Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine April 2016 | Page 37

There’s a place in the sun for everyone in The Islands Of The Bahamas can also experience world-class water sports including snorkeling, scuba diving, bonefishing, sport-fishing, kayaking, parasailing and boating. The 700 beautiful islands and 2,000 chunks of coral and limestone outcrop that form The Islands Of The Bahamas are playgrounds for sailors, anglers, divers, nature lovers, eco-tourists and those vacationers in search of the more glitzy pleasures. More than five million people visit The Islands Of The Bahamas each year. You will find great enthusiasm for American culture, combined with a strong flavor of Great Britain and a distinctly Caribbean beat. Just 30 of the islands are populated and together they are among the most favored destinations for visitors and cruise ship passengers every year. New Providence has almost 60 per cent of the population and in the capital, Nassau, you can go on a horse-drawn carriage tour of a vibrant city filled with history’s reminders in its Victorian buildings and fortresses. Cross a bridge and you are in Paradise Island, a modern dream resort tailor-made for fun-seekers, featuring a 100,000 sq ft casino, a marina for large yachts, the world’s biggest aquarium, and palatial hotels -- or you might prefer the casinos of Cable Beach. And that’s just the beginning. Beyond these best-known vacation destinations are many serene island gems, known as the Out Islands. You can sail into at least 20 marinas on the Abacos ; dive in the 6,000ft (1,828 m) Tongue of the Ocean trench off the Berry Islands and Andros; fish for the biggest and best marlin and tuna in Hemingway’s haunts off Bimini; admire the cliffs on Cat Island; surf in the giant waves of Eleuthera and discover picturesque Harbour Island; explore The Exumas by sail or with snorkel; swim in the clear waters of Long Island, and catch the spectacular view from Dixon Hill lighthouse on San Salvador. And these are just the beginning. You will need many more trips just to scratch the surface of the possible activities and sights in The Bahamas. You’ll find an extraordinary combination of activities, cultures and landscapes to suit anyone in search of sophisticated pleasures and all in a perfect Caribbean climate. Media contact: Anita Johnson-Patty [email protected] Island-hop to Grand Bahama Island and try your luck at the slot machines at Grand Bahama’s Vegas-style casino and then spend your winnings at Port Lucaya Marketplace. Vacationers to Grand Bahama Island © The Islands of the Bahamas 33