The Bahamas got threaded into my travel itinerary while I was home in New Zealand, seeing friends and family.
It started when a friend from London, suggested we celebrate her birthday somewhere lovely and warm. She needed to escape the gloomy London winter, but New Zealand was a bit far. Instead of travelling halfway round the world, we chose to meet somewhere lovely and warm in the middle. Middle was somewhere between me returning to London from New Zealand, and her escaping London!
Welcome to the Bahamas!
Neither of us had been to the Bahamas before. I’d been to Cuba and my friend had once lived in Jamaica (cool right, I know!) so we thought the Bahamas would be similar. Boy, were we wrong!
Our initial plan went something like this, books 3-star hotel on the main island of Nassau while we figured out where we wanted to spend most of our time (The Bahamas are an archipelago made up of about 700 islands, so there is plenty to explore).
As usual though, we booked things last-minute! If there is anything this blog post should encourage you to do, it’s to try and book your accommodation a couple months before you intend to fly out. Because we booked last minute, we missed out on an amazing Air BnB and most of the fancy resorts (sad face). The closer we got to our trip, the higher the prices got and while we originally wanted to stay in an Air BnB, on a seperate island from Nassau – we ended up the furtherest from that, in a hotel in downtown Nassau (doh!).
Ok, so all wasn’t lost because we ended up staying in a 3-Star hotel like we planned (right?) it just, well, we didn’t intend on staying there the whole time but it all worked out in the end. Alright, so cost… I know that’s what most people want to know, between my friend and I, we both spent approximately £500 each for one-weeks accommodation (approx. $1036.49nzd).
The upside to this was, our hotel was located right next to Junkanoo beach (score!). The hotel we stayed at was the Courtyard by Marriott, Nassau.
Overall, I’d rate it a very average 2 out of 5 starts as we were placed in the old part of the hotel, which had 80’s retro theming still. The hotel was going through renovations, with construction taking place the entire place we were there. I would recommend, if you are planning on going to the Bahamas, check with the hotel if they have any construction or renovations on and request you stay in a renovated room. I generally enjoy staying at Marriott hotels, but this one was definitely a hit and miss.
To fly to the Bahamas from New Zealand, is a long-haul flight with a minimum of 1 layover (usually in the USA). Return flights to the Bahamas from NZ are generally $2300, with direct flights to Houston on AirNZ then on to the Bahamas.
I had already made my way to Seattle and was busy exploring the city, initially missing my flight to the Bahamas. Who books a flight on a Saturday night? Me, that’s who, and to be honest I won’t be doing that again. The plan was, to book a sleeper flight and arrive on Sunday morning in the Bahamas, refreshed for a full 7-days. But, in true Jasmine fashion, this did not go to plan.
I have to explain, I originally booked my flights in January and didn’t see the calendar reminder until 2AM Sunday morning, 6 hours after my flight had departed! I was fortunate to have been invited and experiencing a private wine tasting in Seattle’s famous Public Market. Was I mad I missed my flight? Kinda… But the wine tasting was AWESOME! I got over the initial loss of money and was able to rebook my flight for the next day at the same cost (phew!). Lucky I booked when I did, because in the morning the prices had shot up by at least a £1,000 ($2077nzd)!!!
Upon arrival in the Bahamas, getting through customs was fine enough. Kiwi passports get us far, but they must schedule all flights to arrive at the same time because the baggage area was packed with people. The carousels displayed old flights from hours before, and people were everywhere, pulling bags off into piles trying to find their stuff. After that debacle, finding a taxi was another unique experience. Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and even Cuba were a breeze compared to the Bahamas, which takes taxi chaos to a new level.
A taxi attendant paired me with a Colombian who couldn’t speak English, and readers, I don’t speak Spanish. We were stranded at the airport for 45 minutes, trying to negotiate with taxi drivers who were unhelpful and didn’t have translators on their phones. They had no idea where she was staying since it was an Airbnb, and they kept referring to me as “an American,” stating that this isn’t the same as America and they don’t use metres. The original taxi quote was $45, but they bumped it to $100 when they realised we weren’t friends or staying together.
Here’s a tip for the Bahamas: set your taxi price before getting in and stick to it. When the driver changed the price, I immediately told him to take us back to the airport to find another taxi.
I refused to pay $100, and he obliged.
An American businessman ended up translating for us and used his Wi-Fi to find the Colombian’s accommodation. He even joined us in a ride-share taxi. The driver still struggled to locate the Airbnb, so I highly recommend getting a temporary SIM card or an eSIM if you’re not staying at a mainstream hotel.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally arrived at our hotel, only to discover that half of it was under construction or being repainted due to a change of ownership. This was definitely not expected. Instead of lounging by the pool, we took a walk around downtown Nassau. We visited the Pirate Museum and took a stroll to Junkanoo Beach. That’s when we realised it was spring break, and Nassau was packed with American tourists.
A quick fact about Nassau: it’s the capital of the Bahamas and has a population of around 275,000. It’s a bustling city with a rich history and vibrant culture. The Bahamas, an archipelago of 700 islands, is known for its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and friendly locals.
During spring break, 80% of the tourists in the Bahamas are American. The cruise ships dock at the port daily, flooding the streets with tourists from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Once the ships leave, downtown Nassau quiets down significantly, with most local businesses closing early and limited dining options available. As a result, you often end up eating at your hotel.
