Did you know the Bahamas is comprised of 700 Islands? Well neither did I. It's one of the facts that pretty much every local I ran into knew and proudly told us.
I just got back from a much too short vacation that was spent predominantly on New Providence, the Island on which Nassau is located. I freely admit I am ignorant when it comes to geography so it wasn't until my third day that I realized that Nassau is a city on the Island and not the Island's name.
Melia Resort
View from hotel window
I stayed with a friend and the Melia Resort, a gorgeous hotel which had its own beach and was situated 10-15 minutes away from downtown Nassau. We had an all inclusive deal but we were notified on the day we arrived that all the on site restaurants participating in the deal (there were three) were already fully booked for the days we were there so our only options were to eat off site or order room service which was included, but we would have had to pay a $10 delivery fee. We chose to eat off site at the Fish Fry which has a bunch of mini restaurants lined up in a row. I really wish I took a picture of the Fish Fry, it is such a unique concept.
Jerk Wings and Fruit Punch at the Fish Fry
Amazing Burger @ Anthony's Grill on Paradise Island
"snack Size" Steak, fries and slaw @ Oh Andros - Fish Fry
"snack size" Fried Fish, Fries and slaw @ Oh Andros - Fish Fry
Conch Fritta's @ the Melia Tapas Lounge (forgot to snap before we started eating >.<)
Duck fajitas(?) @ the Melia Tapas Lounge
I can't speak for all of the Islands but it's very easy to get around New Providence and Paradise Island (Atlantis is located on Paradise Island). There are taxi's all over (look for the yellow license plates to confirm that it is a official licensed taxi) or the local jitney bus if you want to mingle with locals. I did hear that travelers were directed to stick with certain jitney buses, but honestly I think that has to do with not wanting travelers to see the low income areas rather than a safety issue. All the jitney bus drivers I encountered were very friendly and some even went off route to deposit us or pick us up closer to our hotel.
Number 10 Jitney
If you're thinking of going to the Bahamas as a solo traveller I highly recommend it. There are lots of activities and excursions to do, and if that's not your cup of tea you can just hop on a ferry for a day trip to one of the amazing beaches and lounge for hours with a book (there is a fee for access to those Island beaches, the ferry is approx $4). The locals are very friendly and eager to help. I attribute that to two things: typical caribbean hospitality and the fact that tourism is a big source of income for the locals. The local currency (the Bahamian dollar) is dollar for dollar with USD so it can be expensive, but if you willing to go off the beaten path and eat where the locals eat or ride the jitneys you can save a ton. And don't be afraid to barter, especially at the markets.
Ok so you want to go on a trip but your not sure how your going to fund the trip, what do you do? Well here are some tips for what I am doing to fund my trip
1. Do some research, find out average costs of accommodations and travelling to your destination of choice (remember peak season prices will be higher so make sure you check for the time frame you are planning on travelling).
2. Once you have an idea of how much you should save figure out how much you can (meaning it will not cause you any hardship to set aside this money) set aside each week/month and long it will take you to save that amount by putting aside a certain amount of money. You now have your goal.
3. Next up is optional but I would suggest having a savings account strictly for travel. I use Capitalone360 (formerly IngDirect) and they give you the option of having multiple saving accounts that you can easily open online with no minimum required. Keeping a separate account will help you avoid the temptation of using the money, and I really like that fact that you can give each account whatever name you like "Travel Fund" or "life Saver".
4. Take a look at how your spending your money overall and see if there are any unnecessary purchases you can eliminate. A good way to do this is to keep a log for two weeks of everything you buy. Once you see how your spending your money you may be surprised at how much all those little luxuries add up to. For example, i was drinking a large $2.50 cappuccino every workday; that's $12.50 a week, $50 a month! I switched to drinking the free tea from my job 2-3 days of the week and I am saving $20-$30 a month. Or if you have to have your coffee try downsizing. I could still drink my cappuccino everyday and save $15 if i downsized to a medium.
5. Last but not least, is just a reminder to squirrel away every dollar you get until you reach your goal. Get a part-time job or do some free lance work. Find a dollar on the floor? add it to your travel account. Reached a bonus from work? add it to your fund. Every dollar counts and with perseverance you will reach your goal.
