Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
welcome to Bahamas
Scattered like a handful of pirate's gold across 100,000 sq miles of turquoise ocean, the is-
lands of the Bahamas could practically patent the word 'paradise'.
Glitz & Glamour
The rich and famous (and the merely rich) flock to the Bahamas for posh resorts, slick res-
taurants and A-list treatment. You too can live the high life at one of the country's star-
spangled hotspots, provided you've got the cash and the flash (or just the cash). Nassau,
the go-go capital, is the place for old-school elegance, with chic colonial hotels, James
Bond-approved cocktail lounges and an ultra-cool cigar factory. Across the bridge, high-
rollers test their luck at the Atlantis casino while the paparazzi snap starlets suntanning
on Cabbage Beach. A short skip away, Harbour Island plays host to rock stars and CEOs,
though the low-key locals don't make a fuss about it. Yachties point their compasses toward
the Abacos, the sailing capital of the world.
Sand & Solitude
Life in the fast lane not your style? Head for the 'Out Islands' (also known as the Family
Islands) - that is to say, all the islands besides New Providence and Grand Bahama - which
share a grand total of one traffic light between them. Life isn't just slower here, life is actu-
ally asleep in a hammock with a half-drunk bottle of Kalik by its side. Fishermen untangle
their nets by quiet harbors, donkeys graze on the side of muddy roads,
potcakes
(stray dogs)
snooze beneath hibiscus bushes. Rent snorkel gear and explore a sun-dappled cove in the
Exumas. Eat cracked conch at a wooden shack on Long Island. Read a novel on the porch of
a pretty little gingerbread-trimmed rental cottage on Elbow Cay. Hike to the Hermitage on
Cat Island for tear-inducing sunsets. Or just grab a hammock and kick up your feet - around
here, that's not lazy, it's livin'.
Family Fun
The under-18 set has plenty to keep them busy in the Bahamas, so you'll be free from the
dreaded whine of 'Moooooom, where's my Nintendo DS?' Frolic with dolphins in the shal-
lows off tidy, modern Grand Bahama. Get wildly overstimulated at the Atlantis megaresort
on Paradise Island (Waterslides! Shark tanks! All-you-can-eat breakfast buffets!). Watch vi-
brant Junkanoo parades in downtown Nassau. Rent a boat and ferry the family around the
secluded cays and silvery beaches of the Abacos. Splash with the famous swimming pigs
(yep, you heard us) of Exuma. Family-oriented Bahamians love kids, so your little ones will
be cooed over wherever you go.
