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The islands of the Bahamas is part of the Caribbean and as such is about three hours away by air from Toronto, Canada; or about 45 minutes from Miami, Florida. The time is exactly that of North American Eastern Time. From the International Airport at Nassau, the main city, downtown is just 20 minutes away and will cost you a $20 taxi fare. Ask the taxi driver to drop you off at the British Colonial Hotel, to the left of which you will find Bay St., which consists of the whole downtown area.
Downtown Bahamas
In the early part of the 20th century, Nassau was a sleepy old town, slumbering in the tropical sunshine and Bay St. stores sold food, supplies and some straw goods and souvenirs to the few tourists who found these lovely islands. Today, downtown Nassau is vibrant with merchant and tourist activity. It’s a mile of everything you’d love to buy; shoulder to shoulder, the stores are a treasure trove of fine goods and souvenirs, the perfect place to find an extra special gift or a keepsake from your vacation.
The most popular tourist purchases are jewelry, watches, perfume, liquor, china and crystal, all of which you’ll find in superabundance. All the major brand names are available at Duty Free prices in glittering stores where the staff is always happy to help.
Seek out the delightful stores in the small side streets and arcades, which display unique treasures for you to buy. These are stores specializing in souvenir items. Look for gifts, which are Made in The Bahamas and don’t forget to stop by the Straw Market, where vendors show off a huge selection of T-shirts, straw goods, among other souvenirs. The Plait Lady (opposite the Royal Bank of Canada, Bay and Victoria streets) has a store and workshop, where you can watch straw goods actually being made.
If you need to withdraw money, regular banking hours are as follows: 9:30 a.m. to 3: 00 p.m. Monday to Thursday; and 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fridays. There are however, ATMs in densely populated areas such as the Nassau International Airport (near the U.S. departures check-in); downtown (warning: in this area most of the machines only dispense Bahamian funds); behind the docking area at Paradise Island (local and U.S. funds); the Crystal Palace Casino (U.S. funds) at Cable Island. Barclays ATMs dispense only Bahamian dollars but accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and any bankcard on the Plus network.
The Bahamian dollar is on par with the U.S. dollar; however, one can expect to pay a small commission when exchanging traveler’s checks for local currency and when converting local currency into U.S. dollars. That said, you can purchase goods with either the Bahamian dollar or the U.S. dollar and not worry about conversion rates—both are interchangeable locally, providing a big relief for tourists and other visitors. I advise you to withdraw U.S. funds from the banks as much as possible, however, since you don’t want to be left with Bahamian money when it’s time to return to your country.
Don’t be surprised if you come across a Bahamian $3 bill. Bahamian paper money runs in half-dollar, $1, $3, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills. There is also an extra Bahamian coin: the 15-cent piece, which is square with rounded corners and decorated with a hibiscus on one side.
End your shopping spree with a meal or drinks at one of the excellent restaurants in the downtown area. Several are located on the verandas overlooking Bay St. and offer a great view of Nassau’s bustling shopping mecca.
For a look at Bahamas’ famous artists, the Central Bank of the Bahamas often has an art display in its foyer. You can also drop by the Pompeii Museum (next to the Straw Market) to view works of the country’s famous artists. You’ll also find those art galleries on Bay St. and even some of the restaurants feature Bahamian art on their walls.
The Beaches of the Bahamas
The name Bahamas comes from the Spanish words “baja mar” which mean shallow waters, given at the time when Columbus made his discovery of the New World in 1492. The allure of the islands’ shores, with its pristine powdered sugar beaches, fringed with palms and casuarinas, has changed little since the day the renowned explorer set foot on San Salvador, just one of the country’s 700 islands.
The Bahamas boasts some of the clearest and most beautiful waters in the world, unspoiled by pollution and enjoyed by both tourists and residents alike. The sea, in particular, offers constantly changing vistas of glorious shades of iridescent blues and greens which can momentarily change to amber shades as the sun rises and sets in the islands.
