Exploring the Lost World: Atlantis

When you first cross the bridge to Paradise Island, it is hard to imagine it was called Hog Island until 1961. While not as lush and green as other tropical destinations like Kauai, this island in the Bahamas offers aquamarine waters and white sand beaches for as far as the eye can see. A playground for the rich since Swedish industrialist Dr. Axel Wenner-Gren first sailed into Nassau Harbor and decided to made paradise his home in 1939, Paradise Island has remained a top destination for wealthy tourists.

Today, the Atlantis luxury resort is the attraction on Paradise Island. It takes hours to explore, and one need never leave the premises to enjoy time in the Bahamas. The incredible aquariums and awesome water slides provide plenty of entertainment for children, and the Discovery Channel Camp is the absolute best day camp for kids I have ever seen at a resort. Water activities obviously abound in the Bahamas as well. You may swim with dolphins, SCUBA, snorkle, powerboat, sail. All of these activities can easily be arranged once you arrive at the resort, and none of them will disappoint. (See freeform entry for detailed activities listing.)

Quick Tips:

While you never need leave Atlantis to have a good time on your trip, still do so. Nassau is the largest city in the Bahamas, and it is only a short cab ride over the bridge (). (Ferry rides are cheaper.)

You should walk through the Straw Market to experience the bright colors and dickering merchants, and you should eat in Nassau at least once during your stay in the Bahamas.

Best Way To Get Around:

You do not need a car at all. Taxis from the airport to Paradise Island should run you around , and the local drivers are very friendly with good information about the area. In Nassau, walking is the best way to move around. You will want to stay in the busy areas anyway, and cabs for your ride back to Atlantis are easy to find.

Atlantis is a mammoth luxury resort with tons of amenities. It is a great place to stay on a family vacation if you have a lot of money to throw around, and there are many incredible, unique features such as The Dig that you will not find at any other resort. The Dig is a simulation of an archaeological dig in which the lost island of Atlantis was uncovered. There are underground tunnels full of giant aquariums and touch tanks that will thrill not only your children but you. There are marine life feedings that are interesting to watch scheduled throughout the many aquariums at various times of the day. Children are even allowed to help feed the stingrays! There are man-made lagoons, miles of beaches, and tons of waterslides to guarantee family fun. The Leap of Faith waterslide on the Mayan Temple will make your heart jump into your throat as you plummet straight down to emerge in a pool underneath the shark tanks. What a rush! And the amenities go on and on and on.... (See separate entries for various Atlantis attractions.)

The downside to Atlantis is there is absolutely nothing intimate about the place. It is sooo huge that it takes thirty minutes to walk from one end to the other! Everything is BIG here, from the marble columns in the front lobby, to the room rates. The disappointing thing about this is the service does not always match up to money you spend. While there were certainly a few Atlantis employees who went out of their way to be helpful, the majority, while friendly, were not very useful. We would get bad directions to different parts of the resort. It took over 40 minutes to check-in. Meals were served on Bahama time....

As for the rooms.... We were in the Imperial Club, which is a locked tower. While drinks can be had there for free, the rooms themselves are nothing to write home about. Our view of the harbor was nice, but our balcony was tiny. The beds were comfortable, but the bathroom was small. In fact, the room felt a bit generic to me. Of course, to be fair, we did not spend much time in our room.

Bottom Line: How much you like Atlantis will all depend on exactly what you are looking for in a luxury resort. If you want a resort with BIG amenities for adults and children alike, there is no other resort in the world that can hold a candle to this one. However, if you want an intimate feel and a staff that caters to your every whim, you are on the wrong island.

Harborside Resort Villas is primarily a timeshare property. We do not own timeshare, and we did not stay there. HOWEVER, I knew someone who did, and I got the opportunity to look inside one of the rooms. It was actually a tastefully decorated suite with a kitchen, dining room, comfortable living room, whirlpool in bathroom, all for about the same amount of money I was spending to stay in a much smaller room in the main Atlantis resort. Harborside Villas are part of the Atlantis property, and suites can be rented as well as purchased. Shuttles leave from the front entrance of Harborside to the main Atlantis resort every fifteen minutes, and it was my understanding that Harborside guests have full run of all Atlantis amenities. If I ever visit Atlantis again while on vacation, I will rent a suite at Harborside!

Murray's is set up like an old American diner. It is a good place to eat with your children, and we sampled the food there several times. It is located right on the Marina though there are no windows allowing you to view the boats while dining. The food is basic diner fare: hamburgers, sandwiches, chicken fingers. The club sandwiches are HUGE, though my son liked the $8 grilled cheese sandwiches the best.

Bottom Line: The food is decent at Murray's. Not great. Overpriced. But not by too much. The service is... well... typical for the Bahamas. Still, you don't need reservations. Alcohol is served. AND right next door there is the Jimmie's Ice Cream Parlor!!! Go buy a cone and sit at one of the outside tables while the ice cream melts in the golden sun all over your little one's fingers. Enjoy the sweet taste of vacation as you fantasize about owning the boats with their uniformed crews in the marina. OR maybe you do own one of those boats, and it's just me with the fantasy? Either way, life is good when one has a waffle cone.

