Bahamas Bliss: Beaches, Culture, and Caribbean Charms

This exquisite archipelago consists of around 700 islands stretched like a string of pearls across 500 miles of the Caribbean Sea. While some are well developed and bustling with tourists, luxury resorts, world-class golf courses and boisterous nightlife, others are secluded, untouched, and uninhabited aside from a wide range of diverse wildlife including various parrots and reptiles, frogs, and raccoons. The islands boast magnificent stretches of soft, golden sand beaches sandwiched between lush, tropical foliage and crystal clear, azure waters brimming with marine life. Snorkelling and diving enthusiasts can expect to find sharks, manatees, dolphins, frogfish, angelfish, and turtles sheltered in the exquisitely colourful coral reefs. Don’t miss the massive Atlantis waterpark on Paradise Island, taking part in the fabulous parades of Junkanoo, or sampling some delicious Bahamian dishes such as conch fritters, fried grouper burgers, and stone crab claws. Adventure lovers and beach bums alike will find plenty to keep them blissfully engaged while visiting these remarkably beautiful islands.

Currency

Bahamian Dollar (BSD; symbol B$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of B$100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 3 and 1, and 50 cents. Coins are in denominations of 25, 15, 10, 5 and 1 cents.

The Bahamian Dollar has parity with the US Dollar and the latter is also accepted as legal tender.

Permission is required from the Central Bank of The Bahamas to import local currency, which may be exported up to a maximum of B$70. The import and export of foreign currency are unlimited.

Currency exchange services are available in banks, bureaux de change and hotels.

Banking

Banking hours: Mon-Thurs 0930-1500/1600, Fri 0930-1700.

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa credit cards are widely accepted. ATMs are available on the major islands in airport terminals, at banks, casinos and at other convenient locations.

To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars.

Bahamasair (UP) (www.bahamasair.com) operates a few domestic flight routes. Several charter services also run inter-island flights; details are available from the Bahamas Tourist Office.

International car hire firms are represented at the airports and in Nassau and Freeport, although hiring a car is comparatively expensive. Only drivers aged 25-plus can hire a car. Vehicles are left and right-hand drive. Motor scooter hire is also available ($25-$35 daily). Helmets must be worn. Driving is on the left-hand side of the road in the Bahamas. A $2 tax applies to motorised vehicles wishing to use the bridge between Nassau and Paradise Island. National licences are valid for up to three months after which drivers are required to obtain a licence from the Bahamian authorities.Roads across the Bahamas are adequate, if often narrow, but congestion is a problem in the main cities of Nassau and Freeport. Many low-lying parts of the country are also subject to flooding. Seatbelts for drivers and passengers are compulsory by law.

Taxis are used as supplementary public transport, and are readily available. Metered rates vary according to the island, but are always reasonable and, whether government-run or privately run, all are controlled by law. Look for the Bahamahost sticker in the taxi: cab drivers with this sticker in the window are not only official, but pride themselves on real Bahamian hospitality. All taxis apply surcharges for groups and extra luggage.

Bikes are available to rent by the half day, full day or the week in tourist centres.

Jitneys (local buses) run all over the bigger islands of the Bahamas; the Family Islands (the smaller outlying islands) have almost no public transport whatsoever. Even in Nassau and Freeport, local buses are not renowned for their promptness, although as on other Caribbean islands, taking a bus for the immersion into local culture is recommended.

The Out Islands are served by leisurely mail boats which leave Nassau several times a week carrying mail and provisions to the islands. Passengers share facilities with the crew. Arrangements should be made through boat captains at Potters Cay.

Bahamas Fast Ferries (tel: 323 2166; www.bahamasferries.com) operates daily air-conditioned ferries from Nassau to North Eleuthera and Harbour Island and a thrice-weekly service to Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera, as well as one or two weekly services from Nassau to Exuma (George Town), Andros (Morgan’s Bluff and French Creek) and Abaco (Sandy Point). There are also local ferries available.

