Living in Canada brings the annual “joys” of frigid and harsh winter weather. Spending a week in February 2017 relaxing on Paradise Island in the Bahamas was an excellent way to break up the winter and soak up that Caribbean sunshine! Since then, we’ve tried to make sun destinations a February priority.

The main reason we chose The Bahamas was because of the powdery white beaches and the crystal-clear turquoise-water. Cable beach is rated as one of the top beaches in the world – for good reason – and we had to check it out!

As we made our way through the twisty roads of downtown Nassau, Mona and I both felt a sense of relaxation and excitement crossing over the bridge. The kind of emotions that run high when your destination is Paradise Island… PARADISE ISLAND! It sounds like the something from the movies – and this was our reality for the next 7 days!

We stayed at the Riu Palace Paradise Island for the week, which is located on the North shore of the island, directly beside Atlantis. Our walk to Atlantis’ lobby was only about 5-7 minutes. We could walk out the driveway at RIU, and walk into the doors of the “Beach at Atlantis” in 30 seconds – it’s literally that close). It’s a perfect location if you’re looking for an “all-inclusive” type vacation, but still want to experience Atlantis (without the hefty price tag).

Our room at RIU palace was on the top floor overlooking Atlantis. When we walked into our room, the views took our breath away. To the left, we could see Nassau, straight ahead – Atlantis, and to the right – the Atlantic Ocean. To this day, this was by far the best views we’ve ever had in a hotel room.

Overall, Riu Palace Paradise Island offers great all-inclusive amenities such as the exceptional beach, good food at the buffet and specialty restaurants,  and nice accommodations. It is lacking in terms of nightly entertainment, though, makes up for this due to its proximity to Atlantis. Atlantis offers all kinds of entertainment such as nightclubs, casino games, shows, and lounges to keep you busy long into the early morning!

Every morning, we’d wake up to fresh pastries and cappuccinos on the balcony. The nice thing about being on the top floor at the hotel was the light sea breeze coming through our balcony door. We didn’t have use our AC or close our balcony door for the entire 7 days. Each morning we would watch the cruise ships coming into port using a free app called cruisemapper that identifies the incoming ships. We watched as they approached Nassau’s harbor as the little specks and grew into small cities on the water in the matter of an hour! Our favourites were the Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean.

Atlantis Paradise Island

On our first night, priority numero uno was to dive into Atlantis. The sun had already gone down by the time we settled in, which made for a moon-lit walk around Atlantis. Mona and I kept pointing out all the details in the architecture, and how the night-time lighting illuminated the pools, gardens, and picturesque royal towers.

We spent a lot of time exploring Atlantis, including the Aquaventure water park. The resort is HUGE with lots of options for accommodations, dining, and entertainment. We found out from trial and error that you can walk around the lobby and some of the grounds to get pictures, but during the day, there are security stations that prevent you from accessing the certain areas. We found it a little confusing about where were allowed to go (as non-resort guests). For instance, if you come off the beach, there are pathways that lead to Atlantis’ pools, which were sometimes monitored by security, but not always. After 5pm, the water park closes, and all of the areas opened up. This is a great time to snap your pictures and also visit “The Dig” – the under ground aquarium which is lit naturally by sunlight!

This is what vacations are all about. When you can put everything in life aside for moments like this. The pure joy of watching little fish. When you’re on your travels, watch for these moments with your partner, family, or kids. Step back, and capture that moment. These will be undoubtedly be your favourite photos!

Capturing a picture standing in front of the Royal Towers of Atlantis is a must-do for your bucket list.

The feeling you get when you’re looking up at the architecture is unbelievable. It looks like something out of a fairy-tale. The bridge that connects the towers together is actually a suite. If you’re looking to splurge on your next vacation, this nearly 5,000 sq ft. ultra-luxury suite can be yours for a cool $25,000 USD per night. This makes it the most expensive hotel suite in the world. Maybe one day?

If you walk out of Atlantis through the Coral Towers entrance, you’ll find Marina Village down the steps to the right. Marina Village isn’t huge, but it does attract the rich and famous as a place to dock their luxury yachts (Shaquille O’Neil was there watching TV in his Yacht). If you’re in the area, it’s worth a stroll to check out all the yachts, shops, and restaurants in Marina Village. If you walk entirely through Marina Village, heading toward the bridge, Maragaritaville is located right on the water. It offers great drinks and views of Downtown Nassau across the water.

