Summer Vacation in The Bahamas

Well folks, this year has definitely been one for the books. As you may have seen in my post about my adventures in Mexico, when I visit a new country, I make it a priority to experience its culture outside of just the resort life. Visiting Nassau, The Bahamas was no different!

Because I’m Solar Powered

I planned this trip for my family, and it’s incredibly easy to have costs skyrocket when five people travel together. Admittedly, I love a challenge, and this put my travel hacking skills to the test. Here’s how the initial planning went:

I searched for a destination that would allow us to travel together as a family and avoid high out-of-pocket costs once we arrived. Dinner for one person is one thing, but dinner for five people every night is an easy $500+ in added expenses.
We knew we wanted a sunny destination that would be a good distance for 4-5 days, this meant staying in Central or Latin America, or the Caribbean.
After a few quick searches, it became extremely obvious that all-inclusive was the only way to go for this trip.
While we were initially considering visiting Panama, the most affordable resorts were about a two hour drive from the airport, and we would have spent the money we saved in booking a cheaper resort on the airport transfers!

That’s how the decision to visit the Breezes Bahamas Resort and Spa came into fruition. This resort is all-inclusive, and when they say all-inclusive, they mean it. No tipping is allowed onsite.

Read my full review of Breezes Bahamas Resort and Spa here.

Flipping the Travel Hacking into Overdrive

As if accommodations weren’t expensive enough, now there was the trouble of finding reasonable flights for the entire crew. That’s where the travel hacking comes in. A little bit of playing around on Expedia revealed that it would cost around $200 less per person if we flew out of BWI instead of Philadelphia (our home base). It’s about a two hour drive from Philadelphia to Baltimore, and it turned out that long term parking was only $8 a day! So for about $150 in gas and parking, (plus a few cups of coffee for the drive), we saved almost $900!

Getting from point A to B to C to D

Hands down, Cheryl’s Bahamas Taxi and Tours made getting around the island a breeze. Our first connection was an airport transfer, where we were given a friendly driving tour (complete with great humor) on our way to the resort. A day later, our guide returned for our booked 3-hour tour of historical and cultural sites. Among my favorite sites were the 66 Steps (left) and The Cloisters (right).

Read my full review of Cheryl’s Bahamas Taxi and Tours here.

Walking down the Queen’s Staircase, or the 66 Steps

Visiting the Cloisters Garden

About the Look

For my day of exploring and sightseeing, I chose a breezy black maxi skirt with tropical-colored crop top (get it here). Since there was a heat index of about 100 degrees, I kept my accessories simple, with a small black crossbody bag and chic, comfortable braided black sandals. Of course, I was thrilled with the tour guide handed me a beautiful hibiscus flower that just happened to match the colors I was wearing! Bahamas vacation look: complete.

Was it worth it?

The history and people of The Bahamas were simply amazing to experience. An inspiring resiliency combined with friendliness and sunshine-like joy left me with a desire to return as soon as possible. If you’re looking for a beautiful destination with a perfect combination of beautiful history and breathtaking beaches, put Nassau, The Bahamas on your to-do list immediately! You definitely won’t regret it.