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VISIT Eleuthera - Spanish Wells - Harbour Islands Mayaguana - Great Inagua - Ragged Islands San Salvador - Rum Cay - Conception Islands
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1) How far in advance should I book my trip? Book as far in advance as you possibly can. Booking a year in advance for prime dates is not too far for the better bonefishing lodges. Booking at least six months is recommended, though at times there are still dates available closer to the time you plan to travel. Remember that April and May are the most popular bonefishing months, and the top guides are requested well in advance for these months. Also, if you plan on using frequent flier miles for travel, booking six months ahead is minimum. 2) How is the drinking water? You can drink the water from the tap at the major resorts in Nassau and Freeport. Otherwise, each island is different and you should use caution. Andros Island has more fresh water that any Bahamian island, yet we always drink bottled water on Andros. Bottled water should also be used for brushing your teeth. We recommend drinking bottled water at all times throughout most of the Bahamas, if for nothing else but the taste. As a doctor friend of our says, "any time you change your water, your system can get upset. Why take a chance on ruining your vacation?" Bottled drinking water is available on all the Out Islands. 3) Are groceries and liquor available on the Out Islands? This depends on the island, but all the islands rely on supply boats or aircraft. The smaller the settlement or the more remote a location, the less often it is resupplied. This includes some of the established fishing lodges. It is not uncommon for fresh fruit, produce, milk, or red meat to run low, or run out. At times, bottled water can run out. Red meat, milk and eggs are also expensive items in general. If you have special requests for food, soft drink, liquor, or need a special diet, you need to make these arrangements ahead of time, and we suggest doing this at the time you make your booking. Also, you can take your own liquor and wine to any lodge. They will usually have ice, mixers, etc. Our motto is simple, "when in doubt, stock up." If we're staying in a rented house, cottage, or whatever, we stock up right away, or as soon as we can, based on available supplies. We also establish a rapport with the local grocery people to find out the resupply days. It pays to be at the store when the boat arrives. You need to find out ahead of time if liquor is available at local stores, so you can take your own if necessary. If you like particular brands of wine or liquor, we recommend that you take them with you. Kalik, the beer of The Bahamas, is available almost everywhere. 4) How do payments work on the Out Islands? Are credit cards and traveler's checks okay? Cash is always accepted and preferred. US dollars are one-to-one with the Bahamian dollar, and both are accepted everywhere. Travelers' checks, credit cards and personal checks, when accepted, will often be charged a service fee of 2 percent to 5 percent per use. Many Out Island establishments do not accept credit cards, traveler's checks or personal checks, period. Also, change may not be available for large bills, so be sure to have plenty of small bills. It is your responsibility to know what forms of payment are accepted at each location you visit. We recommend the use of a professional travel agent to make sure that none of these little details slip by. If you are booking on your own, make sure you know all payment and cancellation policies. 5) Is medical care available? Yes, but depending on where you are, it might take hours to reach a clinic or a doctor. National health care clinics in The Bahamas are good. In addition to larger facilities in Freeport and Nassau, the Ministry of Health operates more than one hundred clinics throughout the Out Islands. As in the US, the larger clinics offer more services than the smaller, remote clinics. When additional care is needed, patients are flown to Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau. For very serious accidents and illnesses, Air Ambulance services can be called to evacuate people to West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale or Miami. You will be billed for this service, and rates are extremely high. Prescription drugs are available in the larger towns and settlements, but supplies can be limited. You should take all necessary prescription medicines with you in your carryon luggage. You should always travel with your health insurance card or information. We recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance, which can also include trip health insurance. It is your responsibility to know what care is or is not available at any destination you visit. 6) What about boat, car, golf cart and other rentals? All types of rentals are available in Nassau and Freeport. Limited rentals are available on the Out Islands. We recommend booking your rentals ahead of time, along with the rest of your trip. Booking rentals ahead of time is essential during the prime months, especially in places like Treasure Cay or Elbow Cay, where boats, cars, and golf carts are limited in numbers. Car rentals are generally expensive, between $60 and $80 per day, though deals are available for rentals of a week or more. Rentals cars are available on Andros, mainly in Fresh Creek, but you will not need a car for your stay at most lodges.
