Bahamas Beaches

This group of 700 islands, beginning sixty miles east of the Florida coast, is dazzling in its diversity.

The island of New Providence is divided into three main tourist areas -- Nassau, Paradise Island and Cable Beach.

Hotel complexes dominate expansive Cable Beach, which underwent a recent facelift, transforming it to a mecca for visitors who prefer beachcombing with options for exercise and lively entertainment nearby. Luxurious accommodations are offered in resorts of all sizes and types with gourmet food, world-class entertainment, sports facilities (including a golf course) and some large casinos never more than a few steps away.

Nassau, the capital, adds a grand British undertone to island life. Pink government buildings at Rawson Square (actually a circle) face cruise ships whose passengers are drawn to a day of duty-free shopping downtown. A new museum interpreting the colorful Junkanoo tradition is tucked at wharfside in the ships' shadows. Tiny pubs and restaurants dot Nassau's narrow side streets. And a bustling straw market houses hundreds of vendors ready to bargain with souvenir merchandise. You can even catch a ride on a horse drawn carriage.

Cross the bridge to Paradise Island where beaches are first-class and the resort selection is excellent -- from upscale chic on stately estate grounds, to a yoga retreat, condo facilities (great for family vacations), and large luxury properties (one with a glass tunnel for viewing marine life and a low-key water park). Activity abounds at every turn. Paradise Island has an excellent golf course and its own small airport.

Grand Bahama, with resort development at both Freeport and Lucaya, has the same features on a smaller scale. Golf, tennis, watersports and duty-free shopping are popular and plentiful. And the island moves at a leisurely pace.

Kick back further and visit the Out Islands, favored by explorers who prefer their island life quaint, quiet, simple and barefoot. No rules here, just relaxation and recreation on land and sea when the spirit moves you. Interesting and excellent small and mid-sized hotels and family-run guest houses are interspersed with touches of history and hundreds of friendly faces. Out Island exploration is especially popular with ecotourists in search of unspoiled island atmosphere, game fishermen seeking a record catch and all those who prefer to daydream in idyllic surroundings.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
US citizens entering the Bahamas as bonafide visitors for a period not exceeding 8 months require proof of nationality i.e. passport or original birth certificate or certified copy along with an official photo I.D. such as voter’s card or drivers’ license & return or onward ticket or other means of traveling to some other country to which they have a right to enter, as well as sufficient funds. Passports are required for re entry into the UK. British visitors’ passports are accepted. Visitors from Canada, the UK and Colonies on a temporary visit not exceeding three weeks need ID such as a birth certificate.

CURRENCY:
The Bahamian dollar is on par with the US dollar & is freely interchanged. Credit cards & traveler's checks are generally accepted. ATM machines available in several locations including casinos.

TAXES & SERVICE CHARGES:
Departure tax $15.00 payable in the Nassau airport - $15.00 departure tax and $3.00 airport security tax in Grand Bahama airport. There is a government tax of 6% and a resort levy of 6% along with a maid service charge levied on all hotel rooms in the Bahamas. Paradise Island Bridge toll is $1.00 for motorized vehicles and toll free for pedestrians or non motorized vehicles. There is a service charge of 15% in hotel restaurants (All taxes subject to change).

COUNTRY PROFILE

GEOGRAPHY:
The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is an archipelago of 700 islands, extending over 100,000 sq mls of ocean, from Florida in the northwest, to Hispaniola in the southwest. The estimated land area is 3,382 sq mls. The highest above sea level is Mt. Alvernia on Cat Island 206 ft.

CLIMATE:
Average temperature Summer: High 90, Low 78. Winter: High 75, Low 60. Average humidity 78. Average rainfall Rain showers occur any time of the year, but rainy months are from May to October. Approx. sunrise Summer: 0630 0700. Winter: 0630 0700. Approx. sunset Summer: 2000. Winter: 1730.

LANGUAGE:
English.

DINING:
Restaurants available Local. American. Fast Food. Gourmet. Continental. French. Italian. Chinese. Japanese. Polynesian. 15% service charge is usually added. Dress code is casual. Some restaurants may require slightly more formal attire.

NIGHTLIFE:
Entertainment available includes Nightclubs. Discos. Casinos. Cabarets. Theater. Cinema. Live music.

