Bahamas Honeymoon

Posts Tagged ‘bahamas’

While many countries around the world boast of gorgeous beaches with all the trimmings, islands tend to have that special je ne sais quoi. The islands of the Bahamas call to romantics, sun worshipers and water sport enthusiasts alike.

Paradise Island is where the action is, out on a pristine beach stretching for three miles-Cabbage Beach. The areas near the huge, uber popular resorts are often teaming with life or covered with party animals catching up on their rest after a wild night of partying. On the northwestern side, Paradise Beach, which can only be accessed by boat or on foot, is far more isolated. The beach is lined with swaying palm trees, casuarinas and sea grapes, as well as charming thatched huts. This is also a good place for celebrity spotting; however, this sometimes impedes access for the general public unless you, too, are a guest of the Atlantis Resort.

Cable Beach, out on New Providence Island, is also a vibrant, lively beach in close proximity to shops, casinos, restaurants and bars. Beachcombers can opt to participate in water sports off the shore of this four mile stretch. Grand Bahama Island offers up to 60 miles of sand and surf for the intrepid beach explorer. Here, Xanadu Beach is very popular for its proximity to resort hotels that often provide a shuttle service to the beach.

For those who would prefer to get away from the crowds and enjoy a quiet ocean view sunset with their sweethearts or picnic in privacy with their families, Tahiti Beach provides the perfect backdrop. Located at the end of Elbow Cay Island, the isolated beach can only be reached on foot, by chartered boat, or by riding a rented bike through sand and gravel pathways.

Saddle Cay in the Exumas can only be reached by boat. It is completely untouched by modern amenities and features many interesting cays and islets.

For a break away from the endless stretches of white sand, take a trek down the Pink Sands Beach on the east side of Harbour Island. The three mile long beach is dotted by small hotels and private villas and has a lovely coral reef, making the waters very safe for swimming.

Snorkellers and divers should head out to Stocking Island in the Exumas. Located near George Town, it offers a fair amount of privacy and has a number of ‘blue holes’, coral gardens and undersea caves that can be explored.

Orson Johnson writes for Holiday Velvet, a website providing Bahamas vacation accommodation and Vacation Rentals.

Is the economy taking its toll on you? Are you now forced to do the work of many since your company has now downsized? Are you looking for a warm retreat that will not break the bank? This is the best time to visit the Bahamas in recent memory for a Caribbean Island vacation.

For you Bahamas vacation you will not require a passport at the Bahamas is a group of 700 islands located just 50 miles off the state of Florida – but a world away in terms of climate an culture. There’s nothing like the Caribbean islands of the Bahamas. In the Bahamas you will experience warm breezes and tropical beaches that will make your worries melt away. After a few days on one of the islands of the Bahamas you’ll come back refreshed and ready to go.

Air Carriers are now running promotions that offer deals at near historic lows, which is making now a great time to make your escape. In addition, there are many activity deals once you make your way to the Bahamas. Everything from Shark Diving with Stuart Core or enjoying an outer island excursion to Abaco can now be enjoyed at a rate that will be easy on your pocket book. When you make travel arrangements, check all the major travel sites which offer deals and all the carriers and activity providers.

Great deals can also be found on tropical vacations if you have the ability to leave home quickly when an opportunity arises. You can call any of the major cruise and hotels operators for last minute deals.Another great money saving idea is to try and get off the beaten path when traveling to the Caribbean. With more than 700 tropical islands in the Bahamas, you don’t have to go to Nassau with everyone on the plant. Research some of the smaller islands where you’ll find smaller boutique hotels that will be void of crowds. For more Bahama vacation ideas please visit the Bahama Vacation resource section of our website. There has never been a more economical time to start planning your Caribbean getaway so you best get started now. There may never be another time where travel to the Caribbean is so affordable.

Chris Johnson is one of the staff writers for http://www.warmislands.com and is considered to be one of the World’s leading authorities on Caribbean Vacations.

I live in Florida, but my family enjoys vacationing in the Bahamas because it is not quite as hot as in Florida and it is a better value. Generally, the hotels are much nicer in the Bahamas and also a better value.

