Bahamas

 

Nassau is located on New Providence Island and is part of the many islands that make up the Bahamas. It is also one of the Caribbean’s busiest cruise destinations. It’s a lively hub for cruise ships, offering visitors a mix of history, beautiful beaches, local food, shopping and excursions, all within easy reach of the cruise port.

However, I can only really speak from my own experience, as I’ve only visited Nassau a couple of times, back in the early 2000s, and each visit was on a cruise, so my time in port was quite limited.

Stepping off the cruise ship, you’re immediately surrounded by colourful Caribbean architecture, with brightly coloured colonial-style buildings and plenty of little shops and stalls selling souvenirs and local crafts.

The Bahamas has a unique food culture, with plenty of flavours and dishes to discover, particularly if you enjoy fish and seafood. One of the local specialities is conch, and I was very keen to try it, as I had never tasted it before.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. The flavours were incredible, and trying conch was one of those simple experiences that made my visit feel more authentic. Whenever I travel, I love trying something I wouldn’t normally eat at home, and this was definitely something I was glad I tried.

Although there is plenty to see around Nassau itself, both times I visited, I decided to head over to Paradise Island.

Just off the northern shores of Nassau, Paradise Island is connected to New Providence Island by a bridge and is home to the famous Atlantis resort. It seemed like the perfect place to spend the day if you wanted somewhere relaxing, but with plenty to see and do.

Getting there is relatively easy. For the quickest and most straightforward option, you could take a taxi directly from the port. You might even find yourself travelling in a rather glamorous way, as limousine taxis were a fairly normal sight in Nassau, at least they were when I visited back then!

Once at Atlantis, there was plenty to keep you occupied. Day passes were available, and I believe they still are, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy the resort’s beautiful grounds, as well as attractions such as the Aquaventure water park, the beaches and The Dig.

Even if you didn’t have access to all of the resort’s facilities, you could still enjoy the casino, shops, impressive lobby areas and restaurants, which were open to the public.

One of the things that really caught my attention was The Dig, Atlantis’s enormous themed aquarium and walkthrough attraction. The giant aquarium in the Royal Lobby was particularly impressive.

The gardens around the resort feature ponds and waterways, which form part of the elaborate Atlantis theme. The Dig takes this even further, creating the impression that you’re walking through an archaeological excavation of the mythical lost city of Atlantis. Inside, interconnected chambers and tunnels are decorated with ancient-looking ruins, hieroglyphics, artefacts and other details inspired by the legend of Atlantis and Plato’s writings.
And then there were the fish. An incredible variety of marine life, including sharks, stingrays, eels, jellyfish, colourful reef fish and many other species. In fact, Atlantis is home to one of the world’s largest open-air marine habitats, with a collection of more than 250 marine species.

The Atlantis experience was so good that I went back when I returned to Nassau a few years later. It was just as enjoyable the second time around, and I was glad to have the opportunity to experience it again.

I know I’ve only experienced a small part of what Nassau has to offer, but that’s what makes me want to go back one day and see more of the island.