Bahama Mamma's

The Bahamian Experience  

“Will live where you vacation. “Bahamians did not fail when they created this slogan. 

When my friend invited me to her birthday trip to the Bahamas, I could not turn down the offer. I think it is important to celebrate those that you love and to show them how much

you appreciate them in your life. There are many islands in the Bahamas; for this Trip, my friend decided to Visit Nassau, which is the capital of The Bahamas. There was a total of 6 ladies, and I will definitely say everyone’s personalities clicked so seamlessly. My amazing friend definitely planned this trip very well. Nassau reminded me a little bit of South Florida. I would like to highlight that the Bahamas is definitely on the expensive side. If you are planning to go to the Bahamas, just be prepared for that. Nassau definitely caters mostly to its tourists. We were grateful enough to meet and mingle with some locals who were kind enough to show us around Nassau. As a U.S. passport holder, there is no need for a Visa to visit The Bahamas. We just had to provide our full address and information of our stay once we arrived to customs.  

Currency:

The Bahamian currency is the same as the American dollar. You can use your debit /credit card and there is no need to change your dollars for Bahamian dollars. However, I did change a few dollars just so I could have a few Bahamian dollars to take back home with me.   

Airline:  

I had just come from Ghana, and so I wanted to make sure I found an affordable flight. I decided to 2 kill 2 birds. I booked a one-way to Fort Lauderdale and spent a couple of days visiting my grandparents in Florida. Then I booked a one-way ticket to the Bahamas with Bahama Airline for $98. Lastly, I booked a one-way ticket home to Boston with Delta for $215. In total my airline fees for this trip came out to $423.  

Stay:  

We stayed a a beautiful Villa, which was booked through Airbnb. This Villa was so gorgeous, There were 2 different pools and a hot tub. Our specific villa had 4 bedrooms and was extremely spacious for all 6 of us. There is security in front of the villa. They are there 247 to ring you in and out of the Villa. Our neighborhood was extremely safe, and I felt even safer having the security in the front. They were also helpful with helping us call taxis during our stay. Although The Bahamas has a high focus on Tourists there is no Uber or Lyft service. So we did use taxis throughout our stay. We did meet some great drivers See images for their contact information. I will say if you need Taxi service it is best to call a few hours before your reservations so that you can get there on time.  

Activities:  

We spent one week in the Bahamas and almost every day we did something new. We went to John Watling's Distillery. This was a walking and food tour that you can book through Viator or through their website. First, we stopped a rum factory and learned about the history of the rums being produced. Then we went to the chocolate factory and tried rum-infused chocolate. Then we had 6 different rum tasting, and a chance to make our own cocktail. Lastly, to end off the tour by trying Conch fritters which is widely known in The Bahamas for my Haitians this is what you would call Lambi fried in marinad. I do not eat Conch but my friend tried it and said that it tasted pretty good.  

For our next activity we went to Graycliff rum-making class and we made our own Wine. This was a 2-hour excursion. We learned about different wines, and how to properly store and pair certain wines with different meals. This was probably my favorite activity, the person running the workshop was great, her energy was uplifting, and we had such an enjoyable time. The best part is you get to take your bottle of wine home.  

The Bahamas is known for its amazing beaches; during our stay, we went to 2 beaches. We had a beach day at Junkanoo Beach and Cabbage Beach. I’ve always heard that The Bahamas had the clearest beaches, and they were not lying. Cabbage Beach has the clearest waters. Whenever I am in the ocean, I feel a sense of peace. The few days at the beach were exactly what I needed to destress.  Towards the end of our trip, the birthday girl booked a private pole session for us at @girlonpole (Instagram)

Our instructor went over the dance moves with us step by step, and then we performed the whole dance. I would definitely give this experience a 10/10. This was such a great way to end our trip and a great bonding activity with the ladies.  

Restaurants:

Nassau has a huge Haitian influence, since I enjoy finding Haitian restaurants in different parts of the world, I made sure to look up if there were any Haitian restaurants in Nassau. We went to Oh Andros, which is a half-Bahamian and Haitian restaurant.  We also visited Paradi Des Amis I had ordered the fish platter once again. The fish was well seasoned, and the fish were extremely big. I even had leftovers to eat the next day. I will say that Bahamians were extremely generous regarding our food plater. If you are planning on going to the Bahamas, I would highly suggest checking out both of these spots.  

Farewell:

Overall, our trip was amazing. I don’t know if it's just me, but I did not find The Bahamas to be extremely hot. It could also be that we went in March and not in the summer months. It was nice crossing The Bahamas off my travel list. I would suggest this island for a group trip or even for a beacation.