spillthewine

Has anyone ever said to their spouse or significant other after the stress of the holidays, "Next year, let's just go away for Christmas"? Well, that's what we think we will do this December. We have never been to the Bahamas (but have been to the Caribbean). Not sure where we should begin to start planning. We would be flying on AA on miles. I know early planning is essential for that time of year. Any input on where to go or where to look up info would be appreciated. We are looking for a few things in particular, including good snorkeling and a nice beach. We have boating experience, and after reading some posts, the thought of renting a small boat to get around is interesting. Renting a small house on the beach would be preferable to a hotel. The sky is not the limit as far as funds, but this would be our Christmas present to each other, so we wouldn't go on the cheap, either. Nightlife is not too important, but quaint shops and great local food are. I know this is a long list, but we would appreciate some input at least as far as a starting point. Thanks in advance for any help!

A_Traveller

The Bahamas covers a rather large area (some 800 different islands and cays) but only Nassau and perhaps Grand Bahamas will be serviced by American Airlines. You'd have to take a connecting flight one of the local airlines to reach the other islands and I don't think any of them are partner airlines with AA so you might have to budget for some flight costs if you want to visit the Out-islands. Also, the Bahamas can be cool in December so factor that into your decision. Consider some of the more southern Out-islands as they will be a bit warmer. Nassau and Grand Bahamas are fairly built up - if you are seeking something less crowded you check out places like Eleuthera, Long Island, Cat Island, Exuma - all are uncrowded and offer places where you can stay in a small house or cottage on the beach.

You are wise to plan early if usinging AA miles. There are only a limited number of award seats available to most of the islands they service and the seats go fast. Many people book their flights 331 days in advance. It pays to be flexible with your travel dates, especially around the holidays as that's a very popular time to fly and you will be subject to certain blackout dates.

ccrosner

You've been given good advice on choosing the Bahamas from a weather and flying point of view. As one who uses AA miles each year to go to the Caribbean, I would urge you to first figure out where you can "afford" to fly. I would guess that at Christmas time, you will have to use double miles. We have to do that during President's Week (and I do the 300 day in advance thing and it still doesn't matter--they NEVER load 30,000 mile seats during peak times). So use the AA website, and be sure to check the box that allows you to be flexible in your travel. That way you can see what days might work for lower miles.

As for an island....any would be great to give ME for Christmas. Just being near that gorgeous sand, water and sun makes me happy--so I wouldn't care too much about the particular island (o.k. there are some I wouldn't love).

Good luck!

spillthewine

Thanks for the input. I have already done the homework on the AA side of things. They fly to Nassau, Freeport and Marsh Harbour. I have reservations on hold already (and have about 2 weeks to decide if I want to go ahead and purchase the tickets with my points). Right now my flight is into Nassau, but I did look to see if I can get to the other 2 spots, and I can (of course, using more miles!) So now it's a matter of deciding which final destination, if we decide to go there at all. Can anyone recommend some good books to research the Bahamas?

A_Traveller

Well, Fodor's publishes a Bahamas Guide Book (you can use the "bookstore" link at the top right of this page to order one). Also, we found Lonely Planet's Bahamas Guide helpful. If you stop by your local bookstore you'll probably find loads of Bahamas guide books (I have about 5 - all fairly good). Browse through them and pick one or two that look like they contain the information YOU are seeking.

Personally, I'd skip Nassau and Freeport, they won't really have the laidback feel that it looks like you desire. Marsh Harbour is closer to what you are seeking. Also, since you can get to Nassau consider taking an island hopper to one of the other out-islands. It will cost you some money but you'll have a great island experience. For starters check out Cape Santa Maria or Stella Marris on Long Island or Fernandez Bay on Cat Island to see if either is what you want.

spillthewine

Thanks for your help. I will get a few books and educate myself on the area. Have you been there in December? Is the weather warm enough for snorkeling, etc? We don't necessarily like to just sunbathe on a beach, but snorkeling is something we love to do, and we would want the water to be warm enough to spend an hour at a time in the water. If it's too cool that time of year, we might pick a different destination and do the Bahamas at a different time of year. Thanks for the replies.

A_Traveller

Yes, I've been to the Bahamas in December. It's difficult to answer your question because the Bahamas stretches over a wide area (from north to south) and at that time of the year temperatures can vary quite a bit from day to day and week to week. For Nassau (which is somewhat centrally located in the island chain) the average temperatures in December range between a low of about 65 degrees F. to a high of about 79 degrees F. The highest daytime temperature recorded is something like 86 F. and lowest was around 48 F. You can check past weather statistics for the Bahamas at: www.weatherbase.com or www.wunderground.com - FYI on the latter site type in Nassau, Bahamas than use the link for historical records and you can find actual detailed weather data for almost every day for the last 10 years. Water in December can be cool, if you plan to do a lot of snorkeling consider bringing "shortie" wet-suits to keep your body from getting too cool while swimming.

Sorry I can't be more specific but no one can really tell what the temperature in the Bahamas will be this coming Christmas week it could be warm or it could be cool - you just have to wait for mother nature to make up her mind.

Personally I'd go somewhere further south in December and save the Bahamas for another time of year.

spillthewine

Any input on the Turks and Caicos??

schmerl

You may want to go furher south than the Bahamas to insure warm weather.

ccrosner

spillthewine,
You might get a better response about T&C if you create a new message with that link. T&C people are plentiful on Fodors.