Thanks to my mom for this wonderful birthday present!
Written: Aug 16 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: great for beach lovers, plenty of activities and shopping, nice people
Cons: some things very expensive, humidity
The Bottom Line: I really enjoyed my trip to Nassau, and I thank my parents for the nice birthday trip.
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| jessicamc4's Full Review: Nassau |
About six months ago, my mom started talking about how she needed a vacation. I agreed with her because the last time she traveled was to Hawaii in 1998. I have been to Florida a couple times in the past year, but I have never been to any "tropical island getaway". So when my mom asked me what I would like for my birthday and I just had the usual whatever answer, she suggested taking me and my best friend to the Bahamas.
My mom had been to the Bahamas twice before. One time to Nassau, one time to Freeport. She wanted us to check out Nassau for this trip, and I happily agreed.
Nassau is located on New Providence Island. Across the bridge is Paradise Island, which is where we stayed. Paradise Island is kind of like the outskirts of Nassau.
Where We Stayed
Our hotel was the all-inclusive Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort on Paradise Island. I loved staying where everything was included. At check-in, we were given wristbands to show we were guests of the hotel. The outdoor bar, Wahoo's, served food and drinks every day from 10am-11pm. You just walked up to the bar and ask for your beer, mixed drink, or place a food order. There is also self-serve mixed drink machines where you just pour the rum or tequila into a cup and then turn the Icee-like drink mix dispenser to finish it off. These self-serve drinks were nasty!!! The liquor was cheap and the mix was very watered down. The free beers at the bar
were the local beers Kakli, Kakli Light, and also Miller Lite. The bartenders could make just about any drink you requested, and the food was mainly burgers, chicken strips, conch fritters, hot dogs, etc. all served with fries. The all-you-can-eat Captain's table buffet was open during certain hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
I definitely recommend all-inclusive accommodations. You can eat and drink as much as you please all day long.
Where Else We Ate
Our first night we dined at Anthony's Caribbean Grill, located on Paradise Island within a center of gift shops. This place had different types of seafood, all flavored with various barbeque or caribbean spices/sauces. My best friend and I ordered the Caribbean Chicken Pizza, which was different but tasted wonderful. Live music was played at night, however this was a very casual and relaxed atmosphere.
After a day at the Straw Market (see below) we stopped in Senor Frogs for drinks and appetizers. This place was a big contrast from the low-key Anthony's. Even in the day time, there was karaoke, dancing, loud music, and someone pouring a bottle of alcoholic beverages directly into the mouths of willing participants. This place was very fun and entertaining.
Attractions We Visited
We spent part of the day at the Straw Market, which was like an outdoor flea market. Rows and rows of local residents with booths set up of things to sell to us tourists. It is very easy to spend a lot of money here. I spent over $50 after only being there for about 5 minutes. These ladies can make some beautiful dolls, sovenier fans, straw bags with your name on them, basically really neat stuff. I bought about 5 necklaces, all very unique. I believe much of the jewelry is worth the price because I have never seen anything like it here. You can also purchase T-Shirts, picture frames, and basically anything you would find in a gift shop here at the Straw Market.
Another day, we took a day cruise to Blue Lagoon Island. The boat we went out there on was really quite nice, with two levels of seating and a live band on the inside lower level. Blue Lagoon Island is also where the Dolphin Encounter was located, but we did not get a chance to do that part. When you actually get to the island, you are free to swim in the ocean, lay on the beach, snorkel, lay in on of the many hammocks, or take a paddle boat into the water. Once the boat arrives to Blue Lagoon you can choose to stay for (I think) either three hours or five hours. Just listen for the announcements about when the boats are heading back to Nassau.
On our last day, we went for a quick visit of the Atlantis. This beautiful hotel located on Paradise Island had walls of aquariums full of beautiful fish, sharks, and sting rays. Of course, we could only go so far in the Atlantis because we were not staying there, but it was still nice to see what we did.
You will never have a problem finding cabs to take you around town or across the bridge. At any given time there were about 10 cabs outside our hotel, just waiting to give rides. Most charged a flat rate depending on where you wanted to go.
Final Thoughts
I think I will definitely visit Nassau again. The people are friendly, the ocean and beaches are beautiful, and there is so much to do and see. I had a great time and I highly recommend a trip to Nassau.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
jessicamc4
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Jessica
Location: East Tennessee, USA
Reviews written: 143
Trusted by: 73 members
About Me:
I'm back again and just writing for fun!
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