I decided it would be fun to write my post like a vacation book - by topic - instead of chronologically. That being said, Ryan and I went on the most fabulous vacation - not trip - to Nassau, Bahamas last week. We left our kids for 4 nights/5 days with my parents... and not once called home. It was blissful. The boys did great, better than my exhausted mom, and I literally cried on the flight back. This being said, here are my reviews.
Why Go
Do you need a reason to escape from the winter cold and life's responsibilities? I didn't.
If you are wondering why we picked Nassau... Our flight was two legs (layover in Atlanta) each one about 1-1/2 hours. I didn't want to waste our short time traveling, which was likely to happen with Costa Rica or Cozumel. I figured a warm beach was a warm beach no matter how long I was on the plane. I still agree with my reasoning.
When to Go
Our average temperature was about 80, which was perfect for laying around in all the hotel lounge chairs around the beach and pool area. It was also perfect for hikin' it around the city, which we did a lot. The pool water felt great after a long day at different historical sites and shopping venues, but the ocean water was quite chilly. We had planned on borrowing our hotel's snorkeling gear, but the thought of getting in the water above our ankles made us think again.
It goes without saying that it was perfect to be gone from the Midwest while Chicago got dumped with a foot of snow, but if you want to do some real ocean swimming, later in the year may be better.
Best Places to Stay
We stayed in the British Colonial Hilton in downtown Nassau. Downtown was the perfect location for us. We spent most of our time walking to places, and then just two day-trips to the other popular locations. This worked well only because we didn't have the kids. We loved it.
Other popular locations for hotels are at Cable Beach and on Paradise Island. If you want to do mostly relaxing and tanning, Cable is probably best. If you want the Disney Land/Las Vegas crowds and entertainment, Paradise is a better pick. Paradise is one giant water park, so kids would be much happier there too.
The Hilton, our home away from home, was also the location of two James Bond movies.
For those of you who are family, you'll remember that when Ryan and I met his BMW plate read "Bond." Yep, the perfect location for us.
We were situated on the port where all the ships come in and out, so we got to watch the try to maneuver and turn around. Once again, great place for us without kids.
Best Places to Eat
The Bahamian people move slow, so expect meals - no matter how simple or complex - to take about 1-1/2 hours.
Local fare - $
Cafe Skan's: Not the cleanest or nicest, but good food for the price. We went here almost straight from the airport, so we ate boring - bacon cheeseburger and grilled chicken sandwich. Nothing special. Straightforward and filling.
Conch Fritters: Clean and nice, but basically just over-priced fast food. Twice the waitress told us they didn't have what was listed on their menu, and when it was time to pay she wanted cash because the credit card machine was broken. Rude service and overpriced.
Arawak Cay: Locally called the "fish fry," we spent two evenings along this strip of shacks.
They all serve the same thing, so we found the cheapest the second time (our last night), Oh Andros. Our favorite dish was the conch fritters, an appetizer. They're battered and fried (of course they're delish!) and served with a ketchup, mayo and hot sauce mix. Yum!
I actually preferred the side dishes to the main ones (I got shrimp both times). They serve macaroni and cheese as a side - with a hint of hot - and I've actually craved it since we got home. I also totally loved their "peas n rice," which was really rice and black beans (think Cajun dirty rice). Ryan loved the plantains. Mmm, makes my mouth water just remembering.
Olives: We "accidentally" stumbled upon this gem for lunch right before we headed back to the airport. Ryan got a basil, tomato and prosciutto panini, and I got a pesto hamburger. Words can't describe how good each were! The sides were pretty abysmal, but the mains definitely made up for it.
Fancy - $$$
Cafe Matisse: Our favorite place! An Italian restaurant in the government section of downtown, they have a beautiful garden out back with palms and patio for eating. By recommendation, we ordered ginger lemonade... Oh my goodness. Sooo good! We shared a pizza, homemade pasta and salad. We would have returned, but we didn't go until Saturday, and they are closed Sundays and Mondays. Highly recommend! Great location and awesome staff and food.
Graycliff Restaurant: Located in an 18th-century home with a rich history, it is very dignified. Since I'm not into teeny-tiny portions served for $50 a plate, I was more than a little frustrated. We shared a $65 ten-ounce steak filet, and since everything was a la carte, we ordered some asparagus to share. We got 4 spears, two each.
Summary: We spent $150 to share a 10-ounce steak and 4 asparagus spears. I left hungry. Not my kind of place, but if you like that kind of thing, have at it.
Best Things to Do
Downtown
Pirates of Nassau Museum: Just across the street from our hotel stood the pirate hall-of-fame. Though a bit expensive ($12 per person), we couldn't pass it up.
