Once in paradise and back - Spring Break in the Bahamas

Summer, sun, sunshine. That was our hope when we boarded the plane on March 6th with the destination: Nassau in the Bahamas. As interesting as the cool winter in Québec is, there is often the need to spend a whole day outdoors without having to unpack your ski suit. For this reason, we had already booked a weekend getaway for the period after the exams, the Spring Break. Although half of the exams were canceled due to a professor strike and were rescheduled this week (three weeks later) due to ongoing negotiations, this could not spoil our joy of vacation.

Arriving in Nassau, we first took an expensive taxi ride to our Airbnb. The big disadvantage of the Bahamas is that the local currency is linked to the U.S. dollar (equivalent to the euro) and therefore the price level is comparable to a vacation in Switzerland. In short: extremely expensive. Of course, the island of Nassau was also much larger than we had thought, so no walk from our accommodation to the beach or to the city was possible. However, as a student, you know your ways to get around cheaply, but more on that later.

Our accommodation was breathtaking. The pictures had not promised too much. A private pool and well air-conditioned rooms made the stay perfect. While we started the day with mimosas by the pool in the morning, a little sports session followed at noon, followed by a barbecue in the afternoon and a cozy bonfire or night out in the evening. Just a side note, palm leaves burn like charcoal starters.

And now what are these Studitips you were talking about?

1) Smile and wave/Thumb out (Hitchhiking)

Since our Airbnb was located on one of the main traffic arteries in the east of the island, we were able to make good use of our friendly nature. Since the Bahamians are all very friendly, it took no more than 10 minutes for the first person to stop and give us a ride to the city. Trips to Paradise Island were a bit more complicated, as it also involved crossing the bridge and a $2 fee. Nevertheless, by juggling between hitchhiking, local buses, and taxis, we managed to reduce the travel costs to a minimum.

2) It's all about connections!

What could help you better than having contact with a local? In our case, Brandon, the son of our Airbnb host family. As a half-Canadian, half-Bahamian, he not only knew the island very well, but also understood why we escaped the Canadian winter. He also organized a one-day boat trip for us at a comparable cheap price. The best part was that he also edited an aftermovie for us! You can find the result on the link below.

During the boat tour, we not only experienced the Caribbean flair with turtles, crystal clear water, and lonely islands. Our skipper Ryan also gave us a little history tour and, of course, knew all about the homes of the stars. The magnificent mansions speak for themselves, but the customs of the stars sometimes make you wonder. For example, golf star Tiger Woods not only owns a house in the Bahamas, but also an undeveloped plot of land. Why? So that he has a view of the sea on both sides (see picture). His neighbor to the left, Oprah Winfrey, naturally thanks him for that, as she can land her helicopter on the open space. So even the stars have something like a good neighborly relationship.

Link to the Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPBxFqKjq0g&list=RDEPBxFqKjq0g&start_radio=1