"Great R&R and Culture in New Providence and Nassa

Our hotel right near Orange Hill Beach was the highlight of our trip. The beach was situated 8 miles west of Nassau; beautiful, clear, swimmable turquoise waters with enough beach to walk for about 25 minutes on sand. At most we'd see 6 to 8 people sharing the long stretch of beach with us. If you're in the Bahamas, please get BAHAMIAN CUISINE and not go to the American chain restaurants like I saw other USA tourists do! Bahamian Kitchen was a fantastic restaurant serving up traditional local specialties downtown on Trinity Place. Superb grouper fingers and cutlets and the best peas 'n rice I tried on the island here. The restaurant Traveler's Rest, had conch soup and smudder grouper, specialties that I quite enjoyed. The Parliament buildings, Supreme Court and Governor's Mansion are colourful colonial residences/workplaces of the governmental elite. Woodes Rogers Walk is home to Bahamians hawking their wares at the Straw Market or offering to braid your hair at the Hair Braiding Center; parallel to it away from the water is Bay St., Nassau's main shopping artery. Cable Beach and Paradise Island are home to most of the resorts, casinos and nightlife on the island.

Quick Tips:

Some jitney drivers ask for rather than .75. Others seem to accept the advertised .75 no problem; I advise establishing the cost of the trip as soon as one boards the bus, to avoid argument upon disembarking. Also, careful not to let taxi drivers rip you off...learn a reasonable price from hotel staff first; don't tip if gypped.

Unless you love cruises and hordes of tourists, don't take a cruise ship to Nassau, the Bahamas. We went into town on Thursday and Bahamians outnumbered tourists 3:1, the following Saturday, tourist hordes from behemoth cruise ships docked in port outnumbered Bahamians 10:1; quite fascinating to see the eerie transformation. Instead, arrive on a plane and stay a few days...Nassau feels completely different during the workweek when there are fewer cruise ships in port.

I recommend independent travel over all-inclusive. Daytime, getting around the Bahamas during the day is safe and easy to do. Taking the jitneys is a way to see how locals live. I was warned not to go into downtown Nassau at night.

Weather is in the low 70s in late December; good for sunning, but only good for swimming for the intrepid. Bring sweaters for at night.

Best Way To Get Around:

Jitneys run from downtown Nassau to varies locations on the island, including to Cable Beach and Compass Point on Western New Providence Island. The cost of the #10 to West New Providence is often .75 (see Quick Tips) and these run quite often (1 every 10 minutes) between 6am and 6pm. (Watch out for the Western Transportation Bus which costs .75 but goes the same route as the jitney but further.)

Walk when you're in downtown Nassau. Off Bay St., some streets don't have sidewalks; walk single file on the side of the road here and carefully watch the cars which drive on the left.

Located 8 miles west of downtown Nassau, this inn was delightful. Just what the doctor ordered for those who prefer independent travel to all-inclusive. We had a large, balconied (superior oceanview) room for $150 per night for three (I''ve included taxes and service charges; $120 was the listed rate) from which we could see semi-tropical plants on the grounds, the pool and the gorgeous turquoise waters of the New Providence Channel (really the Atlantic Ocean). Our room had a TV with cable, fridge, bath/shower, high ceilings...friendly staff cleaned the room every day. There''s a few Batelco telephones in the main lounge but none in the room.

The grounds were well-kept by owner Danny Lowe, whose choice of semi-tropical flowers and plants attracted a wide variety of local birds. Most days, I would sit out on a porch swing overlooking the ocean and watch a ruby-throated emerald-backed hummingbird feed on a trumpet flower. Most days, I would also see yellow warblers (who like plantains), mockingbirds, mourning doves and a few birds I didn''t even recognize (one black bird with a grey-cream parrot-like beak that somebody told me was the Bahamian parakeet; I''ll need to look that one up).

There was a pool which my parents and I would sun ourselves at (blocked by the wind by buildings) every day of the week we were there. There were also a restaurant with wickerwork furniture and a small library, a dining room for special occasions and a bar where people would sit and mingle at night, telling diving stories and other experiences. The bar was honour-system help-yourself and you checked off a list what you would take (never in America). Danny''s charming wife Judy from Ireland bent over backwards to make us feel at home. The hotel has many repeat visitors from all over the world (many Europeans) who love the casual, homey ambience. Some people love Orange Hill so much, they help out with cooking and chores to ensure that Orange Hill succeeds for years to come.

The beach across the street from Orange Hill Inn was much bigger that I had anticipated. I could walk for 25 minutes on the white sand bordering the turquoise waters and admire the sometimes obscenely expensive neighboring houses by the water.

Jitney #10 (Japanese minibuses) came by every 5-15 minutes between 6 am to 6 pm going from Compass Point to downtown Nassau with stops anywhere along the way (Travellers Rest Restaurant, grocery stores, bank, liquor store, Cable Beach, Ardastra Gardens and Zoo). There is also a grocery run offered by the hotel, and an airport transfer (from hotel to airport) if available.

While I loved this hotel, it''s not for everyone. If you want to be near casinos, nightlife, you may prefer Cable Beach or Paradise Island. If you prefer elegant, ritzy resorts near tennis/golf, Cable Beach might be better. But I know that I could not have been happier elsewhere.

