2012 DELTA TRAVEL GUIDE - (Page 16)

Bahamas Freeport Though visitors ﬂy into the small town of Freeport, the most prominent part of Grand Bahama Island is the Grand Lucayan resort. The resort puts everything vacationers need just outside their hotel doors—a beautiful beach, swimming pools, a handful of restaurants, and plenty of shopping options at the nearby Port Lucaya Marketplace, from traditional souvenirs to clothing, jewelry and local crafts. Port Lucaya also comes alive at night, attracting revelers to its bars and its nightly stage shows. The Treasure Bay Casino entices gamers with 35,000 sq. ft. of slots and table games, while the nearby UNEXSO complex offers live dolphin encounters. Venture away from the resort, however, and you’ll discover a wealth of natural attractions. Beneath its waters lies one of the world’s largest underwater cave systems, ideal for experienced divers with special permits, while beginner divers can opt for more user-friendly reefs. Grand Bahama Island is also home to three national parks, including the Bahamas National Trust Rand Nature Centre, home to a wide variety of bird species including the endangered Bahama parrot and a 2,000-ft. walking and hiking trail; Lucayan National Park, where visitors can explore two large caves that make up part of its expansive system of caverns; and Peterson’s Cay National Park, an offshore island that’s surrounded by thriving coral reefs, making it perfect for snorkelers and divers. Grand Bahama’s early history lives on here, too, in the form of settlements like Pinder’s Point and Russell Town, founded by former slaves in the mid1800s. Even the golf courses here showcase Grand Bahama’s natural beauty. The Reef Golf Course gives golfers a glimpse of the island’s picturesque lakes at 13 of its 18 holes, while the Lucayan Golf Course challenges players with dense tropical foliage. Golfers have plenty of opportunity to tee off on Grand Bahama Island. Facts • Best time to Visit: Exuma The Exuma Islands of The Bahamas epitomize the “deserted island” ideal. A string of cays and islands—365 in total, one for every day of the year—they’re known for their beautiful beaches and the breezy attitude of their locals. The largest and most developed of the Exumas, Great Exuma, gives travelers a wide range of resort options, from small ﬁshing lodges to condo-hotel properties to big-name resorts like Sandals Emerald Bay. No matter where you’re staying in the Exumas, though, the star of the islands is the water surrounding it—clear, calm and so shallow in some areas that deserted sandbars appear and disappear with the tides. Naturally, the region’s most popular activities take place at sea. Anglers often ﬁnd the catch of their lives on deep-sea ﬁshing excursions, reeling in trophy ﬁsh like marlin and sailﬁsh, as well as mahi mahi, wahoo and tuna. The Exuma ﬂats, on the other hand, are known for boneﬁshing, a truly Bahamian sport targeting the hard-ﬁghting boneﬁsh who live in extremely shallow waters. But even if you’re not interested in hooking a ﬁsh, boating and sailing around the Exumas is both the most convenient and the most picturesque way to explore its nooks and crannies. Thunderball Grotto—a rocky enclosure where scenes from the James Bond ﬁlm “Thunderball” were ﬁlmed—is today a popular stopping point for boat-bound explorers, and the snorkeling around its outer wall is excellent. Not far from there, the beaches of Staniel Cay are home to a peculiar breed of wild hog—who have the ability to swim out to greet boaters offering scraps of food as a reward. But for that authentic “deserted island” feeling, just drop anchor at the ﬁrst deserted beach you ﬁnd—they’re everywhere in the Exumas. November to May • Fun Fact: Kalik, the local beer of The Bahamas, takes its name from the sound of the cowbell, a common instrument in the traditional music of the islands • getting there: Delta ﬂies from Atlanta to Freeport and Exuma, and from Atlanta, New York (LGA) and Detroit to Nassau • entry documents: Valid passport • currency: Bahamian dollar; U.S. currency is widely accepted • must-try local Food: Bahamian Rock lobster • Best Buys: Duty-free designer clothing and accessories, local handicrafts • inFormation please: The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism— bahamas.com D16 january 2012 recommend.com http://www.bahamas.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2012 DELTA TRAVEL GUIDE

Antigua; Aruba
Nassau
Freeport; Exuma
Bermuda; Bonaire
George Town
Punta Cana; Santiago
Santo Domingo; Grenada
Port-au-Prince; Montego Bay
San Juan
St. Kitts; Saint Lucia
St. Maarten
Providenciales
St. Thomas; St. Croix
Acapulco
Cancun
Cozumel
Guadalajara
Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo
Los Cabos
Mazatlan
Mexico City
Monterrey
Puerto Vallarta
Belize City
San Jose
Liberia
San Salvador
Guatemala City
Roatan
San Pedro Sula
Tegucigalpa
Managua
Panama City
Buenos Aires
Brasilia
Rio de Janeiro
Sao Paulo
Santiago
Bogota
Quito
Georgetown
Lima
Caracas

2012 DELTA TRAVEL GUIDE