Travel

Cheat Sheet for Your Trip to Nassau

Copyright © 2017 Gary Sweeting
All rights reserved.
Every effort has been made at the time of this writing to be accurate. We accept no liability.

Cheat Sheet for Your Trip to Nassau

Nassau is the capital, the largest city, and commercial center of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

The city has an estimated population of 270,000 as of 2016, and 70 percent of the entire population of the Bahamas.

The Lynden Pindling International Airport is the major airport for the Bahamas, is located about 5 miles west of Nassau city, and has daily flights to major cities in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the United States. The city is located on the island of New Providence.

Nassau is the capital for the country of the Bahamas governed from Nassau. Nassau is considered historically to be a stronghold of pirates log ago. The city was named in honor of William III of England, Prince of Orange-Nassau, and has a long colorful history including pirates.

Hints and helps in preparation and during your trip to Nassau.

1. Having a passport is the most important things to have when planning for any international travel. A passport holder with a valid visa is entitled to enter most countries. Fortunately currently there no need for a visa if you have a current passport.
   Each country’s government has the right to issue or revoke a passport.
   Every passport that is issued to an individual and has a certain validity which usually ranges between 5 to 10 years.
   Several countries of the world require remaining passport validity for no less than 6 months on arrival.
   Regular or tourist passports are the most common type of passports issued to people.
   Make sure your passport is current and does not expire for 6 months and then check with your airline for any recent changes. It usually takes several weeks to renew a passport.

2. Make sure your driver’s license is not expired.

3. Call your credit and debit card bank(s) and notify them of the dates you will be out of the country.

4. Have the complete address of where you are staying to print on the immigration form when arriving in Nassau at/for immigration.

5. Have a couple of hundred dollars in US cash as a back-up reserve in small bills.

6. Write down the phone numbers of your credit and debit card banks with an area code for overseas as toll free may not work. Just in case they are lost or stolen.

7. Put your passport in the hotels safe and don’t forget it on the way to the airport as you leave.

8. Remember there is an American Embassy in Nassau should you have a major problem.

9. Make sure you have enough of your medications with you.

10. Remember even a small pen knife is not allowed on your person or in your carry on.

11. No liquids in excess of 3 oz. Check with the airline for the latest rules.

12. Airport security is one of the most uncomfortable processes for any traveler and frustrating. Some tips can ease this process.
    Review your TSA list of restricted items. Knives, Scissors, Guns etc. are obviously some items which you cannot carry. Any sharp objects are prohibited by airlines and the TSA.
    Pack neatly, so that you need not end up scattering all your personal stuff. Items like laptops need to be removed from your hand luggage and placed separately for the scanning process. (Check if laptops are still allowed in carry-on luggage).
    Wear clothing that can be removed quickly. There is nothing like waiting while a family of six tries to unbundle in the security line dressed like they are going or coming from Siberia. It is also quite annoying and time consuming when you are asked to remove heavy jackets.
    If you are wearing too much jewelry, then you may need to spend a longer time at the security check.
    Beat the crowd by arriving early for security check-in. If you are travelling with senior citizen, children or any physically disabled person, then it’s important that you reach the airport early as the process may be time consuming.
    Most airlines recommend its passengers to reach the airport at least 2 hours prior to the boarding to prevent last minute rush and this will also ensure that you get sufficient time to go through the security check comfortably.
    Do not forget to check in at the airport terminal 2 hours before your flight as this is an international flight. Expect the same requirements coming back home.

13. Do not try to hide anything from the customs as this will get you in big trouble.

14. Use the bathroom before the last minute of boarding your plane. Restroom in the plane is very tiny.

15. If you are travelling with children keep them close as they will not delay a flight while you find your missing child.

16. If you have the habit of posting pictures on various social sites like Facebook and Instagram, then you should be aware about how to avoid data roaming charges while you are on an international trip.
    Also you could be alerting a burglar that you are not at home by posting your vacation fun.

17. There is no need for foreign exchange as the US dollar is used on par with the Bahamian dollar.

18. It is strongly recommended not too turn on data while on roaming. Many people have received bills in excess of $100’s by not turning off roaming.
    Talk with your local cell phone company for any options that they may have. Double check what they tell you by talking to a second agent.

19. Become familiar with your phone and your plan.
    Most of the first time travelers are not aware of the fact that only GSM and CDMA phone are operable when you are out of your home country. Next check your phone plan with your network operator at least on two occasions. Find out how much it will cost you for to make calls and data on international roaming. It is very expensive, so you want to consider downloading an international roaming app or can also buy an international SIM card to cut down the roaming costs.
    Turn off Data on your mobile phone before leaving your home for the airport.
    Make sure you have kept chargers, adapters, headsets and earplugs with you. It is always better to keep these things in your hand luggage as you might need them during a layover.
    Little or no data storage space could let you lose some precious pictures. Check your phone’s storage before you are ready to leave. Delete all the unused applications and files. Transfer old files to your computer or hard drive. And don’t forget to clear off your Internet cache.

