Tourist Information: 800-688-4752.
Location: The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is an archipelago of more than 700 islands that covers roughly 100,000 square miles/260,000 square kilometers of the Atlantic Ocean. The islands stretch from near the coast of Florida some 650 miles/1,040 kilometers into the south Atlantic.
Topography: All the islands have similar features: low, thick pine forests, mangrove swamps and lagoons and miles of sandy beaches. The highest point in the country is Mount Alvernia on Cat Island, with a height of just 206 feet/62 meters above sea level.
Currency: The Bahamian dollar is on par with the U.S. dollar, and both are accepted throughout the islands. Bahamian dollars come in denominations of $1, $3, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. Coins are the same denomination as U.S., save for a square $.15 piece. One Bahamian dollar is equal to about Canadian $1.20 and U.K. 75 pence. Carry cash if traveling to small towns or rural areas.
Language: English.
Area Code: 242.
Documents: U.S. citizens need a passport or birth certificate with raised seal and a photo I.D. Canadian and British residents need a passport; all visitors must have return tickets.
Electricity: 110 volts, 60 cycles - the same as in the U.S.
Taxes and Tipping: The departure tax collected from all visitors to the Bahamas is US$15. Some hotels and restaurants add service charges (10-15 percent) to the bills - check carefully before adding gratuity.
Time: Eastern Standard Time from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in April, and Eastern Daylight Time from the first Sunday in April to the last Saturday in October.
Airlines: Daily flights pour into Nassau International Airport from throughout North America and the U.K. Carriers include Air Canada (800-676-7725), American (800-433-7300), American Eagle (800-433-7300), Bahamasair (800-222-4262), Continental (800-525-0280), Delta (800-221-1212), Gulf Stream (800-992-8532) and USAir (800-428-4322). Paradise Island Airlines (242-363-2845) flies directly to Paradise Island from Miami, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Direct flights to Exuma are available from Fort Lauderdale on Island Express (954-359-0380), Air Sunshine (954-434-8900) or Lynx Air (888-LYNX-AIR); from Miami on American Eagle and Bahamasair; and from Nassau on Bahamasair.
RESTAURANTS:
Popular hotel restaurants are found at the Two Turtles Inn, Club Peace and Plenty, Three Sisters and Staniel Cay Yacht Club (see above).
La Shante in George Town is a casual place, serving sandwiches, burgers, conch fritters, grouper fingers and other Bahamian dishes. Open daily noon until late. 242-345-4136.
Sam's Place in George Town features Bahamian-style dishes, such as soup with dumplings, cracked conch and pan-fried grouper. Open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. 242-336-2579.
The Sand Bar just outside of town (located at Coconut Cove hotel) is a great place to grab a cool drink or colorful cocktail to watch the sun go down. Open daily from 3 p.m. 242-336-2659.
The Town Cafi and Bakery is a favorite place to grab breakfast, offering freshly baked doughnuts and muffins. Later in the day, you'll find boiled fish, chicken souse and johnnycake. 242-336-2194. Open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Kermit's Hilltop Tavern in Rolleville is a bar and restaurant serving local delicacies including fried grouper, minced lobster, conch, curried mutton and even fresh fruit from Kermit's own farm. 242-345-6006.
ACTIVITIES:
Other than watching the fun of the Family Islands Regatta, there are three major reasons visitors come to Exuma: fishing, diving and relaxing.
Bonefishing in the clear-water shallows along both Great and Little Exuma islands is among the best in the world. Numerous guides are available in George Town and the other settlements to take anglers out on the flats in skiffs and small boats in search of the elusive but hyperactive prey.
Deep-sea fishing is also excellent, as the Exuma Sound to the east drops off to depths of 6,000 feet/1,800 meters and more. In the winter, big powerboats crowd the local marinas as captains take their wealthy owners out early every morning in search of big marlin, sailfish and wahoo. The closer reefs provide great angling spots for snapper and grouper.
The Staniel Cay & Yacht Club hosts an annual bonefishing tournament every July 4, and most of the hotels on Exuma offer special bonefishing packages.
The gin-clear water, magnificent reefs and steep walls surrounding Exuma attract scuba enthusiasts from all over the world.
Most hotels on the island can arrange for diving excursions with one of the operators in George Town. Some of the favorite dive sites near the islands include:
Pagoda Reef, not far from George Town. Elkhorn, leaf and sheet corals form a pagoda-like grotto filled with parrotfish, sergeant majors, snapper, angelfish and various crustaceans.
Angelfish Blue Hole just off Elizabeth Harbour is considered the island's top dive site. Rising and falling tides create an ever-moving current through the cavern, attracting a huge variety of fish.
Crab Cay Crevasse, near Angelfish Blue Hole, is another great blue-hole dive. The opening is just 15 feet/4 meters below the surface and it drops to a sandy bottom.
Sting Ray Reef, located off Stocking Island, is famous for sightings of large stingrays, which are often found buried in the sand bottom. Mystery Cave is part of a huge underwater network that extends below Stocking Island, beginning at a depth of 15 feet/4 meters. Do not enter the cave without an expert guide and cave diving certification.
Thunderball Grotto, located offshore of Staniel Cay, was the undersea setting for scenes in two popular James Bond films: Never Say Never Again and Thunderball. Today this site is an excellent place for snorkelers to feed tropical fish.
Nearby Exuma National Land and Sea Park, protected by the Bahamas National Trust, covers over 100 square miles/260 square kilometers of deserted islands and reefs and provides an unspoiled natural beauty to visitors. The park is accessed via private and charter boats and offers great diving and snorkeling. The park also serves as a preserve for a variety of rare tropical birds, such as the red-legged thrush and the night hawk.
Although there are white-sand beaches located at many of the Island's accommodations, the Palms at Three Sisters Beach and the beaches on Stocking Island are the largest. Snorkeling trips and windsurfing are also available off the shore of Stocking Island.
Even on such an out-of-the-way island, there is shopping in George Town. The Sandpiper Arts and Crafts, Olga's Variety and the Touch of Elegance have a variety of locally made and imported goods. Duty-free liquor bargains can be found at Exuma Liquor & Gifts or at the John Marshall store. Gift shops are also located at the Two Turtles Inn and Peace and Plenty resort.
Posted online 10/01/98.
