There’s nothing like escaping the brutal cold of the North East in the middle of January and heading to the Bahamas. This was our first international trip together as a couple and it was more of a necessity visit than a vacation. Our work permits had recently been approved and we had to travel out of the country to get our passports stamped with the work visa. Bahamas was a recommend destination, given its proximity and lighter schedule at the US Embassy. This was a short three day trip to get our visa formalities completed, but in hindsight, I wish we had stayed there for a bit longer.
You will find a lot of tourists from the US in Bahamas, many of whom are day visitors from the cruise ships that dock at the Freeport or Nassau ports. Many are from Florida due to the islands’ proximity to Florida’s coast (about a two hour boat ride from Miami, FL). We flew from JFK Airport to Nassau, Bahamas; we have found Jet Blue to offer the best connections to the Caribbean from the tri-state area. The beautiful turquoise blue water captivated us as our flight was approaching the Lynden Pindling International Airport. It’s easy to hail a cab from the airport to get to your hotel. We stayed on West Bay Street in Nassau that was walking distance from the US Embassy and it turned out to be a great location as we could just walk to the beach and the Nassau Straw Market where most cruise ships dock. The Nassau Straw Market is a nice local vendor market if you are looking to buy some souvenirs.
Once you get to Bahamas the first thing you would have to do is get acquainted to island time; everything happens at its own pace here and there is no rush 
– unlike back home where everything needs to get done yesterday. The Commonwealth of Bahamas is a collection of about 700 islands, New Providence being one of the main islands and it’s capital, Nassau, a major port. Nassau overlooks Paradise Island, home to the famous Atlantis Resort. Staying at the Atlantis Resort would definitely be recommended if you’re only interested in R&R, but if you want a more local vibe then stay elsewhere. The resort offers various day pass options for exploring the Atlantis Waterscape, Dolphin Cay, Marine Habitat and its private beach. There are several ferries that run throughout the day from Nassau to Paradise Island.
To explore the island on your own one option is to rent a scooter. There are many rental shops throughout the island; you will have to show your passport if you wish to rent one. There are many activities like snorkeling, scuba diving, parasailing, jet skiing, dolphin encounters etc.; do remember to negotiate a bit when you book these activities. Since our visit was too short we could only do a dolphin encounters tour and snorkeling.
The Dolphin Encounters tour was a lot of fun. The ferry picked us up from Nassau port and took us to the Blue Lagoon Island. This is a small secluded island where you can opt to swim with the dolphins, feed them, have an encounter with the sea lions or just be a spectator to all the fun. It was a great experience to be around these majestic, intelligent and playful marine mammals.
This was our first time ever snorkeling and what better place to do it than the coral reefs of Bahamas? It seemed as if I had immersed myself in a beautiful coral reef aquarium filled with all sorts of colorful marine species. It took me a few minutes to get familiar and adjusted to the technique needed to breathe through the snorkeling gear, but once I got settled, it felt quite comfortable. For snorkeling pros, there are many small coral reefs all around the island, where you don’t have to pay for a tour and can go snorkeling on your own.
The economy of the Bahamas mainly runs on tourism. Everybody speaks English and the people are very friendly. The water around Nassau is extremely clear, and I don’t believe there is a ‘bad’ beach anywhere around New Providence and Paradise Islands. I’ve heard wonderful things about the Grand Bahama Island as well, and hopefully we will visit someday.
We indulged in many Bahama Mamas & Bahama Papas on our short but fun filled trip. These are very popular local drinks that you can find at all bars and shacks throughout the island. You should try them for sure – age permitted.
Here are some tips –
- It’s easy to rent a scooter and explore the island on your own so do try that
- Carry your snorkeling gear as there are plenty of spots where you can snorkel on your own; you may just need to keep some fish food with you to attract the exotic ones
- If you are not staying at the Atlantis Resort, you can get a day pass to explore the resort & activities
Once you visit Bahamas you will agree that it is rightly said – It’s Better in the Bahamas!
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