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Hey everyone,

Not sure if this is the right place for this topic, but I assume with everyone living so close to the Bahamas, I probably have my best shot here to get help.

I will be going to the Bahamas for the first time next weekend (Thurs, Friday, Sat, Sunday) for the first time. Just a getaway trip with my girlfriend. I wanted to ask those who have been to possibly help me plan the trip. The flight gets in by 10am on Thurs morning and I leave Sunday afternoon.

Where should I stay (any reasonable hotels)? What should I do? Any excursions or tours really worth while? Which beach should I spend my time on? Keep in mind I am 26 and on somewhat of a budget...

Thanks for your help!

Can't help on planning it, but take some pictures. I'd love to see how it is

LAWKK wrote:Hey everyone,

Not sure if this is the right place for this topic, but I assume with everyone living so close to the Bahamas, I probably have my best shot here to get help.

I will be going to the Bahamas for the first time next weekend (Thurs, Friday, Sat, Sunday) for the first time. Just a getaway trip with my girlfriend. I wanted to ask those who have been to possibly help me plan the trip. The flight gets in by 10am on Thurs morning and I leave Sunday afternoon.

Where should I stay (any reasonable hotels)? What should I do? Any excursions or tours really worth while? Which beach should I spend my time on? Keep in mind I am 26 and on somewhat of a budget...

Thanks for your help!

The bahamas consist of many many islands. You are going to have to be a tad more specific. You might as well of said i am going to California for holiday, where should i go. With that said, Im going to assume you are going to Nassau in New Providence or Paradise Island.

Sorry - the flight goes to Nassau and I was told that is prob the best place to be for a limited timed trip.

Thoughts?

I've been there once.

We stayed in Nassau at Atlantis (IMO way over-priced, but then again I'm not a fancy hotel type). It's kind of isolated the same way South Beach is isolated (Have to cross a bridge) from the rest of the Miami.

The beach there is nice, but it's the Bahamas. Every beach is nice.

Have to go to class right now but I'd look for somewhere around the 'main island' to begin. Will reply later if anything pops into my head, it was a long time ago.

Thanks!

Did anyone take any fun, interesting day excursions or tours?

Dont stay at Atlantis. Is it nice? Yes, but its way overpriced and filled with kids and old people. Its not a young person type of hangout. Assuming you dont scuba, I would definitely go on a snorkling trip. Stuarts Cove is one of the most famous companies. If you dive, go on a shark dive. Nassau is on a pretty small island so if you are staying there you will be able to cover most of it while you are there.

If you are on a budget, check out the Fish Fry. Its a restaurant on the water thats been there since the 50s and is a great deal. TBH, your best bet is to ask at your hotel where to go. There are many nice beaches there and the water is fabulous. I usually go to Bimini so i havent been to Nassau in a while but just ask the people at the hotel. But i would definitely put the snorkling/diving at the top of your list

As per excursions/trips - I assume its nothing that I would need to book in advance then?

LAWKK wrote:As per excursions/trips - I assume its nothing that I would need to book in advance then?

You/your hotel concierge should be able to do everything once you get there. I highly doubt anything would be booked solid.

There's a place called Cable Beach. Lots of hotels are there right on the beach. Compared to 'Paradise Island' it has a better beach, better location, and ore "lively" crowd IMO.

Everything Swampdonkey said, I second.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g147 ... tions.html

That site is a great resource.

Edit - If I went again...
1.) Go explore more of the island. Check out the different beaches (All are good/offer different experiences). Most things are located at the northern part of the island, I'd ask what's in the south and off the beaten path - could be interesting.

2.) Blue Lagoon Island is a short boat trip away. You can interact with dolphins in an enclosure there. I would skip it if I went again. I'd rather see animals in the wild...however some people really enjoy it. I mean, it is rated the #1 attraction on TripAdvisor.

3. Snorkel/dive. Self-explanatory

LAWKK wrote:Hey everyone,

Not sure if this is the right place for this topic, but I assume with everyone living so close to the Bahamas, I probably have my best shot here to get help.

