Nassau for nightlife
Written: Dec 20 '99
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Close to U.S., reasonable airfare, great nightclubs, diving, fishing, water, partying
Cons: heavy traffic, litter, caution in some areas due to crime
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| rohana's Full Review: Nassau |
If you are considering a vacation to Nassau, The Bahamas, there are a few things you need to know before you make your decision. Nassau is linked by a short bridge over the harbor to Paradise Island,which is basically a very small island filled with resort hotels and casinos, including the newly famous Atlantis. If you enjoy beautiful beaches, warm beautiful water, total resort type vacationing, then you will like Paradise Island. Most hotels have pool parties with free rum drinks for guests at least once a week. You will find steel pan bands playing island music poolside at many hotels. Club Med is there also, as is gambling and expensive dining and clubs. Drinks are ridiculously expensive in the Atlantis if you purchase them at one of their bars rather than get them free while gambling.
The beaches offer the usual parasailing and banana boat rides,etc. There are also locals with motor boats or cabin cruisers who will take you fishing or just out for a day on the beautiful water if you can afford it (more about this later). If you walk along the beach you can easily find areas which are less populated if you want a bit of space. The water will be shallow and calm and great for snorkeling.
If you want to get away from the touristy or artificial atmosphere of a resort, then spend some time in Nassau. Nassau is old and has lots of history which will take a day to peruse in the downtown area. I used to live there and can recommend that you take a leisurely ride with a friendly cab driver around the island to see some of the beautiful mansions that sit at the water's edge, or rent a scooter or car if you think you can handle heavy traffic mostly one-way and driving on the left side with crazy drivers.
Nassau is not safe for tourists in the inner part of the island, so stay along the shoreline. Also, do not stray away from populated areas at night if you are alone or just a couple. There are robberies of tourists. However, with some common sense, you can have a terrific time, especially if you are under than 35 or so. The nightlife is great fun and people dance pretty much all night. Most clubs close at 4 am but after hours do exist and in fact there is one right next door to the police station downtown.
A good club on the wknd is Club Waterloo. During spring break it is the place to go and holds a huge crowd of partyers - about 2000 of them! There are bands and djs and dancing and a pool and indoor and outdoor bars and it sits on a lake right across from the yacht club on the ocean. The big clubs do charge a cover charge so budget for that.
One thing you should experience is a day spent on a private boat on the water. If your budget is too limited to pay a local boat owner, try getting to know folks who keep their boats in the boat harbors near the Poop Deck restaurant or the Harbor Club or other places on the water - maybe you will get invited to spend the day fishing with them or picnicing. If you are female, it will be that much easier. Despite their outgoing exuberant manner, Bahamian men are basically gentlemen so you don't have to worry. Remember, locals are used to tourist women going wild on vacation and with planes unloading new tourists daily, are not desperate for your attentions, they just appreciate the opposite sex. By the way, if you want to sunbathe topless, you will find others doing so on Paradise Island near the part of the beach in front of Club Med or else on a private boat or a part of the beach not too populated.
There is no more beautiful water than in the Bahamas. It is aqua and irridescent and seems to have healing properties. If you party all night and sit in the water all day you will be rejuvenated. Some things not to miss in the Bahamas include eating conch salad. The fish there is delicious.
Then there is romance and you have a good chance for a vacation fling in the Bahamas. Bahamian men are very flirtatious. It is the culture. Everyone flirts with everyone else no matter their looks or their size or age. Bahamians talk in loud voices and are boisterous. Bahamian men find large women very attractive, unlike American men. So big american women will find they are getting more attention than they ever enjoyed back home, as will all women of all sizes.
You don't have to spend a lot of money. Once you arrive you can find decent lodging for less than $75/night. Try to stay on the Eastern side of the Island and not out west, unless you have a big budget for taxi fare. Eat locally where locals eat. If you don't get put off by the loud boom boxes blasting hip hop from the cars and the less than tidy look of the place, you can really have a blast, especially if you enjoy the nightlife and hanging out at the beach in the daytime. During the summer it is extremely hot and humid and the beach is the only place you can feel good outdoors.
If you are planning a holiday trip, when xmas day is over, at about 4 in the morning on the 26th, head downtown for junkanoo. It is like mardi gras or Carnival and terrific fun with costumes and music and floats that will thrill you. Picture 200 men marching and beating on african goatskin drums - that's just one unforgettable sight you will see. The same thing takes place again a few hours after new years eve at about 4 a.m. Don't miss it if you are there. Leave your purse at home and wear comfortable clothing and stay close to your companions...it is very crowded. Typically there are always cruise ship passengers watching the parade too, because it all takes place right downtown where the cruise ships also dock.
What Nassau is not is good for families with kids, unless you stay on Paradise Island pretty much. It is great for honeymooners and young people and young singles. Also, don't miss taking an evening booze cruise - which is a disco party with rum punch included in the price on a big multi-level party boat that cruises around the island for the evenig. Have a great time! For budget travelers, there are places that are cheap to stay so long as you are careful to select one in a safe location. There is also an ashram with modest accomodations on Paradise Island. There are motels where locals stay that are fine also. You can get a large room at the Harbor Club on the Eastern Road (East Bay St.) right on the water for about $80 a night, there is a restaurant on the premises and it is right across from a mall and right near Club Waterloo and other nightclubs and restaurants.
My best advice is to relax and give yourself a couple of days to unwind and slow down. Get into the water, get tanned and glowing, go dancing about 11 at night, party till the wee hours, sleep til noon, have breakfast in a local place, hang out on the beach with a cool drink and then nap in your hotel room for a couple of hours til you shower and dress for dinner and dancing. It's that kind of place.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
rohana
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Reviews written: 1
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