Bottled water is popular with tourists as the local water is salty to taste - although safe to drink. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat.

The Bahamas has a wealth of good restaurants and bars, from local beach-side food joints to upscale diners. Unsurprisingly fish dominates the menu: with boiled whitefish a favourite for breakfast through to dinner-time seafood and steaks. The latter are served with plantain, rice, fries or potatoes. Another popular side-dish is the Johnny Cake (pan-cooked bread made with butter and milk). Fresh fruit from the fertile Out Islands includes sweet pineapple, mango, breadfruit and papaya.

Budget for a 15% gratuity as standard, but check the bill as some hotels and restaurants include a service charge. Tip porters B$1 per bag and allow 10-15% for taxi drivers.

An almost-constant temperature prevails throughout the Bahamas thanks to refreshing, cooling trade winds. September to May is freshest at around 21-24°C (70-75°F) with warmer weather at around 27-29°C (80-85°F) the rest of the year. The temperature drops about 5°C (41°F) after dark. June to November is the hurricane season. Pack lightweight or tropical cottons all year round. Light raincoats are useful during the wet season (May to September).

Smart casual clothes in lightweight natural fabrics will work best - It is warm and sunny but not unbearably hot all year round. However the nights tend to be a little cooler and a sweater is worth taking. Daytime essentials include t-shirts, camisoles, sarongs and shorts as most people spend their time on the beach. Don't forget a sunhat and sunglasses, plus good sunscreen. Mosquitoes can be a problem, so take insect/mosquito repellent and cover up with long sleeves and pants when you can, particularly in the evenings if you are outdoors. Avoid wearing any scent or perfume. Keep your swimwear for the beach, beach bars and hotel pools.There are a number of up-market restaurants where the dress code is super smart, so you may like to add in a nice outfit for dining out. If you plan to explore the island, take some lightweight comfy shoes or sandals for walking around. Pack light as it's very easy to get clothes laundered.

Electrical sockets (outlets) in The Bahamas are very similar to the electrical outlets found in the United States and Canada, and if your appliance has a North American plug, it's possible that you won't need any adapter at all in order to plug in there. However, there are two potentially very important physical differences that may need to be addressed with an adapter: grounding and/or polarization. If your plug has one or both, and the socket doesn't, then the plug may not physically be able to fit into the socket without an adapter.

In the case of a North American appliance plug, grounding is accomplished by the third, round pin beneath and below the two vertical blades on the plug. Polarization is accomplished by the left vertical blade being taller than the right, so that the plug can't be inserted upside down. U.S. and Canadian sockets are required to be both grounded and polarized. But in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Japan and other areas which use U.S. style sockets, grounding and polarization often are not required, and in fact, the majority of sockets in many of these areas do not accept the taller blade and/or the third grounding pin. This will prevent a North American appliance plug from being able to plug into these sockets, if the plug is either grounded or polarized.

So what it boils down to is this: If your appliance has a North American plug, these adapters serve as a "just in case" fallback. Should you find that either grounding or polarization prevents your appliance from plugging into the Japanese or Central/South American socket at your specific location, these adapters address those issues and allow you to plug in. You may not need them. But for many travelers, it's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Electrical sockets (outlets) in The Bahamas usually supply electricity at between 110 and 120 volts AC. If you're plugging in a U.S. or Canadian 120 volt appliance, or an appliance that is compatible with multiple voltages, then an adapter is all you need.

But travel plug adapters do not change the voltage, so the electricity coming through the adapter will still be the same 110-120 volts the socket is supplying. If your appliance is from another part of the world, and it is built only for 220-240 volt electricity, or a Japanese appliance built for 100 volts, then a travel plug adapter by itself won't be sufficient. The voltage will have to be changed from 110-120 volts at the socket, to whatever voltage your appliance requires. This is accomplished with a voltage transformer.