The Bahamas
Nassau, Bahamas
Going to The Bahamas is always a grand ole time & although it’s expensive, it’s worth it. This blog is based only on my RECENT three-day trip to Nassau. I’ve visited countless times but so much has changed, so I want to ensure I’m providing you all with an updated experience. Remember, all travel blogs are to make planning EASIER for you! The work is done, all you need to do is gather your favorite pals (or go solo), choose a date & start booking!
Our Stay
Margaritaville Beach Resort was awesome & is the most ideal location to stay on the island. The location is in the heart of the island (downtown next to Junkanoo Beach), which is the perfect balance of the typical tourist vibes & Bahamian culture. The resort looks exxxaaaactly as pictured online. I lalalaloovveeee being able to walk directly to the beach from the resort’s property. The room view was lovely & hearing the ocean throughout the night had me in heaven! I also enjoyed seeing the cruise ships arriving in the wee hours of the morning. The staff at Margaritaville were helpful, welcoming, friendly & homey. The resort is not all-inclusive, but The Bahamas isn’t a location that I’d want all-inclusive, I much rather go to restaurants throughout the island for the experience.
How We Got Around
As a group, we decided to take taxis instead of renting a car. All of the drivers were greeattt! Although I learned to drive in The Bahamas & I’ve experienced the island many times, I still prefer to not drive. I like to be carefree where I can & avoid drinking & driving by all costs. Also, the vehicles are older & smaller than my usual rental preference(s).
Don't be concerned about taxi’s not being available, as long as you’re in a touristy area/location, there will always be a taxi available. But keep in mind where you are & know the process isn’t like requesting an Uber/Lyft. Although I knew taxi’s would be available where we went, I still saved the #’s of the taxi driver’s I liked, in case we happen to get in a SOL situation (lol)! You can also call a cab in the road, if they don’t have a passenger, the driver will stop/turn around to pick you up! So don’t sweat any nervousness just be ready to be hella vocal! lol
Major tip: don’t book transportation from the airport in advance. You’ll probably end up paying about $100 more, which will basically just be to have your name on a sign. Wait until you arrive, there will for sure be a load of drivers near the exit, ready to transport you to your destination! We paid $48 to get to Margaritaville from the airport, rates to book in advance on Viator were $100-$130! I’m so glad Grace Transportation was available upon arrival.
Where We Ate
Curly’s at the Fish Fry- experience a homegrown, Bahamian meal here! You won’t regret it! I’ve eaten here multiple times throughout the years & it gets better & better. The Fish Fry is just a hop & a skip away from Margaritaville. My favorite is the fried snapper!!
Margaritaville- we only ate at the resort once. The food was okay, the typical touristy foods don’t do much for me. But I’m sure it’s ideal for families & definitely convenient to satisfy those after-traveling cravings. I had the jerk chicken but it was definitely more barbecue than jerk.
Smuggler’s- located downtown, within walking distance of Margaritaville. It’s a great mix of touristy & Bahamian food. I don’t recommend the spinach & artichoke dip, it was more like cheese & artichoke soup… depprreessiiinnggggg.
Delivery- food delivery is available via GoFaDis. We opted to ordering in (from Curly’s), the second night, to avoid rushing to get dressed for a sit down dinner.
Pearl Island- okay, this is an excursion, not a restaurant buuuttt lunch is included & it was delicious! Hooowweevverrr, the Grouper isn’t Grouper… it was definitely Tilapia! lol
The Fish Fry- if I’m not mistaken, this is the one location…within the tourist areas at least…with multiple restaurants & bars. It’s great, I highly recommend going. I hate going to different countries & not experiencing the country/locals. Click here to find more information about the Fish Fry!
What We Did
Excursion #1- Clear Kayak Photoshoot- you absolutely have to do this!! The location is on Junkanoo Beach, which is the beach directly next to Margaritaville. You can see the shooting location from the back balcony. The entire team was beyond welcoming & helpful to ensure I felt comfortable. The experience was fun, hilarious & calming. I am obsessed with my photos & highly recommend them! It makes a great & lasting memory!
Excursion #2- The Ultimate Bahamian Adventure with My Own Watersports- another lovely experience! The package includes hotel pickup & drop-off, parasailing, jet-skiing & banana boating. There was a slight delay for the pick-up, due to traffic from a Junkanoo Celebration Parade, but the driver, Khalil, kept us in the loop & assured us the traffic delay would not affect our scheduled activities. We got quite lucky this day, there wasn’t a large group, just the three of us! Each activity felt safe & secured. If you’re anything like me & don’t like jet-skiing alone, you can ask one of the guys on the team to ride with you!
Excursion #3- Pearl Island- double-up on your usual sunscreen amount!! All of us got severely tanned & I was sunburned! It was totally worth it though. The experience was fun & enlightening from the drop-off at the dock to leaving with Captain Rick at the end (watch the YouTube video for that story). The excursion includes lunch & it’s five hours but the time goes by qquuuiiicckkkk. As soon as you arrive on the island, experience the available activities, drink, eat theeennnn relax. We did a lot of relaxing & hanging out at the bar, so much that we forgot about the activities! We didn’t expect time to go by so quickly. EVERY person on the island was nice! Tommy was our favorite bartender!
Bond Nightclub at Bahamar- we had a fun time but it’s not a club that I’m dying to return to. It’s your average club. I hhaaatteedddd how many cups & napkins were on the ground, it was disturbing. Like a teen club disturbing. The last time I experienced being this disturbed at a club was in Orlando. I was… 19/20, I went to visit an old bae, we went out & other people were throwing napkins… instead of money. It. was. odd. There wasn’t a great range of music, just rap with a dash of pop & sprinkle of dancehall. If anyone disagrees with this, remember I live in Miami & mostly went out on South Beach.
Cooler Fete at Arwakay Beach- I’m convinced this was Nassau’s gift to me! When we arrived on the island, we noticed a stage being setup, so I asked around at the Fish Fry to find out what was going on & there was a fete OONNNN my birthday! So of course I cancelled dinner because I rather fete than eat LOL. Be on the lookout for a few local parties to attend. It’s worth the experience, but know where you’re going & be safe.
Explore Downtown- this is definitely something you want to do upon arrival. While waiting for our early check-in time to be confirmed, we explored downtown, shopped, danced & drank. I don’t have the exact locations but gooo, be free, pop in & out of places… just have fuuunnn!
The Straw Market- your one-stop shop for souvenirs! Get this out of the way fiiirrsssttt. Don’t overspend at gift shops inside of the resorts!
John Watling’s Rum Distillery- we unfortunately missed going to the distillery but I’ve attended a couple events there & it’s always great! The best part… it’s a free tour but I guarantee… you’ll purchase a couple of bottles after all of the samples!!
Cabbage Beach- this beach takes me back everytime. It’s located on Paradise Island. The view always takes my breath away!
That’s a wrap! Now it’s time for you to start booking & plan your next trip to Mexico! If you have any questions or concerns, click the button below & submit!
