2 days in Nassau on little to no money?

[Esher127]

Is it possible to see things and enjoy Nassau while spending very little money? I'm looking for any advice on the subject... I've heard there are gardens and beaches to see that don't cost anything, that the DIG is open after a certain hour at night... I'm looking for anything like that.

 

Also, I'd be really interested in seeing some of the non-tourist sections of Nassau or even some other part of the island. I'd like to have a cultural experience past what's been setup for the tourists. Local food would be good too... I'm sure there's some local joints that the locals all know about and the tourists have no idea... I want to go there!

 

Also, a lot of people whine about Nassau being unsafe, but I'm not too concerned. I live in a very poor and very rough neighborhood. There's stabbings/shootings within a block of my house a couple times every year. Maybe I'm naive, but I think I'm already acclimated to whatever I'll see in Nassau. I'd rather go SEE a place than stay in my safety bubble resort...

[alphakitty]

Check out Cabbage Beach right next door to Atlantis for a free beach, but getting there is not free. You can take a water taxi for cheap, it's about $4.00 pp.

 

Also, we had fun riding the local bus to the "Fish Fry". Bus #10 to Cable Beach can be caught at the McDonald's across from the British Colonial Hilton. Bus fare is $1.25 per person. There are several local eateries and drinking spots at the fish fry. You could just ride the bus, talk to locals and see the island. Fun, cheap way to enjoy some culture. :)

Info from Trip Advisor:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g147416-s302/Nassau:New-Providence-Island:Getting.Around.html

 

Public Jitney

There are many jitney buses traveling around Nassau and into the suburban areas of Nassau. The #10 bus is the most popular, and will take you from downtown Nassau to Cable Beach. The jitney will take you along the Western Esplanade, passing Fort Charlotte, Ardastra Gardens entry road, Arawak Cay's Fish Fry as well as the Cable Beach Resorts area passing hotels such as Wyndham, Sheraton and Sandals. You can ask the driver to stop anywhere along the way. Pay as you leave the jitney, exact change only, $1.25 for adults and 1.00 for small children. To return to downtown, just flag down the jitney from in front of your hotel or restaurant. They run every few minutes from 6am - 6:30pm. Jitneys do not go over the Paradise Island bridge, for this you need to take a cab or ferry boat or if you're feeling up for a challenging walk, you can hike up and over the bridge.

To catch the #10 jitney, head to George Street, just across the street from the Bay Street entrance to the Straw Market, hop on at that bus stop in front of McDonalds, across from the British Colonial Hilton entrance.

 

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Caribbean_and_Central_America/The_Bahamas/New_Providence_District/Nassau-1646587/Restaurants-Nassau-Bahamian_Food-BR-1.html

[scubagirrl]

Is it possible to see things and enjoy Nassau while spending very little money? I'm looking for any advice on the subject... I've heard there are gardens and beaches to see that don't cost anything, that the DIG is open after a certain hour at night... I'm looking for anything like that.

 

Also, I'd be really interested in seeing some of the non-tourist sections of Nassau or even some other part of the island. I'd like to have a cultural experience past what's been setup for the tourists. Local food would be good too... I'm sure there's some local joints that the locals all know about and the tourists have no idea... I want to go there!

 

Also, a lot of people whine about Nassau being unsafe, but I'm not too concerned. I live in a very poor and very rough neighborhood. There's stabbings/shootings within a block of my house a couple times every year. Maybe I'm naive, but I think I'm already acclimated to whatever I'll see in Nassau. I'd rather go SEE a place than stay in my safety bubble resort...

 

 

DIGS are no longer available for free at night.. there's security at the top of the stairs.

There lots of things to do in the area.. but as someone who lives here.. I still wouldn't recommend going outside the touristy areas.. it's just NOT the same as back home. Things are getting out of hand here.. believe me.. its not funny.. and it's not safe.

 

I know you think you've got it covered and we're all a bunch of wusses.. but crime outside the tourist areas is epidemic.. and the murder rate is getting worse every day.

 

Noone is asking you to stay in your resort.. just don't go looking for trouble..

[Esher127]

DIGS are no longer available for free at night.. there's security at the top of the stairs.

There lots of things to do in the area.. but as someone who lives here.. I still wouldn't recommend going outside the touristy areas.. it's just NOT the same as back home. Things are getting out of hand here.. believe me.. its not funny.. and it's not safe.

 

I know you think you've got it covered and we're all a bunch of wusses.. but crime outside the tourist areas is epidemic.. and the murder rate is getting worse every day.

 

Noone is asking you to stay in your resort.. just don't go looking for trouble..

 

Don't get me wrong, I don't think you're all a bunch of wusses, at all. I -DO- think, from reading a lot of posts in this forum over the last several months, that a few of the people haven't experienced impoverished areas outside of their gated communities and grand suites. But I'm speaking about the minority, not the majority. I also have no desire to go looking for trouble... but if there's a great place to eat that's in a shady section of town that most tourists would avoid, I'd be willing to check it out. That's all I'm saying.

