9 Days in Nassau & Exumas, Bahamas
Experience the beauty of the Bahamas by enjoying the luxurious Baha Mar Resort and then learn how to get from Nassau to Exumas, island hopping around the Staniel Cay Yacht Club to swim with the pigs, nurse sharks, jump in Thunderball Grotto, and see iguanas. Also, as an added bonus learn how to experience Bahamas Independence Day!
Day 1:
Start your vacation at the brand new Baha Mar Resort in Nassau.
The property features 7 pools representing the 700 islands of the Bahamas and multiple restaurants, cafes, and bars. Right now (July 2017) the resort has soft opened with only the Grand Hyatt hotel available while SLS and Rosewood are being finished up. This is great news for anyone who can make it before the grand opening because we practically had the entire resort to ourselves! There wasn’t a single line for any restaurant or activity, and there were even times we were the only ones at a pool…talk about exclusive! The only downside is that not every restaurant/activity is open and there is still some construction, but if you can, race down to Baha Mar and enjoy it all to yourself!
Restaurants:
The food at Baha Mar is good, but the biggest drawback is that it’s so expensive, to the point of being a little annoying (average meal for two people came out to be around $80)…but I would have to say this is the only bad thing about Baha Mar, which in reality is probably similar to other resorts like Atlantis. I’ll review the individual restaurants we visited later in the itinerary. Also, note that on top of every bill there is a 15% resort fee (and then you still need to pay tip on top of this).
Things To Do:
There is plenty to do at Baha Mar for all ages and interests! 7 pools (one with a cave, rocks to jump from, and a glass aquarium), beach with lounge chairs, kayaks, paddle boards, sail boats, casino, spa, fitness center, nature center, bird sanctuary, fountain shows, sports bars, bakeries, cigar bars, and jazz bars. (And the resort provides snorkeling equipment you get to keep).
Rooms:
The Grand Hyatt rooms are beautiful with an aquatic blue theme mixed with a modern look. Showers are great with a rainfall shower spout. The bed is very comfortable. There is a mix of rooms with balconies and ones without. We stayed in a king size bedroom, which is intended for couples so the bathroom was very exposed but had sliding partitions. The room’s alarm clock doubled as a Bluetooth speaker to play music. Also, you’re able to get quite a lot of American channels on the TV.
Location:
Baha Mar is about 10 minutes from the airport, you can get there via taxi ($25), Baha Mar’s Mercedes Benzs transportation service ($45), or the bus (you might need to ask around for this one when you arrive).
To get downtown or the fish fry you can use any of the transportation above, but I strongly recommend using the bus, there is a stop not too far east by the entrance of the property. The 10 and 12B should get you downtown or to the fish fry for a $1.25 (just double check with the driver). Note that the Fish Fry and downtown are east of Baha Mar.
Other
Wifi is free and really strong through out the property.
Towels are provided at the pools.
I booked using Hyatt points but there is still a $20 resort fee per night.
Two water bottles were provided in the rooms each night.
There is a Keurig with free coffee and tea packets.
We enjoyed lunch outside, next to the pool in the Baha Mar Resort at the Outside Bar and Grill. We ordered the conch fritters, empanadas, and the cheeseburger. The conch fritters were great and since they’re a local dish, a must try. They are very similar to hush puppies if you’ve had them in the South before. The empanadas were good too, the dish came with two large ones and a side of sauce. The cheeseburger was alright and fairly basic, but the waffle french fries were good.
Explore & Enjoy Baha Mar
Take in the beauty that is Baha Mar! Relax, go wild, whatever you’re in the mood for, just enjoy your vacation!
We enjoyed dinner at the Stix restaurant on the first floor of Baha Mar. This was actually one of the busiest areas in the entire resort and it’s because the food is really good. The menu mostly consists of noodles or rice dishes. The noodles are handmade at the resort! We had the Signature Recipe (Wagyu beef soup) and Sate Chicken Noodles. Both were delicious, the Signature Recipe was a savory noodle soup with slight hints of sweet in the broth, complimented with slices of wagyu beef and bok choy. The chicken noodles was a stir fry noodle dish. The prices weren’t outrageous but were still steep. Great service and casual atmosphere.
Day 2:
Explore Nassau’s beauty and wonderful food!
