Myths and Misconceptions about The Bahamas – DEBUNKED
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So…how much do you know about The Bahamas? Let me guess, pristine beaches, pirates….and…okay, yeah, that’s about how far I got too. Especially coming from the West Coast, I know practically nothing of the Caribbean. Even less of specific islands.
So when I booked my trip to The Bahamas, one thing repeatedly crossed my mind.
What am I supposed to expect?
I had only visited one Caribbean island before, Cuba – and there was NO way it was going to be anything similar, so I had no point of reference. As a compulsive planner, you can probably imagine how much this stressed me out.
I learned a lot about The Bahamas on my 10 day trip, and a lot of those lessons were learned the hard way. BUT that’s what this blog is for, so I can share all the dope stuff I experienced without you also having to get stranded on an island tour to learn the same.
But, I am just one feeble tourist who visited these great collection of islands ONE TIME. Like…what could I possibly even offer in terms of Bahamian knowledge?? That’s why I’m bringing in my good friend and Bahamian local, Ashley, to give y’all the REAL scoop on everything you should know about The Bahamas!
Ashley, the founder and curator behind Girl With Her Views, is a Bahamian blogger and content creator. She was born and raised in The Bahamas, and currently lives in Nassau. She is a full time marketing manager at a local company, while also balancing freelance work, blogging, and her YouTube channel.
I had the immense pleasure of meeting up with Ashley during my trip, and along with becoming one of my new BFFs, she also gave me some insight on what living like a local in The Bahamas was really like. ALSO, bless her heart because she graciously answered all of my dumb questions. LIKE….
1. Is “The” capitalized in t/T-he Bahamas??
Ashley: Yes it should be, the official name is The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. In its shortened form it should always be The Bahamas.
2. What is the official language of The Bahamas?
Ashley: English is The Bahamas’ official language and is spoken by almost everyone. You may hear Bahamian English from locals though. Some people call it Bahamian creole. You will hear words with dropped letters, shortened pronunciation and even words that do not exist in the English language at all.
Kay: ALSO – important note – “Bahamians” is pronounced : Ba-HAY-mians. Not Ba-HA-mians. Thank you Ashley, I finally figured out why people kept looking at me weird hahaha.
3. What was it like growing up in The Bahamas?
Ashley: School was always super important in my family; we had to do our homework before being allowed to play or watch TV. We also all had our extracurricular activities in my house, mine were dance, baseball and a few others – I won’t bore you with the details. Growing up in a very large and close knit family I spent a ton of time with my cousins playing outside, climbing trees and swimming – at the beach or pool.
Ashley: Our summers were spent on Long Island (an out island) with our grand parents. 13 kids in one house, can you imagine? We learned how to “rough it.” At that time, Long Island did not have electricity, cable TV or telephone service. So we spent our time fetching water from the well, gathering firewood and washing clothes by hand. Once we were done with our chores we got up to all kinds of mischief, we found very creative ways to have fun. We would ride our bikes for miles without a care in the world, spend long days at the beach, we also learned how to dive, fish and catch crabs. I loved it!! My childhood was pure bliss.
4. What’s up with all the pirate stuff in The Bahamas?
Ashley: Let me give you a quick history lesson. Up until the early 1700’s, The Bahamas had the highest concentration of pirates in the Caribbean. This was solely because our islands’ location and because it was a high traffic area for shipping. This made it easy for pirates to loot and capture ships. Nassau and neighboring islands were basically an ideal place for them to create a home base and they took advantage of that.
Kay: There’s even a whole museum in downtown Nassau that tells the history of piracy in The Bahamas! Back in the Golden Era of Piracy, Nassau was the perfect home base because the waters were too shallow for large war ships to try to stop them.
One of the most famous pirates of The Bahamas was Edward Teach/Thatch – aka Blackbeard. Rumor has it that Blackbeard has a tower somewhere in Nassau, but I failed at finding it. Lucky for you though, Ashley has your back! You can check out her blog post on how to make it to Blackbeard’s tower.
