and other species to your planned bonefishing outing. Contact Bradley at:
Lighthouse Hotel and Marina. On Fresh Creek. (A lot like Motel 6 for rooms). About $125/night for a room with two double beds, bath and cable tv, just a minute from the docks and fishing or the beach and swimming.
The Androsia Factory is along the road to the Lighthouse, just a minute walk away for the hotel or over the bridge from town. Hand crafted Batik by the local artisans and a factory store.
Hank's Place, in Fresh Creek, a comfortable place to grab a bite to eat, a cold one beer or a whole meal. Right on the water of Fresh Creek, next door to the Chickcharnie Hotel, Hank's Place is a friendly atmosphere of good times, good food and good people.
Stanley Forbes, "Jolly
Boy" guide service. Located in Driggs Hill at the north
end of South Andros of the southern Bight, Stanley can pick you up from
the Emerald Palms just down the road or from Congo Town or the Airport a
bit further, and bring you back and forth to Driggs Hill where you will
depart by flats boat for the bonefishing on the Southern Bight or to fish
or snorkel the barrier reef. He has half a dozen fishing and small ferry
boats in his service and can take you near and far for excellent fishing
for a variety of species: snapper, ladyfish, cuda, shark, bonefish being
the premiere attraction.
Stanley is a well respected member of the community and the most experienced guide in the area. He is also a business man, a minister, and can help you understand the local resources and meet the right people to support your interests. The Southern Bight or "creek", so called by the locals, is about a mile wide at the eastern end where Driggs Hill is located just off the ocean. Driggs Hill itself is a small community of aproximately twenty homes, a deep water marina for small weekly cargo vessels, and home to Ezrena's Restaurant (see below), also the offices of Tiamo - a new ecotourism facility.
Driggs Hill is the end of the road on the northern end of South Andros. Across the creek to the north is Mangrove Cay, within sight and only a few minutes away by boat or ferry. Stanley may also help you find bicycles or a car to rent. He is the man to contact fr what you need in the area.
Down the creek to the west, is forty miles of island. The creek penetrates all the way to the western shore through hundreds of miles of winding, twisting creek channels, surrounded and shaped by mangroves, very low hills of palm and pine, and endless bonefish flats. A true fishing paradise. The barrier reef on the eastern side protects the ocean shore from weather driven waves that might damage it (I've seen eight footers crashing on the reef in the distance and only one footers coming ashore). The shore, beach and shallows is home to more bonefish and tropical fishing opportunities than I can easily describe. The barrier reef is a paradise of reef fishes, coral and sea life.
Ezrena's Restaurant. Located in Driggs Hill,
Ezrena's is clearly the best restaurant around and deceptive in it's outward
appearance. From the road, you might think you were looking at someone's
home but inside you're treated to a small bar area with tables before entering
the main dining room. The dining room is capable of seating
about thirty people at comfortble tables with linen table cloths and gleaming
silverware. Ezrena is one of the cooks at the Emerald Palms Hotel down the
road and offers excellent fare, western and local, and can even accommodate
her guests by preparing a special meal given the proper notice, (say, cook
your fish or some other local delicacy which she can secure, if requested
in advance). Ezrena herself is a truely nice person and I strongly suggest
you take the time to talk with her if you can. She's an accomplished cook
and another of the highly respected local business people of Driggs Hill.
"Winky" Forbes operates a taxi ( a big carry-all with lots of room) and "get-you-what-you-need" service out of Driggs Hill and is at the airport for every flight. I like Winky, and he is an easy man to do business with and get to know. I've often asked him to find me local foods for my weekly rentals and sent him out with a list which he fills and brings back with the receipts and the change from what I've given him and then sits and has a Kalik with me in the shade where we talk about life and the islands. If you know you are flying into Congo Town you may want to ask for Winky when you arrive or call ahead: 1 242 369-2518 (home) or 1 242 554-0516 (cell) so that he can be looking for you. He's a big man, can't miss him.