Right in the heart of Nassau on an inconspicuous side street just north of Bay St. is the Bahamian Kitchen (no number address as is often the case in Nassau); if you want to try authentic Bahamian cuisine while downtown, I highly recommend this place. (And why be in the Bahamas and not try Bahamian food?)

The Bahamian staple peas 'n rice was amongst the best that I had on New Providence island...flavoured in a tomato sauce and local spices that I could not distinguish. My grouper fingers and my parents' grouper cutlets were tender and equally delicious, coming with a dip. Kalik beer is a good, thirst-quenching lager that my mother also enjoyed pouring in her ginger ale to make a shandy.

The only downside to this place was that the service was somewhat slow, although not enough to irritate me since I had been warned in advance (served in Bahamian Time or BT). Just to show you how reasonably fast it was, I'll tell you that we got our meal before I'd finished my bottle of local Kalik beer. If you're not the harried, me-me-me-now-now-now type and enjoy your company, I'm sure you'll be fine. Our waitress had friendly words with a warm, helpful smile and was apologetic about the delays.

Closed on Sundays, opens at 12 Noon the rest of the week for lunch.

Situated one mile west of Orange Hill Beach Inn and 9 miles west of downtown Nassau, the restaurant Traveller's Rest serves up authentic Bahamian fare in a homey less-touristed ambience. Each table has a Connect-Four game to amuse yourself with while you wait for your food.

Here, there is the option of sitting inside with local artwork or alternatively, there are seats outside that overlook the beautiful turquoise waters of western New Providence which splash against the walls across the main street.

I had my first conch soup here, which was quite heartwarming and tastily spiced. My smudder grouper (grouper smothered in tomatoes, onions and spices) was very fresh and tender with only a few bones. The peas 'n rice on the side were quite good here, although I preferred that at the Bahamian Kitchen. My parents got the grouper finger; servings were plentiful.

Service was efficient and polite here. An article I read mentioned that the restaurant owner donates money and her time to nearby Gambier school in Gambier Village to help local children.

Situated about 10 miles west of downtown Nassau, this colourful (literally multicolored) hotel complex of bungalows, apartments and cabanas has purportedly breathed new life into the Bahamian accommodation scene. Nearby Gambier Village will give visitors a look into how Bahamians live outside the tourist complexes.

Accessible to downtown Nassau by the #10 jitney, Compass Point attracts the yuppie set with its art deco restaurant and bar. The restaurant is acclaimed by my travel writers as amongst the best on the island.

The pool I found somewhat small and the beach is minuscule compared to those at Orange Hill, Cable Beach or Paradise Island. Some, however, may prefer the privacy and decidedly yuppie ambience afforded by the separated charming bungalows. I personally found Compass Point though to be too enclosed and less homey, intimate and welcoming than my hotel, Orange Hill Beach Inn. However, for those who want peace and quiet away from downtown Nassau and are very sensitive to noise (walls were thin at Orange Hill Beach Inn), Compass Point might be worth considering for approximately $200/night.

I'm not sure there is a real Nassau. The city truly differed drastically depending on the time of day and your location. On Saturday, I went in to downtown with my parents and the city was completely built up for tourists. Vendors hawked their wares at the Straw Market and throngs of cruise ship passengers from the four BEHEMOTH vessels docked in the port mobbed the city. You had to look around to find anyone who resembled a real Bahamian on Bay St. Yuppie cafés, Sbarro's, Cartier Jewellers, McDonalds and Burger King are available for those who just want things like at home; but THESE too are part of Nassau. The tourist industry is one of the major lifebloods of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

Then there was the Thursday we went into Nassau. The jitney bus (a true Bahamian experience) played loud Caribbean-sounding music that made you want to either dance or plug your ears. One or two drivers were surly, the majority were just doing their job, BUT one was exceptionally friendly and social, telling us about the hurricane (Floyd) that covered Bay St. in sand and knocked rooves off houses.

Once in Nassau on the Thursday, the feel was predominantly local Bahamian (more Caribbean in cadence than I had expected). People passing by used local expressions that I'd read about in my book "More Talkin' Bahamian" by Patricia Glinton-Melcholas. Policeman in white starched uniforms and pith helmets directed traffic, which was plentiful during the Bahamian work week.

The Bahamas is an interesting mix of First World and Third World, but I would say it is more the former than the latter. True, there's an un-American casualness, sometimes even indolence about the island people (although not as much in other Caribbean nations I've read). Yet there are ATM machines, running, potable water, working electricity, well-stocked stores, efficient regular public transportation a nascent stock exchange...and don't forget Nassau is a major financial hub. At the same time in downtown Nassau, there are many streets near the heart that don't have sidewalks where pedestrians need to walk single-file... an unmetered taxi and maverick jitney bus tried to overcharge us, reminding me somewhat of 3rd world. "Don't take me for low fence" as they say in the Bahamas.

Nassau, The Bahamas I found fascinating culturally, a blend of USA, Caribbean, England, and West Africa but with a feel all its own shaped by its topography, island-ness, proximity to North America and nearby islands, and unique music, dance, cuisine and history. Hard to pinpoint really. I'll have to go back one day to discover more aspects!