20. As for women travelling alone. You can go places by yourself and stay safe. Planning is one of the most crucial steps in a safe journey. Good planning happens when you know about your destination. Research things like the best tourist spots and the availability of reliable transportation.
    When you land at your destination, the very next thing you need will be a taxi, make sure it is a legitimate taxi and ask for identification if you are suspicious. Accommodations should be pre-booked. For women travelling alone, it is quite important when it comes to clothes you wear. Dress to not be provocative for obvious reasons.
    Keep a digital copy of all your documents such as your Passport, ID proof, and travel insurance. So that if printed documents are lost, you can use the ones stored in the cloud.
    About money, prefer carrying credit and debit cards and minimal cash so as to avoid any major loss in case of theft.
    Do not hesitate or feel guilty to say,” No” whenever you feel uncomfortable in a situation. Trust your instinct and do not take chances.

21. Get travel insurance which covers your medical expenses in case of any accident while travelling. Becoming a victim of theft and realizing that you are in a foreign country without any money can be a traveler’s nightmare. Insurance should also cover lost or stolen luggage.

Places to visit and fun things to do.

The casino at Atlantis is a big attraction to many visitors. If you are not planning to gamble it is still a must see even if you just walk in and look around.

The water park at Atlantis Paradise Island is a 141-acre spectacular amazing place with a floating river that has rapids and waves, as well as 11 swimming pools and a slide down the front of a Mayan temple.

The dolphin lagoon is an area where you can swim with dolphins and is very special and is a must. It will thrill the young and old alike.

A day trip on a fast boat to one of the Exuma Islands is another unforgettable experience, where you spend a day enjoying a beautiful beach, snorkeling and a great picnic on the beach.

Of course there are several other major islands close buy to visit and enjoy. There is a day excursion to Spanish Wells and Bahamas Air has flights to the major islands in the Bahamas.

Arawak Cay is where you will find many locals as well as tourists. This spot on West Bay Street has a lot of authentic Bahamian restaurants, with famous cracked conch. Locals just call it the “fish fry,” named after the seafood meals. Do not forget the many Bahamian culinary delights. Just be careful not to get too much hot pepper included.

Nassau Pirate Museum is probably the world’s coolest pirate attraction. This museum is all set in a replica pirate ship, complete with a cannon, and live-action pirates. Lots of fun for adults and kids.

The things to do in Nassau include the straw market, Señor Frog's, duty-free shops and the tourist shops. Shopping downtown Nassau with lots of duty free goods to take back home.
There are now far more things to do in Nassau than buying $10 T-shirts. As more competition for port calls has led Nassau to find more things to do, the experience here has evolved. If you haven’t been in a while -- or you find yourself wanting to leave on your first cruise to the Bahamas. Of course the cruise ship does not give you very much time to explore and visit in and around Nassau town.
The Ardastra Gardens.
The first zoo in the Bahamas is a lush tropical garden with more than 200 tropical animals, including the Pink Caribbean flamingo, bred there since the 1950s. It’s also home to parrots, lemurs, domestic pigs, and all varieties of tropical plants.
The newly opened Bar Mar Resort is now open.
Baha Mar Will Have 4 Hotels and a Huge Casino on Cable Beach.
The huge new destination resort is being built on 1,000 acres on Nassau's Cable (Nassau) Beach area. This project is to become the largest destination resort in the Caribbean. It will include the 1,000-room Baha Mar Casino & Hotel, the 700-room Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar, the 300-room SLS LUX, and the 200 - room Rosewood at Baha Mar. The complex will ultimately have overt 2,000 rooms, over 200 private residences, a 100,000-square-foot casino, a 200,000-square-foot convention center, a 30,000-square-foot ESPA destination spa, and the Tournament Players Club at Baha Mar golf course, designed by Jack Nicklaus.
Other promised offerings include an on-site animal-encounter program and a private island reachable via a 15-minute boat ride.
The casino will be the largest in the Caribbean, overshadowing even the Atlantis' mammoth gaming space.
The closest neighbor to the resort complex is the all-inclusive Breezes Bahamas, which presently has a virtual monopoly on the east end of Cable Beach.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author hopes that this information will be of immense help to you as you travel to Nassau.
This information can possibly help save you some problems along the way.
Understand that at the time of compiling this information every effort was made to ensure accuracy but all information is subject to change. So it is advised that you confirm passport, immunization requirements, carryon luggage requirements and airline rules.
A lot of this information can be applied to any other place you may travel.