Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas and a popular get-away site for Jacksonville residents. Daily Record editorial director Fred Seely recently visited.
Getting in
It’s easy from a lot of places, but Jacksonville is a difficult embarkation point to almost anywhere and the Bahamas are no exception. Almost every airline serving Jacksonville can get you there by connecting with a bigger city — no direct flights — and your best bet probably is American, which connects through Miami. (The reason? See our next segment: “Getting Out.”) It won’t be cheap no matter who you take; expect to pay at least $300 for the round trip. No passport needed. Just a photo ID.
Getting out
Because most visitors come from the north, you’ll have a long wait at the airport unless you’re on American, which only flies to and from Nassau out of Florida. Thus, while the Yankees are stacked up to check luggage to Toronto and Philadelphia, you’ll have a short line. Bummer: you clear U.S. Customs at the airport, so you’re asked to arrive two hours early for your flight. Another bummer: there’s a $15 per person departure tax. Try to avoid returning on Sunday because that’s the exit day for most of the all-inclusive resorts.
The airport
Old but reasonably big. Listen carefully because the acoustics are awful and the Bahamian accent can make announcements unintelligible.
The name?
Actually, you’re going to New Providence. Nassau is the largest town, and the island incorrectly also gets that name. You wouldn’t call Grand Bahama Island by the name “Freeport,” but “Nassau” is so endemic that it has become the island’s colloquial name.
Location
Almost due east of Miami. It’s a 35-minute flight.
How big?
Not big. The airport is on the western end of the island and it’s about 10 minutes to the Cable Beach resort area, another 10 minutes into Nassau and maybe 10 more minutes to Paradise Island.
The town
Alas, the grandeur that once was old Nassau is now gone. The British colonial government buildings are still there, but the rest of downtown isn’t much more than 10 blocks of bad T-shirt stores and closed shops.
Who goes?
A travel agent guessed 60 percent from the northern U.S., 15 percent from Canada, 15 percent from Florida, the rest from everywhere else.
Cost
More expensive than the U.S. and that should be no surprise because almost everything has to be brought here from elsewhere. But there’s enough competition on the island to keep prices somewhat reasonable. A guess: it’s about 15 percent above us.
Currency
The Bahamians have their own money but you’ll, if you want a souvenir, have to ask for it. The only currency you’ll see is the American dollar, and the Bahamians keep their dollar’s value equal to ours.
Weather
Like the Florida Keys — warm with a slight breeze. Hurricanes hit from time to time and you’ll see plenty of mementos left behind by Floyd and others. But they should be no concern: if one stirs up and heads that way, you have plenty of advance warning.
Industry
New Providence and especially Nassau boomed when offshore banking was the rage and there still are almost 400 banks or trust companies on the island. Financial times are tough there, too, so tourism has moved back ahead as the biggest business.
Cruise ships
Nassau is on numerous cruise lines’ itineraries but visitors will be disappointed because they moor in the harbor and off-load just a block from the center of downtown Nassau, which doesn’t offer much. There were six monstrous liners in port when we were there; we watched passengers flock off the ships, make a quick turn through town and either go back on board or opt for a $12 cab to Paradise Island.
Where to stay
There are lots of hotels. We stayed at the Cable Beach area (about halfway from the airport to Nassau) in a renovated Radisson, a big (700-room) family resort with lots to do, including six restaurants and three bars. There is a Wyndham next door which seemed comparable, but with a smaller beach. Paradise Island is the high end and the site of Atlantis, a 2,200-room hotel with numerous amenities and costs to match. Paradise Island has other hotels, too.
The Radisson
Next to Atlantis, it’s the island’s biggest hotel and has the best beach. It’s not far from the airport and has its own golf course within a half-mile. For the price and ambiance, easily the best deal we saw.
Resorts
There are several “all inclusive” resorts such as Sandals and Club Med, which attract the younger crowd. Lots of honeymooners.
Speak English?
Of course. It was an English colony, and English is the language. But there’s an island a accent, so listen carefully.
