These two years have passed very quickly, I can remember vividly the day I arrived in this country, very fresh behind the ears and
eager and full of all the knowledge I could gather between getting this
assignment and my arrival. And now? I
have so many good memories, especially of the place where sweet baby elle grew
to toddler elle, with her own notions.
That process is the one that will dominate my memories here, her first
Christmas, her first steps, her first words, her first shake of the bum, her
first swim.
As part of the process of saying goodbye, I thought I would share some of my favorite things Bahamian. All
of these come highly, highly recommended.
There is quite a bit of variability in quality in Nassau and the Family
Islands and all these are sublime in my book.
In truth, I wrote this post from the CoffeeBar at The Island
House. This complex of excellent restaurants,
a movie theater, the coffee house, wine store and boutique hotel has been our
center of gravity. We love it. This is the kind of place worth traveling
great distances to enjoy, and I drove here from my house.
Beyond the excellent service, and food and wine and
everything else, it is the design unity that really separates The Island
House from all other spots. Muriel, elle
and I became true regulars here in our 2 years (well short of 2 years for
elle), with lingering breakfast that turned into lunches, wine tastings with producers
from around the world, many memorable dinners and jazz Thursdays. I will miss it very much.
Best Beaches:
Can’t pick just one, so many outstanding beaches in this beautiful country. So I went with a top three.
Gold Rock Beach, Grand
Bahama: this is within Lucayan National Park, about 15 miles east of the Bahamas
2nd biggest city. The beach
is a long stretch of white sand, with a ton of bleached toppled trees from hurricanes
in years past. The sand bar of the beach
creates a V, so there are often little pockets of seawater trapped in sun
cups. The water is clear and your fellow
beachgoers sparse.
Columbus Point, Long
Island: this beach is at the far north of Long Island in the southern end
of the archipelago. This beach is
accessed via a very rough 4 mile track, which eventually ends at some stairs and
the beach to your right. The stairs lead
to a monument to Columbus, who maybe, could have landed at this point in
1492. The beach is a short one, but the
view from the monument showcases the majesty of this spot – with stark white
salt flats and the crazy blue waters of the Bahamas mixing into the
distance. The snorkeling here is
sublime, with a natural amphitheater about 100 yards off shore that has
hundreds of fish.
Tropic of Cancer
Beach, The Exumas: this beach is not actually on the tropic of cancer, but
you can easily forgive this small fib for the beauty of this beach. It is a long stretch of white sand on the
east side of the Exumas. We actually did
not spend a ton of time here due to a big storm that rolled through, but with a
little island sitting invitingly off the beach, and the rugged rock formations
on the north end of the beach, it quickly rose to the very top of my beach
rankings.
Best Overall Family
Island: Eleuthera/Harbour Island
Okay, I am cheating a little by combining two islands – but
they are intertwined and in fact the way to get to the later is often via a
flight into the North Eleuthera airport.
And then Harbour Island, just a hop, skip and jump off the
northeast of the main island. It is a
smaller, denser community, which we went to a couple of times via a ferry from
Nassau. This is a place on the itinerary
of the global elite, and it has really nice places to eat and stay as a
result. The beach here has a pink tint,
and this beach regularly makes best beach in the world lists. It is nice, for
sure. I love the ability to stay on
Harbour Island and walk everywhere. We have had
amazing meals here, both highbrow and lowbrow.
The best coffee roaster in the country is in a bungalow kind of in
downtown. Being here is both luxurious
and laid back. In conjunction with the main
island, it is a combo unmatched in the country.
Best Family Island
Hotel: Guanahani Beach Club, San Salvador
The Bond franchises owes a lot to the Bahamas, several of
the movies old and new have been shot here.
This small, quaint and perfect hotel made me feel like I was in a Bond
film. It has a white, bleached aesthetic that is infused with an Italian ethos from the owners. Everything was super comfy, and yet you are
perched in a truly remote setting on one of the smaller Family Islands. The improbability
of this ridiculous luxury perched on a tranquil bay, down rough roads that seem
to go to nowhere, is very special. And
the food is to die for – which is cooked for breakfast and dinner by Elena, the proprietor. The dinners are extra special, with a mix of
classic Italian cooking and local Bahamian ingredients – like lobster speared
right off the beach. This improbability
of luxury in a remote setting is what had me feeling like a Bond film, and made
for a really memorable stay.
Favorite water sport:
Snorkeling
I was not much of water person before arriving in
Nassau. I like surfing, but am not that
great at it. I can swim, of course, but
had not swam for exercise ever in my life.
Never had dove, and had snorkeled a few times. Fishing is not really my thing. Had never gotten on a SUP. My interests and passion had always been more
on the mountains and the cliffs and the slopes.
But you have to adapt and when in Rome.
So I tried all those activities above, and have grown to
really love a few of them. Swimming in
the ocean water at the beach near my house became a nearly daily activity, and
one that brought zen, especially when it marked the end of my day. But the activity I really grew to love is snorkeling. I love the simplicity of it, and took my
travel snorkeling gear to every family island and every other country or territory
we visited in the region. Often to great
results, be it the enormous, car sized ray I snorkeled over in Turks and
Caicos laughing deeply to myself in wonder, or being immersed in the school of millions of fish in Eleuthera, or
the Tiger shark in Grand Bahama, or the pod of three massive rays I swam with
in Bimini. Or swimming over the wreck of
the Cesena in west Nassau. So many great
memories and a sport I will do the rest of my life.
Best drink: Daq Shack
Oh Andy and the Daq Shack.
The best drinks going, in a gorgeous setting. Andy makes his drinks from fresh fruit and
Fire in the Hole rum, I stopped asking for a specific combos a year and half
ago and trust him to make whatever is best at the moment.
The setting is right off of Bay Street in the middle of the north coast
of Nassau. The sunsets to the west are
big and grand and patient. It feels like
vacation every time.
Thing I will miss the
most: Visitors!
We have hosted an astonishing 80 visitors in the last two
years. And more than that came and were
not able to fit in our house. People
came from all over, and many for multiple trips. After traveling and not really having a home
for two years, it was a stroke of luck to be posted close to the US in a place
that people want to come for vacations short and long.
And all these visitors gave us a big gift. You see, Nassau is pretty small and having
all these guests led to us showing off our beloved spots, to see our home again and
again through the lens of our loved ones.
To be reminded about why it is a special place. Thank you.
