20 | BUSTLING BAHAMAS
www.nitravelnews.com
July/August 2023 • MAJOR CAY, THE EXUMAS
Celebrating it’s golden 50 years of independance, this sun-filled holiday hotspot ranks high on the island-hopping list. From honeymooners to sunset chasers, this nation of 16 islands is sure to tickle everyones fancy as you indulge in its unique culture, food and vast white beaches...
Nowhere else in the world offers travellers an encounter with an entire cay of pigs. Bring some tasty treats, these swimming pigs love putting on a show for visitors bearing gifts.
SHARKS, dolphins, wrecks, reefs,
caverns and caves are all in the mix for experienced divers visiting Grand Bahama. The more experience you have as a diver, the more opportunities you can take advantage of on The Bahamas’ second most populated island. Starting with the sharks. Caribbean reef sharks likely appear on most dives off Grand Bahama, with the site Shark Junction offering nearly guaranteed encounters. Reef Oasis Dive Club, a scuba centre operating out of the Wyndham, runs these shark dives regularly. “The main attraction of Grand Bahama is sharks,” says Michael Tadros, co- owner of Reef Oasis Dive Club, located at the Viva Wyndham Resort. UNEXSO, another on-island dive centre, also offers these up-close encounters. They require that any diver who joins their active feeding dive have their Open Water Diver certification as well as one dive through UNEXSO. The experience is well worth it. Further afield, there’s also the world- famous Tiger Beach, 26 nautical miles off the west end of Grand Bahama. This area is one of six places in the world where divers can regularly encounter this impressive fish, spanning 10 to 13 feet in length. At a depth of 20 feet, this site, typically drenched in sunlight, makes for ample photography opportunities with this steely subject. Several local operators, including Reef Oasis Dive Club and Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Center, offer this area as a day trip, with pickups from Freeport or West End. Another only-here experience is the
chance to dive in open water with dolphins. UNEXSO’s resident dolphins are brought to open water to meet up with divers. The experience includes a brief training prior to the start, so that divers learn the hand- signal commands that the dolphins respond to, including placing a flat palm out in front of you, in which the dolphin will place its rostrum and spin around. Grand Bahama also offers a lot of metal in the form of wrecks in depths from 25 to 105 feet, including the Etheridge, a 1992- sunk car ferry; the 2002-sunk Sea Star cargo ship and the Sinikurt, one of the newer wrecks, sitting perfectly intact at a depth of 90 feet. Lazarre’s favourite is Papa Doc, a 69-foot shrimp boat, found at 105 feet. “In the summertime, you get the cup corals that bloom on the roof of the wreck, looking
just like nice, bright yellow elderflowers,” she says. Then there’s Theo’s Wreck. “Most everybody comes here for Theo’s Wreck,” says Lazarre of the 230-foot ship, down since 1982. It’s now split in two and covered in marine life. What really makes the site unique is its location. The ship sits close to the edge of a drop off, where bigger marine life cruises by. Turtles, grouper and sharks regularly come in close.
Those who want to explore overhead environments—either for the first time or to take their skills to the next level—can dive with UNEXSO and Calabash Eco Adventures. Ben’s Cavern is the perfect choice for those with at least 20 logged open water dives who want to experience stalactites, stalagmites, a halocline, fossilised shells and more. Experienced
cave divers can explore
Owl’s Hole, a portal to three cave systems. Then there’s Mermaid’s Lair Cave, a true cave and advanced diving experience, offered through UNEXSO and Calabash Eco Adventures. A bonus: The caves, like the ocean dives, are also located close to the dive centres—reachable via a15-minute drive.
Of course, the island has coral reefs to explore, with sites in depths ranging from 20 to 80 feet. Some sites, such as Rainbow Reef, are shallow enough to bring the whole family or any group with a mix of snorkellers and divers of various abilities. Other sites, such as the ocean dive known as Caves, offers passageways through the corals that call for better buoyancy—a skill you can certainly take to the next level on Grand Bahama, whether you’re finning inside a wreck or delicately above a sand bottom of a cave while working toward your Full Cave Diver certification. This island has it all.
www.bahamas.com
MEET Exuma’s Adorable and Famous Swimming Pigs This is one experience you simply can’t miss while you’re here. Wondering how the pigs got to Pig Beach? We don’t know for sure. Big Major Cay is uninhabited and the pigs are not native to the island. Some say they were left by a group of sailors, who planned to come back and cook them. Or that the pigs swam over from a shipwreck nearby. Wherever they came from, there are now about 20 pigs and piglets living the easy life, with daily
The Bahamas
is only 1 hour from Miami and a neighbour of Florida! From London, holiday-makers can reach the
stunning
islands in just 9 hours due to its close proximity to the east coast of the USA.
visits from Bahamians and tourists. When you visit, be sure to get a selfie with the #swimmingpigs—they’re even cuter in person! If you’re staying in Nassau or The Exumas, you can easily book a day trip to see the swimming pigs. Your adventure includes a boat tour through The Exuma Cays. On Compass Cay why not take a dip with the docile nurse sharks! Swim alongside them or pet their skin once they swim up to the dock during the high tide. A thrilling once in a lifetime experience not to be missed.
www.bahamas.com
WEDDINGS give us all the feels, but we can’t help but daydream about honeymoons, too! Spending some one-on-one dedicated time together in paradise as newlyweds after that (crazy) wedding rush is something to definitely plan and look forward to. If you are looking for some one-of-a-kind adventures, The
Bahamas is the perfect spot for you! Here’s why:
The Bahamas is home to some of the
most amazing blue holes in the world, and it’s definitely a sight (and possibly jump) you want to share with your new partner- in-adventure. According to National Geographic,
blue holes, also known as
sinkholes or underwater caves, can be found across several of the islands and cays in The Bahamas, totaling more than a thousand blue holes. Several of the Family Islands, including Long Island (which sports the second largest blue hole ever recorded); Abaco and Eleuthera have blue holes as well, but Andros, which has over 200 blue holes inland and offshore, is said to have the most blue holes per square foot in the world. Now THAT’S something honeymoon worthy! What’s a honeymoon without lots of good
food, anyway? Exploring Bahamian foods and culture is a great way to start off your new life together as a couple. If you’re not
a big cook, there are dozens of amazing restaurants to choose from. If you’re looking to try some of the local delicacies, Arawak Cay, aka the Fish Fry, is a good place to start. On the Family Islands you will also be sure to find some of the freshest fish and seafood available. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, cooking a Bahamian meal together at the Goombay House Cooking Class Studio, which offers private and group cooking lessons, is something to look into. Other wonderful options to explore local food, culture and history are the Tru Bahamian Food Tours, Authentic Bahamian Cooking Class & Lunch Experience, also provided by Tru Bahamian Food Tours and Graycliff Chocolatier and Winemaker classes.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