I’ve stayed in many hotels in the Bahamas, but the Sheraton Lucaya is by far my favorite. I have two children (boys, now ages six and ten, but they have been traveling since they were babies) and my criteria for a good family hotel in the Bahamas is as follows:

1. The hotel must be clean. I am very particular of where my family sleeps and eats. I suppose I am a bit of a perfectionist, but my family really looks forward to and anticipates our family vacations. We deserve to feel comfortable and pampered and not worry if it’s safe or savory to sleep, bathe or be comfortable. I am most particular about the cleanliness of hotel bathrooms, hot tubs and pools.

2. It must be family friendly. I do not want dirty looks from other patrons if my children are having fun in the hotel pool or restaurant. But, I want the hotel to still be classy and not lacking because of all of the kids and families. Disney really has the family friendly atmosphere perfected and I want whatever hotel I stay in to embrace and welcome my family as much as possible.

3. The staff must be energetic, mature, and loving. Most family friendly hotels today have a kids club or some sort of camp or babysitting to entertain children. This is a nice idea, but not all hotels really excel at this. In order for me to feel comfortable leaving my children and in order for my children to want to participate in the camp, the staff really has to have a magic way with children (and with parents). You have to trust the employees and know they welcome your children.

4. The hotel has to be both relaxing and entertaining. I want to be able to relax in the hotel, but I don’t want it to be boring with nothing to do.

5. The hotel has to be reasonably priced. There are many hotels in the Bahamas which are wonderful but cost way too much. Atlantis is the gold standard, but if I stayed there, I could only afford to stay a few days. I need a clean, luxurious hotel with all the bells and whistles that is reasonably priced so I can afford to stay several days.

The Sheraton Lucaya on Grand Bahama Island fits the bill beautifully. I have gone here time and time again because it is a beautiful, clean, relaxing yet exciting resort that offers something for all members of my family. There are a lot of fun family activities and there are also opportunities for parents to be alone while the kids are entertained in the kids club. The staff is wonderful at engaging the kids.

My boys look forward to kids club as there is a different activity everyday. There is also a huge variety of outdoor activities as well as the relaxation of the beach. This resort is full of families so we feel very comfortable here. It has a Disney like atmosphere without the obnoxiousness that Disney sometimes has.

Price wise, the Sheraton Lucaya is very competitive. There are always deals on the resort and it is much cheaper than Florida or other sunny destinations

The best way to evaluate the Sheraton Lucaya is by viewing video footage, reviews, and photos. Visit the Sheraton Lucaya Family Vacation Review Website by clicking here to see videos, close up photos, and rock botton comparison prices on this very family friendly Bahamas vacation.

Written by Susane Dean, an internet researcher and writer. http://bestfamilyvacation.blogspot.com

The Bahamian Kitchen, in Nassau, right next to the Trinity Church on Trinity Place, offers authentic Bahamian cuisine. It is the place to go if you’re interested in experiencing “real” Bahamian food. Specialties include such dishes as stewed fish, curried chicken, fried red snapper, okra soup, corned beef and grits, pea soup with dumplings, all served with the traditional johnnycake. Food is also available for take-out. The restaurant is open daily from 11am to 10pm.

For luxury dining at its Bahama best, Chez Willie is the place to be. At these coveted tables, Fine French and Bahamian cuisine are served. Reservations are definitely required. The seafood is divine, prepared careful and delicately seasoned with fresh herbs. Other superb dishes include Beef Wellington, and grouper in puff pastry with crabmeat, served with a coconut cream sauce. This establishment strives for and easily achieves elegance. It is suggested that gentlemen dress for the occasion, jackets are considered a must at this West Bay Street restaurant. One of the best dining places in Nassau, the hours are from 6:30pm to 10pm daily.

Excellent North Indian cuisine is available at Gaylord’s on Dowdeswell Street at Bay Street, in Nassau. Offering a full array of traditional Indian favorites, including Punjabi dishes, tandoori dishes, kormas, curries as well as fine vegetarian options. This restaurant will satisfy Indian food lovers and convert the uninitiated. Open Monday through Friday, from 12pm to 3pm and every day from 6:30pm to 11pm.

