Destination: Bahamas
by Jim Langford

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For gamblers, there are the sounds and action of the casinos. All games of chance are available, from slots to high-stakes table games. There is theatre. There are moonlight cruises.

There is some of the finest cuisine you will ever find. And, while Bahamian cuisine at first glance sounds very basic, it is brimming with some of the most tantalizing flavors ever to touch one’s palate. Sometimes, the most difficult decision is just being able to say, “I can’t eat any more.”

Nassau/Paradise Island provides travelers with some of the finest white sand beaches they will ever find in the tropics. The water is turquoise-hued and crystal clear for snorkeling or diving, or for surface sports, such as sailing, windsurfing, parasailing and water skiing. And yet, while it is tropical, it is not the Caribbean. The color of the water is different, the sunrises are more spectacular and you will experience a different variety of underwater species.

The Bahamas are rich in the history of the development of the Americas. Because of its sheltered harbor, the city of Nassau was a natural port for traders and settlers from the East. It also made shipping in and out of Nassau a prime target for the pirates who sailed those waters, including the infamous and legendary Edward Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard.

In Nassau, your clients will discover the mansions that were erected in the 18th century by the entrepreneurs of the day and the British Government. They will also see a fair sampling of churches and cathedrals, as well as the fortresses that were erected to protect the citizens of the British Empire.

Parliament Square is the centuries-old center of the Bahamian government, where tourists can find the Houses of Parliament, the old Colonial Secretary’s office, the Supreme Court for the Bahamas as well as a very nice statue of Queen Victoria.

Nassau also is where you will find Fort Charlotte, which was built in 1788, and still features the ancient and somewhat battered look of its time – think “Pirates of the Caribbean” -- with its moat, dungeons and open battlements.

I highly recommend booking a morning trip across the Cay to Coral Island, where your clients can easily see the abundant marine life that is about in an underwater observatory. Then they can ascend a 100-foot tower for an absolutely awesome view of the island and the surrounding sea.

Just to the west of Paradise Island is Cable Beach, replete with more hotels, beachfront, restaurants and the Crystal Palace Casino, one of the most popular spots on the island and part of the Wyndham Nassau Resort. The casino features some 60 gaming tables, a Race Book and the only Sports Book on the island. For kids, the hotel also features a saltwater swimming lagoon as well as two-story spiral waterslide. Many adults take advantage of that slide more than once.

And that is barely the tip of the iceberg. There is still shopping in Freeport on Grand Bahama Island; discovering Andros Island, the bone fishing capital of the world and a source of great dive sites; Eleuthera, where tranquility reigns and the experienced traveler can enjoy the peace and quiet of a true island getaway; and just much, much more.

The Bahamas should always be high on your list of client destinations.

Planning Ahead:
Just a reminder for your clients that re-entry requirements into the U.S. from the Caribbean are changing and will become effective on December 31, 2005. All U.S. citizens will be required to have a valid U.S. passport for re-entry.

Jim Langford is the head of The Pharmer Group, a communications consulting firm. He has extensive experience in the travel industry, communications and sports business.