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Bahamas on a budget
Go beyond glamour for a colourful, affordable holiday
By STEVE COHEN - Special to The Sun
NASSAU, Bahamas - The sea breeze and floral scent of the Bahamas drifts over emerald waters and white sand beaches.
But with more than 50% of the country's gross national product derived from tourism, another odour is now apparent. It is the smell of money.
Palatial resorts, gilded casinos, lavish dining and big-time shows cost big bucks. One lavish V.I.P. suite in a Bahamian hotel includes a Lucite grand piano and a robot who addresses guests by name while serving drinks, for around $25,000 a night. Ads for luxurious Bahamian hotels and casinos are plentiful.
But there's good news for beer-budget travellers looking for a champagne vacation here. You do not need to own a yacht or employ a chauffeur to afford and enjoy the Bahamas, although bargain seekers should be willing to forego glamour for an experience closer to the local culture.
Central Nassau, though frequently clogged with shoppers and cruise ship passengers, has numerous small hotels. As well, there are several comfortable guest houses where two can still stay for around $100 a night in high season (mid-December through the week after Easter). One place on ritzy Paradise Island includes two meals a day. Other, smaller establishments on New Providence Island are in the same price range. But be sure to check current rates.
You have to plan your trip carefully to cut costs. For example, the taxi ride from the airport to Cable Beach, downtown Nassau or Paradise Island can easily cost $40 each way. You can save this with a rental car ($65-$100 daily, $300-$600 weekly) or reservations at a hotel with a free courtesy van.
However, you can get around it all by sharing your cab, or you could walk several hundred yards to the road past the airport to catch a jitney bus for about $1. Local colour, conversation and blasting Bahamian/Caribbean music are included free and guaranteed to get you into the swing of things.
As for inexpensive hotels, many are within walking distance of downtown Bay St. One is Mignon Guest House (Box N-786, Nassau, Bahamas), a small second-floor place on Market, two blocks from Bay. It has eight rooms and two bathrooms. Rooms for one or two generally accommodate a congenial mix of out-island Bahamians, European backpackers and students. Local artisans add another dimension to any stay in the Bahamas with their colourful handicrafts.
The Parliament Hotel, at 18 Parliament St., is clean and conveniently located close to downtown and set amongst government buildings. Its Pic-a-Dilly Restaurant is also recommended.
Other Bahamian bargains are at Marietta's Hotel on Okra Hill Rd., just off Bay St., near the Paradise Island Bridge. It has a good restaurant with fresh seafood dinners ranging from $18-$40 -- inexpensive for Nassau. The Harbor Moon Hotel, on Bay St., is a short walk to the Paradise Island Bridge. Olive's
Guest House, on Blue Hill Rd., has 21 rooms, is better landscaped and slightly fancier.
Nettie Symonette's Casaurinas Resort and Apartment Hotel (Box N-4016, Nassau) is the pick of this field. It is on Cable Beach and has its own small beachfront. Studios, double rooms, two- or three-bedroom apartments and townhouses can accommodate up to six people. Dine on home-baked breads, conch fritters, sauteed grouper and coconut cakes at Nettie's Round House, which serves multi-course dinners for around $30. Albrion's is across West Bay St. from the hotel, one of Nassau's better restaurants, with many dinners running around $30-$40. Vegetables and fruits served at both restaurants come from Nettie's garden.
The Orchard Garden Apartment Hotel (PO Box N-1514), on Village Rd., two blocks from Montagu Beach, has cottages and studios on two garden-filled acres, friendly staff and a quiet setting amid fruit trees. Buena Vista (Box N-564, Nassau), on Delancey St., overlooks the city from a hilltop. It is a gracious, 200-year-old estate with only six rooms for guests. A good restaurant adjoins.
The best deal on Paradise Island may be at the Yoga Retreat (Box N-7550, Nassau). It's on a private beach, with 35 rooms and cottages best described as functional, not fancy. Rates include a vegetarian breakfast and dinner, pool and tennis.
Now, the bad news. All hotels and guest houses add an 8% government tax to room rates. Many add a 15% service charge, while some also tack on an energy surcharge as well as extra housekeeping charges.
But you can stretch your budget with free or inexpensive things to do in Nassau. There is no charge to climb Blackbeard's Tower, on East Bay St., overlooking the harbour and city. The Bacardi Distillery, off Adelaide Rd., on the south shore of New Providence Island, provides rum drinks and liqueurs after the free factory tour weekdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. After the distillery tour, you might sit in on a Supreme Court session on Parliament Sq., where old British-style justice is enacted and enforced.
The Botanical Gardens, off West Bay St., near Fort Charlotte, is an 18-acre site featuring 600 species of tropical flowers and plants. Admission is less than a dollar. Ardastra Gardens, on Chippingham Rd., off West Bay St., also near Fort Charlotte, features a famous flamingo show. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children aged 3-12.
One of the best ways to get around is by the jitney vans or buses that traverse Nassau's downtown and hotel districts for 50c-$1. The vehicles ply all the side roads, provide a local's view of the city and are a good way to spend a few hours checking things out. Water taxis are fun and cheap, too.
As for dining, which is expensive all over Nassau, the sold-from stalls under the Paradise Island Bridge are where you'll find the best buys on fresh fruits, vegetables, fried fish and other goodies.
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