After a three month tour through many of the islands of the Bahamas on a sailboat, here are some observations and advice for the general vacationer. This was written during and immediately after a trip in 2019, before Hurricane Dorian struck in September of that year. A few post-hurricane remarks have been added, but I have not seen the damage first-hand. My understanding is that the worst damage was limited to Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands. The Bahamas stretches over many miles, and most of the islands were unscathed.
If you're considering a boat trip to the Bahamas, look here as well.
The brief take-away is that I would not recommend traveling to the Bahamas unless you're drawn by one of a few reasons. If you're a sailor, then sure, it's a great place. The fishing and diving can also be outstanding. The beaches are nice too, but there are plenty of nice beaches in the world, and the Bahamas is expensive. If you do want to visit the Bahamas, then it's probably best to go to a resort. Unless you have prior experience with an area, renting a house and doing it all yourself is going to be hit-and-miss. I've never stayed overnight at a resort in the Bahamas, but I visited quite a few for a restaurant meal or for help with other arrangements. They're a mixed bag. The expensive ones seem quite nice — if your idea of a vacation is sitting on a beach and drinking cocktails. Others can be a little seedier — the accommodation, restaurant and overall service may be lacking.
In fairness, I had a wonderful time on my trip, and hope to return. Things move at a slower pace, and if you move at that pace, then you'll have a better time. I am not negative about the Bahamas, but anyone contemplating a trip to the Bahamas should understand how much the marketing of the Bahamas outstrips the reality. I had a great time, but the average person looking for a fun-filled time at the beach might be disappointed. For instance, one guide to the Bahamas describes Grand Bahama as having "numerous and varied restaurants" and "a vibrant Lucayan nightlife." Such things are in the eye of the beholder, but both statements are exaggerations. I would say that there are a few decent restaurants, and the nightlife consists of a few people drinking to excess in a handful of bars.
The Bahamas is not a third-world country, but neither is it a fully developed first-world country. You may read that, according to a 2014 World Bank report, the Bahamas is "the richest country in the Caribbean community, ranked by gross national income per capita." It's true that it is a politically stable country with relatively little crushing poverty, but it is not an inexpensive place to live. This "income per capita" doesn't stretch very far, and the average person's material standard of living is poor by U.S. standards. As a rough estimate, if the average American were to move to the Bahamas, and expect to live at the same standard, it would require doubling their annual income.
Digging a little deeper into the claim about being "the richest country in the Caribbean community," the per capita income in the Bahamas is $21,280. while the same figure for the U.S. is $50,120. Taken together with my personal take on how expensive is is to live in the Bahamas, the per capita income is extremely modest.
One of the reasons things are so expensive is that almost everything is imported, including nearly all food items. If you think you could simply import things for your own use, think again. Short-term visitors should have no serious problems with the contents of their luggage, but if you're staying longer-term and need a specialty item, it will be difficult to get, and may cost twice what you are used to paying.
One way in which the country feels less than first-world is the infrastructure. I saw several power outages, sometimes for hours, and occasionally for more than a day, and if you do a little digging you can find reports of people who cut their vacation short after being without power for an extended period. Lots of places have backup generators, but not all of them.
Fresh water is another problem. Most tap water is safe to drink (as far as I know) in terms of microbes, but a lot of it is noticeably salty. It won't hurt you for a short spell, but it can't be good for the people who live there. In a couple of places, this was a chronic complaint expressed to me by local people. In some places, I was told that part of the reason the water tasted bad was due to old pipes in the central distribution network, leading to rust and other contaminants in the water.
The fact that somewhat more than half of the entire Bahamian economy relies on tourism explains a lot. Service is generally only so-so. Most people try, but it's often clear that it requires an effort. Because there aren't many types of jobs available, people who don't want to work with tourists don't have much choice — it's the only reasonable option for them. In a more balanced economy, these people would find some other form of work.
Every major island has a relatively well-stocked grocery store, although you may need a car to get to it. They probably won't have everything you're used to, and you definitely won't like the prices.
Restaurants in places with a high tourist density are often not the best. It's very hard to know from the outside whether the food is going to be good or not. The worst hamburger I've had for a long time, possibly since my high school lunch-room, was served at one of the nicer restaurants on the "strip" in Marsh Harbour. I think the entire thing, including the bun, was frozen, and they just popped it in a microwave. Then again, I've also had some delicious hamburgers at rough beach-side shacks.
A lot of restaurants rely too much on the deep-fryer. That happens almost everywhere, whether in the Bahamas or not, but it seems to be more common in the Bahamas, particularly in restaurants that cater to tourists.
Obviously, the seafood can be very good. A good conch salad is delicious. "Peas and rice" is a staple, and it's hearty and tasty. The "peas" are pigeon peas, which are more like a bean or a lentil than green peas. Another common dish is baked macaroni and cheese.
The general style of "home cooked" reminds me of what my grandmother might have cooked in the 1950s. For instance, one restaurant served a carrot casserole that included frosted corn flakes and -- I think -- sweetened condensed milk to make a kind of custard in which the carrots were baked. Because fresh vegetables are hard to come by, and cabbages keep well, coleslaw is often served as a side dish. Green salads are not usually very good — someone opened a bag of chopped lettuce, and called it done.
