B.A.B.E. Week 34: Many firsts and bests of the Bahamas

This week has been an exciting one.  First Christmas!  Wow, it was terrific to experience Christmas with Elle and see her surrounded by loved ones as we celebrated the holidays.  Simple things like trying to capture her fascination with the wrapping paper kept us entertained for hours. 

Other firsts? First time getting to sitting position by herself!   Her grandparents put her down for a nap and then went in to check on her and there she was -- sitting up.  Pretty happy with herself, as well. And this week, we also had the first bites while nursing...not quite as happy.

These firsts (mostly good) were while surrounded by her loving grandparents and great aunts.   And the third generation up from Elle are so impressive with their thirst for exploration and adventure.  The third generation is not as young as many families.  (E.g., some people are grandmas at MY age) but they can not only play on the floor with Elle for hours, they are also exploring parts of the island that I have never seen. This prompted me to focus purely on Exploration for this blog post.   Where are the BEST places that I have seen in the Bahamas and what is on my to do list.

Best Island

The Bahamas has 700 islands but the majority of the population lives on the island (New Providence) and in the city (Nassau) where we live.   The other islands are called "family" islands and only 20 or so are populated.  Of the "family" islands, I have been to five:  Grand Bahamas, Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Bimini, and Exumas.  The Exumas was my favorite -- the beaches and water were gorgeous, the food was excellent, and it had some interesting historical spots like where a slave named Pompey led a rebellion of 70+ slaves.   That said, Harbour Island comes in at a very close second.  It is a pretty charming place where golf carts are the main form of transportation and its long pink sands beach is world famous. 

Best Local Food (for Nassau)

A big thing in the Bahamas are "fish fries" -- many small (and big) restaurants lined up in a row, which sell local Bahamian fare such as fried fish.  Our favorite Bahamian fare comes from the fish fry and a restaurant within there called "Oh Andros."  At Oh Andros, the conch fritters, conch salad, and spicy fish filet dinner are wonderful.   And these two appetizers and meal can easily feed three people if not four.  It is a deal in the Bahamas where deals are usually few and far between. 

Best Food (for Nassau)

We think that the best food is at a place called the Mahogany House.  It is part of a greater complex with a wine and snacks boutique, another restaurant, Shima, a coffee shop and boutique luxe hotel.  We spend a lot of our time (and money) there.  That said, there are other places on the island, which I would like to try, such as Cafe Matisse.  The problem is that, especially with a baby, it is so much easier to go back to a favorite place rather than try something new...

Best Natural Area (for Nassau)

This is another superlative where I am not 100% confident in my answer because I have recently found out that there are some natural areas that I haven't been to- such as the Primeval Forest.  Notwithstanding my hesitation, I don't think that the Primeval Forest or other natural areas can really give Clifton Park a run for its money.  Clifton has it all -- great snorkeling, history, art, and trail running.

Best Coffee (for Nassau)

The coffee shop in the complex where the best food is also has the best coffee shop -- the Coffee Bar.  The Coffee Bar has great decaf almond milk lattes -- a must for me as a nursing mama of a milk-sensitive daughter.  It also has an incredible ambiance as it overlooks a gorgeous pool.

Best Pool Experience (for Nassau)

The new infinity pool at the One and Only Beach Club is pretty incredible.  We discovered it when our friend got us day passes to hang out at the One and Only -- where Casino Royale was filmed.

Best Beach (for Nassau)

My local beach is pictured below when my sister came to visit.  Even though our local beach can sometimes be crowded with sea grass (or even trash), I love it because it is so beautiful, so close and so long (1.5 miles long).  I also have such great memories of wonderful sunsets and sea turtle popping their heads above the surface of the water.

Best Local Island Trip (for Nassau)

I know of 3 local island trips: Rose Island, Barefoot Sailing Cruises, and Blue Lagoon Island.   I think that the best local island trip for diversity of experience and value is Blue Lagoon Island because there is a water park, snorkeling, and animal options (seeing dolphins and sea lions).   That said, we have only taken guests to Blue Lagoon Island once and have taken guests to Rose Island probably more than 10 times.  Rose Island is often more attractive to adult guests to because it has gorgeous white sands beaches, has a hopping bar scene, and is less expensive at $25 per head for locals.  (I haven't been out on Barefoot Sailing Cruises but at $120 for a half-day, it is significantly more expensive).

Best Snorkeling (for Nassau)

This is another one where I need to do more exploring.   For me, the best snorkeling here is in Clifton Park where there is both quality reef and an 18 foot statue - the largest underwater statue in the world.  That said, Clifton happens to be right by where a lot of the island's fuel comes in so the reef in the park is somewhat degraded from oil spills among other things.  Thus, it isn't perfect and I have heard of a lot of tales of fantastic snorkeling so I want to explore other places and see if I can find better reef.  I have heard that there is great reef on the little islands ("cays") around Nassau.   So more exploring to be done...