# Bahamas: Which private island excursion?



## Mosca (Aug 21, 2014)

Man, after years of posting in the TUG Lounge, I finally get to ask a vacation question!

We're traveling next month, staying on Paradise Island. We want to do a "private island" day, and have narrowed our choices to Blue Lagoon and Sandy Toes. We've been to Blue Lagoon once before, a couple years ago, but I'd had emergency surgery three weeks earlier, and we didn't do much other than lay in hammocks. Still a nice place, but.

Who's been to either, or both, and can offer any advice? Thanks in advance!

Tom


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## cxr (Mar 10, 2015)

BUMP i know this is old but i have the same question


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## Mosca (Mar 10, 2015)

cxr said:


> BUMP i know this is old but i have the same question



We chose Blue Lagoon and had a great time. Because of the season (2nd week in September) it was really private, there were maybe 100 people on an island that wouldn't feel crowded with 2000 on it. That's not to say Sandy Toes wouldn't have been just as good or even better, but Blue Lagoon was great. 

That being said, don't expect gourmet food for lunch, it is about as good as Disney fare circa 1999: chicken, hot dogs, burgers, macaroni salad, cookies, etc. but that isn't why you go there.


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## cxr (Mar 11, 2015)

Thanks...  any other info you want to share 
like best swimming with dolphins?
best bar in town
best dinner in town?


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## Mosca (Mar 11, 2015)

cxr said:


> Thanks...  any other info you want to share
> like best swimming with dolphins?
> best bar in town
> best dinner in town?



The best meal we had in Nassau was at Montague Gardens: normal prices, very good food, beautiful location. We didn't go to any bars (Mrs doesn't drink). The food at Atlantis is excellent, but ridiculously expensive. At Montague Gardens, you make the reservation and a driver picks you up at the hotel, then takes you back. Pretty cool. Twin Brothers is supposed to be really good, but we haven't gone there yet.

DO NOT use Majestic Tours for any transportation. They are unreliable, late, rude, and uncaring. They have had this reputation for years. I wrote my only Trip Advisor review ever just to warn people away from Majestic. What regular vacationers do is hook up with a private taxi driver/limo owner, and set up airport transfers and such ahead of time. Several drivers told us that they've had regular customers for years. There are a number of them online, just google "Nassau taxi" or "Nassau limo". I don't have one to recommend, sorry. Next time we go, I'm going to find a Nassau forum and ask for recommendations. 

Our daughter and her boyfriend went snorkeling, but we are older and not very active. So I don't know much about dolphins. I watched the interaction at Blue Lagoon a couple years ago, and everyone looked like they were having fun. 

The casino at Atlantis is small but pretty decent, with slot payouts and table odds comparable to US casinos rather than cruise ship casinos. The pit personnel and dealers are very well trained and very professional. 

The pools at Atlantis are wonderful. The aquarium is spectacular. The shops are nice enough.

We didn't go to Nassau to sightsee this time, mostly because we didn't enjoy it last time. The Straw Market is depressing, full of cheap imported junk that is the same from one end to the other. The retail shops are fantastic, but since we aren't the kind of people who might buy a $12000 watch on impulse there wasn't much point to them.

If you want to stay at Atlantis hotel rather than timeshare, and you gamble but don't have a history there, call and ask for a host anyhow. Mrs and I aren't high rollers, I bet $10 at the tables and she plays penny slots, but we got TWO rooms in the Royal Towers, with ocean view, for $104/night each. They will call your home casino and match your rating. Mrs Mosca prefers the hotel experience over the timeshare experience, what can I say?


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