Thanksgiving in Paradise (sort of)

Without a doubt, the highlight of my visit to Atlantis on Paradise Island was the time spent on the powdery beach, swimming in clear calm waters and enjoying the sunny weather.

My group also enjoyed:
1. Lavish breakfasts.
2. The opportunity to engage in some low-key gambling.
3. A massage at the Atlantis Aveda spa.
4. A complimentary scuba lesson with Corey who then became my island tour guide.
5. Mayan temple water slides.
6. Checking out local entertainment courtesy of Corey.

Quick Tips:

If staying at the Atlantis resort, you won't need to worry about many details post-arrival. Just about everything will be handled while booking - meal plan, airport transportation, etc.

If you are seeking a vacation where you can easily expore local culture, Paradise Island probably isn't for you. On the other hand, visit Atlantis if you're looking for straight relaxation, lots of opportunities to be on or in the water and you can deal with often bland resort cuisine. Additionally, if you have children, they will love it here.

Best Way To Get Around:

You'll fly into Nassau, Bahamas and Paradise Island is just across a short bridge from Nassau. If staying at the Atlantis resort, no worries - just look for the Atlantis employees and their shuttles. It would be very easy to stay on the resort for your entire vacation, however if you choose to explore the rest of Paradise Island and Nassau, you can walk or take taxis which are readily available. Although the islands have a reputation as being safe, as a tourist, you should always be extra alert while exploring areas beyond the resort.

If you are not staying at Atlantis, still no worries. Taxis are easily found. As on other Caribbean islands, negotiate the fare before getting in.

I'm not exactly sure what my group of family and friends was thinking when we chose to spend Thanksgiving 2000 at a family-oriented resort like Atlantis. Any Caribbean destination, of course, will be overrun by families with children during a school vacation, but at Atlantis, the situation could best be described as insanity.

Still, our first impression as our Atlantis bus approached the resort was "wow." Atlantis is huge and modern with lush vegetation all around. Like visiting Disney World, everything is created with the hope of creating a total experience. Here, the intended theme is "tropical luxury" and sometimes Atlantis delivers on this promise. Sometimes they fall short.

The trouble for us began soon after we arrived at the medium priced complex, Coral Towers, where we had a reservation for six people in two rooms. Lines were incredibly long in the tastefully appointed lobby and tempers were flaring all around. Members of my group took turns standing in line while others grabbing sodas, tired and thirsty after the trip down from PA and NY. When we finally got to the front, we were given two rooms in the low rises by the pool. Great, we thought, right by the famous Lazy River. Not great we later learned. First of all, the rooms each contained one king size bed instead of the two full/queens we requested at both the time of reserving and checking in. Next, the rooms were dark and musty.

Depressed, we trudged back to the crowded lobby where we were told that the only other available rooms were in the "budget" tower, the Beach Tower.

On the plus side, these rooms were brand new renovations. The downside is that Beach Tower is quite far from the nicest pools, beaches and restaurants. Oh, and the rooms wouldn't be available for another few hours (in the end, it was SIX hours).

Once we were able to get into the rooms, we were happy to simply relax and we barely gave the decor a second thought. The room was new and clean. Not fancy, but good enough for a few days' vacation. The room had a balcony with an excellent view, however the weather (to be covered in a separate entry) was sufficiently chilly and windy to make standing out on it not a great option.

At the end of this very long day, we were happy to get a meal (covered separately) and collapse into our beds after an hour in the casino.

Note: accomodations prices vary greatly by tower, number of guests per room and packages purchased (meals, etc.).

Although I'm not patently opposed to resorts and resort dining, the food at Atlantis was definitely not a highlight. Beyond that, when traveling with my family group, I face certain dining restrictions. My father is on a low fat, low sodium cardiac diet. Neither parent is very adventurous and both consider Asian food creepy. Mom once said "they eat cat, don't they?" when I was raving about a local Indian restaurant. She has since tried, and enjoyed, chicken tikka masala, however progress is slow.

With these limitations, some restaurants were automatically off limits. These included Mama Loo's (Chinese; though we had cocktails in the lounge there) and Five Twins (Pan/sushi).

Still, while at Atlantis, we sampled a variety of the almost 20 dining options and for the most part, the food and service were disappointing.

Most mornings, we ate breakfast at Sea Grapes which was the breakfast-serving restaurant closest to our rooms. As we were on the Atlantis meal plan, we lined up each morning to check in and would subsequently be hustled through to a table, often wordlessly and often in the most isolated part of a rather rast dining room.

Here you'll find your typical breakfast buffet: omelets made to order, all variety of breakfast meats, cereal, yogurt, french toast, pancakes, coffee, tea, juices. The food was all fine, but the buffet could have been in New York, Vegas or anywhere. Whether this was or was not what Bahamians eat for breakfast, I'll never know.

One day when we couldn't get reservations at any of the other restaurants, we were forced to eat a buffet-style dinner at Sea Grapes. Again, the food was fine, but rather than a plate full of mismatched items such as pasta, ham, stir fry and pizza, I personally would have been much happier sampling some local specialty.

If you too aren't fond of buffet-style meals, steer clear of Marketplace and Water's Edge which offer virtually the same assortment as Sea Grapes. Rather than dissing Atlantis' restaurants one by one, I'll instead point out instances where we received pleasant service. During our first night, we received complimentary cocktails and drinks at Villa d'Este for our check in troubles. The Villa serves decent, but not spectacular, expensive Italian food. We spent our final night dining at Fathoms which serves largely steak and seafood. I remember the service at Fathoms as especially friendly and attentive and the food was quite good.