I will be going to the Bahamas for the first time next weekend (Thurs, Friday, Sat, Sunday) for the first time. Just a getaway trip with my girlfriend. I wanted to ask those who have been to possibly help me plan the trip. The flight gets in by 10am on Thurs morning and I leave Sunday afternoon.

Where should I stay (any reasonable hotels)? What should I do? Any excursions or tours really worth while? Which beach should I spend my time on? Keep in mind I am 26 and on somewhat of a budget...

Thanks for your help!

Well I'm glad I logged in tonight. I'll give you the real scoop.

Since you've stated that you're working with a budget, I would not suggest that you stay at Atlantis. While Paradise Island is absolutely beautiful, Atlantis is a budget breaker. Easily. However, you can stay at Comfort Suites (Paradise Island) - http://www.comfortsuitespi.com & have full access to the Atlantis Resort.

Cable Beach (as another poster mentioned) is also a decent alternative. We're currently in the process of building a new resort destination (Bahamar) on the Cable Beach strip, so by this time next year I'd say Cable Beach will be the new 'hot spot'. Some of the hotels are being slightly affected by the resort development (via traffic diversions), but that shouldn't be a deterrent. Their rates may be more reasonable than any Paradise Island lodging.

As for the tours/excursions, stick with this company: http://majestictoursbahamas.com/ToursandExcursionsatMajesticTours.htm. They are the best & the most popular. Or....if you feel their prices may be too steep, you can always pick out several of the tours & ask a taxi driver for the same "experience".

But I would definitely do the "Dolphin Encounters" excursion & a sightseeing tour. If you'd just like a nice "fairly secluded" beach, ask about a day trip to "Blue Lagoon Island".

As for the beaches, any of the ones your hotel gives you access to is going to be one of the best.

And be sure to visit "The Fish Fry" (aka "Arawak Cay"). Some of the best food you'll ever taste in Nassau. Try the conch salad, conch fritters, grilled shrimp, cracked conch.......everything. & if you're a "drinker', you must try our "Sky Juice" (comprised of Gin & Coconut Water & Sweet Milk).

I hope that I've been of some help. I also pray that you arrive here safely & have a wonderful trip.

I stayed at Sandals as part of the honeymoon. Place was great, it was all inclusive though and all the beer and wine was all terrible. As it was all inclusive, we hardly left the resort at all. We did make the trek to Atlantis and I would think unless you love gambling and are not on a strict budget, it would not be great. There is a huge aquarium under Atlantis which did look awesome though. We didn't have time, but would say it is worth checking out from the little I could see.

Get used to hearing 'Who Let the Dogs Out' and 'Get Low' if you take public transport. They seem to be on loop. I swear grandmothers on the bus were singing 'till the sweat drips from my balls'.

THANKS EVERYONE! THIS HAS BEEN A HUGGGE HELP

MartyConlonJr wrote:I stayed at Sandals as part of the honeymoon. Place was great, it was all inclusive though and all the beer and wine was all terrible. As it was all inclusive, we hardly left the resort at all. We did make the trek to Atlantis and I would think unless you love gambling and are not on a strict budget, it would not be great. There is a huge aquarium under Atlantis which did look awesome though. We didn't have time, but would say it is worth checking out from the little I could see.

Get used to hearing 'Who Let the Dogs Out' and 'Get Low' if you take public transport. They seem to be on loop. I swear grandmothers on the bus were singing 'till the sweat drips from my balls'.

lol. you must have been here a while back.

Atlantis is the classic tourist spot, and it is fun though expensive

If you want to do something else, something I did which I really liked was just to take a motorized scooter around the entire island. I rented the scooter for the day, and just drove around seeing the entire island in just a few hours.

heatwillbeback wrote:If you want to do something else, something I did which I really liked was just to take a motorized scooter around the entire island. I rented the scooter for the day, and just drove around seeing the entire island in just a few hours.

RapsGirl - This sounds like a really fun/good idea. Will the road construction be a problem if I decided to do this?

