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Nassau Hotels European Plan
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Paradise Island Hotels European Plan
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Introduction to Nassau
One million visitors a year have cast
their vote: They want to visit Nassau, adjoining Cable Beach, or
Paradise Island (which is covered separately in chapter 4). This is
the center of all the action: the best shopping, the best
entertainment, the most historic attractions -- plus some of the
best beaches in The Bahamas.
The capital of The Bahamas, the historic city of
Nassau is a 35-minute flight from Miami. Despite the development and the modern
hotels, a laid-back tropical atmosphere still hangs over the city, and it still
offers a good dose of colonial charm. The commercial and banking hub of The
Bahamas, as well as a mecca for shoppers, Nassau lies on the north side of New
Providence, which is 34km (21 miles) long and 11km (7 miles) wide at its
greatest point.
Cable Beach, a stretch of sand just west of the city,
is lined with luxury resorts -- in fact, the Nassau/Cable Beach area has the
largest tourist infrastructure in The Bahamas, though there's another
concentration of luxury hotels on Paradise Island. (If you want to stay right on
the sands, don't choose a hotel in downtown Nassau itself. Head for Cable Beach
or Paradise Island. You can easily reach the beach from a base in Nassau, but it
won't be right outside your window).
When you're based in Nassau/Cable Beach, you have an
array of watersports, golf, tennis, and plenty of duty-free shopping nearby --
not to mention those fine, powdery beaches. In addition, the resorts,
restaurants, and beaches of Paradise Island, discussed in the next chapter, are
just a short distance away. (Paradise Island, which lies just opposite Nassau,
is connected to New Providence Island by a toll bridge that costs $1 for cars
[$2 for taxis], free for pedestrians; there's also frequent ferry and water-taxi
service between Nassau and Paradise Island).
As the sun goes down, Cable Beach and Paradise Island
heat up, offering fine dining, glitzy casinos, cabaret shows, moonlight cruises,
dance clubs, and romantic evening strolls. (We'd confine that evening stroll to
Cable Beach or Paradise Island, though, and not the streets of downtown Nassau,
which can be dangerous at night).
The shops might draw a lot more business than the
museums, but no city in The Bahamas is as rich in history as Nassau. You can
take a "royal climb" up the Queen's Staircase to Fort Fincastle. These 66 steps
lead to a fort said to have been cut in the sandstone cliffs by slaves in the
1790s. Other Nassau attractions include Ardastra Gardens, which feature 2
hectares (5 acres) of landscaping and more than 300 exotic birds, mammals, and
reptiles. (Most popular are the trained pink flamingos that march for audiences
daily to their trainer's commands).
It's surprising that Nassau has retained its overlay
of British colonial charm despite its proximity to Florida. Yet, it truly hasn't
become Americanized; despite new development, traffic, and cruise-ship crowds,
Nassau's a long way from becoming another Miami. Stately old homes and public
buildings still stand proudly among the modern high-rises and bland government
buildings. Tropical foliage lines streets where horse-drawn surreys still trot
by, carrying visitors on leisurely tours. Police officers in white starched
jackets and colorful pith helmets still direct traffic on the main streets as
they have long done. It could almost be England -- but for the weather, that is.
Additional Information about travel to Nassau
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