We took a cab to Nassau one night for dinner. We ended up at Chippie's Wall Street Cafe. The door is tucked in an alley though it is not hard to find. The restaurant is on the second floor of a building next door to the Pompey Museum. This place is named after a musician who once played with Bob Marley. It is very small, but it has a balcony overlooking the street, and I found the atmosphere to be quite charming. The walls are colorful. The service was actually very good when we visited, though we were one of only two tables occupied in the place, so I don't know how it is when they are busy. (We were having a very early dinner.) The food was all local and very good. My son had a couple scoops of the best vanilla ice cream I have ever tasted for dessert. We had a completely enjoyable dining experience at Chippie's.

One morning we decided to leave Atlantis and cruise in a catamaran sailboat through the crystal blue waters of the Carribean. The boat was beautiful and accommodated what seemed to be around forty people. At no point, however, did we feel crowded. In fact, we stayed at the front of the boat with a nice wind hitting our faces almost the whole time. There was food to eat, too, though no alcohol was served until AFTER the snorkeling was over. The cruise to the dive site was very pleasant. When we arrived at the area where we would be allowed to snorkel, we could see the heads of many people bobbing up and down in the water near another boat. We were given yellow life jackets with just a little bit of air in them, and other snorkel equipment. Then it was into the water for an hour! I will admit, the ocean is a bit cold in April, but I soon forgot about my goosebumps as I swam above a reef and was surrounded by tropical fish. Most of the fish were small (which did NOT bother me. I vividly remember seeing JAWS at the movie theater when I was a child!), but many swam in large, colorful schools. The most common fish I saw was yellow with black stripes. In the particular area that we swam that day, we did not see as many fish as we had encountered when we went snorkeling in Hawaii, but I don't know if that is typical for the Bahamas. Everyone who had been on the sailboat snorkeled in a group, but I never felt as if there were too many people. We were told in which areas we could swim, and it was wide enough to accommodate our group. A man on the ship blew a whistle when time was up. I found the amount of time given was plenty. Once on the boat, it was nice to enjoy a beer brewed in the Bahamas and wrap up in a warm sweatshirt. After the cold water, the breeze was very chilly on our return home, so I was very grateful I'd packed a pull-over. We were back on Paradise Island before 1 PM. The whole excursion was a lot of fun, and I would suggest it to anyone.

Discovery Channel Camp was GREAT fun for my son. He only went to two sessions while we were in the Bahamas as we wanted to spend time with him, but he begged to go back again. The staff at the camp is wonderful, and the time spent in a session is quality time. The children learn all about the various marine life that can be seen around Atlantis. In fact they go on "field trips" to look at fish more closely. They play on special computers that teach them about the Bahamas. They do arts and crafts. They play lots of games. My son decorated a bandana and learned all about Junkanoo, a Bahamas tradition in which participants dress up in wild costumes similar to those seen at Mardis Gras.

If you want a quiet dinner out with your significant other, Discovery Camp is more expensive than a babysitter, but you won't worry for a second about your kids not having a good time, too.

While we were in Atlantis, we decided to take in a play. Atlantis has a small theater on the premises. We saw Don't Stop the Carnival, and it was a wonderful production. I couldn't wait to see how Jimmy Buffett pulled off the musical score to a book by Herman Wouk. Wouk is a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist best known for writing expansive war stories! What does war have to do with Margaritaville?! However strange the creative collaboration might have been, Buffett and Wouk put together a wonderfully funny and light play that is well worth seeing. The plot revolves around a New York man's misadventures as the new proprietor of the Gull Reef Club on a tropical island, so the Bahamas is the perfect place for the show to run. The music was upbeat and fun, and the acting was really wonderful. In fact, I bought the soundtrack for the musical on which Jimmy Buffett sings the lead part, and I actually liked the voice of the actor from the Atlantis Theater better (shhh!!!). I believe this play is the prime attraction through the summer of 2001 at the Atlantis Theater, and I would recommend it to anyone. While there is some PG language, my son also really enjoyed the play with its colorful characters and quick moving action, so I'd say other mature children would like watching the dancing, too. We were served frozen drinks (our son had lemonade) in souvenir cups upon entry to the theater to get us into a calypso mood. We really had a great time at this play.

If Don't Stop the Carnival is no longer in the theater at the time of your trip to Atlantis, I can tell you that the production I saw was professional and well done. Future shows at Atlantis will probably meet that same standard.

The Straw Market in Nassau is a giant hodge podge of color and goods. Some of these goods are junk, but some are unique finds dealing with the area. I liked the hand-strung, pearl necklaces and bracelets. I bought a new sarong after a lady would not take no for an answer (but also came down on her price!). My son, the negotiater, was thrilled when he got a wooden snake from a merchant for $1 less than the asking price. Of course, some prices are firm, and if you really want to dicker, be prepared to walk away. In all honesty, I did not find a lot of things I wanted to buy in Nassau, but it was great fun walking through the streets. My son also lost a tooth during a trip to the Bahamas, and I happen to know for a fact that the wooden recorder he got under his pillow along with a couple other trinkets were bought by the tooth fairy in the Nassau area. He was very happy with his inexpensive gifts from the Caribbean, and these were the things he took to school the next week for show-and-tell.

