Precisely why It happens to be Remarkable From the offerings Bahamas -- Remarkable Quest locations!! The Bahamas Tourist Office states, "It's Better in the Bahamas." What makes it better? Why is the Bahamas annually the most traveled to of the so-called Caribbean Islands? Firstly, it is important to understand that the Bahamas is NOT in the Caribbean. It is in the South Atlantic. A chain of hundreds of islands, only a few of the Bahamian Islands are inhabited, and even fewer are tourist destinations. Although Bimini is the Bahamian Island closest to the United States, the closest of the "tourist" Bahamian Islands is Grand Bahama Island. For years, Bimini was known as a small, quiet island known for its run, its casual atmosphere, and the location where the late Rep. Adam Clayton Powell had a famous residence. The major cities on Grand Bahama Island are Freeport and Lucaya. Grand Bahama Island was originally predominantly developed as a tourist destination, and because of that there was limited non- tourist industry on the island. In recent years, other industries have made their way to Grand Bahama tourism is still the principal industry of this island. Bahamas literally means "shallow seas," coming from the words Baha (Baja) and Mar. Remember that when Columbus discovered America, he actually made first landfall on the Bahamian Island of San Salvador (don't confuse with city in El Salvador which is in an entirely different location). There are four separate monuments on the island that show where Columbus landed. There he met the Arawak Indian Tribe known as the Guanahani's, and today San Salvador and Rum Cay in the Bahamas are respected as premier diving and fishing locales. San Salvador is located approximately 360 miles southeast of Miami. By far the most populated and developed of the Bahamian Islands is New Providence Island. Nassau, Cable Beach, Paradise Island, South Ocean, etc., are all located on New Providence Island. Although the island is AdChoices geographically small (only about 17 miles x 27 miles), it has a population of over one-quarter million, and is the center of the Bahamian government (Formerly a British territory, the Bahamas has been independent since 1972), is one of the premier world banking locales, and has two major casinos (one in Cable Beach; one in Paradise Island), numerous luxury hotels, world- class dining, and several tourist sites. The South Ocean side of the island is where Stuart Coves Diving is housed, and Stuart is world renowned for his diving expertise and movie production consultation. Because of that, many water scenes have been shot on this island. Another feature of this side of the island is the Bacardi distillery and factory. When the Bacardi
family fled Cuba, they developed this distillery, and today, Bacardi Rum sold in most parts of the world (except the US, which comes from Puerto Rico) come from this locale. To make it easier for US tourists, which these islands are so dependent on (tourism is by far the largest industry), the Bahamian dollar is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, and US dollars are accepted and widely used on the island.
Nassau has one of the largest cruise ports of any of the islands, and more cruise ships visit Nassau than any other island. In fact, because of favorable Bahamian laws, many cruise lines incorporate in the Bahamas. Major items such as jewelry, liquor, watches, etc., are sold Duty Free within the Bahamas, and some of the best and most reliable selections and pricing is available here. There are numerous shopping areas, but much of the tourist shopping is done downtown on Bay Street. Many tourists like to rush over to the very casual Andastra Gardens, home of the worldfamous dancing flamingos. These shows always attract amused tourists, who love to get photo ops near the flamingos. Those wanting to experience authentic native food in a casual atmosphere go over to Silver Cay, where across the street from the cricket field, tents and booths of numerous Bahamian food vendors serve delicious authentic, reasonably priced meals daily. Still others frequent some of the world- class restaurants in town, such as Graycliff, Chez Willie, Buena Vista, Sun And, etc, where elegance and delicious gourmet food is offered. This is all in addition to the many great restaurants offered in the hotels on Paradise island and Cable Beach. See more at: http://gobahamas.com/.