5. How many islands in The Bahamas are there?
Ashely: There are 700 islands and 2,400 cays, about 30 of the islands are inhabited. I would say the most visited islands by tourist are Exuma, Nassau, Grand Bahama, Bimini, Harbour Island and Abaco. This is mostly because of how easily accessible they are. Some of them you can even get direct flights from the U.S.
I have not visited all of the family islands so I can’t say I have a definite favorite but Long Island and Eleuthera are at the top of the list since I spent most of my summers there.
6. Where did the swimming pigs really come from?
Ashley: There are so many different stories, I don’t think we will ever really know where they came from. The most popular one says they came from a shipwreck and swam to safety. Who knows?
Kay: FUNNY STORY, so I was actually planning to go visit the pigs, but then my tour was cancelled due to bad weather and I got stranded in the Exumas *cry emoji*
7. Is Nassau safe to visit??
Kay: If you live in America, I’m sure you saw the “travel advisories” issued for The Bahamas. HONESTLY, those are wack most of the time anyway. I didn’t feel at all worried or threatened walking around downtown Nassau. As usual, be aware of your surroundings – yanno, LIKE YOU DO AT HOME.
Ashley: As with any city in the world there is crime. As long as you are smart and exercise caution you should be fine. Bahamian people are generally nice and very helpful.
8. Do bad hurricanes hit every year?
Ashley: Hurricane season is pretty much business as usual, everyone tries to prepare the best way they can in case we do get a hurricane. We do not have bad hurricanes every year, in 2018 we did not have any hurricanes impact our islands. Because we have had devastating storms in the past I think we do take impending storms more seriously than most countries. I tend to get annoyed when I see people joking around like its not a big deal.
Kay: I didn’t go during hurricane season, but it was randomly EXTREMELY rainy. Like, it rained 7/10 days I was there, and the 2 of the days were still cloudy and overcast. One thing to expect during this weather is power outages. I was sitting in a restaurant during some moderate showers and all of the power went out. Luckily, my food had already been brought out! If you are staying in one of the resorts, they will have a backup generator though and you’ll barely notice!
Here’s a great post from Ashley on how Bahamians prepare for hurricane season!
9. Does Nassau have a nightlife?
Ashley: Nassau does have a nightlife, there are clubs and bars that are open pretty much every night of the week. But most businesses do close at 5pm.
Kay: Ahahah…ahah..ahhh…WELL. I would say it has a very particular type of nightlife. There are a ton of bars and a couple clubs that are open late. And like Ashley said, pretty much every night AND they’re always bumping! Buttt…if you don’t drink (or maybe don’t want to EVERY night), then your day will probably wrap up early. Once the tour boats pull out of the harbor, around 4:30-5pm, then basically all the shops and museums downtown close up.
Outside of downtown Nassau…there isn’t much to do at night. I would recommend putting off dinner until at least 7pm, and then you can enjoy the night over food and good company. There’s also a new theater that has movies in 4D! It was my first 4D experience, and it was pretty baller. Or you could just like, go to bed early. But I don’t know how to do that.
10. What’s it like driving in The Bahamas?
Ashley: Nassau is a city so the roads are paved, you may encounter pot holes though. Just remember to keep left, pay attention and you should be fine. Other islands may have a mixture of both paved and dirt roads. Roundabouts are such a trigger for me, I absolutely despise them. They are mainly there for traffic control but I think they do the exact opposite.
Kay: Okayy – SO ITS NOT THAT BAD. If you’re coming from a country that drives on the right *cough* America, like me *cough*, then it’ll take a bit getting used to driving on the other side of the road. The roads in Nassau are better than I expected (based on what people had told me), but in the Exumas or other islands, yeah, it’s a little rougher.
The only thing you REALLY gotta watch for are all the roundabouts.
11. Is travel a big part of Bahamian culture?
Ashley: The Bahamas has the 23rd strongest passport in the world making it quite easy to travel to most countries. Currently 155 countries allow access without a visa or visa on arrival.
