Planning a Bahamas trip on a budget is not an easy thing to do but luckily for you it also isn’t extremely difficult.
With proper planning, research and due diligence your next Bahamas trip will be one to remember.
My boyfriend and I recently visited the beautiful island country. The picturesque beaches with turquois waters and soft sand is still living rent free in my head.
I’m already looking forward to our next visit. Now that I know what to expect I wanted to put together a blog post to help others properly prepare for their own Caribbean getaway.
Transportation – Getting to the Bahamas
The first thing you want to do when planning any trip is figuring out how you’re going to get there.
We purchased our flight tickets months in advance. Although its commonly believed that flights are more expensive the longer you wait, I don’t believe that is necessarily true.
According to Investopedia, timing plays an important part when it comes to purchasing your airline ticket.
Plane tickets usually don’t get cheaper closer to the departure date. Instead, flights tend to be more inexpensive when you book between four months and three weeks before your departure date.
We purchased our tickets through American Airlines three months before our trip to Nassau. Both of us already had passports but if you are traveling internationally, you’ll need a passport.
This is an official travel document issued by the government that contains a person’s identity.
The name on your ticket and the name on your passport must match. If not, you could run into some trouble at the airport. It shouldn’t be a huge deal if this does happen. But, if it is an issue then you’ll need to arrive at the airport even earlier than the 2-3 hours before your flight boards.
Transportation – Navigating the Island on Your Bahamas trip
Luckily for us, my boyfriend’s best friend is Bahamian, so we had the luxury of a friend who is like family drive us around during our Bahamas trip.
If not, we would have depended on taxis. Ubers and Lyfts are not available in the Bahamas because local taxi drivers in the Bahamas are unionized.
From my experience, there wasn’t a shortage of cab’s. Most were available outside of restaurants and hotels. You simply requested that someone who works at the establishment calls for a car on your behalf.
I’d recommend carrying cash in small increments…1s,5s and 10s. What they charge seemed to be up to the discretion of the driver (I found myself negotiating my way to the movie theater which was a very short drive from the Baha Mar resort).
Transportation – Rental car services
There is also the option to rent a car while you’re out there, but you’d need to consider how much it would cost to park your rental wherever you stay but the biggest benefit to renting a car is you can stop and take in all the beautiful scenery.
You should be able to find rental cars available through the airport. But an important consideration is the fact you’ll need to pump your own gas and you’d be responsible for any damages should an accident happen.
Where to stay during your Bahamas trip
Deciding where to stay on your vacation is a very important decision.
The Bahama’s is made up of about 700 islands (although only 30 of these islands are inhabited). Since we stayed on Paradise Island, I’ll briefly speak to the two hotels I’d recommend based only on what I saw while we were there then I’ll share a brief review on where we actually stayed.
Atlantis Hotel
Atlantis luxury resort is a very popular hotel and chances are when you think of The Bahamas it’s the first thing that comes to mind. With a casino, premier shopping stores, a 141-acer waterpark, night club and open-air marine habitat, you can find exactly what you’re looking for in one place.
If you were hoping to stay somewhere that was all inclusive however, this is not the resort for you. Meals are not included but they do offer meal plan options.
We had dinner at the Nobu on the property, which was an experience in itself, but not wallet friendly. I tried a lychee martini for the first time and it was super yummy…might give my go to cosmo a run for its money!
The next day we explored the aquarium and took advantage of the water park day passes (more on that in a bit). We had fun on the slides, lazy river and beach of course.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can hop on a jet ski or banana boat! We got on a banana boat and while it was fun I’ll be honest I wasn’t expecting it to go so fast. Definitely consider that before trying this and bring googles so you don’t have to worry about water splashing you in the face and getting in your eyes.
Baha Mar
This place is beautiful! Admittedly, we did not spend a ton of time here but I do know it’s close to downtown Nassau and the movie theater. We saw The Little Mermaid after spending the day relaxing by the pool and soaking up the sun by the beach.
I think the casual spots/food options are better than the options at Atlantis. I had a lobster grilled cheese sandwich that was both filling and fresh. Also, there is a flamingo habitat on the property. I’ve never seen a flamingo in person before so this was a nice experience for me.
This property is definitely on the pricy side so not exactly sure if you’d consider it for your budget Bahamas trip. However, if you want the best of the best add this place to the top of your list.
Comfort Suites Paradise Island
During our visit, we stayed at the Comfort Suites Paradise Island. It’s a very modest hotel located right across from Atlantis and next to Marina Village. Included in our stay is complimentary breakfast which saved us quite a bit of money.
Another huge savings and perk to staying here are the day passes to the waterpark at Atlantis.
This is worth it because these passes alone are $190 per day and if a room at the resort is out of your budget this is your best bet.
The downside of staying here is the spotty wifi. Also, if you want to relax and watch TV in the room you’re stuck with the basic channels.
Though I don’t think I’d stay here again, I do recommend this hotel if you are on a budget but still want to have a great time. It was safe and conveniently located next to main attractions.
Conclusion
All in all, we had a great time! When we weren’t on the water with friends, we were eating good and exploring this beautiful country that is The Bahamas.
