The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

JUMBO slides, star-studded concerts and luxury suites are a few things that have greeted Atlantis’ guests over the years.

Now, a different kind of amenity has been added to the list of possibilities: an excursion to an idyllic cay.

Atlantis has began a partnership that offers guests a seaplane escape to a cay that bears all the brochure-ready hallmarks of tasteful Family Island vacations: the lush surrounding greenery, the pristine water and its invitation to snorkel and dive and the ability to get lost in a place that is secluded from large crowds and bustling city noises.

“Atlantis is an amazing resort, amazing people. Kamalame Cay is exactly the opposite and that’s what makes us family,” says Michael King, part-owner of the cay. “What we celebrate is where we meet in the middle, which is our love of The Bahamas. So this is about celebrating The Bahamas, bringing people together, showing them unique experiences from different points of view.”

Atlantis launched its partnership with Cocoa Bahama seaplanes and Kamalame Cay last week.

For now, the resort will provide three round-trip flights per week that can carry eight guests per trip. Audrey Oswell, president and managing director of Atlantis, expects an increase in flights later this year. She told Tribune Business last week that the service to Kamalame Cay has been in the planning stages for a long time.

“This started with Coco,” Mr King said. “Really, looking at ways to help people explore The Bahamas, whether it’s going to see the pigs in Exuma, or the pigs in Spanish Wells or Harbour Island. It’s how do we take a person that arrives in The Bahamas, arrives in New Providence and show them another side of The Bahamas? And Coco kind of came with a mission of how do we carry people from one place to another, so Kamalame is part of that experience.”

Mr King said a day at Kamalame Cay gives guests a chance to see flamingos on a seaplane, the beauty of Andros, bonefish and more.

“What Andors has to offer is extraordinary,” he said. “Blue holes, flamingos, the great barrier reef, all of these opportunities are afforded to someone to come to Andros…We’re not creating magic, we’re just showing the magic that already exists.”

Kamalame Cay was established 25 years ago as a bone fishing lodge with only a few rooms. Today, Mr King said, it has 50 rooms, three miles of beach, two restaurants and ongoing construction of villas.

“(There are) one hundred and forty full and part-time employees,” he said. “We kept everyone employed through the pandemic, we were very fortunate to reopen quickly and strongly so even though we moved some people to part-time we were able to support our team and make sure we looked after their families.”