My husband and I visited the islands of Eluthera and Nassau in the Bahamas. We expected our honeymoon to be a romantic getaway on the quiet beaches of Eluthera and fun in the sun on Nassau, but our experience was quite different. Everyone spoke of Eluthera as being a gorgeous place. Agreed, the beaches were very secluded, but not worth the travel time or the expense. We stayed in the hotel called, "Unique" as well as "Cocodimama," and the highly acclaimed "The Cove." We were afraid to sleep in the bug infested rooms of "Unique." When we asked about the different hotels, everyone would say, "It's your standard Bahamian room." Apparently, that means, "this place is absolutely disgusting." Unique is owned by a Bahamian. The Cocodimama was a beautiful place and would be the place I wouldn't mind staying again. The price was fair and the rooms were cute as well as a private beach. Owned by an Italian. Far superior to The Cove. Very clean as well.
The Cove has a private beach that is very rocky, but everything there is very clean in comparison to the rest of the island. Owned by Canadians. Our experience led to mistrust and frustration of anything the Bahamians said. We'd ask for places to go and prices, but no one would give us direct answers. People would just say, "some people like that." It was so weird. They told us the Glass Window Bridge is a must see location for Eluthera. The bridge has no glass and it doesn't look like a window. The bridge looks like a temporary bridge built to last for a short time. The rock formation is nothing spectacular. You can see the Atlantic on one side and the Caribbean on the other, but it's not like you can see them at once. You have to look at one side, then the other. So, really it's just like looking at the ocean. Only you don't have to go very far to see two different ones. The roads are a disaster. Most roads don't exist. They are merely dirt roads that are not trimmed back. The main road, the Queens Highway is rough at best. You better rent a car or you'll feel marooned the whole time with no where to go.
The number one problem with Eluthera - NO FOOD. Restaurants do not exist on the island. We went to one restaurant, highly recommended by the locals. It was literally someone's kitchen. They microwaved our food. The people are so poor they park on the sides of the road or just walk and catch crab that are hiding in the ditches. That is their main source of food. Grocery stores are like little convenience stores that cost about 4 times as much as they do in America.
Moral of the story, if you decide to go to Eluthera, take all the water you'll need with you and most of the food you will want to eat. Two restaurants (both housed at the hotels of Cocodimama, and The Cove) served good food, but the price is double what a similar meal would cost in America. Potatoes, vegetables and a small portion of chicken cost $29. In the U.S. this same meal would only cost $10-12, max. I would never go there again.
Everything in the Bahamas is over priced and lacks quality. In Nassau, the city is crowded with very little sanitation. The transportation system is limited. We stayed in a suite at Orange Hill, which was a decent place to stay. Not very friendly though. Their normal rooms are pretty disgusting from what other guests told us. If you are willing to pay a lot of money, there are a few sights to see on Nassau. The day cruises and shark feeding tours are fun. Stuart Cove's is the place to go for excursions. Paradise Island is a waste of time. It was probably cool when Trump owned it, but now has wasted away.
Unfortunately, every bit of the Bahamas we saw lacked quality, but was double to four times as much of the cost of normal travel expenses. If you want the tropical experience, try Costa Rica or Hawaii - they are better quality, with more reasonable prices.
- Unique Village Eleuthera
- Unique Village Hotel Eleuthera
