Laying beachside in Nassau, Bahamas

Commercial, slow service, and surly waitresses are all symbols that have been used to describe Nassau, Bahamas. It’s all true. What they don’t tell you is about the deep blue water and the stretches of white sand. It’s convenient to get to from the east coast. It's even cheaper to get there, since Jetblue now flies there. For a quick getaway, Nassau is an ideal destination.

The best part of Cable Beach, Bahamas is laying on the white sandy beaches with the sun beaming down, watching the cruise ships pull into Nassau with a tropical drink in one hand while evaluating what to do that day. Do I go on a booze cruise, gamble, jetski, shop in a duty free shop, go dancing or just lay on the beach and do nothing?

You have to go to Johnny Canoe, not simply for the food but for the live Junkanoo music Friday to Sunday, complete with a parade of revelers that go through the restaurant in full Bahamian Carnival attire.

Even if you don’t stay at the Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island, you have to visit to see the marine habitats, which contain over 50,000 sea animals, everything from sharks to giant turtles.

Quick Tips:

Cheap packages abound for Nassau. Check 11thhourvacations, expedia, travelocity or the travel section of the Sunday newspaper. While meals are expensive on Nassau do go where the locals go. Outside many hotels are food trucks where you can pick up a tasty meal with fish starch and vegetable for around . For the best information, pick up the small booklets around the airport and hotel that list all of the activities on Nassau, Paradise Island, and Cable beach. Or talk to the cab drivers who can tell you the law of the land.

Best Way To Get Around:

Don't rent a car here. The best way to get from cable beach to downtown Nassau is via the Jitney bus, which is very consistant and around . From downtown Nassau, you can take a ferry for to Paradise Island or catch a cheap cab. From cable beach to Paradise Island via cab, it will cost around to . Cabs are cheap and plentiful. It is also easy to walk to your destination within each town.

There are pluses and minuses to staying at the Nassau Beach Hotel. The plus is that they are on the best part of Cable Beach. Second, it’s cheap! Rooms can be had for around $60 a night garden/pool view and $80-120 oceanfront. If you want to splurge, you should stay in the Premier Club, which is worth the extra $20 or so a night, since it is further away from the really cheap rooms, which tend to get spring breakers/college kids, which leads to a lot of noise.

They have two restaurants on the premises - Cafe Johnny Canoe, where the food is good and moderate in cost. They also have a pretty pool area and a liquor store onsite. (If you are staying here, buy your liquor here, since I found the bottles were a dollar or so less than stores downtown and you didn't have to haul the liquor back from town). They also have a computer room where for a small fee you can access your emails and purchase phone cards. If you didn't have time to have a manicure/pedicure before you left home, they also have a small spa area that also gives massages. This hotel is not the lap of luxury, but it’s clean, centrally located, the staff is friendly, and it is one of the better hotel options on Cable Beach for a reasonable price.

When I first visted this property 10 years ago when it was owned by Marriott, I thought it was a tacky, overdone hotel with interiors done all in pinks and purples. That being said, it was bright and clean and new. Now under Wyndham, it is still tacky, but also faded and in need of a major overall. In their defense, they are slowly redoing the hotel one tower at a time.

If you are lucky to be a Wyndham By Request member, which I am, the room will be updated and clean, even if it is still pepto bismo pink. The rest of the rooms and hallways are in dire need of repair. The pool needs to be resurfaced.

They do have a good casino and one of the best steak restaurants on the island, though. Despite all of the bad, the staff is friendly, and if you can get one of the renovated rooms, then it is worth a stay here.

The Atlantis is a bit overwhelming. You have a choice of four towers to choose from; the Beach Towers are the cheapest rooms to choose from, with the Royal Tower being the most expensive. If you want more room, you can choose a suite or stay at the villas, which have one to two bedrooms and are close to the marina.

This hotel has seven pools and lagoons and six water slides. They also have a full-service spa where you can get massages, facials, and other spa treatments. You can go shopping within Atlantis and play golf after dropping the kids off at Discovery Camp. You don't have to leave the hotel to eat, since they have 17 restarants on property. However, if you want authentic Bahamian food, I would suggest that you go off-property, since much of the food is standard continental. If you have children, this is the ultimate hotel to stay at. The rooms are nicely decorated, but a little on the small side. That being said, you won't spend to much time there. The other drawback to this hotel is navigating the property since it is so sprawled out. Everything is a hike unless you take one of the shuttle buses provided. If you don't mind the constant crowds, since this property is a must-see with visitors, and that includes the hordes of cruise ship passengers that converge on this hotel since it is a major site, then this hotel is for you. If you are looking for a laid-back, romantic hotel, this is not the hotel for you, unless you go off-season.

This hotel is everything you would expect from a Comfort Suites. It has oversize rooms with a living area and a bedroom. There area clean, comfortable furnishings and an adequate pool.

It is nothing to brag about, but there are really good reasons to stay here. One, it is next door to the Atlantis Hotel. Two, you have access to all of the amenities next door, including the pools, slides, and signing privileges, but the cost is less and it is not as crowded or overwhelming as the Atlantis.

If you want to save a few dollars, but still enjoy everything the Atlantis has to offer, I would stay here. Plus, you get a free continental breakfast and the rooms come with a refrigerator to store snacks and drinks.

Johnny Canoes is adjacent the Nassau Beach hotel. The food is reasonable and quite good. You can choose from a mix of Bahamian dishes, e.g., conch fritters (which are quite good), to a burger and fries if you are not feeling adventurous. They have a variety of fish and meat dishes on the menu. The prices are moderate. Thursday - Saturday the bar area is always hopping, since they have a live band.

This is one of the best steak places on the island. The restaurant is located on the top floor of the Wyndham. The dining room is spacious with banquettes and smaller tables dotted throughout the establishment. The waiters are attentive and patient willing to describe each cut of beef to you as well as the preparation. If you are dining with someone who doesn't care for meat they also serve several seafood and chicken dishes. The Caesar salad is made tableside with a great deal of fanfare. This is a great restaurant to have a leisurely well prepared meal.

One of the many restaurants located inside of the Atlantis Resort. This is a casual, low-key restaurant with no surprises on the menu. If you want simple down to earth American cuisine, this is the best place in town to go. You can get the standard fare of burgers, ribs and baked chicken dishes. The food is one of the cheapest you will find in this sprawling resort. You can sit inside or poolside.

This is a three-level club. Upon entering, you are on the main level looking down into the main dance floor (the pit); on the top level is the VIP room. (Smile nicely and females can usually get in.) They play mainly top 40/reggae/soca and some hip-hop. This place is mainly full of visiting tourists, since they charge very high cover charges for locals. This is great if you are looking to dance until the wee hours of the night to a different music and meet new people.

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.