"Getaway to Nassau, Bahamas" a Nassau Travel Page by sweetheart519

I visited Nassau for the first time in January of 2006. It was not a long visit and we mostly went for relaxation. What I loved about Nassau was foremost the BEAUTIFUL water and beaches, but the people were also very friendly. Nassau is probably most famous for the Atlantis Hotel on Paradise Island, a neighboring island connected by a large bridge and catering solely to tourists. This is a mega resort, and while impressive (you can pay to tour the grounds and exhibits, and this is well worth the money) I enjoyed our quieter hotel on Cable Beach.

Cable Beach is a beautiful stretch of beach that is in a sheltered part of the island, so the waters are much more calm there than at Paradise Island, for example. The major hotels are the Wyndham Hotel and Casino, the Nassau Beach Hotel, and the Radisson. We stayed at the Nassau Beach Hotel in an ocean front room and were thrilled to have a direct view of the ocean. This hotel is much more quiet than the neighboring Wyndham hotel, and you can still use all of the Wyndham's facilities. It's within walking distance. If you are looking for a more quiet getaway, don't stay at the Wyndham. Very crowded. Also available on Cable Beach are jet ski rentals, kayakes, snorkling, etc. We had a storm blow through while we were there and we noticed the big difference between the waters on Cable Beach versus the waters that were not sheltered (I'm talking massive, crashing waves versus lots of rippling on Cable Beach). Note that the hotels on Cable Beach are scheduled to be redeveloped into a megaresort similiar to the Atlantis Hotel on Paradise Island within the next few years. So go and see the quieter hotels while you still can!

Paradise Island is more upscale, expensive, and truly caters to tourists. I might consider staying here once they tear down the Nassau Beach Hotel on Cable Beach. But until then it is way too crowded for me. Although it is VERY impressive, I have never seen anything like it. There are numerous aquarium exhibits and it will take you well over an hour to tour all the grounds. For those not staying at the hotel, the cost is $30? (I can't remember) to see the exhibits and grounds. It seems like a lot but it is well worth the money. You can eat at one of the many restaurants there but we found the food to be too overpriced. The beach is very nice too.