A Winter Week on Paradise Island

The marine habitats at Atlantis, the waterslides, the beach, the strawmarket in downtown Nassau are must-sees. Ardastra Gardens & Zoo is also quite an experience! Junkanoo is a major parade held twice a year, including at New Year's. We talked about going, but it BEGINS at 1am! It ended up being cancelled due to rain. It's THE thing to do if you can handle being up all night. We could see fireworks in various areas, even during the rain, on New Year's eve.

Quick Tips:

If you want more than one drink with dinner, i.e. if you think you'll want a refill on your coke, order 2 to begin with because you probably will never get the 2nd one before you're done eating! See my free form entry on saving some money on food. Wear comfortable shoes because you'll do a lot of walking. Check out the small strawmarket at the Hurricane Hole shopping plaza.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you're staying on the Atlantis Resort property, don't bother with a rental car unless you plan to really explore the island. We walked or took shuttles, taxis, buses and ferries everywhere we needed to go. Taxis have fare guidelines and there is a set price to/from most areas. Airport to Paradise Island is /1-2 people, per person after that. Jitney (bus) is per person around Nassau. Getting from P.I. to Nassau via Taxi is /person, ferry /person. Ferry only runs until 6pm.

We are timeshare owners and traded to stay here, but they also rent the suites. To see what the interior of these units looks like, go to Atlantis.com and navigate to accomodations and Harborside. The photos there are EXACTLY what our place looked like. Gorgeous! Amenities in each unit include: washer & dryer, microwave, cooktop, dishwasher, fridge, coffee maker, service for 6 in the larger unit, service for 4 in the smaller unit, pots, pans, cooking utensils, toaster, blender, dishwasher soap, kitchen towel, blow dryer, iron & board, safe, jetted tub & separate shower in the lg. unit, combo jetted tub/shower in the sm. unit, 2 TVs with remotes, stereo system, VCR, patio with table & chairs in lg. unit, dining table & chairs, ceiling fans, a/c, king size bed & queen sleeper sofa. Whew!

Bring laundry detergent & softener, or buy them ($$) at the lobby store. We had a 2-bedroom lock-off unit; one large unit adjoining a smaller unit. The main differences are the size of the kitchen, the size of the bathroom and the patio. Both were beautifully decorated and comfortable. As an owner, 1 mid-week cleaning was included, but I think I read in the handbook they leave in the room that when you rent the unit, there is an additional fee for cleaning. The staff was very responsive and friendly. Normally, you are not allowed to check in until after 4pm. We had an early flight and were there by 10am; our rooms were ready, so we were able to get unpacked and rest awhile. As a Harborside guest, you have full use of all facilities at Atlantis. If your room isn''t ready, you may leave your luggage and go over to Atlantis. There are hospitality caverns for your use, so be sure to pack your swimsuit in a small bag to keep handy! A couple of times we had small problems in the unit (a toilet running, batteries dead in a TV remote) and they came immediately to fix them. Check-in and check-out were a breeze.

There is a large pool, a small shallow children''s pool and a hot tub. The large pool also has a play area for kids with a fountain structure. There are lots of lounge chairs for sunning. There is a restaurant at the back of the property, right over the water. We only went there to buy breakfast rolls to take back to the room. See the dining sections in this journal for more info. You can take the shuttle which runs every 15 minutes over to Atlantis, or you can walk along the main road, or (our favorite) you can walk along the dock and look at all the gorgeous yachts. My husband was able to peer into one of the rooms at the Coral Towers at Atlantis and saw a plain old hotel room. I don''t know what the difference in cost is, but our rooms were a thousand times better than that!

Anthony's is an easy walk from Harborside, Atlantis, Sheraton and Holiday Inn Sunspree. It's casual, with indoor and outdoor seating. It's a good place to take picky eaters as they have the basics there as well as some dishes with caribbean flavors. The hamburger with jerk sauce was flavorful and done just right. One daughter had a baked potato with cheese & bacon that was exactly what she wanted. The salad was fresh. My son wasn't thrilled with his pizza. The sauce may have had some caribbean flavoring in it that he wasn't expecting. It was one of the more affordable places we ate on this vacation. The service was ok. Don't expect to get in and out quickly. We came to realize that service is not great anywhere on the island. A 15% gratuity is included on all dining tabs, so I guess they feel they don't need to work for their tips.

