Travel writer Eileen Ogintz tells us the best reasons to visit the Caribbean's best kept secret - Nassau Paradise Island. Nassau has it all - great hotels, fantastic food, local culture and plenty of family activities.
The
best dance partner I’ve ever had was a 14 year old, eight foot long,
492 pound dolphin named Icaro. I met him at Dolphin Cay at Atlantis Paradise Island
in the Bahamas and he left an unforgettable impression. Resident
dolphins like Icaro enable visitors to participate in one of the largest
dolphin interactive programs in the world—as many as 800 people a day,
Atlantis officials say. There are also interactions with sea lions if
you want to brave it.
They live in a seven interconnected pools
containing nearly seven million gallons of seawater. A staff of more
than 80 including an on-site vet cares for them.
Sign
up to be a trainer for a day or swim with the dolphins, as long as you
are 10. Even babies have done the shallow water interaction. Check the Nassau Paradise Island for all of the options and costs.
You
shouldn’t feel guilty about splurging for the experience either as some
of the proceeds support the Kerzner Marine Foundation that works to
preserve and protect marine ecosystems around the world.
Nassau Island Top Things to Do
I love that in Nassau, the Bahamas’ capitol city on New Providence Island, and its neighbor Paradise Island
you can do everything from kiss a dolphin to snorkel in beautiful clear
water (visibility is over 200 feet in some places) deep sea fish (50
world records were set in these waters), sail, jet ski, canoe (on Lake
Nancy) horseback ride on the beach, golf or take a yoga class along the
ocean, gamble or learn a little history. (Check out the historic
government buildings Rawson Square, Fort Fincastle, the highest point on
the island, and the Queen’s Staircase—65 steps carved by slaves in a
limestone cliff at the top of Elizabeth Avenue Hill to honor Queen
Victoria’s 65-year reign.)
Like pirates? The Bahamas had so many of them in the 18th century there even is a Pirates of Nassau Museum.
You can even make cigars.
That’s
right. You can make cigars at the small cigar factory at Graycliff, a
historic mansion dating back to the 18th century that now is a small
hotel, restaurant and cigar factory. Sixteen master rollers from Cuba
turn out a million cigars a year. I’m in awe. They roll out a perfect
cigar in four minutes!
Mine aren’t so perfect. I learn it is all
in the feel—bunching the leaves in my hand and then wrapping them in a
binder leaf that I ”glue” with a touch of sap. Fun!
Swimming with Sharks in Stuart Cove, Nassau
I’ve
had lots of adventures in Nassau—even scuba diving with sharks with
Stuart Cove Dive Bahamas which also offers the option of exploring
reefs, wrecks and coral walls. The company has four sites where you can
dive with sharks. They swam in front of me, behind me, so close I
could see their teeth as I kneeled 37 feet under the water.
We
weren’t in a shark cage, neither was the dive master. As long as we
stayed motionless and keep our arms to ourselves, they ignored us. “You
aren’t in their food chain,” the dive master explained. Thank goodness!
Marching Flamingos at Ardastra Gardens
Like birds? Nassau/Paradise Island are home to some of the most exotic birds in the world, including marching Flamingos.
- Audastra Marching Flamingos
I’ve
had lots of adventures on outer Bahamian islands too—kayaking through
the mangroves in Great Exuma, where the path is so narrow we must go
single file, scuba diving off of Green Turtle Cay. In fact, I learned to
scuba dive at Brendal’s Dive Center on Green Turtle Cay in Abaco, Bahamas.
Once
we’d finished our certifying dives, we went to a tiny uninhabited beach
where we met wild dolphins, and feasted on Bahamian lobster tail and
fresh conch salad that our guide had gotten from the sea as we watched.
Amazing!
Keep in mind that there are 700 Bahamian islands
starting just 50 miles off the coast of Florida that offer every variety
of experience, including meeting the locals in Nassau and beyond. Join
the complimentary People-to-People program
and you will be paired with a Bahamian ambassador who welcomes the
opportunity to introduce you to their culture through a meal, a visit to
a school, a tea party, even a local church service.
Ask the
locals where they go at night on Nassau. You have your pick of clubs
and casinos, from the gargantuan Atlantis Paradise Island Casino to the
newly renovated Crystal Palace Casino at the Wyndham Nassau Resort.
About Eileen Ogintz
Eileen Ogintz
is a leading national travel expert, syndicated columnist of the weekly
column Taking the Kids and the creator of TakingTheKids.com whose
special sections including the latest 50-Plus Places to Light Up the
Holidays and Fun in the Snow have become a go-to resource for families
planning getaways. She is regularly quoted and featured as a
family travel expert in newspapers, magazines and websites across the
country. Eileen is the author of nine travel books, including the most
recent The Kid’s Guide to New York City, and The Kid’s Guide to Orlando. Find Eileen on Google
.
Follow @takingthekids