Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas and home to 70 per cent of the population of the entire archipelago. The city holds historic colonial buildings along Bay Street, its main thoroughfare, and the Straw Market, which offers intriguing souvenir shopping for traditional items woven from straw as well as batiks, wood carvings and more. Boats run from Nassau’s port to exquisite Blue Lagoon Island for swimming with dolphins and a day relaxing on a quiet beach.

Nassau’s harbour is the launching pad for a fast speedboat ride to the Exumas Islands, an hour away and an eco-tourist’s dream destination for its indigenous wildlife, including friendly iguanas, deserted beaches and tropical jungles. Grand Bahama Island is a nature-lover’s delight and great for water sports, horseback riding safaris, birding and getting away from it all on a tour of one of the island’s three national parks and their diverse ecosystems.

Set on small Paradise Island which is linked to New Providence is Aquaventure Water Park, a top-of-the-rage watery experience that is great for families. Its Thrill Ride holds over 20 million gallons of water, fairytale towers and high-speed slides, and there’s a two-kilometre river ride complete with rapids and 20 swimming areas. For young kids, there’s a water-play castle, and its 11 swimming pools are surrounded by tropical beauty.

Nassau’s Bennet’s Hill and its fort give a breathtaking view and are accessed by the most-visited attraction in the city - the Queen’s Staircase. The 65 steps were hacked out of the solid limestone cliff by slaves in 1795, using axes and other sharp hand tools. Almost 100 years later, the staircase was dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Victoria.

Historic Nassau was the heart of the British colonial presence on the island, with its three massive forts major landmarks and tourist sights. The largest and best-preserved is Fort Charlotte, built in 1789 and boasting a dry moat, a drawbridge, dungeons and massive ramparts set with cannons. Having never fired a shot in anger or defence, the fort nowadays gives the best view of the harbour.

Bennett’s Hill holds Fort Fincastle, built in 1793 and boasting eight cannons which once protected Government House, Paradise Island and the town’s eastern approaches. Fort Montague, constructed in 1742, contains a terraced freshwater cistern, barracks and yet more cannons. An imported but nonetheless important monument is the Cloisters, a magnificent ruin of a French monastery, brought to the US and thence to Paradise Island by an American millionaire.

The Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation in Nassau is set in the lovely, colonial Vendue House on Bay Street and tells the tale of slavery on the island from its own history of use as a slave market. Nassau’s Pirate Museum is totally interactive, great for children of all ages and harks back to the early 18th century when the harbour was a haven for Blackbeard and other infamous pirates. A replica of a pirate ship, mock battles and theatrical shows add to the fun.

Christchurch Cathedral in Nassau is the fourth church on the site, with the first two, of wooden construction, destroyed by the Spanish and the third replaced by the present building in 1754. The original giant limestone blocks were held together by their weight, using very little cement, although enlargement over the centuries has seen the use of more conventional techniques. In complete contrast, the unbelievably huge Atlantis Casino and Resort towers over the town from its beachside position and is a monument to modern day entertainment and consumerism.  

At nightfall, the laid-back Bahamian capital city turns into buzzing nightlife central, glowing in the dark with a myriad lights. The two major Nassau casinos are hubs, one set on Paradise Island and the other towering over Nassau’s waterfront. The Crystal Palace Casino, a mini Las Vegas-style extravaganza, is located in the Wyndham Nassau Resort on Cable Beach and has its own theatre offering nightly Bahamas-themed shows. Atlantis Paradise Island Resort and Casino is party central, with innumerable bars, restaurants and a comedy club in ultra-glitzy surroundings.

Bahamians are obsessed with all things pleasurable, lively and lovely, and the nightlife reflects their love of music and dance. From steel bands through traditional sounds and songs, to contemporary rock, pop and jazz, the music goes on until dawn at clusters of bars along Cable Beach and clubs around town. A typical night out here begins in the mid-evening after a leisurely meal and a few drinks in a hotel venue set on a strip containing a choice of music bars, lounges and dance clubs. When and where it ends is up to you.

Grand Bahama Island’s nightlife offers a slightly different flavour, with the most popular bars, lounges and clubs set in Port Lucaya Marketplace and including the hottest venue, Shenanigan’s. Local talent showcases traditional music, fire-eating skills, performances on instruments unknown outside the Bahamas and dances first performed during the black days of slavery. From riotous parties to local fish fries on the beaches, the variety of nightlife here is amazing.

Eating out in the Bahamas encompasses everything from cosmopolitan international gastronomy to local foods unique to the islands. Suiting all occasions, tastes and pockets, the choice ranges from fine French dining through world-class sushi and other Asian delights, to the Bahamian seafood specialities such as crawfish, conch, land crabs and various fish species. The conch mollusk is an all-time favourite, served every which way including raw and spiced. Conch chowder, conch fritters, conch salad and even conch burgers are must-trys on a Bahamian holiday.

A typical meal here begins with souse, a soup made from pigs’ feet, sheep’s tongue, oxtail or chicken along with onions, lime juice, peppers and celery. Split pea and ham soup is another option. Fish ’n grits is the Bahamian breakfast, with the fish cooked with salt pork, green peppers and onions, and served with grits. Curries based on goat or mutton feature here and are delicious when washed down with the locally-brewed Kalik beer. Most Bahamian dishes show an American South influence, with subtle spiciness and unique flavours.

Coconuts are used in many ways, as drinks, in desserts such as tarts, puddings, trifles, ice creams and custards, and in many main course recipes. The exception, guava duff, is a Bahamian speciality made with pulped guava flesh and served with a sugar, butter, rum and vanilla hard sauce. The indigenous bread, Johnnycake, dates from the early days of settlement and is sweet, pan-cooked and made with flour, butter, sugar, baking powder and salt. Bahamian food is found in little local restaurants, with the hotels mostly serving international cuisine.