nassau to eleuthera
 

hi all, we have a flight landing in nas at 3 pm leaving at 4:15pm for eleu (bahamasair) do we have enough time? thank-you for your replys, deb

If your flight into Nassau is anywhere near ontime you won't have a problem getting on the Bahamas Air flight. Once through customs it's a bit of a hike to the other side of the terminal for the BA flight. If you miss that flight you will have to stay overnight on Nassau.

Have a great time in the Bahamas.

thanks travelbuff2, as we are only going to have carry-on i hope we don't have a problem with an overnite stay.thanks for the well wishes. debc

Debc,

Where are you going on Eleuthera? Let me know if you need any info on the island.

hi travelbuff2, thank-you for your support! we will be staying at ten bay and as it is our first time to eleu any info would be great. mostly on where to shop for food,places to eat at, what to see when we get tired of ten bay (not to likly but you never know) have alot of info but from someone who has been there anything is appreciated. also anything to avoid is also appreciated.we have rented a jeep and do want to go to different beaches and where to buy unique island made art etc. will travel around the island but also alot of time at ten bay, we're there for 2 weeks.we are taking only carry-on small amount of clothes,goggles & masks, small cooler of frozen meats.have you been, what did you think of eleu? thanks for your replys i can hardly wait! debc

Hi debc....I can't wait to hear about your trip...when are you going? We are going to Eleuthra and have similar travel plans. We get into Nassau at 1:52 (I'm sure not!) and take a Bahamas Air 3:30 pm flight to N Eleuthra. I'm a bit worried myself about having enough time. I really don't want to stay in Nassau for a night. Having said that, does Travelbuff2 have a suggestion of where in Nassau as a worst case scenario? Take lots of pictures!! If I go before you (Dec) I'll fill you n on what I thought of the airport situation. Thanks for the reply!

hi wehatebush, we are going in april so i guess you'll find out about the flight situation first,best of luck.i hope you plan on posting a trip report when you return. for what it's worth i've heard orange hill beach inn is only 5 minutes from the airport. google it, it looks nice.i'm pretty sure i'll take alot of pictures i can't seem to help myself, i'll have to learn how post them between now and then. have a great trip,hope to hear from you soon after your trip. debc

debc, the best grocery store on the way to ten bay (you ARE flying into GHB, right?) is the one in Governor's Harbour at the Shell Station. There is a liquor store next door - one stop shopping! You also should ask in the daytime (probably will be closed when you arrive early evening) for the bakery in Gov Hrbr. It is on the back street, but well worth the trouble to find it. I read somewhere that one of the most fun sports on Eleu is Shopping For Groceries!

Best (and really only) souvenir shop on the island is at Gregory Town, at the curve. You can't miss it - they sell Androsia batiks and real Bahamian baskets that are beautiful and well priced.

Two whole weeks? YOu will be almost comatose by the end (in a good way!!!:D), I am jealous.

For beach exploring, either purchase Elusive Beaches of Eleuthera, or go to this website and print out the various beach pages. I did the latter, and we really enjoyed picking one or two out each day. http://www.discover-eleuthera-bahama...s-beaches.html

Bring cash, credit cards are rarely accepted, even for the rental vehicle. And speaking of rental vehicles, don't expect much. It is extremely difficult to upkeep/attain these, so basically take whatever they give you if it's running! You don't really need a jeep, if you do get one (lucky you!) you will appreciate the clearance for potholes more than the 4WD aspect. Just go slow and have fun turning down those unknown trails!

Ten Bay Beach is beautiful, we snorkeled there last visit (September). Most of the rental homes face the sunset, which is a nice bonus. April will be beautiful, have a wonderful trip.

I'm sure you know the don't miss spots: glass window, day trip to Harbour Island (go early and lunch at Angela's starfish - conch!), another day trip to the lighthouse (our rental car broke down here, two mile walk, 99 bottles-of-beer-on-the-wall memories), conch pizza at Mate & Jenny's, lunch at Tippy's (I have heard they were closing?), do not miss the Friday Night Fish Fry at Gov Hbr, fabulous people watching, but watch out for those rum drinks yikes!.

Have a great trip.

P.S. to wehatebush, have a great time, but boy is that screen name Bad Karma. Let the hate go.

hi joan, thanks for the tips. yes GHB. have the book, also the beaches website. do know most of the spots but haven't decided about HI yet. mainly going for beach time and just limin. again thanks for the tips if you think of anything else i'm a great reader. debc

Oh DO go to Harbour Island, it really is a bit of a treasure. The island is very small and you can see all of it in an afternoon. Or when you get there, look for Reggie (cab driver) and ask him for a tour of the island, Reggie knows all.....

Eleuthera is VERY sleepy and I mean VERY sleepy. There are no sidewalks to even roll in at night, that's how sleepy.

At Govenours Harbour there is a bit of shopping now, a couple of gifty stores as well as the grocery store, and the bakery is a block away and also worth the trip. Get the coconut bread.

IF you get stuck in Nassau overnight, the closest hotel is Orange Hill and yes it's very close to the airport. It is a small basic hotel and feels more like an outisland spot so it is one of my favorites. Judy and Danny (owners) would make you feel very welcome. I've stayed there many times.

On Eleuthera, you might want to head south to Tarpun Bay and see the settlement there, and the "castle". Tarpun Bay is a bit of a artist colony with beautiful gingerbread homes overlooking the water. Also a couple of good restaurants overlooking the water that serve great conch anything.