It had the right mix of entertainment and history, and we had a great time searching the plaques for blatant spelling and punctuation errors. (Stay tuned for this future post!) This stop is also where I grabbed the title of my post today. Though it was a pirate slogan, we thought it fitting for our vacation. :-)
Rawson Square (fountain), Parliament Square (Queen Victoria), Government House (Columbus): I'm going to lump these all together because, quite honestly, they are all about the same. The government district is filled with pink stucco buildings with green shutters, and each one exhibits a different statue out front (noted in parentheses above). We had a great time wandering among them all, but they all kind of blur together in my memory.
Public Library: Though also pink and green, the local library is round, and we ventured up the rickety old spiral staircase to the top. They didn't allow any picture-taking inside, but each section (fiction, juvenile, nonfiction) was in these tiny spider-legs off the middle, no longer or wider than my arm's width. It was pathetic to see, but nonetheless it was a super cool building, with a great view from its upper balcony.
Fort Fincastle/Queen's Staircase: A hilltop fort built in 1793, it was never used and finally became a lighthouse. Today it is just a tourist stop. Shaped like a paddle wheel, it is worth noting but really the main reason to stop here is to climb to the top: The whole island is in view. Beautiful. I'm glad we went our last day; it was a good summary of all we'd done.
On the other hand, the staircase is breath-taking. Carved by salves from solid limestone, it was commissioned to provide a secret passage off the island for the governor in case of attack. Unfortunately, thousands were literally worked to death and it has only ever been used as a thing of beauty.
Graycliff Cigar Company: Attached to the Graycliff Restaurant, this silly place was equally disappointing. Reeking of stink and filth, it was depressing to watch the young and old toil away rolling tobacco leaves and waxing the ends. I got out as quickly as possible; Ryan thought it was neat.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Yep, we went to church on vacation. And let me tell you how peaceful sacrament meeting was without our hooligans! Sigh. Anyway, it was fun to see fully-clothed locals with a good head on their shoulders, bright eyes, and plans for their future. It cheered me up after having seen so much of the other side of things. :-(
Cable Beach
We took the jitney bus the 20 minutes to Cable Beach. Everyone said it couldn't be missed, but the private beach at our hotel was so perfect, we could have missed it. It was probably a waste of an afternoon. We did notice that the water was far calmer here than at our place or at Paradise Island.
Paradise Island
The Bridge: We opted to walk over the bridge to get there. It was far and hot, and we'd probably choose otherwise in hindsight, but the views from the top were beautiful.
Jet-skis: Though we didn't rent our jet-ski from here, I wish we had, which is why I'm lumping it into this category. Everyone should rent a jet ski for a hour while among multiple islands! We had a great time exploring nearly desolate islands, as well as the beach-view of some rather ridiculous (and amazing) mansions. Learn from our mistake though: don't forget your sunscreen!
Marina: Talk about wealth. We had a nice time wandering amidst the biggest yachts I'll probably behold in this life. I got my picture in front of mine. Ha ha.
Dolphin Cay: Part of the Atlantis mega-resort, I'm not sure it was worth the hassle, but Ryan loved it.
We walked forever in the hot sun because we didn't have Atlantis wristbands (and therefore couldn't access their beaches or hotels), and then we spent $21 on two hot dogs and drinks so we could sit in the sun on their patio and watch others play with the dolphins.
We could have done it too, but $150 per person for 30 minutes... well, you draw your own conclusions.
Versailles Gardens: Almost no one seems to know about this formal, multi-tiered palm garden lined with classical statues, but I read about it in our book, and I'm so glad we found it!
It includes the Cloister, built in the 12th century by French monks, which was purchased from William Randolph Hearst and shipped piece-by-piece to the Bahamas. Sweet.
It was also great to rest here in the quiet shade after all the busy-ness of the rest of this island.
Ferry: We headed back to the downtown by ferry. For only $4, it was fun and totally worth it. The "guide" on board was hysterical and told fun facts mixed with humor. I'll share just one: As we docked, he asked, "Which nation is the best?" We offered the US and the Bahamas. One bright lady even said "Imagination." He helped us out, while passing his baseball cap around: "Do-nation!"
Where to Shop
Duty-free stores (along Bay Street): I'm not into this, but there was Gucci, Coach, Swiss watches and diamond stores galore. Apparently, there were good deals. It wasn't why I was there, and we skipped it all.
Straw Market: I hate the haggling, "hey lady" atmosphere, and I quickly was done. Over the course of our five days, we ended up with a few souvenirs: a straw hat, a straw bag, a straw basket, some jewelery. That was enough for us.
Prince George Wharf (Woodes Rogers Walk) & Bay Street: As the entrance to the island for all the cruise ships, this strip is lined with t-shirt and souvenir shops. We found some shirts and a picture frame.
Summary
I'd say we could have gone just about anywhere (as long as it was warm!) and been just as happy, but the short flight was definitely awesome. I'd recommend it to others seeking a warm, winter escape. Happy Bahama dreams!
And that concludes my travel book entry. Overall, it was the best five days of my married life!
Thank you, Mom & Dad!