SHOPPING:
Locally produced items Straw goods. Wood carvings. Perfume. Liquor. Duty Free Shopping. Local arts & crafts & local gourmet foods.

SPORTS:
Activities Aerobics. Biking. Bungy Jumping. Boating. Deep sea fishing. Golf. Gym. Horseback riding. Jogging. Parasailing. Racquet ball. Scuba diving. Squash. Tennis. Water skiing. Windsurfing. Watersports. Spectator sports: Cricket. Rugby. Soccer.

CARNIVALS & FESTIVITIES:
Junkanoo A spectacular pre dawn parade combining dance, colorful costumes and song. New Years Day & Boxing Day.

TRANSPORTATION:
Driving is on the left hand side of the road. Rentals available include Cars. Bicycles. Motor scooters. Temporary license/permit requirements A valid foreign driver's license is acceptable for up to three months. Local services Taxis & bus service in Nassau & Grand Bahama. Ground transportation in the Family Islands is limited to taxis and in some islands ferries. Inter island transportation available through Bahamas air& mailboat (ferry) service. Bahamas Fast Ferries - Daily round trip service between Nassau and Eleuthera & Harbour Island.

MARRIAGE REQUIREMENTS:
A 1 day residency is required before obtaining license. For information and literature on getting married in The Bahamas contact 1-888-NUPTIAL (from US & Canada) or the Ministry of Tourism at 242 322 7500 or 242-302-2000. Fax: 242-302-2098. Affidavit is needed for single persons wishing to be married which can be obtained from the U.S. embassy for a fee in the Bahamas or from a local attorney or Justice of The Peace stating that the person has never been married. For divorcees, the original or certified copy of final decree is required. In the case of widows, a copy of the death certificate is needed.

MEDICAL FACILITIES:
Air ambulance. Diving decompression chamber. Doctor on call at hotels. Emergency dental facilities. Pharmaceutical services. 24 hours casualty department. Major hospitals are located in Nassau and Grand Bahama, with 4 network of clinics throughout the Islands.

What To Do & See

Robinson Crusoe Snorkeling Cruise: Sail through the clearest waters in the world to remote islands where you will spend the day relaxing on the sun-drenched beach, snorkeling over coral reefs, or exploring the island's winding paths and tidal pools just like a castaway. Lunch is provided for you to eat, drink, and make merry with unlimited wine, after which you may want to stretch out in a hammock under a palm. It's a day you won't want to end!

Discovery Tours: Drive through romantic Old Nassau and its surroundings to see ancient Forts Fincastle and Charlotte, complete with moat and dungeon. The Queen's Staircase - the #1 sightseeing spot in Nassau - is a lush grotto of 66 steps carved by slaves in 1793 into the side of a solid limestone cliff leading up to Fort Fincastle. Visit Government House - still the official seat of the British Governor-General to the Islands; picturesque Gregory's Arch; the 19th-century flamingo pink Legislative Buildings and Law Courts; the native market; and scores of other historic sites in the centuries-old capital of the Bahamas.

Crystal Cay: Starfish, sea urchins, and sharks are your playmates on this interactive voyage of discovery. Pluck a genuine pearl from an oyster. When you walk into the world's largest man-made reef, you'll be mesmerized by a kaleidoscope of brilliant living corals, an astounding diversity of fish, mighty predators, and strange life forms you've likely never before seen.

Dinner Cruises: A lovely and romantic way to spend an evening, cruising along Nassau's picturesque historic waterfront. Crews prepare an all-you-can-eat Bahamian buffet and there is often music or a show aboard. Join one of the livelier cruises, and you may find yourself cajoled into a limbo contest! How low can you go?

Submarine Ride: Featuring the latest in passenger submersible technology, pressurized safety, and air-conditioned comfort, certified pilots take you deeper than most scuba divers go. You'll pass breathtaking coral reefs, skirt the Bahamian Wall (or "Tongue of the Ocean"), where the drop-off is 6,000 feet, and observe two shipwrecks, all surrounded by thriving sea life.

The Changing of the Guard: A fortnightly tradition of pomp and pageantry mark the Changing of the Guard at Government House, residence of the Governor General, personal representative of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The internationally renowned Royal Bahamas Police Force Band proudly performs.

