The Bahamas dream time
The Bahamas dream time
The Bahamas or The Bahama Islands, is an archipelago consisting of about 2,000 islands if you include the cays, which are small islands that are formed on coral reefs. Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas. It lies on the island of New Providence, with neighboring Paradise Island accessible via Nassau Harbor bridges. A popular cruise-ship stop, the city has a hilly landscape and is known for beaches as well as its offshore coral reefs, popular for diving and snorkeling. It retains many of its typical pastel-colored British colonial buildings, like the pink-hued Government House. The country is officially named The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The word Bahamas is of Spanish origin and means 'Shallow Water'. They are located in the Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean Sea.
Arawak natives inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador Island in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, the Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. Because the country is tax-free, it is well known as a business destination, and may companies have branches here.
The biggest event in the Bahamian calendar is 'Junkanoo', a street parade held on Boxing Day (26 December) and New Year's Day (1 January). The official language spoken in the Bahamas is English, however the dialect and slang is difficult for most Westerners and Europeans to understand, especially on the "out islands."The locals speak very fast and use indigenous phrases. In general, the vast majority of Bahamians are friendly, polite, and helpful to tourists. With the exception of Nassau, violent crimes are rare in the Bahamas.
Cable Beach is lined with resort hotels and upscale boutiques. Downtown, Bay Street is the main shopping hub. Its Straw Market sells handcrafted items such as conch-shell jewelry. The city’s dining options range from sophisticated restaurants to surfside conch shacks. Queen’s Staircase, whose 66 steps were cut from limestone by slaves in 1793, leads up to Fort Fincastle, built the same year, with sweeping harbor views. Paradise Island is home to large resorts with amenities like water parks and casinos. On the north shore is 3km-long Cabbage Beach, known for its broad, white-sand shore and turquoise waters.
Calypso is a style of music which is of African and Caribbean descent but originated in Trinidad and Tobago. This form of music has spread through many parts of the Caribbean, and especially the Bahamas. Soca is a form of music which involves dance and originated from calypso music. Originally it combined the melodic rhythmic sound of calypso with firm percussion and local chutney music.
The northern islands are subtropical have a very similar climate to South Florida. Summers are hot and rainy, while winters are drier and warm. Average winter lows are in the 60s, but cold snaps occasionally drop these into the 40s and 50s. The southern islands experience a tropical climate, with very stable warmth year round.
Several cruise lines operate private island retreats in the Bahamas. Disney Cruise Line owns Castaway Cay, Norweigan Cruise Line owns Great Stirrup Cay, Princess Cruise Line owns Princess Cay, Holland America Cruise Line/Carnival Cruise Line own Half Moon Cay, and Royal Caribbean owns Coco Cay(aka Little Stirrup Cay). To visit these islands you usually have to be a passenger on the cruise line that owns the island. Dolphin Encounters is an all natural seawater dolphin facility with Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins and California Sea Lions located on Blue Lagoon Island, (Salt Cay), a private island retreat and tourist attraction 5 km (three miles) from Nassau, Bahamas.
Bahamas beaches are an attraction in themselves but Bahamas is known for also possessing landmarks. Some landmarks include The Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation (formerly known as The Vendue House) and Paradise Island which possesses many attractions in itself. There are Forts and monuments all over the city of Nassau and they are open everyday for your viewing pleasure. Also there are several art galleries such as the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, the Central Bank (Lobby), the National Treasury building (Lobby), the D'Aguliar Art foundation and many others where you can view original Bahamian works of art.
Take the distillery tour at John Watlings or try out the Tru Bahamas Food Tours where you can restaurant hop and enjoy authentic Bahamian food at its best. Or be the artist for the day and pop in to the Earth & Fire Pottery Studio and create your own work of art there or try out the Bahama Hand Prints Studio and learn the unique craft in making our national Androsia prints and designs.
As you'd expect in an island nation, seafood is very popular. The national dish is conch (pronounced "conk" with a hard K), a type of mollusc, served deep-fried ("cracked") or raw with a twist of lemon, and as elsewhere in the Caribbean, the classic accompaniment is peas and rice. Cracked conch looks like and tastes a little like fried calamari, but conch meat is tougher than squid and has a stronger flavour.
Accommodation in the Bahamas is expensive, and there is virtually no backpacker/hostel-type lodging. The cheapest hotels start at around $70, and most hotels cost $200-300/night, with the very best resorts easily pushing up above $500. Deals may be available in the summer off-season though.
Islands &cities of The Bahamas
New Providence (Nassau, Paradise Island)
Dominated by the capital Nassau, and paired with smaller Paradise Island, home to the gigantic Atlantis casino resort.
Grand Bahama
Bimini
Abacos
Eleuthera
Andros
Exuma
Long Island
Cat Island
Berry Islands
San Salvador Island
May have been the first landfall of Columbus.
Acklins Island / Crooked Island
Inagua
Mayaguana
Nassau - Capital
Freeport
Matthew Town
Alice Town Bimini
A lot to see in The Bahamas
Atlantis Bahamas
Paradise Island
Fort Fincastle
Nassau Straw Market
Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre
Blue Lagoon Island
Fort Charlotte
Dolphin Encounters
Cable Beach
Aquaventure
Arawak Cay
Downtown Nassau
Pirates of Nassau
National Art Gallery of The Bahamas
Dolphin Cay Atlantis
Nassau - Paradise Island
Clifton Heritage Park
John Watling's Distillery
Queen’s Staircase - Nassau
Atlantis Casino
Bay Street
Fort Montagu
One and Only Ocean Club
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat
Government House, The Bahamas
Prince George Wharf
Stuart Cove's
Marine Habitat at Atlantis
Blue Lagoon Island Bahamas
Love Beach
Parliament Square
Bahamas Fast Ferries
Palm Cay
East Bay Street
Albany, The Bahamas
Christ Church Anglican Cathedral
Jaw's Beach
Graycliff Cigar Company
Saunders Beach
Paradise Beach Drive
Potters Cay
Spanish Wells
Jaws Beach
Old Fort Bay
Coral Harbour Road
Pompey Museum
The Heritage Museum of the Bahamas
Palm Cay / ONE Marina
Montagu Beach
Athol Island
The Bahamas is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting The Bahamas. Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in The Bahamas.
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