Nassau -- historical/geographical tours?

[Love2Cruise4Less]

I just booked a rather last-minute cruise (sailing Dec. 8) and am attempting to quickly figure out ‘what’s what.’ I apologize in advance if the answers to my inquiries are somewhere in the 374 pages of this Bahamas forum!

 

Itinerary: Nassau 11a.m.-10 p.m. and Freeport 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Given that I’m a night owl I just may sleep through the Freeport stop!)

 

I’m single and sailing alone. I don’t like to shop and my days of beach going/swimming/snorkeling/party boating are pretty much in my past. Been there done that.

 

My previous favorite port activities have been 1) rent a moped, drive as far as time allows, and see as much of the area as time allows or 2) take a ‘historical/geographical’ tour.

 

I haven’t seen much of the Caribbean in recent years but I understand that, due to a lot of touristy accidents, many of the islands I’ve previously toured by moped no longer rent them. Are moped rentals available in Nassau? If so, is a US driver’s license valid?

 

I love to learn about an island: its people, geography, history, etc. I have read through the couple of threads here discussing the “People to People” tours. Since I’m traveling solo and at this late date I don’t think this would work for me. Too, of the tours offered by the cruise line, I don’t find anything which would offer a “historical/geographical” flavor which I would find interesting.

 

Any suggestions, information, tour options, and/or resource materials would be greatly appreciated!

 

BTW I live in Las Vegas … so touring big hotels doesn’t impress me much! :D

[TechLord]

I just booked a rather last-minute cruise (sailing Dec. 8) and am attempting to quickly figure out ‘what’s what.’ I apologize in advance if the answers to my inquiries are somewhere in the 374 pages of this Bahamas forum!

 

Itinerary: Nassau 11a.m.-10 p.m. and Freeport 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Given that I’m a night owl I just may sleep through the Freeport stop!)

 

I’m single and sailing alone. I don’t like to shop and my days of beach going/swimming/snorkeling/party boating are pretty much in my past. Been there done that.

 

My previous favorite port activities have been 1) rent a moped, drive as far as time allows, and see as much of the area as time allows or 2) take a ‘historical/geographical’ tour.

 

I haven’t seen much of the Caribbean in recent years but I understand that, due to a lot of touristy accidents, many of the islands I’ve previously toured by moped no longer rent them. Are moped rentals available in Nassau? If so, is a US driver’s license valid?

 

I love to learn about an island: its people, geography, history, etc. I have read through the couple of threads here discussing the “People to People” tours. Since I’m traveling solo and at this late date I don’t think this would work for me. Too, of the tours offered by the cruise line, I don’t find anything which would offer a “historical/geographical” flavor which I would find interesting.

 

Any suggestions, information, tour options, and/or resource materials would be greatly appreciated!

 

BTW I live in Las Vegas … so touring big hotels doesn’t impress me much! :D

 

Hello:

I am a Nassau resident, and have pretty much experienced it all looking for stuff to do.

 

Fort Charlotte is hugely historical, and the graffiti of bored sailors standing watch carved into the walls fascinates me, as well as the cannons and such. There is what looks like an admission fee but it is paying for the guide. The cost is a few dollars only.

 

If the ship sells the tour, I would take the PowerBoat Adventure to Exuma. It is a ride in a fast powerboat to feed the sharks and stingrays. The Exuma islands are my favorite islands in the Bahamas.

 

You can still rent scooters, but I wouldn't. The traffic is horrendous, and you take your life into your hands. Even on tranquil Paradise Island, I still see tourists hurt in accidents. They drive on the left, so it is quite discombobulating in traffic. The ambulances have been known to catch fire while answering a call. If you value life and limb, I wouldn't rent a scooter.

 

What I would do, is hire a cab to take you to The Retreat. It is a biological oasis on Village Road that is run by the Bahamas National Trust. You walk through the retreat (the paths are really an unstructured biological garden) and many of the plants and trees have identifying plaques. It is a restful wonderful place in Nassau. There is a gift shop, and the directress, a woman named Lynne, is wonderful. They have all sorts of ecological books for sale.

 

The pirate museum is a tourist trap for kids. If you haven't seen the Flamingo ballet at Ardastra Gardens, its fun. It is also a bit of a zoo with big cats.

 

There is a walking tour of Bahamian Foods, called Tru Bahamian something or other. They get high marks on tripadvisor, but they know how to game the system and get poor reviews taken off. Bahamian food is not exactly gourmet, and once you have tried one conch fritter or a piece of chocolate, you have tried it all. Walking around Nassau is not that pleasant.

 

If there is a cricket match going on, having lunch at the Cricket Club (Haynes Oval across from the Fish Fry at Arawak Cay) is fun, and the food is British pub okay and not that expensive.

 

The other options are spending a wonderful time at the Bahamas National Gallery, and after you do that, take a cab to Doongalik Studios on Village Road. That will really immerse you into the art scene and culture of the Bahamas.

 

Other than that, with no beach, no sun, its no fun. Good luck.