Sightseeing, Activities and Adventure
The Bahamas is an island nation and a popular vacation destination, especially for North Americans. Much of what the country offers in terms of tourism has been developed with this in mind.
Since the country has a sizeable wealthy expat population it should come as no surprise that boating is extremely popular. Whether you’re planning a quick getaway to Bimini, or a cruise along the island chains of the Abacos or the Exumas, the luxury yachting options in the Bahamas will not disappoint. But there is a plethora of other water based activities such as kayaking, surfing, snorkeling, paddle boarding, kite boarding, parasailing and water skiing
If you prefer to enjoy the sea at a more sedate pace, there is a range of fantastic beaches… truly the Bahamas have more than their fair share of gorgeous beaches. Cabbage Beach in the nation’s capital is one of the most famous. Here you can enjoy many water sports or attend one of the private beach clubs. Treasure Cay Beach in the Abacos is said to be one of the very best in the whole of the Caribbean. Eleuthera is home to several gorgeous pink sand beaches, including the appropriately-named Pink Sands Beach. The Exumas is a great place to go beach hopping, with Stocking Island having many picture-perfect stretches of sand. Cat Island, Great Harbour Cay… the list is a long one.
There are national parks and areas of aesthetic beauty which include a sea turtle research facility and a 250-acre wetland area that is home to more than 100 birds species. There are several ‘blue holes’ at Long Island and at Andros, and the Lucayan National Park in Grand Bahama has one of the world's longest underwater cave systems.
There are golf courses, spas, casinos; all the usual facilities you would expect of a popular tourist destination. For details on what to do and see, visit the:
The Islands of the Bahamas website.
Bahamian Time Zones
The Bahamas lie in the Eastern Standard Time (EST): -5 hrs GMT. However, like most states in the USA, daylight-saving is observed between March and November, where the time is shifted forward by 1 hour to -4 hrs GMT.Electricity
The standard voltage in the country is 120V / 60 Hz AC. Electrical sockets are normally 2 flat prongs, as in North America, or 2 flat prongs with an extra round grounding prong. This is the type that the liveaboard boats have too. There are power outages, especially in the remote islands. It's a good idea to bring your an adapter if required.Communications
The internet has improved in service and cost in recent years and is now widely available. You will generally find a bar or restaurant that has free password-protected wifi. You can buy a BTC, Aliv or MyIslandWifi SIM card. Some of these have unlimited usage package plans. Note that there will be no coverage on mobile plans in the more remote regions of the islands.
To make an international telephone call, the international dialing exit code (to make a call from Bahamas) is 011, and the country code is 242 (to make a call to Bahamas).
There are post office branches located throughout the country. They are open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. and Saturday from 9 am to 12:30 pm. The post office also offers Express Mail Service (EMS).Codes of Behaviour
The total population of the Bahamas is around 400,000 and most live on the island of New Providence. The culture is a mixture of African, combined with some British and USA influences. The country is deeply religious – Christian – yet the locals manage to remain easy-going and hospitable. English is the official language, the literacy rate exceeds 90%, and there has been a rapid growth in post-graduates and the professional class.
Tipping and bargaining in Bahamas
Tips are not mandatory in Bahamas but they are expected. Bellboys and porters usually receive $1 per luggage bag, while most other servers (waiters, taxis, etc.) receive 15%. Note that many upmarket hotels and restaurants will include a 15% gratuity automatically (whatever happened to “pay what you thought of the service”?).
Bargaining is not typical in the Bahamas, however price negotiation is the norm in Nassau’s Straw Market and when shopping on Grand Bahama.
Best Clothing to Wear
The Bahamas is just 45 miles off the coast of Florida, and the weather and clothing style are very similar. There are a considerable number retired expats in the islands that prefer to wear tennis shoes, polo shirts and cargo pants, but for the majority of the locals, brightly colored flip-flops, cut-off jeans and T-shirts are de rigueur. Topless sunbathing is illegal, although skimpy bikinis are no problem. Go figure.
Officialdom
Bahamas ranks very low in the world corruption rankings. This means that there is little corruption when compared to other countries, although its rank has worsened in recent years. The police have been earning a growing reputation for abuse and misconduct, but only among locals, not towards tourists.