In the evening, you can grab a cocktail or a coffee and relax at a table looking out over the harbour. The scenery is incredible, and you can watch the cruise ships and yachts come and go. If you need a bit of a break from the beach, come to Marina Village – bonus points during happy hour! *cheers!

If you’re looking for authentic Bahamian food – fresh fish, conch fritters, and conch salad – look no further then the fish fry. There’s a few options on how to get there. You can take a taxi directly from the resorts on Paradise Island, or walk. The walk from Paradise Island is going to take you about an hour each way. You can also take the water taxi from the bridge to downtown Nassau, and walk from there (20 more minutes to the fish fry). The fish fry is west of the downtown, just past Junkanoo beach. As a warning, parts of the walk have very narrow streets with little to no sidewalk, so take extra care when deciding what route it best for you.

Once you arrive, you’ll be greeted with locals trying to get you buy from them. Take a walk down and choose a place that calls to you. We ate at two places – trying out the conch salad at one, and conch fritters at another.

The food was excellent! Much better than the resorts. The locals just know their craft better! Bon appetit!

Downtown Nassau requires a bit of planning before you get there. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when step out of the taxi. There is little direction, and limited signage as to where things are. Be sure to have a cell phone with data – Google maps will be your friend here!

If you made the trip over to shop, you don’t need much of a plan or direction. The main shops are conveniently located on Bay st. which is one block south of the port! You’ll find everything from: high-end luxury brands (Fendi, Gucci, Cartier, etc.) to local hand-crafted souvenirs.

There are some notable places when you first arrive. We really enjoyed Pirate Republic Brewery – I love pirates and pirate themed anything – so this was a lot of fun. They typically have an actor out front to interact with the those walking by.. Ask him for a picture – he’s VERY photogenic! Another popular place with a good nightlife is Senior Frogs. You can’t miss it when you get off the water taxi, it’s literally right beside you.

We walked over to the British Colonial by Hilton, which is where they filmed the James Bond 007 movie – Thunderball (1965). It’s such a beautiful resort – right in the middle of the city. They have their own private beach looking out over the cruise port. It may not be the most relaxing watching massive cruise ships coming and going – but to each their own!

Also at the port – between Bay st. and Woodes Rodgers Walk – is the Straw Market. We didn’t have any intention on buying anything, but wanted to check it out. Beware! The vendors here are extremely pushy trying to make a sale.

Lastly, we walked to the Queen’s Staircase – “66 steps”. The landmark is named after Queen Victoria who, in 1837 signed a declaration to abolish slavery. The emotional significance of the landmark runs strong in Bahamian culture, considering many slaves were killed during the excavation of the steps from solid limestone.

It wound’t be a Caribbean vacation without a dive! After hearing amazing reviews about Stuart Cove’s Shark Adventure, I could not resist. I’m going to do another whole post and YouTube video on The Shark Adventure, so stay tuned. If you’re an avid diver, or a beginner, you have to add this adventure to your log book. It’s certainly one of a kind, and the dive masters are extremely proficient in making you feel comfortable and safe throughout the experience.

Want to read more about our Shark Dive, read our blog post here

A trip to Paradise Island is very special. We’d certainly recommend it for travelers who just like to relax “all-inclusive” style, and also those who love to venture outside of the resort for some adventure and exploring. Out of all the Caribbean countries we’ve been to, The Bahamas is where we’ve felt the most safe leaving the resort. We did exercise precautions, e.g., back home before the street lights came on, travel in pairs, etc., but there was never a time we felt uneasy. Leaving the resort is very easy and encouraged to get the most out of your vacation. Paradise Island and Nassau have so much to offer in terms of culture, shopping, food, and very friendly Bahamian people. Be sure to include at least a couple of days to explore Nassau, Atlantis, and an excursion.

Thank you kindly for reading our post on The Bahamas. Be sure to check out our other posts from The Bahamas and the Caribbean on our Blog! If you wish, please follow our journey on social media to find out Where we going Next!