The Caribbean nations have a lot in common – sun, sea, sand, great weather and killer cocktails. But it’s what makes each one different that can help you make that sale.
This is something Kim Valente, owner/director of specialist tour operator Bahamas Flavour and host of our fam trip, is passionate to convey about her homeland.
“We aren’t just a single-island destination: there are 16 islands welcoming tourists and each has a different character and appeal,” she says. “Clients can enjoy a variety of experiences on one holiday by island-hopping. And we are the only operator in the UK to offer all of the islands.”
With a fam trip itinerary designed to give us a real taste of the Bahamas, we jetted off to the Caribbean with great anticipation of what we were going to experience.
First stop: New Providence and Paradise Island
After our British Airways flight landed in Nassau, we headed to the Atlantis on Paradise Island. Accessible from New Providence, the resort is a destination in itself, complete with the Dolphin Cay water park, upmarket shopping and dining, beaches, a casino and aquarium. All the agents agreed it was a great place for families with money to spend.
Close by, the 25-unit Bay View Suites is just five minutes from the Atlantis and is a little oasis with nice rooms, well-tended gardens and a home-from-home feel.
We stayed at the 694-room Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort on Cable Beach, one of the longest and best stretches of sand on New Providence. The Sheraton and its neighbour, the 559-room Wyndham Nassau Resort, are interconnected. Both properties have casinos, shops and a variety of restaurants including an Italian and a steak house. Staying at either gives you access to the amenities at both.
For those looking to island-hop and needing to overnight in Nassau, try A Stone’s Throw Away bed and breakfast, a wooden Bahamian-style house with an exclusive feel.
We dined that night at Arawak Cay, a stretch of local eateries on the coast. As well as feasting on snapper with peas and rice, we tried the local cocktail, Sky Juice. This mix of gin, coconut water and condensed milk shaken and poured over ice is easy to drink but packs a serious punch.
Second hop: Harbour Island
Harbour Island is a tiny, sleepy isle with a cosmopolitan feel that can be reached by fast ferry. Wooden cottages draped with vines and flourishing gardens are set back from dusty roads.
On the Bay Side of the island, you’ll find quirky gift shops, elegant restaurants, boardwalk marinas and the fisherman’s dock. Stretching the Ocean Side along the length of the island is Pink Sand Beach. Secluded and set back from the beach are two boutique hotels – Pink Sands, a five-star with private villas, and Coral Sands (see Hotel Review below).
At the other end of the scale, Sugar Apple, a quaint and cosy bed and breakfast with self-catering facilities, has true local charm.
Final port of call: Grand Bahama Island
Grand Bahama Island is a 45-minute flight from Nassau. Staying at the beachfront Radisson Port Lucaya, we had the run of a beautiful stretch of white-sand beach and were just a short stroll from the marina, bars, restaurants and entertainment.
We took a boat ride to Sanctuary Bay and got up close to some of the 14 resident bottlenose dolphins of the Unexso Dolphin Experience. Taking it in turns to slip into the water, we stole kisses from the dolphins and tickled their tummies before they performed somersaults.
Our site inspections that afternoon included the Viva Fortuna, a 276-room, characterful all-inclusive on a 23-acre plot that hugs a broad sandy beach, and Flamingo Bay, a 66-room resort offering the option of interconnecting family units where the bedrooms are separated by a kitchenette. There’s even a grocery run three times a week so families can order goods or be taken shopping.
We spent our last night at a bonfire party on Taino beach. This thrice-weekly event was full of atmosphere – the lapping waves caught the firelight as the villagers of Smith’s Point cooked up barbecue chicken and ribs and showed us how to limbo dance. It was a grand finale but we still didn’t want to leave. The Bahamas had worked its magic on us and we wanted more.
Hotel review: Coral Sands, Harbour Island
Rising from the sand dunes that edge Pink Sands Beach on Harbour Island, Coral Sands is a chic but relaxed resort. It’s perfect for honeymooners, romantics and the style-conscious.
The interiors of the 36 rooms and elegant cottages were designed by 1960s fashion icon Barbara Hulanicki. Bathrooms and bedrooms are retro contemporary with a nod to a marine theme. The beach cottages with their varnished walnut floors have private beach access and offer pure indulgence.
The king-size beds boast memory-foam mattresses and Italian linens, while the spa-style bathrooms have shower rooms and tubs big enough for two. The mature gardens reveal a tennis court, curvaceous pool and first-class restaurant above the beach.
The TW verdict
The Bahamas is ideal for those who want to take it easy. Nassau offers comfortable hotels by groups such as Radisson, Sheraton and Wyndham, providing quality, standardised accommodation on great beaches with all the facilities you could wish for.
In contrast, Harbour Island has a scattering of charming, individual hotels and a sense of remoteness. Combined as a twin-centre you can have the best of both worlds.
What the agents thought
“The Bahamas has less of an American influence than I expected. It has a real sunny personality of its own. I may switch-sell it with other Caribbean islands now I have seen that it offers clients excellent value for money.”
Marg Bower, senior travel consultant, Travel Unlimited, Abergele, Conwy
“What most appeals to me about the Bahamas is the variety. It can work for people looking for something different from the tried and tested islands and there is no adverse publicity surrounding the Bahamas.”
Kevin Camfield, managing director, Utopia Travel, Hornchurch, Essex
“The Bahamas is an amazing family destination with many hotels catering brilliantly for the needs of families.”
Courtney Spieler, travel consultant, Crusader Travel, Twickenham
“Harbour Island was even better than I expected with an old colonial style and a fabulous beach.”
Lee Harrison, owner/director, Select World Travel, Great Malvern
Sample product
Bahamas Flavour offers a one-night stay at A Stone’s Throw Away bed and breakfast on Nassau including onward connections to Harbour Island on the Bahamas Fast Ferries and six nights in a garden-view room at Coral Sands Hotel for £1,525 for departures between January 4 and 31, including British Airways flights from Heathrow, airport transfers and $100 food and beverage credit. bahamasflavour.co.uk, 0870 066 9975
Bahamas Flavour agent incentives
- From January to December 2011, get 12% commission instead of the regular 10%.
- Book five or more holidays to one property and get a seven-night stay in the Bahamas including flights.
- Seven nights’ accommodation for the price of six and 14 nights for the price of 12.
- Up to 30% savings on selected properties from May to December 2011.
- Complimentary domestic flights (valued at about $200 for a round trip) for clients who book a twin-centre with Nassau and another Bahamian island.
- A free companion flight from Florida to the Bahamas if booked as a twin-centre.
- Sign up at bahamasflavour.co.uk, 0870 066 9975