Oh, how I dream about Twin Brothers Fish Fry! The portions are huge and the food is so delicious. We ordered the conch salad and fish fingers (sides: rice & peas, macaroni, and plantains) For drinks a classic sky juice (coconut water, condensed milk, and gin-sounds weird I know, but it’s so good and a local favorite!) and Kalik. The conch salad was good, but read on to learn about where the best conch comes from! The fish fingers were fried perfectly, maintaining a great moisture. (They were so good that I actually got into a fight with a person I was splitting them with because I thought they took more!) The macaroni is highly recommended, plantains could be skipped, and the meal already comes with rice.
To get here just take the 10 bus East (for $1.25. Pay at the end when you get off. Make sure you don’t end up on the 10A or 10B).
We then walked from the Fish Fry to John Watling’s Rum Distillery. It was a fun, quick for that gives you great information on the history of Nassau and the distilling process. There is a gift shop and tasting room. We did the tasting which was 3 rums for $7 and we added a shot of the Red Turtle Vodka. The tasting pours are big so brace yourself. You could probably split one tasting between two people.
Marco's Pizza
We were actually a little tired of paying the resort prices for food and a rain storm was coming through so we ordered a pizza to our room and relaxed.
Day 3:
Enjoy relaxing at Baha Mar and then explore Nassau in the afternoon.
3 Tides in Baha Mar offers a $35 breakfast buffet. Being on a budget we went around 10:30 am to do a brunch (two meals for one). Just note that the buffet ends at 11:00 am. The buffet was good and offered a lot of variety! Including the classic eggs, potatoes, grits, pastries, waffles, and fruit.
Pool and Beach at Baha Mar
Enjoy the luxury pools and wonderful beach access at Baha Mar. You can paddle board, float, kayak, and more.
Conch Salad from the "Rastafarian" at Arkway Cay (Fish Fry)
The locals refer to him as the Rastafarian, and they all know he makes the best conch salad! Located at the Fish Fry (Arawak Cay) he’s two buildings to the right if you’re facing Twin Brothers I believe. The sign above him should say Deep Creek Conch. You’ll know by the crowd around him and don’t be in a rush because it might take around 30 minutes, so grab a beer and watch the magic. There are three different kinds: the original (peppers, onions, lime, conch, and tomatoes), tropical (add in some fruit and orange juice), and I believe the third is the scorcher (didn’t really hear what was in here). A regular bowl goes for about $12.
Another famous and local spot, Oh Andros offers humongous portions! I’m not lying, two grown men had to split one plate and a dessert and felt like we needed to be rolled out of the restaurant. Most people around us had to take half of their meal home in a to go box! We ordered the fish fingers with sides of macaroni and potato salad, then the meal came with a mound of rice and peas. I really did enjoy the fish fingers, but I have to say that I did like Twin Brothers better. We then finished the meal off with Guava Duff, which I’m not going to try and describe how it’s made since I won’t get it right but the taste is essentially a guava cinnamon roll that’s piping hot. I loved it and wanted to order a second but apparently, my stomach does have a limit.
Just note that the restaurant doesn’t accept credit cards so bring cash.
Day 4:
Continue exploring Nassau and enjoy one of the best breakfasts we’ve ever had!
Da Glass Kitchen is a hidden treasure we luckily stumbled upon. It’s a local favorite and after eating there we know why! Catch the 10 bus getting off at Straw Market then walk about 15 minutes to Hawkins Hill to get there (The closest cross streets are Shirley Avenue and Mount Royale Avenue.) If you can, and I highly recommend it, call your order in ahead of time from the resort. It was about a 45-minute wait for our food from when we ordered it but you can easily order ahead by phone. There are only about 6 seats and it’s really hot inside so not too ideal to wait around in for too long.
The food is heavenly and incredibly cheap! Portions again are huge. I had a small order of grits and tuna (this is enough for one person) and the guava pancakes. Both were mouthwatering and I couldn’t stop shoveling either into my mouth! Once again, I almost needed to be rolled out after eating so much.
Make sure you bring cash as credit cards aren’t accepted.
It’s a short 5-minute walk to the rum cake factory from Da’Glass. You can get in and out within 10 minutes, there is a small gift shop, sample tasting, and window to see into the factory/packing area.
