When I am not “carnivaling”, I am traveling, if not for work, to relax. A friend and I were exhausted from all our work travel so we needed some time to reset. We quickly decided a beach destination would get us right. I visited Bahamas in 2012 with my family so I had some expectations but my experience this year exceeded the experience I had in 2012 by far. Again, I chose Nassau. Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas. It lies on the island of New Providence, with neighboring Paradise Island accessible via Nassau Harbor bridges.

For those of you who will consider planning a trip, we stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Baha Mar. Truly a gorgeous hotel, we were on the east side of the massive hotel which we were told is the nicer and more modern of the two.

all content is reader supported which means if you click on some links we may earn a commission 

Alongside Grand Hyatt, is the Rosewood and SLS Baha Mar which offer the same great amenities on the Baha Mar campus but different decor styles on the interior. Each restaurant was amazing and the decor just as tasteful to match.

Once I was picked up from the airport, I had the chance to visit Aqua Fire Grill for lunch before I got to the hotel. The fried oysters were delicious and the little beach side restaurant had the cutest decor. (I’m a sucker for great decor, blame HGTV)

Note: Add Bahamas Carnival 2023 to your list! It will take place May 19-21, 2023. 

Once we were able to check into the hotel, it was time for us to find some food and relax. We chose to eat at Blue Sail, a gorgeous indoor/outdoor restaurant with a sexy ambiance.

Bahamas recently added VAT so every check we received on food automatically included 20% gratuity and 12% VAT. There was NO check for under $140usd for two people to eat. EVER! My poor piggy bank. That said, the food was delicious. I tried conch and waffles for brunch at Royal Blue Tavern and it was by far the most interesting combination of flavors I’ve ever had. The dish included a sweet potato puree and pineapples, very delicious.

Note: Like the Art to Paying for Carnival, make sure you’re using loyalty programs and saving apps like Qapital.

I’m so happy with our hotel choice, though on the pricier side and not an all inclusive, it included all the activities we were interested in. There was a flamingo sanctuary (I love flamingos). A cove with marine life and a golf course. Luckily, we met some really nice natives so we got to jet ski for free and then headed for our golf lesson (also free)

There are so many other places to visit and party. I explored downtown and the Straw Market the last time I was there. Primetime is also the local “fete” spot should you visit soon and don’t want to party with other tourists.

Would you visit Bahamas for vacation? It’s worth it. Exuma is still on my list!

Yours in Mas,