8) Should I take my own snorkeling and diving gear? Yes, definitely your own snorkeling gear, but the better dive operations will have complete diving and snorkeling gear. You should confirm this before your trip and reserve this gear in advance however. We always take our own masks, snorkels and fins. This way we are sure the gear fits comfortably, and we have the flexibility to use it whenever we choose. One of the best dive operations in the Bahamas is Small Hope Bay Lodge, located just north of Fresh Creek on Andros. 9) How is the nightlife, including restaurants? Nightlife rocks in Nassau and Freeport. Everywhere else it is fairly sedate, though special parties and events are held throughout the Out Islands, most commonly on Friday and Saturday nights. As for restaurants, we suggest making reservations, or at least confirming hours of operation, in all cases. The better Out Island restaurants fill up during prime months, and others may or may not open unless they have reservations. There are often bands that play at various "hot" locations on the Out Islands. Ask at the lodge you're staying at. The locals are very friendly, and you are always welcome at one of these parties. Lot's of fun! 10) Will my cellular phone operate in The Bahamas? The Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation (Batelco) has automatic roaming agreements with cellular carriers in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Batelco's roaming partners include: Aliant Cellular, Ameritech Cellular, BCTEL Mobility, Bell Mobility, Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile, BellSouth Mobility, Blue Ridge Cellular, Cantel, Cellular Holding, Cellular One Bay Area Cellular, Cellular One of Illinois, Cellular One of Southwest Florida, Comcast Cellular, Crowley Cellular, Dansbury Cellular, Pioneer/Enid Cellular, MT&T Mobile, NBTel Mobility, Radiofone, 360° Communications, Telcel, TELUS Mobility US Cellular and Western Wireless. If you are with another carrier you can call Batelco at 242-394-4000 to see if service can be made available. If your home carrier has a roaming agreement with Batelco and your cellular number is active in The Islands Of The Bahamas, you can enjoy cellular service. Be sure that your phone is switched to system B and start dialing. Service on Bimini, Grand Bahama, Abaco, Eleuthera, New Providence, and Exuma is usually pretty good. The other Out Islands have service but there are remote areas where you will not receive a signal, so take this into consideration if you really need to make a cell phone call. 11) What about bugs? Yep, lots of bugs live in The Bahamas. The islands with a lot of fresh water lakes, like Andros, have the most "doctor flies." These big green-headed flies draw blood when they bite. They mostly live around mangroves, so you'll be most susceptible when you're out fishing. Wearing long pants will protect you, especially when wading, as these bugs mostly like to bite legs and feet. Around lodges and on the beaches, mosquitoes and no see 'ums will be out when the wind is down, and in the evening and early morning. Avon Skin So Soft works against the no see 'ums, while regular DEET-enhanced repellent works against the mosquitoes. If the bugs really like you, wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and shoes with socks when you go out to dinner. 12) How do I get tide information for the Out Islands? There are only a few NOAA tide stations in the Bahamas. You can obtain this information directly from the NOAA web site, and in some cases you can apply it to other areas relatively easy. However, there are many elements involved in understanding the tides on any particular island. Usually the tide will be about two hours later on the lee side of the island, from the windward side. Also, the tides vary as you boat or drive north to south on an island. Large bays tucked up near land receive the tide much later than outlying areas, and the wind can actually stop tides from reaching these inland areas at time. So, many factors determing the tides aside from the well known moon phases. Often your best bet for reliable tide information is to obtain it on arrival at your destination. If you would like to purchase your own tide software, to create you own tide charts with customized data you provide, call Bluewater Books & Charts at 800 942-2583. |
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©
2003 Stephen and Kim Vletas
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QUESTIONS PEOPLE FREQUENTLY
ASK US
7) Should I bring my own fishing gear? Definitely! You should always
take your own fly-fishing gear. Very few lodges or guides have equipment
for clients to use, though the better guides will have back-up gear if
something happens to yours. Some lodges do have rental fly-fishing equipment.
You should check on this in advance of your trip. Conventional fishing
gear is more readily available, though we recommend taking your own if
you have it. Most offshore fishing boats provide conventional fishing
gear and lures. There is always an additional charge for bait.