So – Bahamians do travel a lot, most tend to travel to the U.S. for shopping trips and to visit family. My generation though, is doing a lot of exploring and traveling farther and more frequently. It’s awesome to see young people like me, experience new places and cultures.
12. So, the infamous Fyre Festival….
Ashley: I always thought that Fyre Festival was a great idea, but very early on I noticed some shady practices and wondered how they would execute it. When they shared the map of the location I immediately knew it was a scam. Ultimately if they had pulled it off, I would have loved to attend.
Kay: I wasn’t cool enough to know about the Fyre Festival when it was actually going on. BUT – similar to a type of festival, Ashley told me about this super cool event in The Bahamas called Transforming Spaces. It is essentially a chauffeured art tour around Nassau, showcasing the best in Bahamian contemporary art! You could visit every year and not get bored, because each year has a different theme! No wonder this event is 15 years strong and counting!
13. What are your favorite Bahamian dishes?
Ashley: Fish, Fish, and more fish! Any fresh, just caught and cooked fish is always amazing. You can find fresh fish almost everywhere around Nassau. I would suggest the fish fry if you want to try a large number of Bahamian dishes in one sitting. I also love crab and dough, not sure where you can get this in Nassau, I usually have it when it’s homemade.
Kay: Have you ever had conch? NO??
THEN PREPARE TO HAVE A LOT OF IT.
I swear, ever restaurant in The Bahamas has about 12 different recipes involving conch. I’m serious. Conch burger, fried conch conch corndog, conch fritters, conch nachos, conch dip, conch salad, conch soup, buffalo conch….I had never even heard of it before. It kind of reminded me of a chewier calamari.
You should try it.
ALSO – important note – it’s pronounced : conk. Not conch, as it is spelled. So it rhymes with honk.
Kay: AND OF COURSE, I had to have the famous Bahama Mama drink! It was…very strong.
You should also try it.
Other classic drinks are Sky Juice and Goombay Smash! You can pick one up at the fish fry to chase after all the conch.
14. Are there ANY non-touristy spots in Nassau?
Ashley: So this is a bit of an oxymoron because The Bahamas is a tourist destination. Our economy is supported by tourism. I do have a few suggestions though!
Ashley: Clifton Heritage is nice and because it is a bit of a journey its usually pretty quiet. You can also go “under the bridge” (Potters Cay Dock) there are food shacks and bars that mostly locals frequent. You can also buy fresh fish and produce here during the daytime.
Kay: The one SUPER cool thing I loved about the Clifton Heritage National Park is the underwater exhibit called Ocean Atlas! It’s a collection of underwater art pieces that you can snorkel to! I have….a long story about my experience, but I’d HIGHLY recommend it if you like snorkeling! Just a word of advice…avoid wearing shiny objects.
You can learn more about the Clifton Heritage NP, and what to do there, in Ashley’s post!
15. What is the most common complaint locals have towards tourists?
Ashley: One of my biggest pet peeves is tourists crossing the street outside of pedestrian crossings. Most tourist areas have an abundance of pedestrian crossings, but they must be invisible though because barely any of the tourists use them – ESPECIALLY downtown.
I hate driving downtown because of it, and some tourists even walk out from behind cars and expect you to come to a complete stop to let them cross. It’s dangerous and annoying and creates unnecessary traffic.
16. What are the biggest holidays and celebrations in the Bahamas?
Ashley: I would say Independence Day and the Christmas season for sure. Our Independence Day celebrations usually last a full week or more leading up to July 10th. Everyday is a different kind of event/celebration and on Independence Day there is a celebration with live music, skits, police and Defence force demonstrations all ending in a fireworks display.
Christmas time in The Bahamas is when we have our two annual Junkanoo parades. People spend most of the year creating themed costumes and practicing new music for these parades and it all goes down on Boxing Day and New Years eve. I think everyone in the world needs to experience Junkanoo at least once in their lifetime.