Blackbeard's Tower: This ruin stands 5 miles east of Fort Montagu and can be reached by jitney bus. Legend has it that this watchtower was used by the infamous pirate, Edward Teach (Blackbeard), in the 17th century.

The Pirates of Nassau Museum: Great fun for kids or kids-at-heart, this museum celebrates the "golden age of piracy," which lasted from 1690 to 1720, when Nassau was a robust town where pirates grew rich from treasure robbed at sea. This renovated museum re-creates those bawdy days in a series of exhibits illustrating pirate lore.

The Cloister: Located in the Versailles Gardens of the Ocean Club, this is a 12th-century cloister originally built by Augustinian monks in France. It was reassembled here, stone by stone, after AP heir Huntington Hartford purchased it from Hearst at San Simeon in California. The gardens, overlooking Nassau Harbour, are filled with tropical flowers and classic statues.

Ardastra Gardens: The main attraction on these 5 acres is the parading flock of pink flamingos, the national bird of The Bahamas, which marches in formation to a drillmaster's commands. Other exotic wildlife at the gardens include boa constrictors, kinkajous (honey bears) from Central and South America, green-winged macaws, peacocks, and peahens. Paths provide an easy, soothing walk through beautiful tropical foliage.

Dining

The Bahamas' homegrown cuisine is a medley of several ethnic traditions and influences. The indigenous population was fond of scale- and shellfish, and also brought callaloo, cassava, corn, sweet potatoes, and several tropical fruits to the islands. English and American settlers adopted native spices, enhanced by those brought from Africa. Most dishes center around seafood like conch or rock lobster, but you'll find a tremendous variety of fare throughout the islands. Traditional island cuisine is undergoing a renaissance, with a new generation of Bahamian chefs reinterpreting traditional dishes. Places to eat range from 5-star expensive restaurants replete with candelabra to funky beach seafood shacks called "fish frys."

Gourmet: Anthony's Caribbean Grill creates a variety of original and traditional American/Caribbean fare for every course, with specialties of the house like Junkanoo Steak and Soca Tuna. Paradise Shopping Plaza, Paradise Island

Highly Recommended: Graycliff is the only restaurant in The Bahamas with a 5-star rating. Situated inside an antique-filled colonial mansion, this restaurant creates hardy, exotic Bahamian and international dishes. The wine list is the finest in the country, and their collection of Cuban cigars - almost 90 types - is said to be the most varied in the world. Before dinner, the ideal spot for a drink is the balcony bar. West Hill Street, Nassau

Local Flair: The Outdoor Conch Market wins the unanimous popular vote with the locals in downtown Nassau. Residents flock here on weekends to hang out and sample budget-priced conch, washed down with coconut juice (known as sky juice) from the Daiquiri Bar. Downtown Nassau

Romantic: Buena Vista is set in an 18th-century home appointed with silver and fine china. Waiters in tuxedos serve fine Bahamian cuisine while you admire the view of the harbor. Delancy Street, Nassau

Nightlife

Nassau has a pulsing nightlife, with casinos, clubs, shows, concerts and music ranging from traditional rake-and-scrape bands to symphony orchestras. Theater and dance are popular in the Bahamas and several companies perform in Nassau. For a daily listing of events, check the Nassau Guardian or Tribune before heading out for the night.

Clubs: The Palace Theatre and the Atlantis Showroom have the island's two spectacular stage shows. A few nightclubs and upscale dance clubs are favorites with locals and tourists alike in town; Club 601 and Culture Club usually feature the BahaMen, Nassau's best-known band. Most hotels host smaller nightclubs with bars and bands.

Goombay Shows: This music - named from an African word meaning rhythm - is to the Bahamas what reggae is to Jamaica. Almost every major resort hotel has a goombay band or show, with musicians and dancers dressed in tropical flounced costumes. It is typified by a fast-paced, infectious melody that you will hear pouring out of dance clubs everywhere.

Casinos: The Atlantis Casino is on Paradise Island and the Crystal Palace Casino is on Cable Beach. Both are full-service gaming halls, with everything from Baccarat to slots, great shows, fantastic restaurants, and so on. Drop in and spend an evening with Lady Luck!