Just note that the restaurant doesn’t accept credit cards so bring cash.
Around a 10 minute walk, you’ll easily find the beautiful and lush Queen’s Staircase. It’s a lot cooler in this area so take some time to relax. At the top of the Queen’s Staircase, there are souvenir shops and a small uniquely built fort. (To get into the fort it costs $1.08.)
Get your souvenir shopping done at the Straw Market. Not my favorite place, but we found a few good souvenirs. You get hassled by all the vendors, it’s hot and you have to negotiate everything down.
Great beers, friendly staff, and pirate themed atmosphere (without being too cheesy) make Pirate Republic Brewing a great place to grab a drink and maybe even a bite to eat. We both got beer flights which each feature 3 pours. There are a few games to play, a pirate that walks around, two bars, a gift shop, a back patio with beer pong, corn hole, and a photo spot. They also have special events, live music and certain happy hour nights.
BlueNote is a wonderful jazz bar just off the casino in the Baha Mar. We listened to the lovely music performed by Pam (who takes request) while sipping on a high-end version of Sky Juice. The staff here, just like all of Baha Mar is wonderful.
Fountain Shows at Baha Mar
We then watched the Baha Mar fountain shows at the front of the property. They run nightly 8:30pm, 9:00pm, and 9:30pm.
Churchill is a small cigar bar focusing on rum and whiskey cocktails. They also have steel drum performances on the veranda outside.
Day 5:
Enjoy Baha Mar and if you’re there around July 9th/July 10th celebrate Bahamas Independence Day!
A little “food truck” like stand with Hispanic inspired food including sopes, guacamole, breakfast burritos, and a little out of place: edamame hummus. Drinks include a variety of margaritas. We ate here multiple times and it easily became one of our favorites. The breakfast burritos are a good deal and turned out to be one of the cheapest meals at the resort. Get there earlier though as they do sell out. This day we tried the sopes, which are very similar to a taco but with a fuller shell. The meat was really good and the shell is very close to a tamale texture. The margarita hit the spot and we enjoyed getting to know the staff, including Marco who gave us a lot of great information about the resort and life in the Bahamas.
Explore Baha Mar
Explore Baha Mar and enjoy all the resort has to offer.
Our favorite restaurant at the Baha Mar, they have a large selection of drinks and food. The first night we went we ordered three delicious appetizers: lobster quesadillas, surf and turf flatbread, and loaded nachos. All were terrific and we would order again in a heartbeat. On a subsequent night, we ordered the Mediterranean flatbread which was also really good and had us fighting for the last slice. Additionally, we ordered the buffalo conch sandwich and hamburger. The Buffalo conch sandwich was terrific, with the perfect amount of tang from the buffalo sauce and was brilliantly breaded with tempura. The hamburger, on the other hand, wasn’t that good. It was very plain and the bun overpowered all the other ingredients. The drinks we ordered, the Negroni, Clover Club, and Manhattan were mediocre and not really worth the price, but a Kalik instead hit the spot!
The only weird part of the evening was that we had a birthday and I asked them if they did anything to help celebrate and originally they said yes, but when it came time, our server told us that he spoke with the manager and that we needed to have made a reservation and notified them in advance…never heard that from any restaurant but not a big deal.
There wasn’t a wait when we went, plenty of tables open but the full food menu isn’t available until 6:00 pm (flatbreads are available earlier).
Overall we really did enjoy the Swimming Pigs and looked forward to returning.
Bahama Independence Day/Junkanoo
We were very lucky to be in the Bahamas on Bahamas Independence Day!
If you haven’t eaten yet, I would recommend going to the Fish Fry around 8:00pm-9:00 pm in Arawak Cay! I’ll give more info about the Fish Fry below but some recommendations are Twin Brothers and O’Andros
Around 11:00 pm make your way up to the fort just south of the Fish Fry (you’ll see tons of people walking there) to watch the Police Tattoo. It’s a ceremony including a police inspection, police marching, and a military-like band playing. At 12:00 am after they raise the Bahamian flag, fireworks will go off!