Kay: Although The Bahamas gained independence from England almost half a century ago, the culture is still greatly influenced by the British. Case in point – the Guy Fawkes Night Celebration. You can read more about how The Bahamas observes this day in Ashley’s post!
17. Why is it SO expensive?!?
Ashley: The Bahamas is on the list of expensive Caribbean countries but we are not the most expensive. I ask the same question all the time, but some sort of change was needed.
The government decided on VAT and it was introduced in 2015 at 7.5% and then increased in 2018 to 12% in order to try and decrease The Bahamas’ debt. I wouldn’t have gone with Value Added Tax but that’s not up to me. Because most of our products and food is imported everything is pretty expensive.
Kay: Y’AAALLLLLLLLL – my wallet was NOT prepared!!! Food especially will sneak up on you, but there’s no way around that. I would just suggest that you factor it into your budget. Expect the expense.
18. Are there any assumptions people make about you when they learn you are from The Bahamas?
Ashley: I have heard some crazy assumptions and gotten some really crazy questions. Things like – do we live in huts, do we have electricity, do we have dolphins as pets. I’ve gotten the comment that people are surprised that I speak English so well because they don’t know that The Bahamas is an English speaking country.
Ashley: One of the crazier assumptions I’ve gotten was that I could not possibly be from The Bahamas because I am “white” and only black people are from The Bahamas.
19. What is one thing you want people to know about your country and the people there?
Ashley: The Bahamas is more than beautiful beaches and tourist attractions. We have so much culture to share, go to a family island and talk to a local. Take the time to explore the out islands. You will find that each one has its own unique charm and customs that set them apart from the others. Bahamian people are intelligent, talented and resourceful.
When given the opportunity we always show up and show out for our country.
DID YA LEARN ANYTHING???
I am so eternally grateful to have met up with Ashley and learn a bit more about Bahamian culture from a direct source. In fact, it gave me a new sense of appreciation for the islands! Hopefully you learned something new and are prepared to correctly pronounce conch when you order it at a restaurant haha.
So – what are you waiting for?? GO BOOK YOUR TICKET!!
Make sure to check out Ashley on her blog and social channels!
Ashley, from Girl With Her Views
The Bahamas are so wonderful! It’s great to hear about it from a local’s perspective. I remember this food dish though….like a dense mac and cheese??? I don’t remember the name….
Hi Amy, thanks for reading. It’s Ashley, we just call it macaroni, It’s baked macaroni with onions, peppers and spices baked in. I think I’ve heard it called macaroni pie when I lived in The U.S.
I love the local perspective here. It is super interesting to hear her point of view. Thanks!
This is so educational! I’ve been to The Bahamas and still learned a lot in this post. Thank you!
I love the insight in this article! The local perspective is always appreciated. I particularly like the question about what things that tourists do that annoy them. I like to blend in and respect customs and cultures, and really just not tick off the locals. Haha! Also- those conch nachos look amazing!
Great local insights into The Bahamas. I must admit a I thought that The Bahamas was all about pristine beaches, pirates and swimming pigs! Definitely adding to my bucket list.
Honestly, I didn’t know, that there are any myths about the Bahamas, but it is great to know that it is a relatively safe place and that hurricane might be “just” rainy days. And you got me with the pigs, I have heard about them but didn’t know that they are from Bahamas!
LOVE this post, and especially the pirate section (I was obsessed with pirates growing up, and LOVE Black Sails, haha). I’ve only been to the Bahamas once, but that was during a cruise, so I don’t feel as if I really got to experience it! Will definitely head back one day 🙂
This is such an awesome post! Both Ashely and Kay provided unique local insider knowledge to myth bust and I know when I go to the Bahamas I will be coming here for all the tips. I love the idea of the art festival and supporting a local event over the dumpster fire that was fyre. The baked fish looks so amazing and like something homemade, so I bet the food there is just wonderful. The beaches are amazing too. What a great guide, thanks, everyone!