Cafe Skans is on Bay Street, just to the right of where the water taxi drops you off if you're coming from the Atlantis Resort. We had breakfast there and it was very good. 2 of us had french toast that was done just right. I had a muffin sandwich (aka egg McMuffin)that I really enjoyed. Pancakes were huge and perfectly cooked. The hash browns looked delicious and my daughter was disappointed that they had run out before she could get any. Service was probably the best we had the whole time we were on the island.

One night, my teenage daughters decided to eat Top Ramen in the room, so we took our son to this deli. Nothing appealed to my husband and I at that moment, though the place always had people eating at the tables outside. My son saw the fruit salad and that hit the spot for him. It was around $5.00 and was decent. The fruit was fresh and he ate every bite. Other items on the menu included many sandwiches and lasagne and other casseroles like you would find in the case at a deli.

We ate here 3 times, mainly because it was the least expensive place to eat and was casual. The wait was always about 20-25 minutes. Maybe if we had made reservations, we wouldn't have had to wait, but we never knew when or if we were going to want to eat. It's located in the casino at Atlantis. Twice my husband had the conch chowder. It wasn't what we were expecting, but it was delicious. It was very much like a thick vegetable soup, with small pieces of conch. One night it was quite a bit spicier than it was previously. I had a Cobb salad one evening. It was $12, of medium size. I was surprised there were no harboiled eggs in it, but it was pretty good otherwise, with lots of fresh tomatoes, bacon and turkey. I didn't like the vinaigrette dressing they served with it, so I had to ask for some blue cheese instead. One night we just had dessert, a mud pie for each of us. It wasn't like the mud pie we are used to with ice cream and wasn't really worth the $7 each!

There is a Shark Bites Cafe, and a Shark Bites Express near the Mayan Temple and pools. Get ready for sticker shock! We ate here a couple of times because it's very convenient in the middle of the day when you're wet from the water slides and pools. A hamburger is $6. Fries are $2.50, a can of soda is $2.50. Hot dog is $4.50. I'll admit the portions are a decent size. The hot dogs weren't just little things, nor were they foot-longs. The fruit slushes looked good and I was dying to try a mango one, but it was never warm enough for me to be thirsty enough to pay $5 for it. A small salad with feta cheese, olives, lettuce and tomatoes was $12. A chicken sandwich with fries was $9. Everything tasted good, nothing unusual to make the kids balk at eating it.

Because the price for dinner was $45 per person, all inclusive, we did not choose to dine here at night. Also, the weather was not great during our trip and the restaurant is all open-air dining. We did walk out there to pick up some breakfast rolls. Cinnamon and other rolls were $4 each. Medium-sized croissants were $2 each. They also offered coffee, orange juice, cereal and fruit at breakfast.

Murray's Deli was recommended by some online sites I visited, and my husband spoke with a group vacationing at the resort who also recommended this place. We were quite disappointed. Maybe if we had ordered sandwiches we would have been more impressed. We ordered hamburgers. They were very good, and quite large, but nothing really special. The kids had grilled cheese sandwiches. My son doesn't like American Cheese and we asked specifically for Cheddar. It came with American and he was very unhappy. We sent it back. After everyone else at the table had finished their meals, my husband went in search of my son's grilled cheese sandwich. Earlier, he'd had to track someone down to deliver the root beer my son had ordered. Our waitress had disappeared! We finally received the sandwich, about 10 minutes after the rest of us had finished our meals. To their credit, they did take the sandwich off the tab. Service there was terrible. You can tell that a great majority of people who go to the Atlantis resort have a lot of money. This usually means that they also demand a high level of service. It was not to be found in any dining experience we had at this resort. Is it because gratuities are already included in the bills? At Murray's, there is a take-out area. I'd recommend trying that instead of a sit-down meal.

Ardastra is very lush and tropical. It seems a rather steep price for the size of the zoo, but they certainly need the money!

There are some great animals here. The lemurs are quite friendly and make adorable noises! The monkeys are curious. The birds, especially the macaws were beautiful. A few of them talk, which is always a kick.

The pot-bellied pig was just wandering around on his own. The peacocks were beautiful, and one treated us to a display of his feathers. The jaguars were the only animals that didn't seem relaxed here. They paced and were very unhappy when the flamingos squawked nearby.

