Vacation Rentals in the Bahamas
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Travel destination Bahamas.
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Destination
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Overview over the Bahamas
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| Size |
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13,939 sq km (5382 sq mi) |
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| Population |
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300,529 |
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| Language |
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The official and national language is English. |
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| Time Zone |
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5 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-5 GMT). |
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| Electricity |
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110V, 60Hz. American-style two-pin plugs are in use. |
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| Clothing |
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Lightweight or tropical, cottons all year round. Light raincoats are
useful during the wet season. |
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| Religion |
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The three main Christian denominations are Baptist (32%), Anglican (20%) and Roman Catholic (19%). |
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| Currency |
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Bahamian Dollar (BSD)
Currency Converter
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Location of the Bahamas
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To split a geographical hair, The Bahamas is not part of the Caribbean, as many people think.
Rather, it is part of the North American plate and is bordered to the east by the Atlantic Ocean and
to the west by the Gulf Stream. No matter - we'll fudge it and say vaguely that the islands are
'in the West Indies,' lumping them in with all the islands between North and South America.
Politically, The Bahamas is considered part of the Caribbean - not least by its own government.
The Bahamas consist of 700 low-lying islands mostly islets (cays or keys) and rocks sprawled across
roughly 259,000 sq km (100,000 sq mi) of ocean. The whole archipelago extends 970 km (500 mi)
southeastward from the coast of Florida, surrounded by clear, colorful waters. Virtually all the
islands are surrounded by coral reefs and sandbanks; nearly all are low lying, either pancake
flat or gently undulating. Many islands are pockmarked by giant sinkholes called blue holes
- water-filled, circular pits that open to underground and submarine caves and descend as much
as 180 m (650 ft). On the islands the soil is thin, but on the more developed islands, cultivation has
produced exotic flowers. On other islands are large areas of pine forest, rocky and barren land,
swamp and unspoilt beaches. The Bahamas are divided into two oceanic features, the Little Bahama
Bank and the Great Bahama Bank. |
Climate in the Bahamas
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The sun shines an average of 320 days a year. In general, the Bahamas are balmy year round,
with cooling, near constant trade winds blowing by day from the east. Daily high temperatures
rarely drop below 16°C (60°F) in winter (December to February) or rise above 32°C (90°F) in
summer (June to August). The northern islands of the Bahamas receive much more rain than their southerly
neighbors. The rainy season runs from May to November, usually bringing short, heavy
showers, though occasionally manifesting in protracted rains over several days. Summertime
sometimes brings squalls and hurricanes, though the latter are rare. High season is from
November to mid April, when the weather is generally good. Hurricane season is from July
to October, and most rain falls at that time. |
Best Time to Travel
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The Bahamas is a year-round destination. Incessant trade breezes ensure pleasant temperatures,
so unless you're visiting the southern isles, which get infernally hot in summer (June to August),
weather isn't a major factor in determining when to go. The best time to visit the Bahamas is the warm,
breezy summer, when the water is so warm you can linger in it for hours. Mid-winter temperatures
in the northerly and westerly isles can be surprisingly cold. In summer, the rainy season extends
from May to November, when hurricanes are a slim possibility. The so-called 'peak season'
runs from mid-December to mid-April, when hotel prices are highest. |
Attractions in the Bahamas
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Junkanoo, the nation's most famous festival, has been called 'the centerpiece
of Bahamian culture.' The event is hosted at various venues around Christmas and New Year,
when streets and settlements resound with cowbells, whistles and goatskin 'goombay'
drums, drawing in thousands of foreign visitors. Mostly it's a big blow-out for the locals.
The main festivity begins before sunrise on Bay St in Nassau on December 26. As many as 20,000
locals and tourists party the night away. The Caribbean Muzik Fest is a week-long jam
in late May or early June with reggae, soca, junkanoo and dance hall under the same billing,
featuring the best of the Caribbean's musical talent. Pomp and ceremony occur quarterly in
Rawson Square in downtown Nassau, with the opening of the Supreme Court.
It features the Royal Bahamas Police Band. |
Society in the Bahamas
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The pace of life in the Bahamas is generally leisurely. While many locations are generally
informal, Queen Victoria's influence is still felt. Unless you're at the
beach or the pool, walking around in a swimsuit isn't appropriate. Casual,
summer-weight clothing should be worn. Make sure you take comfortable
footwear for walking - the sidewalks get hot enough to make you miserable in
thin-soled shoes. Jackets and ties for men and dresses or nice slacks for
women are typical attire in the casinos and better restaurants, although
very few restaurants require jackets these days apart from a few pricey
spots in Nassau. Further from the main towns, dress is more casual although
there is still a tendency to dress up at night. Small outposts like Green
Turtle Cay, for example, will not require more than a shirt and long
trousers. When you make your dinner reservations, ask about the dress code.
Tipping: Fifteen per cent is usual for most services including taxis. Some hotels and
restaurants, however, include service charge on the bill. |
Food in the Bahamas
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The main tourist areas of the Bahamas offer a variety of restaurants and foods, including seafood, steak and
international cuisine (Continental, Chinese, Japanese, Polynesian). English-style pubs and U.S.
fast-food joints are also prevalent. If you want to sample traditional Bahamian food, look beyond
the upscale resorts. Among the local specialties are fish chowder (usually made with grouper,
tomatoes, dark rum and lime juice) and conch salad (usually uncooked conch marinated in hot
sauce and served with peppers and onions). Our favorite places to eat serve local specialties,
including conch fritters, chowders, salads, pea soup with dumplings, fried fish with johnnycake
(sweeter than on the Caribbean islands) and grouper cutlets. The "lobster", a clawless
variety of giant crawfish, is delicious. Try the guava duff or soursop ice cream for dessert.
Among the excellent tropical fruits are sugar apples, kinip (also spelled guinop, it's much
like a litchi), wild sea grapes and mangos. Kalik is the Bahamas' national beer, and there
are lots of fruity, rum-based drinks such as the Goombay Smash and the Bahama Mama. A number
of excellent British ales can also be found. Various nonalcoholic malt drinks are worth a try. |
Visa for the Bahamas
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US citizens do not need a passport or visa for stays of less than eight months but must show proof
of citizenship. Visas and passports are not required of citizens of Canada or the UK and Commonwealth
who stay three weeks or less. Visitors from most other European countries need passports but not visas
for stays up to three months. Air passengers must have a return or ongoing airline ticket. Required
by all except the following:
- nationals of EU countries for visits of up to three months (eight months for nationals of Belgium,
Greece, Italy, Luxemburg, The Netherlands and the UK);
- nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA for
visits of up to eight months;
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who may stay for up to eight months (with the exception of
nationals of Brunei, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Mozambique, Nigeria and Pakistan who do need a visa);
- nationals of Chile, Israel, Japan, Namibia, Mexico and South Africa for visits of up to three months;
- nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua,
Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, for visits of up to 14 days;
- transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or next connecting aircraft within three
days provided holding confirmed onward documentation and passport. |
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