Great post. I’d love to go to The Bahamas. I have never been, but they have been on my bucket list for quite a while. Thanks for giving such a detailed insight in what to expect.
I didn’t realize that food was so expensive in the Bahamas. I still want to visit anyway. It’s such a beautiful part of the world!
I’ve been thinking about a trip to The Bahamas (note capitalized “T”) and this is super helpful – thank you!
I LOVE this post. I’ve only visited Nassau for a long weekend and was in downtown for just a day trip, but I loved it! I was definitely surprised about the 5pm closing haha! I had a blast though but I definitely didn’t eat nearly enough fish – my other half isn’t a fan and the trip was for his birthday. SO I think that means I just have to return without him so I can have some of that Goombay Smash and Sky Juice!
I love all these great Bahamas facts. I had no idea there were over 700 islands in the Bahamas and that only 30 are inhabited. So cool.
Love the spelling & capitalization tips! Seriously this post is THOROUGH! Haven’t made it to The Bahamas yet, but at least I know how to write it!
I think I literally had every misconception on the list about the Bahamas before reading this!!
That conch tho….LOL. I used to work with some Bahemians (they used the “e” in the word…weird huh?) in Miami and I couldn’t get enough of their accent. Such a beautiful underrated place. Most tourists from Miami and US go straight to Atlantis but the Exumas, the Abacos…so many remote pristine places and the people are so friendly and warm. I regret not going more when I lived in Miami.
Such an interesting post! I’ve never really looked into The Bahamas before (I just had to make sure I capitalise “the”! 😉 haha) but a good friend of mine has been working on a cruise ship around there so she posts lots of photos and it looks amazing! I’d love to see the swimming pigs. 😀 That’s funny that no one really knows where they came from!
This was funny and engaging read! I also didn’t know much beyond beaches and …well I hadn’t even gotten to pirates tbh. It’s SO COOL that you got a local to talk on this. I’m inspired to do that in more blog posts. You’re awesome dude!! 😭🙏🏽
You give me wayyyy too much credit man! Ashley is easily one of my new favorite people in the world!!
I’ve never been to The Bahamas, but love hearing the local perspective – it sounds like a dreamy destination, if you find the right island!
I love reading your articles. They’re so down to earth and relatable. I’ve never been to the Bahamas but this post makes me want to!
I love all the info about the local cuisine! It’s always fun to try new foods and flavors when traveling.
I love the tidbit about having the highest concentration of pirates — I never knew that! I definitely want to jet to the Bahamas again someday!
Oh my goodness, I absolutely loved this – I’ve always dreamed of visiting the Bahamas, and that’s burning even brighter now! I’d especially love to go to the Pirate Museum, partly because museums are just My Thing, and partly because I had a history book when I was younger which followed the lives of the most infamous pirates. That really would be a dream! Thanks for sharing!
I def gotta go! Thanks for this!
What an informative article, and I love the snaps!
This was a good read. The Q&A format is dope, and I’ve learned some new things about The Bahamas!
Consider my world broken open — I had no idea that it MUST be called The Bahamas and never the Bahamas!!!
I was hoping to get to The Bahamas this year — hmmm, still could make it happen. I’d love to hit up that art festival.
Really interesting, Ashley! I don’t know much about the Bahamas so it’s lovely to see a local perspective about the island 🙂
I love that you passed the mic to a local on this one! I can’t believe people have the nerve to ask if they live in huts *eyeroll*
I haven’t been to The Bahamas yet, but its just a matter of time honestly. I really want to go to Junkanoo, maybe this year 😀
UMMMMMM IM DOWN TO GO WITH
I have learnt so much about The Bahamas from this blog post – thank you!! It’s on my list to visit but due to my health I need to postpone it, but once I can travel, ill re read this post – it’s great! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing this! The Bahamas (and really most of the Caribbean) is a place I don’t know much about, and it’s so valuable to hear a local person’s insight.