Musha Cay
The Best of the Bahamas

Talk about island hideaways! Visiting Musha Cay, 85 miles southeast of Nassau in the Exuma chain of the Bahamas, means never wanting to leave. It's Gilligan's Island with sex appeal, solitude, decadence – and a West Indian flavor.

Built by Blockbuster Video co-founder John Melk, this l50-acre private island resort – just a three-hour flight from New York – is rented to a single client at a time, offering the ultimate in luxury and isolation. You can divide your guests (up to 24) among four beachfront guest villas (each with its own private stretch of beach and exceptional amenities), or in the main building, a l0,000-square-foot manor home, complete with indoor and outdoor fireplaces, a steam room, hot tub, two kitchens, and front and back porches. Guest accommodations feature charming West Indies-style design, with four-poster beds in each master bedroom.

A full-time staff of 36 is ready to pamper each guest. Have a yen for breakfast in bed? No problem. What about a picnic on a white sandbar strip that rises out of the water at low tide? Again: easily arranged. Or arrive by helicopter and be welcomed with your guests' names printed on coconut shells on the beach.

And talk about extraordinary dining! Sumptuous preparations are the norm, and seafood is literally caught just hours before your meal. Local waters abound with tuna, dolphin, mahi-mahi and lobster.

There are also plenty of island toys, including sailboats, Wave Runners, runabout skiffs and a fleet of golf carts, which serve as the main mode of transportation. In addition, you'll find snorkeling, diving, shelling, swimming, windsurfing, water-skiing and just plain lounging.

Even though you're on a remote island, Musha Cay defines luxury, with literally every imaginable convenience. It also has its own 14-passenger aircraft, landing strip and heli-pad, as well as deep-water docking and protected anchorage facilities that can accommodate vessels of up to 200 feet.