Speaking of flamingos, a huge flock wanders the grounds. Three times daily, they put on a show. They are known as the World Famous Marching Flamingos. The trainer can order them to march and about face. It's very entertaining and a must to see. You can get your photo taken with some of the macaws, for a small donation. This place didn't seem too wheelchair friendly, as the paths are narrow and uneven, but I saw a couple of elderly people in wheelchairs at the flamingo show, so it must be doable. They do offer a limited run courtesy bus from your hotel, so ask at the hotel's activity desk.

We were very happy with everything about this adventure, except the weather...what can you do? The price was great for all this included. We were picked up by a shuttle bus at our hotel and taken to the harbor in Nassau. After paying and receiving wristbands, we boarded a 2-level boat for our cruise out to Rose Island with about 20 other people. A crew member described various homes and buildings on our way out, then pointed out landmarks to us as we approached the island. The boat trip was only about 20-30 minutes. Sea Island Adventures has a private beach on Rose Island, with hammocks strung between pine trees (I was expecting palms, but PINES??), a sand volleyball court, basketball hoop and buildings with restrooms, and recreation area with table tennis and other games. Also a small bar. We were given snorkeling equipment, but it would have been really nice to have wetsuits. The water was only about 74F that day and it was overcast. We were only able to stay out about an hour before we were frozen.

They gave us a small bag of dog kibble to feed the fish. You could take a piece of kibble between your fingers and small wrasses would swarm around and nibble at it. It was great fun. Even if they nibbled your finger instead, their mouths are so small, it didn't hurt. We saw beautiful parrot fish, pygmy angels and even some jellyfish in one area. After, we rinsed off in the fresh water shower, then relaxed on the beach. Some of us swung in the hammocks while others explored the small island. A volleyball game was organized while lunch was being prepared. Kayaks and paddle boats are available for free and several people ventured back into that cold water to use them.

Lunch is included in this trip. There were some delicious Bahamian BBQ ribs, fried chicken, hot dogs, peas n' rice, pasta, fresh watermelon and coconut and fruit punch or white wine. Other drinks were available to purchase at the bar. After lunch, it began to rain, then to pour. They had bingo for us to play in the shelter of the eating area, with a free drink of any kind to the winner. We played about 6 rounds. When the rain lightened a little, we headed back to the boat to make sure we got to sit toward the interior where it was warmer. We sailed back in the pouring rain, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all. We were drenched going from the boat to the place where the bus would pick us up. It wouldn't have felt so cold if we weren't still wet from snorkeling. Even in the rain, the temperature was in the 70's.

The Atlantis Resort is HUGE! Prepare to do a LOT of walking. I'm positive that it's bigger than Disneyland! There are many, many pools to use. There are smaller ones by the Beach Tower, including a kids' play area, lazy river ride and small water slide.

The water on the slides here was quite cold, so we only did them once. We heard that the water in the lazy river was cold, too, so we didn't even try it.

Near the Coral Towers, there is a large freeform pool. Between Coral Towers and the Royal Towers there is a large lagoon, where you can swim, snorkel, ride kayaks or paddle boats. We didn't even check those out, so I don't know about fees. There is a sandy beach on 2 sides where you can relax and watch the activities.

Near the Royal Towers is where all the excitement is. There you'll find another large pool, another kids' pool and the Mayan Temple and slides. The body slide is very exciting. You climb to the top of the temple, then plunge down the slide and through a clear tube through the center of the shark pool. You're going fast, and water is spraying in your eyes, so you can't see anything through the tube, but it's still a thrill! At the end of the tube you are dumped into a small pool where a lifeguard hurries you out to make way for the next rider.

At the opposite side of the temple at the very top is a pair of slides where you can race with a friend to the bottom. That slide is not as steep, but it goes very fast. So much water was spraying in my face, I couldn't see whether my son or I was the first to reach the bottom.

My favorite was the tube slide. It's one level down from the body slide. You ride an innertube through a large tube that sends you snaking down. It goes pretty fast and it's very dark. At the bottom, you are dumped into a clear acrylic tube in the middle of the shark tank. Here you mosey along, pushed only by the force of the water in front of the person coming down the slide behind you. You can enjoy the sharks as they swim beside and above you as you float by. People outside the tank can also see you through a large viewing window. These slides have a 48" height limit. There is one slide for smaller children. I didn't see a height requirement on that slide.