The Bahamas has a fascinating history as it used to be a British colony but is now an independent country. However, it has heavily embraced American culture. The Bahamian dollar matches the US dollar, but prices still seem high, possibly because we were in an expensive part of town. The food scene is dominated by American-style fries and burgers, with portion sizes and tipping culture to match. So, if you plan to stay in Nassau and eat out frequently, you should budget an extra 25% to cover tips and higher prices.
The beach next to our hotel was a public beach, bustling with hawkers trying to sell stuff. During the day, it filled up with cruise ship passengers lounging around, but it would empty out again before sunset. One afternoon, while I was sunbathing, my friend went back to the hotel to use the bathroom because there were no public restrooms around. As I got up to head back to the hotel, a guy lying on a bench yelled at me to “Hey, Give me a dollar!” I yelled back, “Fuck off!” He was fine with that, and we both carried on.
This summed up the vibes of downtown Nassau for us. Since it was my friend’s birthday, we had a quick meeting and decided to change our accommodation. Our current hotel was under construction and the spring break atmosphere wasn’t what we had envisioned. We decided to forfeit what we had paid and move to an all-inclusive, adults-only resort only 10 min taxi down the road, for the last three days of our trip.
We opted to do less local sightseeing and focus on quality experiences. The Pirate Museum was a highlight and I highly recommend it. If you’ve seen “Our Flag Means Death,” you’ll appreciate the historical retelling and models in the museum. It’s a great afternoon activity, and you can explore at your own pace without a tour guide. Nassau has a rich pirate history, once a notorious pirate haven in the early 18th century, attracting famous figures like Blackbeard. The Pirate Museum offers a fascinating look into this history and is a must-visit.
We then decided to find somewhere nice for lunch using good old-fashioned Google. And google led us astray. We ended up walking inland along a couple of busy roads to a shopping square with a car park and a cafe. We wanted to go somewhere that wasn’t directly downtown. The staff were lovely, the food was nice, and the portions were huge. It felt like a motel drive-in area, which was odd because they assumed we were locals.
To make the most of our remaining time, we booked a day excursion for later in the week, that included a small plane flight and a boat tour of the beautiful surrounding islands. We wanted to experience the best of the Bahamas and knew we probably wouldn’t be back anytime soon. Downtown Nassau felt very American, and there wasn’t much to do besides drink, which wasn’t the holiday we had in mind.
The next day, we got a taxi to our all-inclusive resort. This was a complete shift from our previous accommodations. The resort was adults-only, so 21-plus, and all-inclusive, covering all food and alcohol. We weren’t planning to drink much, but when we arrived, there were teenagers everywhere, all in uniforms. It turned out the resort was hosting the swim nationals for all the Caribbean islands. The foyer was full of kids running around, ranging from age 11 to 18. While it wasn’t what we expected, it was still better than where we had been staying, and the all-inclusive option was cheaper than buying our own food and drinks in downtown Nassau.
We checked into our room with a king-size bed, but many guests were upset because they had purposely booked an adults-only resort to avoid children and teenagers. Around 70% of the hotel was booked by the swim national teams. The kids were lovely but everywhere. The hotel struggled to cope with the number of kids eating at the buffet and running around. However, the private beach was a significant improvement. We could relax without anyone trying to sell us stuff or demand money. Our holiday immediately became more relaxing as we spent the whole day reading books, listening to podcasts, and chilling.
A thing to note about taxis in the Bahamas is that they often double as tour guides. You’ll find yourself chatting with drivers who offer day excursions for a set price in US dollars or share fun facts and random tidbits about local residents, celebrities, and the island’s history. This exchange of information and cultural history is part of their service, so be prepared to give them a tip. If you’re not in the mood for a chat, I wouldn’t recommend booking a day excursion, as you’ll likely be engaged in conversation the entire time.
The highlight of the trip was forking out the extra cash (around £1,200 for two people) for a day excursion. In the morning, we were picked up by a private shuttle and taken to a private airport to board a biplane with a group of eight. We flew from the mainland Bahamas to a private island, where we transferred to a boat with two captains. They showed us around the beautiful islands.
Our first stop was an island inhabited by wild iguanas. The iguanas are vegetarians, so they were cute but could bite if provoked. The next stop was the famous swimming pigs. These pigs were introduced in the 1980s and have become a popular attraction. Captains check their food and water to ensure they are well taken care of. It was adorable seeing them swim, and they enjoyed having their ears and bellies scratched.
We also went snorkeling at a spot where a James Bond movie was filmed. The fish were beautiful, and I could have stayed there for ages. Finally, we visited a plane wreck submerged underwater and then a sandbar popular with Instagram influencers. I loved the texture of the sand and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere.
We returned to the starting point for a beautiful lunch, including conch, a local delicacy. While I couldn’t eat it due to an allergy, the fish burgers and fries were delicious. We then flew back to our hotel, landing right on the beach. This excursion was worth every penny and provided unique experiences.
My time in Nassau was a mix of unexpected hiccups and delightful discoveries. My friend ended up having a unique birthday experience in beautiful tropical weather which was the main goal.
If you’re planning a trip to Nassau, embrace the unexpected, budget accordingly, and be ready for a unique blend of history, culture, and sun-soaked relaxation.
Got any wild travel tales or comments on my antics? Send them through to abroad@prettyfarfromhome.com and let’s get this party started! Make sure you checkout my resident guest page to, you can find all my adventures here.
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