Taking the family off to the warmer latitudes for a break this February. Booked flights and lodging in Nassau, and am really looking forward to the experience.

We've never been to the Bahamas and I'm interested in ideas from our members who know the locale as to what to see and do. Any thoughts are welcomed.

It's kind of a shithole. The water park at Atlantis is cool, take advantage of the beach access that comes with it as well. We always hit Senor Frogs when we stop there, not very kid friendly. The Flea markets off the cruise port can be fun just don't give the beggars and scammers any reason to talk to you, eyes forward. There are tons of brick and mortar shops in that area as well

The snorkeling is nice, head towards the cruise port for that. I will admit that we haven't traveled outside that general area though, not sure if there is anything else to Nassau.

If you are at an all inclusive you should enjoy your stay. The same can be said for a lot of the islands in the Caribbean, beautiful places that should only be seen at an all inclusive or in the touristy areas

We’ve been on 5 cruises and we went into Nassau the first time. Immediately surrounded by grifters, beggars, and street people trying to sell crap. They can get rude. Watch your pockets if you encounter these people. There are a few Swiss watch shops and jewelry shops. Other than that I’d say just hit Atlantis for the beach and weather. We tried Conch while there in a little third world restaurant, nothing to write home about. That was the last time we went into Nassau. Otherwise, like someone else said, it’s a shithole. We hit Castaway Cay on the Disney Cruise and it’s actually better than Nassau. We went in March and it was nice weather. Wife bought a Tag Heuer on that first trip and one of the crown of light diamond rings so there the one good thing from Nassau.

We just left there. We just wondered around town while there. Realize now that we should have done a tour from the cruise line to see more than the beggers. We may be returning in April on another cruise and now we have more of an idea what to do.

There were five cruise ships in port at the same time, so there were people everywhere. At no time did we feel unsafe and wish I could have carried. Had we gone off of the beaten path, it may have been a different story to feel unsafe.

Take a day trip on one of the boats that go down to the Staniel cay area of the exumas to feed the pigs and swim with the sharks. Other than that, Atlantis is well worth it for the pool/aquarium/beach/water park. Many times it's cheaper to rent a hotel room to get access for I think it's 4 people, than to pay the day fees for 4.

We stayed on Paradise Island. It’s a whole different world than Nassau. If you’re okay with not quite third world conditions, then Nassau will be an interesting culture to explore. Keep your wits about you though and pay attention to what’s going on around you.

There’s an old church about two miles N. West of the Paradise Island bridge just off of Bay Street We explored the cemetery around it. Fascinating to read headstones and dates. Superimpose history timeline over their life span. Anyway, the closer you get to the church building, the older the graves are. It gets spooky because some graves are disturbed by weather events and no one re-buries the caskets. Grave robbers scatter the contents and the occasional bone structure can be seen. Like I said, almost third world.

Be sure there's no loose ammunition in your luggage?

Where are you staying?
Are there any activities you'd like to do? (Snorkeling, scuba diving...)
Will you be renting a car?
(I'm pretty familiar with the island.)

Thanks for the info and suggestions so far.

My son's into diving, my wife's into birding. We'll be at Margaritaville. No rental car (driving on the left) but willing to get around via taxi etc.

Taxis all over the world will fuck you if they think they can get away with it. Always ask what the cost PER person is before you get into the car.

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:
Thanks for the info and suggestions so far.

My son's into diving, my wife's into birding. We'll be at Margaritaville. No rental car (driving on the left) but willing to get around via taxi etc.

For scuba and snorkeling, contact Stuart Cove's located in Coral Harbour. They will come to pick you up by bus and should have a morning or afternoon option. There are no good options for diving around where you are staying. My guess is 30 minutes to get to Stuart Cove's, unless the bus is also running west towards Cable Beach and Orange Hill to pick other people up. Then it may take 45. But the travel time is worth it for the diving.

The beach at your resort will be busy, and I think the resort has about 100 yards of beach. They have a pool; I think part of it is a lazy river. The resort is relatively new.

Plenty of shopping and restaurants in the area within walking distance. To the east along Bay Street is a good direction. Head west towards Arawak Cay for fish fry and Goldie's. Conch salad and fritters.

When walking along Bay Street, there is no need to go south of Shirley Street.

Directly south of you might have some interesting museums. (South of the US Embassy.)

If you want to check out the north shore, you can take the #10 bus to the west out to Orange Hill or even Compass Point and back. I can not recall how long the jitneys run, but I do not think they run late. It's cheap - under $3 I think.

If you think Margaritaville may be too busy and commercial for you, an option would be to go out to Orange Hill for the day and sit on the beach. Nobody will bother you there, but there are no facilities. Some of the beach is hard coral, but if you walk a bit west you should get some good sand and swimming. You can contact Orange Hill Beach Inn and ask to spend the day there. (For a fee.) I'm certain they will accommodate you. (That hotel was pretty much my second home for 15 years.)

A friend owns Seahorse Sailing Charters, but I have not spoken to him in a few years. Other outfits can take you out to Rose Island for the day. If you're into swimming and hanging out with pigs in the water and on the beach, that's available. If you want to do something more private at a reasonable fee, let me know, and I can reach out to some people with boats to see if they are still doing tours.

I do not know anything about birding, but a Google search indicates options are out there.

It was not worth getting off the boat last year. Run down, full of street vendors and sketchy people. One guy was offering me drugs in front of my 2 young kids.