For all the water attractions, including the beach at Atlantis, you must have a wristband. You can go to any towel stand (aka Liquid Adventures Center), show your room keycard, and receive a towel and a wristband. If you choose not to wear a wristband, keep your card handy because you'll be asked to show it a number of times.

If you are a guest at Atlantis or Harborside, you are free to roam the grounds as often and for as long as you wish. We spent many hours with mouths agape at the beautiful marine exhibits. The Predator Lagoon is at the base of the Mayan Temple. Here nurse sharks swim lazily around acrylic tubes as guests ride the water slides through the center. There is another predator lagoon with an underwater viewing area where you can see more sharks, barracuda, stingrays, groupers and others.

The stingray lagoons are filled with various stingrays and black tip reef sharks. At Seagrapes viewing tunnel, you can see some really bizarre and beautiful fish. The most amazing one we don't have a name for. It was huge and looked like a Disney creation. It is teal with huge lips and a large bump on its forehead.

The Ruins Walk and Ruins Lagoon are beautiful. The Ruins Lagoon is what you view when you walk beneath it in what's called The Dig. This is absolutely incredible! Hammerheads, a huge manta ray, angels, triggers, tuna...so much more! Species tanks in the dig feature lookdowns, lionfish, spiny lobsters, piranha, seahorses, jellyfish. Be sure to read the daily "Fish & Chips" for times and locations of feedings. They call it "Seakeepers Sanctuary." Kids are allowed to pet the stingrays at feeding time, so don't miss it!

Food is very expensive on the island and there's no way around that. Knowing we were staying in a resort with a kitchen, I brought a small suitcase full of food that my family likes. I brought Pasta-roni, cold cereal, Top Ramen, cookies and some other snack food. Those things alone saved us a few hundred dollars! There is a small grocery store in the Hurricane Hole shopping plaza within walking distance of Atlantis, Harborside and Holiday Inn Sunspree. Everything costs twice what it does at home, but it's still better than dining out every meal. 1/2 gal of milk is $3.50, 1/2 gal of orange juice is $8.75, a 2 liter bottle of coke is $3.50. Considering 1 CAN of coke at the resort is $2.50-3.00, that's a bargain! The little store in the lobby of Harborside is twice as expensive as the grocery store. A 6-pack of coke in there was $7.50! We also bought a loaf of bread, 1 lb of butter, small bottles of water, salad dressing and a head of lettuce. A couple of us were smart and brought bottled water from home and just refilled while we were there. To buy it at the resort was about $3 a small bottle. The tap water was not great, but was drinkable.

One night we ordered pizza delivered. Surprisingly, this didn't cost much more than it usually does at home. Guest services in the lobby gave me the phone numbers for Dominos and Pizza Hut. We ordered 2 large pizzas from Pizza Hut. The cost was around $20. It was one of the best meals we had! There was enough leftover pizza the next night for the kids and my husband and I had salad and toast.

There are some very nice and expensive restaurants at Atlantis, but we were not willing to pay the prices, especially with kids! Read the separate entries for the restaurants we ate at. We did walk over to the Holiday Inn Sunspree to check out their restaurants. There was one that was only open on weekends and another that was a buffet. We don't care for buffets so didn't even look at it.

My teenage girls went to Club Rush twice during our stay. There is a $10 cover charge and it's open from 8pm to 1am, no parents allowed! Parents may tour the club at 5pm. Set up a tour at the guest services desk in the lobby. There is a dance floor and music, computers where teens can send e-mail and IM their friends back home, Nintendo & Playstation video games, and a big-screen TV where PG-13 movies are run. There are plush chairs and couches to sit on. A soda vending machine is available. On a scale of 1-5, my teens rated it a 3. You have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone and introduce yourself to strangers. Club Rush is also available to pre-teens several times a week from 4-6pm. The cover charge is also $10. Check the daily "Fish & Chips" newsletter for schedules.

Atlantis advertises free scuba lessons, but it's not what it seems. The free part is the 2-hour classroom discussion that begins at 9am. After that, you may go for a pool lesson for $35. If you pass that part, you can go on a dive for $45.

There is a movie theater in the courtyard between the Coral and Beach Towers. The movies are all ones you can rent on video, so we never attended.

Ping pong tables are available in at least 2 areas that we saw. You can get the paddles & balls at one of the towel shacks. There are also shuffleboard areas.

The library has some good books available to borrow during your stay. Free internet access is also available there in 15 minute increments.