Overall, I had better luck eating in places where I was one of very few tourists, or maybe the only tourist. These are places that serve food which ordinary people can eat every day. Every now and then, there was something jarring, like the carrot casserole, but I found the simpler foods and restaurants easier to take over a long period, even if it was often unimaginative. Whereas the tourist restaurants rely on the deep-fryer, places that cater to locals do a lot of stewing and baking.
The prices range from merely expensive to outrageous, and the quality of the food has only a loose relationship to the price. Two of the best places I ate were on the cheaper end of the scale — a place near the industrial section of Freeport and, a food truck in Marsh Harbour.
If you visit a grocery store, you can see why restaurants have such a hard time serving good food. The produce section is pretty spotty, with only a few choices. Even in larger towns, there might be only a few different vegetables and a few different fruits available at any given time. Nassau is the exception to this rule. The grocery stores that I visited there were comparable to what one would find in the U.S , except for the prices, which were about double.
By and large, I would stay away from this island entirely. It has more of a third-world feel than the others, and the area has clearly fallen on difficult times. After a couple of hurricanes, there are numerous vacant and dilapidated buildings. There's basically one pocket of activity, around the "Lucayan Marketplace," but it's purely for tourists, and there's not much there. Part of the reason this is a less pleasant place to visit is the effect that the economic problems have had on the outlook of the people who work there. Many of them are upset and angry because they feel that the government has mismanaged things (with some justice, although hurricanes and the broader economic climate are outside of the government's control). People don't hold tourists individually responsible, but this anger and frustration can color their outlook.
Things may change in Lucaya in the future though. The big drag on the area is the fact that a major hotel was closed after a hurricane. It's been closed for several years, but in the Spring of 2019 a deal was reached which may lead to its being reopened. A lot needs to be done to make this happen, but Lucaya may look and feel different in 2020.
Post-Dorian Update: Then again, it may not look much different going forward. After Dorian, the outlook for Grand Bahama is probably worse than when I visited.
Marsh Harbour is a physically attractive place, although there's not much for visitors unless you want to go diving or charter a boat. Great Abaco Island also hosts several resorts. The same is true for the surrounding Cays, which tend to have a definite "enclave" feel. Marsh Harbour is the business hub of the area. There's a well-stocked grocery store, hardware store, etc.
Post-Dorian Update: Marsh Harbour was almost entirely destroyed by the hurricane. Entire neighborhoods are simply gone. The people of the Abacos have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and are proud to be Abaconians, so I hope they'll be able to recover quickly. But it's going to be a difficult road.
The island is pretty and most of it is quieter and more low-key. There are some resorts and beach restaurants, and the overall feel is relaxed and socially balanced. There is a garbage dump on the northern end of the island, and it caught fire while I was there, blanketing the area with acrid smoke. I don't know how common this is, but people in Spanish Wells told me that it happens often enough for them to be used to it.
Spanish Wells and Harbour Island are on or adjacent to Eleuthera, but they're a bit different. The islands on which Spanish Wells and Harbour Island sit are fully developed, meaning that there's essentially no unused land. Spanish Wells is a fishing town, with very little for tourists. It's attractive and prosperous with the feel of a self-contained village. Harbour Island is very much a tourist place, with a reputation for attracting celebrities. Maybe there's a high-security resort somewhere, but I find it hard to see what the attraction would be for celebrities. Most of the town is crowded with buildings, giving it an urban feel, and the beaches are packed. Harbour Island, along with several other places, likes to tout their "pink sand" beaches. They're nice beaches, and maybe the sand is slightly pinker than other places, but the color is subtle.
I found this to be one of the most attractive islands, with rolling hills and healthy vegetation. But there's not a lot there. People there don't see as many tourists, and I think that makes them especially welcoming.
This is similar to Cat Island and Eleuthera in terms of the scenery, people and economic mix. There's a bit more tourism, but not enough to be the driving force in the island's character.
Although Georgetown is along the Exuma chain, as the only significant town in the Exumas, it deserves its own entry. The chain of islands is more than 100 miles long, and Georgetown is at the southern end.
Unless you are a boater, my advice is to stay far, far way. Even if you are a boater, it is not a pleasant place in my opinion. It's crowded with cruising boats, and they have essentially taken over the area. If you're not on a boat, you'll feel like a guest at a party where you don't know anyone.
This chain of islands runs for roughly 100 miles, with Georgetown at the southern end. There is a national park in the Exumas, and this seems to draw quite a few people, mostly on day-trips from Nassau. Even with these visitors, the park is large enough that it's easy to find a quiet island, provided you have the means to get there. The snorkeling is also very good.
Nassau is the capital and largest city in the Bahamas, with a population that puts it somewhere between Toledo, Ohio and Buffalo, New York. Along the harbor, the town has a bustling feel, with several good restaurants and interesting historical sites and museums.
For most people, visiting Nassau means going to the Atlantis Resort. There are a couple of other resorts, but Atlantis is the big draw, and the choices for non-resort accommodation are limited. Atlantis would be a fun place to bring younger kids since the water park would keep an active kid busy. Otherwise, it felt like a miniature Las Vegas with over-the-top decor and plenty of dazed people sitting in front of slot machines. If Las Vegas or cruise ships are your kind of vacation, then you will enjoy the resort.
Nassau has a reputation for being dangerous, but it didn't seem any more dangerous than most large cities, provided you exercise some common sense.