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Bahamas |
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Bahamas
With 700 islands and 2000 small cays, the Bahamas offers a baffling array of vacation options. So it’s best to accept right away that you’re not going to see all of the country in one trip. Most luxury travelers find they do well concentrating on one of two islands: swanky Paradise Island, or English-flavored New Providence. Can’t decide which? Never fear; you can actually walk from one to the other, so you don’t have to choose at all.
Activities and Attractions:
Most visitors arrive in the city of Nassau, on New Providence Island. This is an excellent place to begin, as Nassau has managed to hold onto a British-tinged yet thoroughly Bahamian character. In the quaint capital, helmeted bobbies direct traffic, hibiscus scents the air, and horse-drawn carriages rattle down the streets.
The main activities in Nassau are soaking up colonial charm and shopping. The shopping, in fact, may be the best in the Caribbean. Many resorts have arcades, but the bulk of the action is on Bay Street. You’ll find all manner of luxury goods, including electronics, handbags, Swiss watches, and perfume. (It’s also the current home of the renowned Straw Market, which gets a lot of ink, but is only a must-see if you really, really need a hat.)
For fine sand, head a couple of miles east to Cable Beach. This resort area sprang up around some of the best beaches the Bahamas has to offer. There is also fine dining and lively nightlife—romance definitely hangs in the balmy air after dark.
For big resort excitement, walk or drive across the 590-foot causeway to Paradise Island. Here’s where you’ll find the most luxurious properties, the biggest casinos, and some of the best beaches. What you lose in colonial atmosphere you gain in sophistication and pampering. This is the place to bet it all on black at the roulette table, view the Caribbean Sea from your high-rise suite, or bury your toes in soft, white, powdery sand while sipping a frosty beverage.
A third major island, Grand Bahama, home to the heavily Americanized Freeport and Lucaya resort areas, doesn’t have as many luxury accommodations as Paradise or New Providence. It’s still worth a day-trip, however. It’s got the best golf in the Bahamas, and the diving around Grand Bahama—the name comes from the Spanish Gran Bajamer, or “great shallows,” is beyond compare.
If you’ve got time on your vacation, it’s also worth considering a trip to one of the smaller islands, the ones locals refer to as the “Out” Islands. Most of these islands don’t have much in the way of accommodations, but they make good day-trip destinations. (Get there by ferry, or charter a boat out of Nassau.) Bimini is known as the sport fishing capital of the world. Andros has the third-largest barrier reef on earth, making for some exciting diving, and it’s also a great spot to test your mettle against bonefish. Eleuthera has surfing, and Great Exuma offers the Exuma Land and Sea Park where divers can explore reefs, blue holes, and shipwrecks galore.
Insider Tip:
In the Bahamas, a minor island is called a “cay.” In spite of the spelling, however, locals pronounce the word “key,” as in the Florida Keys. (In both cases, the word is derived from a Spanish word meaning “small island.”)
-Exclusively for Perfect Escapes by Nicole Clausing |
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