escalante national monument It s been many years since I began writing travel books. Over those years I ve visited numerous exot

It s been many years since I began writing travel books. Over those years I ve visited numerous exotic destinations: magnificent beaches, wild and remote mountain retreats, painted deserts, and bustling, historic cities, but of all those incredible places the islands of the Bahamas are my favorite. Time and again I return to Nassau, Freeport, Abaco, Eleuthera escalante national monument and Harbour Island, and I continue to be inspired by their beauty. There truly is no other place I d rather spend a vacation. The Bahamas have everything, from bustling international cities not too big, not too small to tiny islets where it seems no human foot has ever stepped. The weather is sometimes wild, but not for long. The gentle sea breezes, the hot sun, and those great stretches of shallow, emerald water bounded by blinding escalante national monument white strips of sand are irresistible.

Getting to Exuma Airport From Airline George Town Ft. Lauderdale Island Express, Air Sunshine, Lynx Air Miami American Eagle, Bahamasair Freeport Major Air Nassau Bahamasair Staniel Cay Ft. Lauderdale Island escalante national monument Express

Nassau & New Providence Island 55 History 55 Getting There 57 By Air 58 By Cruise Ship 58 Package Vacations 58 Vacation Planning Online 60 Getting Around 62 Taxis 62 Horse & Carriage 63 Car Rental 63 Tours 63 Shopping 63 The Best Spots 64 The Straw Market 65 Sightseeing 67 The Atlantis escalante national monument Resort & Casino 67 Beaches escalante national monument 68 Cable Beach 68 Western Esplanade (Junkanoo Beach) 68 Saunders Beach 69 The Beach at Atlantis 69 Ardastra Gardens 69 Pirates of Nassau 70 The Cloisters 71 The Water Tower 71 The Queen s Staircase 72 Pompey Museum 72 Historical Society Museum 72 Junkanoo Expo Museum 73 Changing of the Guard Ceremony 73 The Retreat 73 Guided Walking Tours 74 The Botanical Gardens 74 Fort Fincastle 74 Fort Montague 74 Fort Charlotte 75 Adventures on Land 75 Pedal & Paddle Ecoventure 75 Birding Tours 76 Golf 77 Gambling 78 Adventures on Water 79 Dolphin escalante national monument Encounters -Blue Lagoon Island, Nassau 79 Hartley s Undersea Walk 80 Seaworld Explorer Semi-submarine 81

New Providence, 30, 33, 47, 55-102, 67-78, 107, 182-183; accommodations, 20, 52, 55; beaches, 51; bike rentals, 37, 55, 62, 68-69; bird-watching, 76; fishing, 55; golf, 35; hiking, 55; history, 55-57; horseback riding, 38; map, 54; motorcycles, 62; package vacations, 58; parasailing, 38; population, 55; rental cars, 62; scuba diving, 55; shelling, 39, 55; shipwrecks, 86-89;