In sum, think hard before investing in a full Atlantis meal plan. I would have much preferred eating only a few meals within the resort, choosing instead to find local establishments on Paradise Island and Nassau. But if convenience is key, get a meal plan and call ahead (before you arrive in the Bahamas) for reservations as they book up fast.

Taking a free intro to scuba lesson was one of the best things I did all week at Atlantis. I have always been crazy about swimming and snorkeling so I was excited to try something new.

Atlantis offers at least one in-pool complimentary scuba lesson per day and as a guest, you can find out where it takes place and how to sign up from the daily guest newsletter.

In the class, our instructor Corey began poolside, covering every variety of safety information. He was extremely thorough but without stealing our enthusiasm for giving scuba a try. Corey explained the equipment, the risks of scuba, the certification process and then it was time to get in the pool.

At first, we kept it very, very basic as we got used to the mouthpiece, tank, goggles and weight belt. The sensations were so different than I had expected - I felt quite claustrophobic and super-wimp-ish as we did our first few underwater exercises, but Corey was a patient instructor and gave me tips on how to relax while I got acclimated. Soon I was swimming back and forth the length of the pool.

Honestly though, the true benefit for me of taking this class was making a friend in Corey who was only too happy to help me escape resort life in favor of seeing "normal" life on Nassau such as a junkanoo band rehearsal and a local picnic with Bahamian music and food where I was most definitely the only tourist (to be covered in another journal).

It would be strangely easy to never set foot on a beach while at Atlantis. Bizarre, I know. How? Atlantis has created such varied grounds and enticing pools that it sometimes seems an effort to walk the extra bit to the beach. This is especially true of families with children.

When the shrieks and splashing of children gets to be too much OR just because you want to enjoy the sand and surf, get yourself to the beach. The two most immediate options are the beaches on the Atlantic Ocean and Paradise Lagoon.

Two more out of the way beaches are Cove Beach (walking distance; private and gorgeous) and Paradise Beach (a short drive away). I highly recommend Cove Beach. Although it's a few minutes' further to walk to, the unspoiled splendor - this is not hyperbole! - is worth it.

Kids really like the Lagoon although I personally did not. To me, it's a little too lake-like and with the ocean so near by, I said "no thanks." I also didn't like the numerous water bikes and other rental toys that take up a lot of surface space.

Amenities provided by Atlantis are high quality. The lounge chairs are comfortable and as a fair skinned person, I took advantage of the sun shades several times per day. Waiters will frequently stop by to offer you another pina colada, strawberry daiquiri or bottled water and in the hot sun, you are likely to take advantage.

Jet ski rentals are available and it's a fun diversion.

Two of the most entertaining experiences I had while visiting Paradise Island were also the most culturally-oriented. Corey, the Bahamian I befriended during my free scuba lesson, took me to two events that were strictly locals only.

Shortly after we met, Corey and I attended a local fair which was similar in some ways to community picnics that I went to while growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania. At least twenty small shacks selling conch salad, Caribbean beer and other local specialties surrounded a grassy square. Corey and I grabbed stools outside one and chatted with the proprietor as Corey ate his bowl of conch (remember, I don't eat seafood so I missed out on this delicacy!).

The centerpieces of the event were musical performances on the large bandstand in the middle of the grassy square. One of the bands Corey and I heard was fronted by a member of the Baha Men (of "Who Let the Dogs Out Fame") who quit just before the band hit it big. Ah, isn't that always the way?

The bands that performed were all Bahamian and so talented. We heard awesome reggae while we danced under a starry late November sky.

Another night, Corey picked me up and wouldn't say where we were going. At that point, I started to have flashbacks to news features about female tourists who disappeared in the Caribbean and weeks later were found decapitated in the dunes.

I didn't need to worry though. If Corey had told me where we were going - a parking lot - I'm sure I would have said "stop right there, buster!" and I would have missed out on another excellent night of music.

Once we arrived at the parking lot in question, just to the side of the bridge leading to Nassau from Paradise Island, I noticed a crowd gathering in the middle of the lot. There was a sense of excitement in the air as musicians tuned up. It was late, however local children were present and some came by to check me, clearly a tourist, out. I don't think many tourists found their way to where I found myself.

And where was that exactly? Junkanoo practice. The musicians were warming up for the big festival which takes place annually on Boxing Day (Dec. 26). Junkanoo is more than just music though - it's about the costumes, the dance, all aspects of culture. It was loud and fun and I hope to return for the festival one year.

If you'd like to learn more, check out Junkanoo info on the internethttp://www.geographia.com/bahamas/junkanoo.htm

At the very far end of the resort, near the Royal Towers, you'll find the amazing Spa at Atlantis (aka The Mandara Spa). If you have the inclination or the opportunity, I recommend you sample a service or two. This spa offers everything from massages, body wraps, facials, nail treatments and Thalassotherapy which I learned is essentially a high tech way of saying "big hot tub with strong jets."

Given the bad weather during my first few days at Atlantis, I was concerned about filling my days. "What would I do if sunning and swimming aren't options?" I worried. Although the weather improved, I still kept my Spa appointment for a Swedish massage.

The Atlantis spa is like any other top notch spa and I mean that in the nicest way possible. During some of my travels, I have been disappointed by lackadaisical service. While I realize that this is often a cultural difference, when paying upward of $100 for a single spa service, my expectations are high.

Fortunately, I wasn't letdown. The spa was spotlessly clean and the staff was exceedingly warm and professional. The atmosphere was serene and the massage, outstanding.

One note of warnings: my massage utilized wonderful fragrant essential oils. These oils, of course, do not contain sunscreen so during the outdoor walk back to meet my family, I FRIED in the strong Caribbean sun. My advice? Be prepared to cover up post-massage or choose an indoor walking route.