Bahamas – the incredible beauty of the island, which will give the most unforgettable beach relaxation trip – there is only relaxation and no fuss! Beautiful villas, hotels, beach houses… Even Hollywood stars have their own mansions on these paradise islands! This is not surprising, the best place to relax is hard to imagine.
Are you dreaming or have already planned to make a tour to the Bahamas ? Then below you will find very useful information and everything you need to know about the Bahamas.
Bahamas: location. According to thesciencetutor, the Bahamas are almost 700 small islands and reefs! They are located near the United States (Florida) and Cuba.
Bahamas: the capital. The capital of the Bahamas is the city of Nassau, which is located on the island of New Providence. This is where 80% of the country’s population lives! The Parliament Palace and the square, the famous royal gardens and the royal staircase, the Bay shopping street and other interesting sights are also located here. You can also relax in the capital – the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island will gladly accept all tourists!
Bahamas: language. The official and widely used language in the Bahamas is English.
Bahamas: visa. A visa to the Bahamas for Ukrainians is issued through the British Embassy. When submitting a number of documents, you must pay a consular fee of 524 UAH. The process itself takes from one week to a month. The issued visa will be valid for 6 to 12 months, so you can go on vacation on one visa several times a year.
Bahamas: features of customs control. The customs regulations of the Bahamas allow the import of 200 cigarettes / 50 cigars / 450 grams of smoking tobacco (your choice!). Regarding alcohol, it is limited to a volume of 0.94 liters for both spirits and wine. It is forbidden to bring any narcotic and explosive substances into the islands. When exporting any agricultural products, plants, wood carvings, an export permit issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Bahamas will be required.
Bahamas: climate and seasonality. The climate on the islands is quite comfortable for recreation, from +23 to +31 depending on the island and the month of the year. It is best to relax in the Bahamas from September-October to May.
Bahamas: time. The difference between the capital of Ukraine and the capital of the Bahamas is minus 7 hours.
Bahamas: currency. The official currency on the islands is the Bahamian dollar. For 1 US dollar on the islands, you can get approximately 0.99-1 Bahamian dollar (the ratio is almost always 1:1).
Bahamas: tips. You can leave a tip in the Bahamas in the amount of 10-20% of the check amount (in most cases, almost 15% is left “on top” for almost all services).
Bahamas: telephone. As for mobile communications, it is better to buy a prepaid SIM card (for example, from The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd), especially for using the Internet. If you only need to call home a few times, it will be cheaper to buy a payphone card, which can be found in most large stores and gas stations. Calling to another country from the hotel reception will be 10-15 percent more expensive than using a card.
Remember also that the Bahamas has a single emergency number for all services – 911.
Bahamas: electrical grid. The islands have American sockets with flat plugs, so either bring an adapter with you or you will have to buy it on the spot (sometimes hotels or reception have adapters for European tourists, but it’s better to take it with you). Mains voltage 120 V.
Bahamas: dress etiquette. There are no special requirements for clothing. The only thing – try to dress in light natural fabrics and hide your head from the sun, as here it is, especially at lunchtime, quite hot.
Bahamas: official holidays. Be sure to try to plan a tour to the Bahamas so that you get to one of the local festivals or holidays. The most interesting holidays for tourists will be:
- Christmas (25.12)
- Jonkonu carnivals (December 26 and January 1-2) – processions of thousands of people in amazing and colorful costumes;
- New Year (1.01);
- In January – windsurfing championship (boarding with a sail);
- In late May-early June, there is a week-long Caribbean Music and Dance Festival, and in late November, the Bahamas Music Festival (dates change annually, so it’s best to look just before planning tour dates).
- July 10 – Independence Day.