The Bahamas always sound so glamorous, don’t they?
Attractive people lying on the beach sipping on beers and drinks with umbrellas
in it. Well, it’s not all fun and games in paradise, even when you’re on
Paradise Island. Fortunately, not too
many things went wrong on our Bahamas trip, but maybe that’s because we are so
used to things going abnormally, so
when things go a bit sideways, it doesn’t even phase us. Who knows? At least
we’re laid back and are able to roll with the punches.
Call to
confirm tours before traveling – I was so excited to find out
that you could tour the Bacardi factory in Nassau that I planned to take the
bus out there and whoop it up with free cocktails while learning how delicious,
delicious rum is made. Once the day came for us to jump on the bus and make it
to the factory, we called to find out what times the tours happened and were
met with confusion over the line. Tour? Well, needless to say we decided to
make the trek anyway. Nowhere did it say after your approximate 90 minute bus
ride would you have to then walk a mile to get
to the Bacardi property. Partway up the road we were stopped by a guy in a
truck asking if we were going to the factory. He said he was also going that
way and could get a ride. Score! For the record, this is never a good idea and
we did it on the way there and on the way back to the bus stop.
Bus stop for Bacardi |
Apparently,
the website was incorrect and tours had been closed for quite some time (Damn
you, Bacardi!), so we hung out in the free bar and tried some of the different
flavors of rum and then headed to the gift shop (yay!) to check out their gear
and a video. Unfortunately, we were also not in time or too early for the video
about the history of Bacardi and how sugarcane/molasses becomes my favorite
alcoholic beverage. So, we disappointedly started back to the bus weighted down
with our heavy bags of bottles and other souvenirs after less time than we had
been on the bus. As we were heading out, a tour bus showed up and we found out
that they still do tours, but only if
there were 10 or more people to go on one. Lame.
Hey! We got bread, too! |
Stock
up on snacks – If you travel in the off-season as we do, you
are likely to end up in the Bahamas during hurricane season. They won’t tell
you that they have a lot of hurricane
issues. In fact, most of the damage that was caused by the big storms really
don’t get repaired, which makes leaving your resort a bit of a disappointment.
The big buildings can be beautiful, but the smaller, less stable buildings
kinda look like rubble patched together. Well, we did end up getting caught in a hurricane watch and everything
closed up shop in anticipation.
We had food
stocked up in our fridge, but we made wandered the streets for lunch anyway and
found the only restaurant open in the city. Of course, they couldn’t cook
anything new, so they said told us they had two lasagna plates left if we were
interested. We were! We had lasagna and salad with two bottles of random
flavored Snapple they had on hand still. It wasn’t the best lunch we’ve ever
had, but it was fun and we had a good time with a few other people who didn’t
want to eat in.
Where the non-cruise ships "dock" |
Don’t
shop near the port – This is something that is easily
understandable. Nassau is a port for cruise ships. Apparently, everyone wants
to go to the Bahamas! They have some shops near the dock that are there
specifically for tourists and cruisers. These shops can be double the cost of
others that sell the same merchandise and are only a few blocks away. The crew
on the cruise won’t tell you this. In fact, they will tell you that they are
“[cruise line]-approved” and encourage you to spend your money there. Don’t do
it. There are the same shops offering the same goods at lower prices,
literally, 2-3 blocks away. You just can’t see them until you walk around the
corner.
This might be the saddest beach I've ever seen |
It
isn’t always warm in the Bahamas – In all honesty, there’s not
even all that much beach in some areas. When we booked our stay, we (and by we,
I mean Eric) were lured in by the promise of a private beach at the timeshare
rental we found. We got there and looked around. Our bungalow was awesome. Our
pool was pretty kick ass. The open-air bar was lovely. The beach…uh…where was it? Oh! That 20 foot stretch
of sand that nobody is interested in? Well, it does make it private. Both times we went out to survey its
usefulness, it was cool and windy, so if you got in the water, you didn’t
really want to get out. I laid by the pool, which was a mere 12 feet away from
the murky ocean, for about 15 minutes before going back inside.