 

And mostly, my idea of seeing the Bahamas is NOT from a chair on a beach at a resort I paid a bunch of money for. I don't want the American experience with different colored water. I want to experience the culture and sights that are Bahamian, not built to LOOK Bahamian... Nature stuff is cool too, I'd like to see a beach, but I don't really want to spend all day on it. If there's a reef to snorkle that hasn't been capitalized by some hotel I'd like to see it. Historic landmarks, gardens, shops, whatever.

 

Seems like I might be rambling, am I making sense?

[scubagirrl]

Don't get me wrong, I don't think you're all a bunch of wusses, at all. I -DO- think, from reading a lot of posts in this forum over the last several months, that a few of the people haven't experienced impoverished areas outside of their gated communities and grand suites. But I'm speaking about the minority, not the majority. I also have no desire to go looking for trouble... but if there's a great place to eat that's in a shady section of town that most tourists would avoid, I'd be willing to check it out. That's all I'm saying.

 

And mostly, my idea of seeing the Bahamas is NOT from a chair on a beach at a resort I paid a bunch of money for. I don't want the American experience with different colored water. I want to experience the culture and sights that are Bahamian, not built to LOOK Bahamian... Nature stuff is cool too, I'd like to see a beach, but I don't really want to spend all day on it. If there's a reef to snorkle that hasn't been capitalized by some hotel I'd like to see it. Historic landmarks, gardens, shops, whatever.

 

Seems like I might be rambling, am I making sense?

 

Look into the people to people program.. they should be able to set you up with someone who will show you around.

Start checking out Arawak Cay (fish Fry), Potters Cay, ardastra zoo, botanical gardens.. and depending on the time of year.. maybe even the retreat.

Vesaille Gardens and the Cloisters is on Paradise Island.. a bit of history and class.. a mile from the frenzy of Atlantis.

[bbsquest]

scubagirrl, is it still safe to do the walking tour?

[scubagirrl]

scubagirrl, is it still safe to do the walking tour?

 

\yes, during the daytime it's fine. Police are everywhere during the day.

 

I wouldn't go before everything opens or after dusk.

[reney313]

We did take our own "jitney tour" one visit. I think it was about 2-3 hours. I have no idea which one we jumped on, but it took us all around the island (or it seemed that way). We were there on a Sunday so many folks in church clothes as we were in the residential areas. We originally thought we'd jump off somewhere along the way, but it did look very sketchy and not safe. Being in the jitney was entertaining for the culture and to see some unique areas--and seemed safe enough. Maybe it wasn't a smart move, or maybe it has gotten a lot worse. That was likely 3 or 4 years ago.

 

I love Arawak Cay--last time I was there (probably 7 or 8 years ago) it was very local and very tasty. It looks a little more touristfied in recent pictures I've seen--and I see it listed in a lot of places now whereas a local there told us about it the first time we went.

 

You can take a jitney to Cable Island and walk down the beach for free. I think the resorts charge for day passes, but the beach itself is free. *note, I just read that you can no longer walk on to the beach from the hotel, so this may no longer be an option on cable beach. We used to go to the casino (Paradise Island or something like that), gamble for a few minutes and then walk out the back door to the beach. It doesn't sound like that's possible anymore :(

 

You can also walk around downtown and go to the Queen's staircase. It really is pretty and last I recall, was free. The fort there was free too, but it seems I read somewhere it cost $ now? I remember a "tour guide" proactively giving us a tour on one of the trips to the Queen's staircase. We did feel obligated to provide him a tip for his "history". Not sure if any of it was true..lol

 

One year we rented scooters and just rode around the island. Not sure I fully recommend that as the insurance is sketchy and you risk getting them stolen, etc. Also, the driving on the left hand side freaks me out when not in a car. I remember getting to some roundabout and went to the right, but you should go left, apparently. Shew--amazing made it back OK, just to wreck my scooter in Key West the next day. Go figure.

 

I love Nassau and always have seemed to find something to do while I'm there. I haven't been so successful in finding stuff ahead of time--although I still look here first to see if there's something new or new rules, etc.

[djwood24]

My wife and I did the self guided walking tour in May.

It was early in the morning when we started....we felt comfortable walking by ourselves to every place we went...however again we are seasoned travelers..we did not go off the "beaten path" .

 

Everyone we met was very nice and provided us with directions...information...suggestions...

We loved that it was free and yes we did end up doing some shopping on Bay street.

All in all we enjoyed the history and culture a lot more than bay street.

[HerPrince]

Has anyone booked an excursion through www.Bahamascruiseexcursions.com? They do a 3 hr tour (that sounds familiar) that includes Atlantis, Graycliff, lunch at Arawak Cay, and others. It's only $30/person. Just wondering if anyone had booked this particular tour and could offer some insight.