2013 Delta Travel Guide - (Page 16)

THE BAHAMAS FACTS BEST TIME TO GO: November through May FUN FACT: Christopher Columbus ﬁrst landed in the Bahamas, whose name derives from baja mar—shallow sea. GETTING THERE: Delta ﬂies from Atlanta to Exuma and Freeport and from Atlanta, Detroit and New York (LGA) to Nassau ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid passport CURRENCY: Bahamian dollar MUST-TRY LOCAL FOOD: Spicy Bahamian stew ﬁsh, often served at breakfast BEST BUYS: D’Vanya makes two pepper sauces: hot and hotter INFORMATION PLEASE: Bahamas Ministry of Tourism— bahamas.com Exuma The Exuma Islands of The Bahamas are a chain of mostly tiny, uninhabited islands that begin about 35 miles southeast of New Providence Island and dribble south for 100 miles. Great Exuma Island is the biggest of the bunch, but even there, the largest city, George Town, only has 1,000 residents, which tells you a thing or two about how undeveloped these islands are. You don’t have to be an angler to love the Exumas; just rent a small boat (hire a guide, too, at least for that ﬁrst time out) and discover your own perfect little desert island beach. While you’re at it, you’ll cruise through water so shallow, calm and clear that you’ll easily see ﬁsh and rays swimming alongside your boat. Another day, take a guided excursion to Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, a mostly maritime park that was established, wisely, since the 1950s. The only ﬁshing allowed here is by sea birds, and the snorkeling is extraordinary. Which brings us to the question: What if you are an angler? In that case, this is heaven. These ﬂats are so teeming with boneﬁsh and tarpon, permit and barracuda, that they attract ﬂy ﬁshing enthusiasts from all over the world. Deep-sea ﬁshing is exceptional on the east side of these islands, where the edge of a 5,000-ft. underwater drop-off forms the perfect habitat for world-record sailﬁsh, blue marlin, tuna and other large species. Sandals Emerald Bay Great Exuma and Grand Isle Resort and Spa are the tried-and-true choices on Great Exuma Island, but there are a dozen or so less expensive hostelries, too. These include Peace & Plenty Boneﬁsh Lodge and Regatta Point, also on Great Exuma, as well as a few hideaways on other ﬂyspecks like Sampson’s Cay Club. Welcome to the world headquarters of getting away from it all. Freeport Port Lucaya Marketplace Unlike New Providence Island, long and skinny Grand Bahama Island, with a western tip that curves and an eastern tip that curves south and ends in a string of cays, boasts great expanses of pristine nature and undeveloped beaches. Freeport, home to much of the island’s population, lies near the southwest end and plays host to thousands of day-trippers from cruise ships, diehard shoppers who have helped the town earn its reputation as the “Hong Kong of the Americas.” The best place to buy name-brand goods from Europe, North America, and Asia is the International Bazaar, and Port Lucaya Marketplace is your source for T-shirts and crafted items, but don’t miss the little Straw Market, because that’s where vendors sell hats, baskets, and other items that are actually made in The Bahamas. Resorts run the gamut from anglers’ havens like Bishop’s Boneﬁsh Resort and the exclusive Deep Water Cay Club to modestly priced Sunrise Resort & Marina to the Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach All-Inclusive Resort. The big kahuna on the island, of course, is the 500-plus room Grand Lucayan Bahamas. Grand Lucayan stretches along more than a mile of gorgeous beach and offers championship golf at the Reef Golf Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Naturally, no one would ever be so gauche as to bet on a golf game, so the Grand Lucayan provides a 35,000-sq.-ft. casino for those with a yen for a wager. The Senses Spa & Fitness Center is almost as big as that casino, the tennis pro overseas four courts, and there are plenty of water toys on the beaches. Eight restaurants offer a great choice of dining environments and culinary styles; in particular, China Beach, the Paciﬁc Rim restaurant, is not to be missed. Grand Bahama Island also offers two nature experiences that should not be missed: One is Peterson’s Cay National Park, a marine park whose thriving reefs are as accessible to snorkelers as they are to divers. The other is the Bahamas National Trust Rand Nature Centre, whose inhabitants include the Bahama parrot, a green birdie with a red chest, blue and white highlights, and a true-blue inclination toward monogamy. 16 D10-D19.indd 16 12/18/12 9:43 AM http://www.bahamas.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2013 Delta Travel Guide

2013 Delta Travel Guide