Island wonderland
The Bahamas could be the place where fairytales come true. Just mind the sharks
THE Bahamas, in many ways, will remind you of scenes straight out of a fairytale.
Its capital, Nassau, has main streets lined with buildings painted pink; its most famous themed hotel, the Atlantis, reminds you of a castle in the clouds; and the private islands and beaches that make up this Caribbean nation are perfect for quiet romantic getaways.
Indeed, the Bahamas can take any traveller into a realm of make-believe.
Pirate haven to souvenir paradise
Made up of 29 islands and 661 cays (sandy islands formed on top of coral reefs), one's journey into the Bahamas will often start from Nassau.
First impressions: It is a capital city made for tourists. You know this because its main Bay Street is packed with branded stores and souvenir shops, and the many colonial buildings are painted a strangely artificial shade of pastel.
The good news is that the locals, so used to shiploads of tourists, are happy to approach lost travellers to offer help.
More inquisitive travellers, however, can gain a more enlightened experience of Nassau if they make an attempt to seek out what lies beneath the city's sugar-coated offerings.
Looking beyond the popular tourist attractions such as Fort Fincastle, the Water Tower and the Straw Market for souvenirs, my friend and I ventured to the Pompey Museum Of Slavery And Emancipation, which tells the heartwrenching tales of the slave trade that thrived in the Bahamas in the 18th and 19th centuries; and the Pirates Of Nassau Museum, which showcases the country's tumultuous past as a haven for pirates.
But the Bahamas does not impose its turbulent past on travellers who do not seek it out. The country attracts hordes of tourists every year because of its ability to deliver a delightful, stress-free vacation, complete with shopping, sight-seeing, lazy afternoons on the beach and fascinating island adventures.
We used Nassau as a base for a week-long holiday in the Bahamas, allocating a few days to explore the cays and islands nearby, and a full day for the country's famous Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.
Of dragons, sharks and Atlantis
Like how hotels in Las Vegas have become tourist attractions in themselves, so has the US$800-million ($1.1-billion) Atlantis, the most extravagant themed hotel in the Bahamas. For US$35, visitors can sign up for a tour of the hotel grounds, meticulously decorated to reflect the story of the mythical lost city of Atlantis.
Complete with private beaches and pools, a massive shopping mall and a casino, and an indoor maze of aquariums and themed chambers filled with artificial ancient ruins to jog one's imagination of Atlantis, it's no wonder that the most expensive hotel suite in Atlantis costs a whopping US$25,000 per night, making it one of the most expensive in the world.
Outside of the Atlantis, you will find adventures that are more palpable and less make-believe. We signed up for a high-speed powerboat ride to the famous Exuma Cays, a string of islands located 55 minutes away from Nassau.
As we pulled up at our first stop, a small, secluded beach on Allen's Cay, we noticed cautious movement on the sand. Lizard-like creatures were moving slowly towards our boat.
Also known as Bahamian Dragons, the endangered rock iguanas are Allen Cay's most famous inhabitants. These creature can grow up to 1.5 metres in length. The island was teeming with some 130 of them, all unafraid of humans, advancing towards us from every direction.
Our guide handed us grapes and told us to feed them to the iguanas generously. Not willing to lose any fingers, we used twigs to hold out the grapes and the iguanas, as if on cue, scampered towards us and claimed the food with one swift bite.
At our next stop, Ship Channel Cay, we were greeted by hungry creatures of a different kind. Alighting from our boat at a private beach, we were told to stand in a line in the water as our guides brought out buckets of chopped-up fish and announced that it was feeding time. For the stingrays.
About half a dozen shadows - broadwinged and graceful - glided towards us. We were encouraged to reach out and touch them as their wings flapped against our legs in the water, their skin like soft rubber to the touch.
To add to the surrealism of the situation, we were urged to stay put in the water as the bloody fish bait attracted hungry sharks to our group.
Grey fins glided stealthily towards us, coming at the bait fast and furious as our guide tried to pull back the bait in an acrobatic tug-of-war.
Indeed, the Bahamas makes for an intriguing holiday of make-believe, filled with experiences in the most surreal of settings. This country in the Caribbean may just be the place where fairytales come true.
Things to know
Budget: Accommodation and day trips out to the islands and cays are typically a traveller's largest expense. As for food, an average main course at a restaurant will cost about US$10 to US$20.
Accommodation: Many all-inclusive packages covering hotel stays, three buffet meals a day and flights from Miami, Florida, cost just about US$100 per day. Other options would be to suss out budget hotels in Nassau, with double rooms costing about US$35 per night. The Towne Hotel, located just off the main street of Nassau, is a good option.
Getting around: Public buses in Nassau run from downtown to the main beaches and tourist attractions for about US$1 per ride. To get to the islands, buy tickets from the Bahamas Ferries terminal, which may cost about US$60 for more popular destinations such as Harbour Island. Excursions to the cays via powerboats cost about US$200 for a day trip.
Taken from TODAYOnline.com; source article is TODAYonline | Travel | Island wonderland
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