If you have been dreaming of a tropical vacation, but not sure where to go, take a look at the Bahamas. Eight years after my first visit, I am dreaming of going back. The funny thing is, I want to go somewhere different and that is the best part about the Bahamas. My first stay was at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island. If you are not familiar with the Bahamas, the major airport is in Nassau and Paradise Island is connected to Nassau by a bridge. I think it was about a 20 minute ride from the airport if I remember correctly. The thing I remember most though was leaving from Kansas City at 6am CST and being on a beautiful white sand beach looking at the gorgeous green water by 2pm EST (look closely as that was 7 hours because I lost an hour crossing time zones). Being my first experience seeing tropical green water, I was amazed at the vivid colors.

As for the Atlantis Hotel and Resort, my experience was first rate. I found everyone friendly and willing to help. If you don’t travel outside the U.S. very often, remember you are in a different country. Everything moves at a slower pace. It took me a few days to adjust that when you asked for something, the help always responded positively, but not always with the urgency we are accustomed to in the U.S. (My east coast friends are probably laughing because they think the same about KC.) Anyway, it served as a reminder to me that sometimes we need to slow down a little bit and enjoy life. With the fantastic surroundings and all the amenities of the resort, this really was paradise.

The Bahamas is not all resorts though. There are over 700 islands in the Bahamas, though there are many which are very small. Also, stepping away from the resort puts you closer to real life in the islands. I highly suggest you get out and see the area. It was enjoyable to visit the local markets and get more of the experience of everyday life. The people were very friendly and I always felt welcome. Tourism is a very large piece of the economy in the Bahamas. As such, everyone I encountered truly wanted me to enjoy my time there. While they may have considered me a customer or potential customer, the important part was I always felt it was sincere and not just their job.

For my next trip, as I stated earlier, I want to try something different. We had a trip scheduled a few years ago and we were going to stay in a different resort in Freeport. That unfortunately didn’t happen because a hurricane caused major damage to the resort two weeks before our trip. We had planned that because it still offered great amenities with the resort, but was a little more off the beaten path. Bigger yet was our chance to get out and see some of the other “outer islands”. This was going to be my chance to see some places most people will never see. That trip will definitely be rescheduled in the near future.

While you may be sold on the beauty and experience of traveling to the Bahamas, for most of us it is not the desire to go, but often the cost. The key to a successful vacation is to try to identify the things you want to do or see prior to going. As simple as it sounds, a little planning can save you a lot of money. Airfare is typically reasonable when traveling from the U.S. due to the proximity (Nassau is about 180 miles from Miami, FL.) The biggest factor is lodging. Depending on your activities and plans, a resort may be in order. If you do the resort, I suggest considering the meal plans. On our first trip, the meal plan was around $75 per person per day. Had we not done that plan and eaten all our meals at the resort, we would have easily spent $100 to $125 per day. At that time and I assume it holds true today, the cost of food is significantly higher because most items are imported from the U.S. Just be aware. Another option may be to look at a rental property such as a condominium or a vacation home. These can often be found at a fraction of the cost of a resort. While you will have to find different local places to eat, the pricing most likely would be better than a resort saving you money again overall.

As you can see, a little planning can take you a long way and still keep within your budget. By knowing where to look for the best accommodations, you can save significantly on the biggest cost item of your vacation.

Check out some of our more in depth information on specifics in the Bahamas as well as other great travel destinations by visiting our “Destinations” section on our website. Also, we suggest you look at the official site at http://www.bahamas.com.

Before you take your next vacation, look closely at http://www.bestsecretvacations.com. The site features the Global Explorer software which gives you access to discounts often only reserved for members of travel clubs or other exclusive groups. The software often more than pays for itself in savings in one trip.

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