Congo Town:
The nicest person I've met and talked with in Congo Town is Mrs. Nottage (Conchita) and her husband Zeke (in the red house). I hope I've spelled her name correctly. She's a well respected member of the community and a reliable source of information about local resources and opportunities. Her husband is a hook and line fisherman and diver, whom I've met and talked with many times and fished along side of in the surf for bonefish. He is also well respected - the local "Old man of the sea".
I took this photo while Conchita was kind enough to show me how to "chip out" a coconut (separate the husk from the nut) with a machete. How else to learn except from someone who knows these things? She was also kind enough to make me dinner once or twice at hers and then my rental house. Look her up if you're in the area and say hello for me.
Jerome is a carver and handyman in Congo Town. Don't be surprised at how good his craftsmanship is after only a couple of years of sculpting the local woods on his own. He also speaks four languages and has a number of other skills. Ask for him by the Davis's and let him show you his sculpture. Art is always an investment. It's easy to invest in Jerome's work.
Ed Rahming lives in Congo Town as well and has two rooms for rent along-side his beautiful house. The apartment is separated from the main house by a door and has its own outside door and small patio. The rooms come with bath, sink in the main room and hotplate and a small 'frig. Look for more info at this site soon, that I'm making for him with pictures and more information.
Mr. Rahming also owns a local health food store, the only one on Andros, just down the road, and is the president of the local Chamber of Commerce. A true gentleman and an interesting person to talk with, his house and the apartment is right on the northern end of Congo Town beach, probably the best, smoothest and longest beach on Andros. It also has bonefish in the surf in the fall!
Mr. and Mrs. Davis own and operate the local market and liquor store, as well as some rental rooms and houses. If you're looking at the local poaching of bonefish (pictures), you might not be able to do better than to follow Mr. Davis.
David and Wendy live just down the road toward The Bluff about a half mile south of Congo Town on the highway. He's the local teacher at the high school in Kemps Bay and a British engineer naturalized into the Bahamas life. He's an interesting man and worth looking up. He may have started to build his small "hotel" by the time you read this. Wendy is a local minister and the caretaker of one of the rental houses on the beach.
The Bread lady. I apologize for loosing her name but there is a very nice woman who lives right on the Queen's Highway, opposite the school bus stop in Congo Town, who bakes fresh bread almost every day. If you're planning on looking her up, you need only ask around and someone will direct you to her home. You might also want to bring some raisins or suchlike bread ingredients to barter with. She liked my raisins, last time.
There's also a local seller of bottled water along the Highway. Again, ask around. You should be able to purchase a big six gallon bottle for $6.50. Don't loose the bottle! The place is just a couple hundred yards north of the bread lady on the east side and just south of and opposite a little variety store right on the highway at the northern end of Congo Town. Remember, the "highway" is just a two laner!
Elvis is a reef diver, fisherman and lives in Congo Town. He's probably your best source of lobster tails, if you're interested. He may also have conchs, and other marine animals available. You can ask about fresh reef fish too. He's an interesting man who would rather live and fish on Andros than make a lot more money, as he did at one time running a variety store in Miami.
Watch out for Jeff. He may promise you results but he won't return with the goods.
I met a man at the Congo Town airport as I left last time. His name is Jeff Ferguson. We talked about life, the island and fishing. He seemed a knowledgable and reasonable man who "used to" guide down along southern South Andros. He talked of miles of white flats with bonefish and permit, trolling for bigger 'cuda along the reef and shared a fair amount of local lore that helped explain some of the anomolous bonefish behavior I'd seen during my fishing there. He offered to guide me if I came by The Bluff sometime. He said, "Ask around for me. They'll know who you want." I'd try him first if I wanted to fish the "Tongue of The Ocean" area of South Andros.
There were a couple of car rental places listed on the board at the Congo Town airport:
Nascov Car Rental, Deep Creek: 369-5001
Al'Nanc Car Rental: High Rock: 369-3573
My wife met Carl and Una at Kempy's, a restuarant, in High Rock, South Andros (1-242-369-3796). She said they were nice folks and knew about ...
Stuart Cove's Apartments. I haven't visited this place but it might be worth a look for accommodations.
More as I learn it . . .
I provide the information on this page as a free service to those Androsians who I think deserve the respect and attention of the vacationing public.
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