Nassau's Straw Market has a long history, and it is a sizable market housed under a large canvas tent structure in a prominent location at the end of Bay Street. It's no coincidence that it is convenient to the cruise terminal or that the ships provide a steady supply of shoppers.

You will find some of the vendors actually crafting designs into straw baskets; the product that gave the market its name. Beyond that, there are plenty of imported souvenir items being shown, including the ubiquitous "six T-shirts for $10" type deals. While the vendors certainly do their best to try to make sales, they are not nearly as aggressive or persistent as those we've encountered in Jamaica, for example. We think the Straw Market is a mandatory stop, but we also encourage shoppers to visit the many other shopping venues along the main street in Nassau. (You may often find some similar products for even less, even after the obligatory bargaining that goes on at the Straw Market.) Of course, Nassau also offers many higher-end products. We found great deals in duty-free shops for certain spirits, including fine cognac. Top-end jewelry is also a big item.

The new location of the straw market is now slightly off the main street. If you are looking for handmade wood boxes and carvings or purses and other items made from woven straw, this is the place to go. Within the tightly packed aisles, you can find vendors hawking t-shirts, bags, and carvings bearing the bahamas name. Go expecting to haggle and don't go with the first stall you come to, as someone is always willing to sell you a similar item for a lower price.

I enjoyed our time time at the straw market. The people are quite pushy, but if you say "no," they will leave you alone. And the fun part was bargaining with them. . . DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FOR WHAT THEY ASK! You can pay as little or as much as you want for stuff. Be firm and be willing to walk away because the next person has the same stuff.

Now, once you leave the market, it becomes a little different; some stores will still bargain and others will not. I found that the more people in a store the less likely the staff was to bargain with me. Don't be afraid to ask for a lesser price on just about anything. The worst case is that they say no.

Shopping is by far one of the biggest pastimes in Nassau since the cruise boats all dock near the center of town, instead of near the beaches. As a tip: THURSDAYS are the best day to go shopping (there’s only one cruise boat every two weeks that docks on Thursday; on the contrary, Saturdays are the worst with four or five cruise ships, plus tons of weekend tourists).

A very intersting place. A LOT of people seeing stuff in a small place. Most of it is just T-shirts and trinkets. However, you can find some nice things if you look.

Be prepared to be harassed, it is part of the style. This is the place to get a few rasta braids or two. Take home some tee-shirts and local items. This is the kind of stuff that will eventually end up in your garage sale, not your estate sale! Once you've done it, it will be " been there, done that " for you. I really think you would be better served to stay on property at Atlantis and forget it. There is a GREAT passionfruit liquor that is hard to find that you REALLY should bring back, Marie Brazard, Mango Passion but it is made in France, the flavors maybe come from here?