After this, go back to the Fish Fry and grab a drink! Then walk from the Fish Fry to downtown around 1:00 am where you can watch the Junkanoo (a giant parade with dancing and music that will flow through your soul!) it really picks up around 3:00 am and goes until the sunrise. We stayed until about 3:00 am and caught a taxi cab back to the hotel. I had a blast at the Junkanoo and really enjoyed seeing the culture! We barely saw any other tourists there. As in every new city, be careful and cautious of your surroundings when you’re out late. If you don’t feel comfortable, find a safe area and get a taxi cab back to the hotel.
Day 6:
Travel down to the Exumas.
Started out the day again with another delicious breakfast burrito! You can get them to-go to enjoy in your room while you’re getting ready.
We took a 2:00 pm flight from Nassau down to Staniel Cay. The airplane is a tiny 10 seater…if that. The person I was traveling with was actually sitting in the co-pilot position. A few things to note:
1. Bring your camera on the plane in your pocket (your carry on might be put in the luggage compartment) because the views from the plane are stunning.
2. Double check the baggage sizing restrictions when you are packing, we met someone who had to leave their bag in Nassau because it was too big for the planes.
3. The plane gets really hot and stuffy, so wear loose clothing. It’s only a 30-minute flight so it’s not a big deal.
4. You can book flights directly on their website.
We then arrived at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, arranging pick up from the airport via a golf cart ride.
I cannot say this enough when you visit the Bahamas, YOU HAVE TO GET DOWN TO THE EXUMAS! The Exumas are a large chain of islands, where celebrities own islands, the water is crystal clear, and you’re truly in the heart of the Bahamas! The Exumas offer the beauty you see in magazines, on Instagram, and any travel bucket list you’ve seen. Staniel Cay is the perfect middle ground and hopping point to some of Exuma’s greatest treasures.
The Staniel Cay Yacht Club is the main hotspot on Staniel Cay with a pier filled with beautiful yachts, two great restaurants, a popping bar, nurse shark swimming area, and a resident golden lab who is so loveable. In fact, the rapper Pitbull actually filmed parts of his Timber music video here! Our friends who we met that we’re staying at other places ended up every day at the Yacht Club, so if you can, book a cottage here!
Staniel Cay Yacht Club Overview:
You can book via the Staniel Cay Yacht Club website. We planned our trip to the Bahamas around our reservation at the Yacht Club, being able to book only 3 nights since everything else was reserved, but this turned out to be the perfect amount of time for our stay. Book in as far as advance as possible! We were told that sometimes reservations fill up a year in advance.
If you can afford it, book an all inclusive package which includes: three meals per day per person with one non-alcoholic beverage per meal; all taxes (including VAT) and gratuities; Staniel airport ground transportation; use of: 13ft. skiff or 17ft. skiff depending on bungalow – including fuel, snorkeling gear, bicycles, ocean kayaks and paddleboards. . It doesn’t include alcohol or any appetizers, unfortunately, but still worth it!
Rooms/Cottages:
Instead of rooms, everyone gets their own cottage. Most of the cottages vary in size, ours was the Yellow one. A little bit older and small, but perfect size for two people and the best part was we were one of the only cottages with beach access! The Yellow Cottage was a little older and dated but there are some newer cottages complete with kitchens and furnishings.
Food and Beverages:
Since we did all inclusive, breakfast, lunch and dinner were covered. The meals were great, but nothing extremely spectacular. The way to order is a little weird here, you order breakfast when you sit down, coolers with sandwiches for lunch can be ordered to take out at breakfast, then you reserve a table for dinner at the bar and pre-order your meal.
The coolers for lunch were great including a sandwich, salad, or wrap then chips, fruit, and a non-alcoholic beverage.
Dinners come with a salad, soup, bread, main course, and dessert.
Drinks were good, you have to try the Peanut Colada, which is a pina colada with roasted peanuts blended in!
Activities and property:
If you do the all inclusive package it will include a skiff to island hop, bicycles to explore Staniel Cay, kayaks, and paddle boards to enjoy from the beach. There is also a small pool and chairs. They also have an area where they feed the nurse sharks which you can stand in and take pictures.
There is wifi, but it’s beyond slow and unreliable, and this can only really be accessed in the bar area/porch.
My favorite part of Staniel Cay is one of the friendliest dogs who is a resident of the Yacht Club, Finnegan!
After checking in, we explored the property, had a late lunch, made our reservation for dinner, and hung out at the bar/porch.