The Double Dragon Restaurant, located on Mackey Street in Nassau, presents Cantonese and Sczechwan cuisines at reasonable prices. The best dishes are those of seafood, and the orange flavored shrimp are a local favorite. The hours are 12pm to 10pm on Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, the hours are from 4pm to 11pm and on Sundays, the hours are from 5pm to 10pm.

The Europe, located in the Ocean Spray Hotel on South Bay Street in Nassau, serves wonderful German food, and also has a variety of international selections. A host of traditional German foods, of excellent quality and reasonable price, are made available. Among these are pepper steak cognac, bratwurst, sauerbraten, and wiener schnitzel. And, of course, the dessert menu includes a fabulous, classic German chocolate cake. Open Monday through Friday, from 8:30am to 11pm, this is definitely a culinary experience to try.

Capriccio offers fine Italian and international cuisine, at West bay Street, in Nassau. They serve an excellent pesto sauce, fragrant and rich, over perfect pasta. Other entrees include a delicious chicken breast creation, served with a sage and wine sauce and an array of fresh seafood. Reservations are strongly suggested, the eatery is open Monday through Saturday from 11am to 10pm and Sundays from 5pm to 10pm.

New Providence Island is a place where you can experience the cuisines of the world under a big Bahamian sky. Dining on this island is a true culinary adventure.

Randy Besosa for Caribbean In Style – Caribbean luxury vacation

The Bahamas is a chain of seven hundred tiny islands just off the Florida coast, which mixes British Colonial charm with the laid-back lifestyle of the Caribbean. All of the Bahamas islands are flat and low, with hills rising no more than 50 or 60 feet in altitude; so the climate is tropical and balmy, warmed by the Gulf Stream in winter (although the fall hurricane season is not always the best time for Bahamas vacation rentals). The population of a third of a million is about 85% black, 12% white, and 3% Hispanic and Asian. Originally the population consisted of Taino Indians who moved there from Cuba and Hispaniola in the 800’s AD, and numbered about 30,000 at the time when Christopher Columbus landed in 1492. The Spanish who followed Columbus enslaved most of the natives and removed them to other islands, so that the Bahamas was uninhabited until the mid-1600’s when British adventurers from Bermuda colonized the main islands in the chain.

The islands soon came to be a lair for Caribbean pirates, including Blackbeard. In an effort to establish order the English government made Bahamas a crown colony in 1718, and waged a long but eventually successful war against the pirates. During the American Revolution the Bahamas were attacked and the capital of Nassau was briefly captured by American Naval forces. When the American Revolution ended, over 7,000 Loyalists fled to Bahamas taking their slaves with them, and they established plantations. It was from this time that the population of Bahamas became mostly African descendants. The 1807 abolition of the British slave trade resulted in the settlement of thousands of liberated slaves on the islands.

Today the Bahamas is one of the top tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Miles and miles of gorgeous beaches are lapped by the gentle waves of the deep turquoise sea – the clearest water on earth. There is also fabulous nightlife including gourmet dining, world class casinos, golf, snorkeling and scuba diving. The hotels and marinas around Nassau resorts offer a wide variety of boat rentals and charters, including sailboat rentals, crewed and catered sailing trips, day cruises, jet skiing, charter fishing, even submarine rides. Bahamas is also famous for its great shopping in exclusive Bay Street designer boutiques, as well as the colorful straw market of Nassau town with its outdoor vegetable and fruit stalls, and famous straw handicrafts. It is recommended that visitors bring comfortable, casual attire including sandals for the beach and sneakers for hiking.

Smart casual outfits and shoes are required by some of the more upscale restaurants. It’s easy to get around, since there are jitneys that run all day, and taxis which can be called or flagged. Specialized guided tours are available depending on your interest – ecological adventuring among the wildlife and birds; shopping sprees; or gourmet – gambling flings at casinos offering blackjack, baccarat, craps, slot machines, and sports betting. Travelers to Bahamas are required to have passports (note that all inclusive resorts Bahamas include free passports in their offers) and a return ticket.

The perfect Caribbean vacation starts at all inclusive resorts Bahamas. Whether you choose one of the luxurious Nassau resorts or prefer the privacy of Bahamas vacation rentals, you are guaranteed the Caribbean holiday experience of your dreams! Visit SuperClubs today to learn more.