RapsGirl wrote:

LAWKK wrote:Hey everyone,

Not sure if this is the right place for this topic, but I assume with everyone living so close to the Bahamas, I probably have my best shot here to get help.

I will be going to the Bahamas for the first time next weekend (Thurs, Friday, Sat, Sunday) for the first time. Just a getaway trip with my girlfriend. I wanted to ask those who have been to possibly help me plan the trip. The flight gets in by 10am on Thurs morning and I leave Sunday afternoon.

Where should I stay (any reasonable hotels)? What should I do? Any excursions or tours really worth while? Which beach should I spend my time on? Keep in mind I am 26 and on somewhat of a budget...

Thanks for your help!

Well I'm glad I logged in tonight. I'll give you the real scoop.

Since you've stated that you're working with a budget, I would not suggest that you stay at Atlantis. While Paradise Island is absolutely beautiful, Atlantis is a budget breaker. Easily. However, you can stay at Comfort Suites (Paradise Island) - http://www.comfortsuitespi.com & have full access to the Atlantis Resort.

Cable Beach (as another poster mentioned) is also a decent alternative. We're currently in the process of building a new resort destination (Bahamar) on the Cable Beach strip, so by this time next year I'd say Cable Beach will be the new 'hot spot'. Some of the hotels are being slightly affected by the resort development (via traffic diversions), but that shouldn't be a deterrent. Their rates may be more reasonable than any Paradise Island lodging.

As for the tours/excursions, stick with this company: http://majestictoursbahamas.com/ToursandExcursionsatMajesticTours.htm. They are the best & the most popular. Or....if you feel their prices may be too steep, you can always pick out several of the tours & ask a taxi driver for the same "experience".

But I would definitely do the "Dolphin Encounters" excursion & a sightseeing tour. If you'd just like a nice "fairly secluded" beach, ask about a day trip to "Blue Lagoon Island".

As for the beaches, any of the ones your hotel gives you access to is going to be one of the best.

And be sure to visit "The Fish Fry" (aka "Arawak Cay"). Some of the best food you'll ever taste in Nassau. Try the conch salad, conch fritters, grilled shrimp, cracked conch.......everything. & if you're a "drinker', you must try our "Sky Juice" (comprised of Gin & Coconut Water & Sweet Milk).

I hope that I've been of some help. I also pray that you arrive here safely & have a wonderful trip.

Great info! Ditto to everything in this post. I pretty much did everything mentioned- stayed at the Comfort Suites and hit up the water park in Atlantis during the day, then hit up the casino at night, stayed in a condo at Cable Beach for 4 days and had access to a private pool, and also hit up Blue Lagoon for a day's excursion. Man, I am craving some conch fritters from Twin Brothers now.

LAWKK wrote:

heatwillbeback wrote:If you want to do something else, something I did which I really liked was just to take a motorized scooter around the entire island. I rented the scooter for the day, and just drove around seeing the entire island in just a few hours.

RapsGirl - This sounds like a really fun/good idea. Will the road construction be a problem if I decided to do this?

It is usually a pretty good idea, but the road work may prove to be a bit of a problem w/ many traffic diversions off the beaten path. BUT....if you just ride around downtown & it's immediate areas, you should have a great time.

whatever you do, remember that we drive on the left side of the road.

CeltsfanSinceBirth wrote:Great info! Ditto to everything in this post. I pretty much did everything mentioned- stayed at the Comfort Suites and hit up the water park in Atlantis during the day, then hit up the casino at night, stayed in a condo at Cable Beach for 4 days and had access to a private pool, and also hit up Blue Lagoon for a day's excursion. Man, I am craving some conch fritters from Twin Brothers now.

sounds like you had fun.

i live here (in the bahamas that is) if you're looking for a beach goodmans bay is you're answer as far as hotels and tours i'm sorry i can't help but i'll tell you one thing as a 26 year old on a budget atlantis is not where you wanna stay i think it's like 500 a night for the worst rooms