Hi

With the potential beginning of Biminiferry from Miami www.biminiferry.com, I thought it might be fun to take this boat out to that island and stay for several days.

I have a few questions though about the "feel" of the island. The closest island to the US mainland, I'm curious if the island retains a sense of Bahamian identity, from rake 'n scrape music to Junkanoo to Kalik to to conch fritters to "talkin' Bahamian" to Out Island pace-of-life? I've read in my Lonely Planet guidebook (which appeals to me) is that there are warm, homey places to stay (not resorts or chain hotels) and that there is a place to rent bicycles.

For those who have been, do you think travelling independently without renting a car on the island would work (using bicycle and foot, keeping Alice Town as a base)? I don't care if I "see" everything on the island, I'd just like to ensure that things are walkable/bikeable enough that I can pick up goods at the grocery store, try a seafood restaurant, try Bimini's famous bread, etc... It looks pretty small, so I'm thinking yes (is it pleasant for biking?)

All thoughts and any breaking of my misconceptions are welcome.

Best wishes, DAN

Hi Daniel, It has been years since I visited Bimini so my comments need to be taken in that context. I thought it felt very Bahamian as opposed to Nassauian. The biking would be fine, a car is not necessary. I don't recall a rental place for bikes, however. I was there to scuba dive and it was absolutely first rate diving. The company I dived with was Bill and Nowlda Keefe. Very capable folks.

Bimini is a small island, so you will have the chance to see everything, also it depends on lenght of your stay. I think that you can find there someone who will rent you the bike. You don't need a car, you can go on foot.
About Bahamian identity - There's everything what you wrote - conch fritters, kalik, Bimini's bread, but I think that this calm life and way of living there is being disrupted by current develpment there named Bimini Bay Resort - coming environmental disaster. See www.restrictbiminibayresort.org
This Project is destroying unique marine ecosystems - mangroves and also shark habitat.
See photos of destruction here:
http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=523092

If you have some questions, let me know

Thank you cmcfong and reef,

It seems just terrible the way this development of Bimini has been going on... (are those *real* pictures of the BEFORE and AFTER of that bay or computer simulations of what it will look like?) especially since I know how important mangroves are to sustain ecosystems. Greed will destroy us all one day I fear.

Thanks for the heads up! I know one place I won't be staying! Any welcoming, homey locally-run places that you (or others) would recommend for a good sleep? (I don't need fancy. Spartan with only a bed, passably quiet; even shared bathroom is fine by me. My room I view as a place to rest my head only.) One person on Thorn Tree told me Bimini gets overrun with drunken visitors from Stateside; hopefully this and the development has not soured Biminites to visitors from the continent (esp. respectful ones as I intend to be).

Cheers,

DAN

I assure you that all photos on both sites are real. I personally took some which are on the FS forum. Also Before and After is genuine, it seems unbelievable to see such a difference between health island and damaged island. Bahamian government made a very bad decision when they've allowed to Mr developer Capo to destroy their country on which they are so proud. As you said, Greed will destroy us all one day! That's a big truth, I think so, too. It's really unnormal what everything are people able to do for money.

My recommendation for hotels - definitely don't go to Bimini Bay Resort or Bimini Sands! I suppose you want to something inexpensive and also comfortable, so try Weech's Bimini Dock or Bimini Blue Water Resort. However, there are more places where you can stay. Here are links for other hotels:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g1...as-Hotels.html

http://www.bahamas.co.uk/about-the-i...=&island=5

I am sure that Bimini Bay Resort has a negative influence on Biminites, this resort tries to destroy old good "Islands in the Stream".
Bimini isn't the right place for such a mega-project. It's a very small island which can't be crowded by many people. It'll cause a lot of problems with sewage. In general the whole development is a big problem. Bimini is calling for help!

There really aren't words for this. The devastation is horrific. Thank you for alerting us all.

Will the Compleat Angler be rebuilt in any way?

What I know there were some thoughts about the rebuilding but when will it be or if it really starts to rebuild I don't know.
Also there have been the efforts to gain and assemble the photos, copies, pictures, in order to donate the memories back to Bimini.

Thanks for the reply Reef.

Shame on the gov't (Ingraham? I haven't been in a few years so don't know who's in power!) if going against its citizens so.

Thanks for the accommodation recommendations. Weech's Bimini Dock seems appealing.

Best wishes, DAN

No Ingraham, the prime minister of the Bahamas is Perry Christie. The shame belongs just to him.
When was Ingraham a prime minister, government gave the green light to the immediate establishment of the first five No Take Marine Reserve sites. Bimini should have been one of Marine Protected Area. However the new government closed a deal with developer Gerardo Capo to construct his mega-resort complex despite this protection.

What next, a Hooters in place of The End of the World Bar?

I was curious about this post since I have long hoped to go to Bimini. There is supposed to be great snorkeling and also a week long dolphin "sighting" boating experience which travels around to see dolphins in the wild. I just looked at the suggested website regarding the Bimini Bay Resort. Disgusting, absolutely nauseating. Now this merits a boycott! On my last trip to St. John I had an absolutely magical snorkel of the mangroves in Hurricane Hole. I had never snorkeled there before and I can't express how amazing it was to see a true cradle of life. It is beyond comprehension how this could have been approved. Total corruption or complete ineptitude on behalf of the government is the only possible explanation. The government and the developer should be held responsible for no less than the murder of our collective futures. No profit margin is worth that... and I'm speaking as a developer.

In Bimini there are still beautiful untouched places for snorkeling. I personally love just mangrove areas which are now unfortunately threaten by stupid Bimini Bay Resort. I am really sick of this project. To see how developrs are destroying the island is terrible. I hate that. And Bahamain government isn't blind to negative impacts on the environment. Gov't is aware of all damages which are being caused by development but ignores that serious situation in Bimini. It that normal? Government should spend more money on helping make the changes that are threatening to the environment instead of paying their salaries!
Tuxedocat, you are abslutely right, it's a total corruption!
I hope that in the world there are more developers who think like you.

Anyway here is the petition " Save the Mangrove at Bimini"
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takea...ltl=1160252669

Try to spread the word about Bimini issue!

I had asked the same question on the Thorntree and someone had responded.... "There is nothing relaxing, pretty, calm or quaint about Bimini. It has 1 dirt road and you can walk the whole town one end to the other in 15 minutes.....Within 1 hour of being there you will most certainly be approached by several prostitutes and drug dealers."

Do you find this an accurate depiction? Is Bimini more like Nassau, where walking around at night is not recommended? It's hard for me to believe that there's nothing relaxing, pretty or charming given the pictures that I've seen, but I know that pictures can be deceiving. As long as drug dealers/ prostitutes may be handled with a polite "no thank you", I can live with that. Montreal where I live has its share of these too and the city IMO is certainly worth visiting.

Cheers, DAN

I assure you that Bimini is not like Nassau (till now, Bimini Bay Resort can change it), Bimini is a beautiful place for relaxing. I don't agree with this opinion "There is nothing relaxing, pretty, calm or quaint about Bimini".

Let us know if you have already been in Bimini.