There are many ways to enjoy the incomparable waters of the Bahamas, both above and below the surface. There are miles of breathtaking beaches ringing the islands, in shades ranging from dazzling bleached white to a delicate rose pink. Offshore, the water is pleasantly warm and good-natured most of the year.
If you want to catch a glimpse of life below the surface, slip on a mask and snorkel and search out one of the many reefs to be found just offshore. Your efforts will be rewarded with a vibrant panorama of marine life, at relatively shallow depths. Most of the hotels have snorkeling equipment for rent and some will even arrange snorkeling trips to other areas for the more adventurous.
Deep-see divers are usually sought after by numerous qualified dive companies. To dive deep into the islands’ waters is to discover the unparalleled beauty of the rich coral reefs, home to an immense variety of jewel-like tropical fish and other sea creatures. The excitement of exploring the wreck sites meets with the famed ‘drop-off,” where the ocean floor plummets suddenly to depths of over 1,000 feet, making it truly a to-die-for experience among divers.
Anywhere down the beaches of the Bahamas offers sightings in the wild of some of rarer, more elusive sea creatures, such as the massive and graceful manta ray or the protected hawksbill turtle. On the other hand, birdwatchers can find approximately 255 species of birds including three endemic varieties, the Bahama swallow, Bahama woodstar hummingbird and the Bahama yellowthroat. For birdwatching tours with accredited guides, contact the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) at 393-1317.
But those who wish to stay dry yet not deprived of the experience of the deep, may visit Atlantis, Paradise Island’s amazing underwater world, which offers a behind-the-glass view of an immense variety of the marine world, from the beauty of the angel fish and lacy seafans to the menacing teeth of a shark or moray eel.
Paradise Island is today’s most sought after destination point for visitors to the Bahamas owing to the popularity of the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort. Only 15 minutes by boat from downtown, the trip will only cost $3 per person if you take the boat from a ferry station at the back of the famed Straw Market.
Savor Culinary Delights of the Bahamas
Conch, a shellfish found in abundance in island waters has inspired a wide variety of Bahamian dishes such as conch salad, conch chowder, cracked conch, conch fritters, etc. The best place to savor these delights is at Conch Fritters, a lovely restaurant in front of the British Colonial Hotel. The Bahamian staple food is peas n’ rice which is cooked with pigeon peas and thyme until tender, then drained and served. The grouper is a local fish of varying size and served in many different varieties such as grouper fingers or smuddered grouper. Another favorite fish variety is goggle eyes jack, more commonly called goggle eyes, which are abundant around docks and piers and can be caught with a tiny hook and almost any bait. They can grow to 18 inches but most are about six to eight inches. Again, this variety of fish is cooked in many different ways.
The favorite drink is called Bahama Mama; a tropical punch mixed with your choice of light rum. Packaged in powder form and sold in boxes in most stores across downtown, don’t forget to stuff your baggage with this great give-away for your friends’ back home (you can’t buy or find these goodies in the airport on your return flight).
Northwest of New Providence is the Bahamian Riviera or Cable Beach, where rich tourists usually flock to pursue a lifestyle vacation with a choice of several excellent hotels (Nassau Marriott Resort & Crystal Palace Casino; The Radisson Cable Beach Resort; and the Superclubs Breezes Hotel; among others) all of which have their respective beachheads while being close to the golf club as well.
On the northeast side of Nassau is Blue Lagoon Island, which is about twenty minutes by boat from Paradise Island. The Blue Lagoon’s central attraction is interacting with the dolphins, which one can pet, hug and kiss from a waist-deep platform. The island is also home to Stingray City, an incredible three-acre marine park where the whole family can join in feeding, petting and playing with southern rays with options for scuba, snorkeling or above-water observation.
Now that you are familiar with the many tourist attractions of the Bahamas and you have a working idea of how to find your way in the islands, have yourself a wonderful vacation!
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