Day 7:
Explore the Exumas
Things to bring: sunscreen, scraps from the restaurant for the pigs, water shoes, snorkeling equipment, life vests, extra water, towels, lunch, hand sanitizer.
Breakfast at Staniel Cay Yacht Club
A delicious breakfast included with your stay. Make sure to tell the waiters you’re heading out for the day and they’ll pack you a lunch and scraps for the swimming pigs.
Swimming with the Pigs
Imagine your boat gliding up to a beautiful beach and cute little pigs start swimming up to greet you…yes this place does exist!
Make sure you get out to go pig beach first thing in the morning before the tour boats show up and the pigs fill up! They are a little more aggressive in the morning but just keep your space and use common sense since they are wild animals.
Be sure to ask the Staniel Cay breakfast staff for scraps to feed the pigs!
Rachel's Bath
We then bolted up to Compass Cay and right before the end border, we found a small beach which led to Rachel’s Bath.
Rachel’s Bath is essentially rocks that border the deeper ocean and a small swimming area. Waves crash on the rocks and form a foam in the swimming area like a bubble bath. Not the most exciting thing, but worth checking it off your bucket list if possible.
Nurse Sharks at Compass Cay
Coast back down Compass Cay to go swimming with the Nurse Sharks! It costs $10 to dock here per person so make sure to bring some cash! They also sell conch salad here. (We weren’t able to get any because there was a wait from all the yachts large orders…so maybe put in an order right when you get there. It’s around $15.)
Bring snorkel equipment from Staniel Cay so you can really get in and experience seeing the sharks!
We ate our packed lunch at Compass Cay, just note you’re not allowed to eat at the picnic tables unless you buy a burger, the owner was a little bit grumpy on this one. I believe there are bathrooms here as well.
Thunderball Grotto
Continue back on down towards Staniel Cay and make a quick stop at the Thunderball Grotto.
Thunderball Grotto is spectacular and a one of a kind adventure. You have two main choices to experience the Grotto:
1. Snorkel in and enjoy the fish and beautiful waters.
2. Climb up to the top and jump down into the Grotto! This is so much fun and a bit scary! Use your best judgment when jumping in: watch your head, your arms, and feet, and make sure no one is below you! Climbing up to the top of the grotto is a little rough so here is where the water shoes come in handy. We jumped in twice! The first time was incredible, second time though, my ears did a little pop that didn’t feel comfortable for about 10 minutes.
I had a blast here and caught some great footage. They really recommend going at high tide but they said anytime will work.
Day 8:
Continuing enjoying the unparalleled beauty of the Exumas.
Swim with Sunken Airplanes
There are actually two sunken airplanes off the coast of Staniel Cay. Very creepy but amazing to swim through! They’re both featured on the detailed Staniel Cay map but you can ask the staff for directions too.
Guana Cay
Cruise down to the most Southern Island on the map to see the iguanas on the beach. Bring down fruit to feed them!
Lunch on a random island
We found a random public beach on an island and enjoyed our lunch. Doesn’t that sound like a dream?
Explore Staniel Cay
Bicycle around the island, paddle board, grab a drink.
At dinner be sure to order your breakfast to go for tomorrow if you take an earlier flight like we did.
Day 9:
Return back to Nassau, check into Baha Mar, and explore outside the resort.
Flight to Nassau
Take a return Flamingo Airlines flight to Nassau then back home.
Tips and Tricks:
- U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere and go for the same rate as the Bahamas currency (1:1). Make sure you leave without any local Bahamas currency as I hear it’s hard to exchange.
- Water is filtered at most of the resorts but generally doesn’t taste that good.
- I can’t recommend enough getting off of Nassau and going to the Exumas! There are day trips by plane and by boat down to see the swimming pigs. I would avoid this as much as possible and not rush your time in the Exumas, as this was our favorite part of the entire trip. I believe the boat ride is around 2 1/2 hours in very uncomfortable vessels, weather permitting. If you do a day trip by plane you risk delays and cancellations. (Flamingo Air does offer cheaper flight rates for one-day excursions though.)
- Take time to talk with locals, everyone was very friendly and eager to talk about our experiences in the Bahamas and what it’s like in the U.S. (especially outside of Florida since it’s so close).
- Wear lots of sunscreen, as it’s really easy to get burnt down there.