View from a fort |
Bring
some good walking shoes – If you plan to take the bus, then you
will also be doing a lot of walking to things off the bus route (if you want to
save money and not hire a taxi). For
this reason, you will want to take along some walking shoes that will hold up
to hills, concrete and more. One day you may be walking up to the Queen’s
Tower, the next you may be going four blocks to the nearest grocery store and
the next hiking through the aquarium at Atlantis.
Straw Market: Enter at your own risk |
Learn
to say no – If you go to the Straw Market (which is highly
recommended), you will be yelled at from all sides from vendors trying to sell
their wares (many of which are knock-off designer bags). I think their motto is
“everyone wants what you have”. I suppose that could be true, but I really don’t want a fake Kate Spade bag or 42
shell necklaces. What I thought I did need
was two faux Coach bags…after being harassed for 15 minutes after I stopped and
expressed the smallest amount of interest in a handbag. So, I wasted even more
time haggling for a bag, which turned into two, that I didn’t really even want.
At least I helped that guy out that day with a sale, plus I was able to sell
one to a friend (fakeness disclosed) for almost the same price I paid for both
bags.
One of the many Atlantis pools that were closed |
Atlantis
is not as great as it seems – There are parts of Atlantis resort that
are awesome, but after wandering around for the better part of a day, I can’t
imagine spending $300 a night to stay there. I assume if you have kids that
just want to swim all day long, it might be a consideration, but eventually
you’re going to want to do something else. You can take advantage of movies they
have in their movie theater, but they are movies that you have probably already
seen on DVD and you also have to pay to see them. The casino in Atlantis also
leaves something to be desired. Not only do they need to replace the carpets
and décor, but they need to have a bigger selection of smaller denomination
slots. Not everyone can afford $1 and up, mostly because they just dropped
$300+ on a night to stay there. Everything in Atlantis is set up to part you
with your money (Shocking, I know!)
Random view from our cab |
Taxis
are not the enemy…if you can find one – If going across town, this
is when I would suggest getting a cab. If not, you can certainly catch the bus
(which you can get anywhere on the road along the route) and/or walk. We paid
$10 to take a cab from Atlantis back to our resort, plus received a mini tour
of the city from our driver. [PS – Anna Nicole Smith died in a really badly
constructed looking hospital.]
Those are not armrests |
Don't expect personal space on the bus – The smaller buses are called jitneys. you can hail one anywhere along the road and get off anywhere you want along the route, which is SUPER convenient when your lodgings are right next to the main road. Generally, the jitney (which is like a big van) has pairs of seats along each side; however they won't actually turn down passengers and there are pull out seats on each side that will enable more people to sit per row. Of course, this means there is NO aisle, so hopefully you don't have to get off when this happens and you are seated in the back. If you do, then everyone has to move and then re-situate themselves. It's a great way to meet your fellow tourists or some locals just trying to get around.
Pool and covered poolside bar |
So, as depressing as some of this may sound, the Bahamas really can be beautiful. The people are awesome and there is a lot to see when you find the beach inadequate or too cold. Wednesday I'll talk about some great places to go on a budget in and around Nassau. You'll see that there is plenty to keep you busy for a week or more. Did you have any less than ideal moments on your Bahamas trip?
Nice commentary. Actually there are some funplaces and they are not that expensive. Check out the Junk-a-noo festival, side streets full of stores, and if youstay at the Comfort Suites next to Atlantis (half the cost) you get a bigger suite, free brakfast, and all the privilages of staying at Atlantis. Can't speak for the knock-off bags, since the Straw Market no longer features them, but having 3 daugthers, I am sure we will find them somewhere on the island this July when we return! That is a must for any female under the age of 25!I can't figure out why they stopped it, mainly because it was almost 3/4 of the business from cruise ships. I am actually looking forward to roughing it for the rum tour, something i have never done.
ReplyDeleteIf you ask a vendor at the straw market, they will escort you out front and up a side street to an unmarked store front with a couple of rooms loaded with knock off bags. My daughter was like a kid in a candy store! Don't forget to bargain there as well...
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