Gambling
There are two casinos. The biggest is in the Atlantis, the other is in the Wyndham next to the Radisson. Lots of slot machines, but both have table games such as roulette, blackjack and poker. The Wyndham has a sports book, too, where you can bet dog and horse races, or professional and college sports. If you think the Jags will win the 2004 Super Bowl, for instance, you can get 75-1 odds. Both casinos approximate Vegas quality (though not size) and they’re certainly way above the so-called “Indian” casinos in Florida.
Cable Beach?
Odd name. When the first phone cable was dragged over from the states, it was connected at that area, probably because there’s a good beachhead.
Paradise Island?
Originally developed by A&P (remember the grocery chain?) heir Huntington Hartford, it now mostly is owned by South African interests. It’s across a bridge ($1 toll) from Nassau and that’s where you’ll find the ritzy shopping.
Safety
No problem. The Bahamian police are very visible, plus the word is out: don’t bother the tourists. Other Caribbean hotspots (Jamaica, for one) may have a safety issue, but not this one.
Hospitality
The Bahamas had a well-deserved reputation for surliness and all that changed a decade ago when the government saw the dip in tourism. Today, the Bahamians are as friendly as you’ll find anywhere and it’s not unusual for a worker to go the extra step. The government has included hospitality courses in public school curriculum and hotels bring in consultants to teach the help.
Drugs
The Bahamas has a (well deserved) reputation for being a stopover for drugs en route from South America to the States. That being said, they won’t be in evidence. The government may not catch the boats that slip into the 700 or so islands, but they sure keep a lid on any activity where tourists can be found. Beware: this is no place to go to jail, and sniffing around for drugs is a primo way to get jailed.
The water
New Providence doesn’t have fresh water (Grand Bahama Island does) and everything is desalinized. No problem, though. There’s plenty and it’s good.
What else to drink?
These are the islands so Bacardi rum is the liquor of choice. You can get almost any brand of beer (these people are big beer drinkers) but we bet you’ll prefer Kalik, the excellent local brew.
The food
Oddly, they don’t make a big deal of “island food” and every menu is quite Americanized. Seafood is the most popular dish, as you’d expect. Nothing is too spicy, either. If you’re in town, find the Cafe Matisse.
Duty free
Good bargains on perfume and booze. Everything else is upscale in brand name and price, too.
Getting around
Taxies are all over the place and make sure you know the fare before you get going. The island’s big tour company, Majestic Tours, has sightseeing cars. A fun way of getting around is the local bus system: the No. 10 bus covers the Nassau-Cable Beach-airport area and it’s a buck a ride.
The golf
New Providence has four courses. One is on the western end of the island in Lyford Key, a private community. The other three are public — one on Paradise Island affiliated with Atlantis and two owned by the government, Cable Beach and South Ocean. We played the newly renovated Cable Beach (it’s affiliated with the Radisson) and found it a delight. Building courses isn’t easy here because the island is basically one big rock, and grass doesn’t grow on rocks. So, the dirt has to be carefully spread. Also, drainage is an issue, so lakes have to be placed in a logical system to get the water off the courses and into other areas.
Diving
We didn’t do it, but many did. There are numerous diving “schools” which take you out for a half-day or full day. The water is beautiful; we’ll try it on our next trip.
What else?
• Just looking around is fun. There are some remnants of the old colonial days in Nassau; if you have an interest in architecture, there’s plenty to look at.
• Parasailing is big and appears safe. We didn’t try that, either, and probably won’t when we go back, though it’s not the danger it appears. You’re strapped to a parachute harness while on the boat and sit on the stern. The boat speeds up, the parachute fills with air and up you go. When your time is up, they reel you in.
• Atlantis has a terrific aquarium.
• The fishing is good and guides are numerous.
• Catamaran cruises are big.
Mr. Ambassador
Jacksonville’s Rick Blankenship is the U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas and lives in a big house just above the 14th tee at the Cable Beach Golf Club. Blankenship has created several stirs during his brief tenure, mainly by getting somehow involved in local politics, and the natives aren’t impressed. (President Clinton’s ambassador was the opposite, they say — all he did was play golf.)