Have a great trip and let us know if you have any other questions.

Thanks everyone for all the great information! I will post a report and lots of pictures. debc, I'll be sure to let you know about the airport. Joan, thanks for taking all the time to give us your thoughts--very helpful and appreciated. As for your karma comment, I'm not the one who should be worried about bad karma. George W Bush should be (although he sent us to war with no hard proof of WOMD, so i doubt he loses any sleep).

hi all, me again, has any one of you done only carry-on, on bahamasair? do you know how many per person they allow? should i start a new post about this, maybe more answers that way? any help really appreciated! thanks,debc p.s. travelbuff2 just what is there doing on HI besides getting off of boring eleu with it's quiet beaches and total relaxation(lol) thats what i'm going for. i think i'll post again just to see. thanks all for all your great info,less than 6 months to go and i can't wait!!! debc

Just a tiny bit of history to the island that may be intersting. Harbour Island was the first permanent settlement after Chris Columbus and the boys came to the New World. The island is lush and the beach there is one of the top 10 in the world.

The people who live on island are some of the friendliest you will will ever meet and the island is lovely with houses that date back to the early 1800's and one as far back as the 1700's.

There is a bit of shopping and some excellent restaurants on island as well as a deli/wine shop.

There is also a well known dive/snorkle outfit called Valentine's that does 2 snorkle/dive trips a day and I think they also have a submarine to see some of the interesting coral reefs in the area.

For interesting dive/snorkle trip there is a Civil War TRAIN that was on it's way to Cuba and sunk in a hurricane, makes for an amazing dive site. If memory serves, it is sitting in about 45 feet of water.

On Eleuthera and Harbour Island you can get some really fresh fish, caught that day, just ask any of the locals. At some of the local stands you can also get local pinneapple and papaya and hot peppers (hot pepper sauces to take home too). Eleuthera is now one of the best places to grow scotch bonnet, (FIREY HOT), so if you ever ask for hot sauce, beware.

Looking forward to seeing your trip report, you will have a great time!!

Travelbuff2

I am in dire need of help! I am trying to sort out the holiday of a lifetime - my 40th birthday 3 weeks in somewhere with snorkelling, beaqches, unspoilt, sailing, undeveloped, good food.

We are coming from Manchester, Uk and are settling on THE Abacos (coming with a two year old) - we don't want more than 1 stop with the flights.

Questions are :

are these islands a good choice for our needs.

how the hell can I get there - all our flight companies in the UK are giving up!

whats the sea life like - we would really like to try to swim with wild dolphins in calm water

are there any other locations you would suggest

ps budget is not really an issue.

Thanks in anticipation - we are lost at the moment as we simply don't trust agents and don't know the area.

If you can get a flight into Nassau, you can take Bahamas Air from there to the Abacos, but you might want to think about Harbour Island instead. There is more to do and see there, and it's easier to get around, you can walk everywhere.

I would suggest taking a look at either:

www.romorabay.com
www.coralsands.com

both are family oriented and right on the water.

Romora Bay is villas overlooking the pool/deck area and has great food onsite. There is a short walk to the beach.

Coral Sands is also on the beach, and there will probably be other kids for your little one to play with.

You didn't mention when you are coming but the off season starts in May and the prices are a bit less.

You should be able to get a flight through a local travel agent and then you can book the Bahamas Air portion of your trip online at www.bahamasair.com.

Have a great time and let us know if you have any other questions.

sorry travelbuff - the cardinal sin! - its in September 2008. We usually rent houses but now we have our son - I think the idea of a resort is becoming more attractive due the reasons you mention.

Flights to Nassau are very difficult from Manchester - thanks for the tip about Bahamas Air - we may try Manchester - Fort Lauderdale then FL to the islands direct - I just don't see two stops with William working!

I seem to remember British Air doing a flight to Nassau from the UK, so you might check.

If more than one stop is a problem with the little one, how about staying overnight on Nassau and take the Fast Ferry over. From Nassau to Eleuthera it's about a 2 hour ride and your little one should love it.

www.bahamasferries.com for more info on sailings and times.

Hope this helps.

Markrosy, FYI you can also get to Marsh Harbor nonstop via Continental Airlines out of FLL (Ft. Lauderdale) or West Palm Beach. I believe Bahamasair also goes out of FLL.

Perhaps routing from the UK to FLL or West Palm Beach would be easier.

I think Abaco is a good choice given your criteria. With the exception of swimming with wild dolphins (I'm not sure, but I think that is done in Bimini, a small out island which you could see in a day, so don't plan to spend two weeks there!), Abaco has great boating (but I didn't see many sailboats, mostly fishing and small motor boats, which is what we rented for a week), snorkeling and diving. If you look at a map, the main island has a bay on both sides. If you prefer to be on the actual Atlantic (breezes and beauty), you need to book your villa (and there are lots to choose from) on one of the barrier islands, Guana or Elbow or perhaps Treasure Cay. Then you do little daily trips in your rental boat, or by ferry. Just my opinion, but I like Elbow - it's a bit busier than the others, more to do with a tiny town, shops, restaurants, a lighthouse.

With three whole weeks (lucky you!) you might consider a week in Harbor Island (tiny but upscale, no cars), a week in Abaco, and maybe a week in Eleuthera (100 miles long, undeveloped, lots of snorkeling from the beach, villas to rent).

Here's a website explaining the differences:
http://www.myoutislands.com/