Abaco - A Great Place to Visit
Written: Oct 03 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful scenery, Cheap prices, Easy access, Nice people, Laid back lifestyle
Cons: Roads are questionable, Not too technologically advanced (which could be a plus!)
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| aurigus's Full Review: Abaco Islands |
Review Topic: Overview
I have traveled to the town of Marsh Harbour on the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas twice now - once in Summer 1998 and once January 2000. I traveled there via a single engine plane - my father's - so I can not recommend any commercial carriers. However, Marsh Harbour Airport has US Air servicing it so flight in and out happens on a fairly regular basis.
Now on to the island itself. The first time I visited this was a plush tropical island with coconut trees all around. The second time was right after Hurricane Floyd so many of the trees had fallen down and also many building had been damaged or destroyed. Even with all the mess - I still enjoyed this island greatly and it is extremely beautiful. Tropical plants and trees abound; and to our amazement during the summer many hermit crabs live right on the land on the island.
There are several places to stay. We stayed in a house on the Eastern Shore. There are maybe a few dozen of these houses which are available for rent privately. The Eastern Shore is great - it is a little spit of land about 50 feet wide and ocean on both sides. There is also The Inn at Marsh Harbour which looked like a very nice place to stay. We had scuba diving lessons there and also ate at their restaurant. Both the food and the service there was first class. (Try the Conch Fritters, the island speciality!)
For the first trip I went with my family (my father, mother, younger brother and younger sister) and the second trip I went with my family plus my girlfriend. I would have to say that I enjoyed this trip much more with my girlfriend and I would recommend that you go with your significant other rather than with your family. The island is very romantic, especially at night. There are many local shops to choose from which have all kinds of products ranging from cheap trinkets to expensive jewlery.
There are several Restaurants/Bars in the area which is enough to keep you busy at night. The drinking age is 16. During the day there are numerous activities. You can scuba dive, go fishing, cruising, or sailing, take walks, snorkel, or just spend the day relaxing in the sun (but make sure you wear sunscreen!). The most enjoyable thing to do is just waste the day away without worrying about what you are going to do next - this is also the thinking of the native bahamians. It would do everyone good to pick up on this habit of theirs - and just relax.
If you get bored of the island, you can reach several other points on the island by ferry for a very reasonable price. We saw Hope town which is an extremely quaint fishing village with a beautiful light house. It is about 5(?) miles away and the ferry ride was not too long. Treasure Cay is another nice place to visit. The beach there is the type you imagine of when thinking about a tropical island; white sand, turquoise water, bar on the beach; it's just perfect. I'd visit there just for the beach alone - there are a few shops and a "resort" type community if you are into that kind of thing.
Money is not a problem as 1 bahamian dollar = 1 US dollar. They take both there and use them interchangable. Phone service could use work - we were there 4 months after the hurricane and their phone network was still not working properly. (This was probably the only drawback that there was there). Also the roads are not US roads, but as long as you are not expecting the best roads they are not really too bad. I would recommend renting a bike for the time you are there as it is a cheap way of getting around the town.
To sum things up, Abaco Island is a place to go off the beaten track - but it is also very accessible. Everyone there proved most friendly, even the taxi drivers. If you are looking for a tropical vacation on a budget - this is the place to be.
I recommend visiting http://www.go-abacos.com/theabs/index.html as it has a comprehensive list of tourism related resources. If you would like to contact me for more information on my visit, my e-mail is dtd121@psu.edu.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
aurigus
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Location: Coatesville, PA
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
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