TIP: If you want a good store for little boys, also seek out the Pirate Shop. There is a pirate's museum there as well though we did not look through this because the $14 ticket price sounded a little steep to us. Regardless of whether or not you look in the museum, the gold medallions and plastic swords from the gift shop are sure to be a hit with any boys in your party. Our son bought inexpensive pirate's coins for all of his buddies at home in the US, and they were all very impressed that he had been to an island where Blackbeard once roamed.

The horse and carriage ride that we went on took about 30 minutes. The driver was very polite and nice, and he pointed out buildings of interest as we clopped along. My son really liked sitting beside him in the front seat. Unfortunately for my husband and me, however, the guide did not always turn his head when he was speaking to us, so some of the information he was imparting was carried off with the wind. We still enjoyed the ride, but I would not suggest it for anyone who is allergic to horses. I happen to have a horse allergy, and I had an awful time with my eyes watering and my nose running after only a few minutes. It seems the carriage that we rode in had not been cleaned for some time. I suspect that it was stored in the horse stables along with the animals at night, and the velvet material on the cushions was covered in horse dander. The horses, too, did not look as well cared for as other horses employed in this type of work that I've seen in cities such as Charleston and Savannah. I've taken horse and carriage rides before in those places, and I'd never had a problem with allergies. I really believe if our horse in the Bahamas had been better groomed, dander would've been less of an issue for me. I did not, however, think the horse was abused in any way. He just needed a bath.

Bottom Line: If you want to hear a little bit of local history, a horse ride is fun and not too expensive. If you're allergic to horses though, skip it and buy a guide book instead!

The Pompey Museum is a small museum dedicated to the history of slavery and emancipation in the Bahamas. The building where it is housed was once the site for slave auctions. The first floor of the museum shows historical documents and artifacts from the period in Bahamas history in which cotton farming and the like was tried by land owners. These ventures eventually failed, and slavery died in the islands. You will also learn a little about how the former slaves set up townships of their own and sought ways to make money such as engaging in sponge farming: still a business that contributes to the Bahamian economy. On the second floor of the museum is a permanent collection of work by Bahamian artist Amos Ferguson. This work is bright and bold though also simplistic and childlike. Religion seemed to me to be a central subject for Mr. Ferguson's work.

Bottom Line: The Pompey Museum is no Smithsonian, but it is a nice half hour reprieve from the hot sun. If it is open, take a walk through and learn something. Your kids will like looking at the thatched hut on the first floor as well as Mr. Ferguson's art.

Admission: $1/Adult;$.50/child under 12.

Operating Hours: Monday-Friday 10 AM-4:30 PM Open limited hours on alternating Saturdays. Closed Sundays and holidays.

Phone Number: 242-326-2566/8

What is there to do at Atlantis? A LOT! I would suggest you actually take a few minutes when you get to the resort to check out the channel on your TV that goes over nothing but Atlantis amenities, or you might miss something!

Let's start with water sports:
There are paddle bikes you can rent for $25/30 minute in the lagoon. Kayaks are available, too.
There are free SCUBA lessons that take place at designated pools.
There are miles of private beaches with lifeguards for your enjoyment. You will notice TONS of girls in Atlantis with their hair pulled into tight braids and beads. The women in the beach huts do these tropical styles for $2/braid.
There is the Lazy River Ride which was a big hit with my son. You just get on an inner tube and float under the trees.
And did I mention the water slides? The Serpent Slide in which you twirl through the dark to emerge in a well-lit tunnel and float on your inner tube through a shark tank was definitely a favorite slide of mine! The Leap of Faith slide on the Mayan Temple is awesome (see picture of me going down this slide in Atlantis accomodations entry!). The race slides that time you and your partner are a blast. And on and on. For younger kids there are smaller slides. To ride the big ones, you MUST be 48 inches high, and the slide employees will measure any person whose height comes into question!

After you're done in the water, take a trip over to the full service spa! OR how about the sports center? Courts and equipment can be rented for various periods of time. We had a lot of fun playing putt putt on the 18 hole miniature golf course! This golfing excursion cost around $30 for two adults and a child.

Adult entertainment:
The casinos are always open, and I am sure you can find a game to suit your tastes. Dragons is the hip and happening dance club. Fine dining is easy to find (make reservations at the nicer restaurants and have appropriate clothing). The theater is a nice diversion (see separate entry). Shopping is readily available. Understand, however, that ALL of the shops are very upscale. I liked a dress in the window until I saw the $1700 price tag! NOTHING is cheap, not even the sunscreen.

All Around Family Fun:
Go on a tour of the Marine Life Exhibits around Atlantis.
Visit The Dig.
Feed stingrays.
Grab a feeding schedule and watch the various fish at dinner time.
Discovery Channel Camp should be visited at least once.
Babysitting services are available. We paid for a sitter one night, and she was awesome.
Atlantis can arrange excursions for you at places such as Dolphin Encounters and Stingray Island.

And, if that's not enough for you to do, I am SURE I've forgotten something!!!