Recently as we walked along Cove Beach in the Atlantis Paradise Beach Resort,we spotted a couple who found a quiet place under the shade of a lone palm tree on the beach.Despite the throngs of people (it was spring break) enjoying the sand, Bahama blue water and sunshine around them, this couple seemed to have found a perfectly serene spot, an island escape – their own little piece of paradise for the day.
I imagine after getting home from vacation that they still take mental escapes to this very same spot under the shade of a palm tree when life gets a little too crazy…
Where is yourpiece of paradise – where does your mind wander when you need a mental escape ? Let us know!
Imagine being picked up at the dock next to your hotel and whisked away over the crystal clear water of the Bahamas where you spend the day snorkeling over gorgeous reefs, zipping along on a tube in the warm water, walking in the sugar soft white sand on a deserted beach and being treated to some delicious fresh conch salad and rum punch.
Before leaving last month on our much anticipated trip to the Bahamas, we received an email from Team BBE that said “Will you be traveling to Nassau for the RumBahamas Festival? If so, would you be interested in meeting up for an afternoon of fun in the sun on an excursion to our private beach on Rose Island?” We quickly googled Bahama Boat Excursions and emailed back YES!
(Note – this excursion is no longer available)
Capt. Aztec King and Chris Vykouthlas, owners of Bahama Boat Excursions
Bahamas Boat Excursions is the brainchild of long time friends Chris Vykouthlas and Capt. Aztec King who are incredibly lucky to have turned what most people dream of experiencing on vacation into a way of life, and gives them the opportunity to share their love of their islands. They, along with Creative Director, Casey Wray, make up Team BBE.
The day of our excursion, we were picked up at the dock of our hotel by Chris and Capt. Aztec and were immediately struck by their friendliness and excellent customer service. They went out of their way to make sure we had an experience like no other.
Our day began with an exhilarating ride out to private Rose Island on Mary Jane, one of 3 (soon to be 4) boats in their fleet. What did our afternoon of fun in the sun with Bahama Boat Excursions include?
Plenty of warm Bahamian sunshine while skimming over the incredibly clear blue water.
Great snorkeling
Stingray sightings
Swimming with the turtles
A thrilling ride on the tube!
Time to ourselves on a beautiful, private, pristine beach
Amazingly crystal clear water
A quiet beach oasis with chairs and umbrellas for total relaxation…
Rum punch and a delicious conch salad
Plenty of time to walk the white sand beach
And a stop on the way home at Sandy Cay to have our picture taken in front of the island used in the opening credits of Gilligan’s Island.
That, and more, made for a excellent day of fun in the sun. Water-logged and sun-kissed from our day of exploring the waters and beaches around Nassau, we headed back totally relaxed and full of new memories from our time with Team BBE. To say we had a blast is an understatement. It was truly one of the best days we’ve had on (and in!) the water.
If you are planning to travel to Nassau and would like more information on Bahama Boat Excursions, email Team BBE at [email protected], check out their website and follow them on Facebook. Voted a top activity in the Bahamas by travelers on Trip Advisor, they tend to book up quickly, so be sure to plan ahead!
Team BBE offers a variety of excursions ranging from an afternoon of relaxation on private Rose Island for up to 6 people, watersport excursions, fishing charters and an excursion to the Exuma Cays. They can also arrange to take larger groups of up to 120 passengers for 4, 6 or 8 hour private excursions over to Rose Island where they offer groups a live grilling station with a professional chef, full bar, music, water sports, kayaks, snorkeling, hammocks, volleyball… and more! Their services can be fully customized to fit the wants and wishes of their visitors from corporate groups, field trips, wedding parties, bachelor or bachelorette parties, family reunions, you name it – they look forward to exceeding your expectations!
To see more posts on the Bahamas and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory
Festival RumBahamas took over the historic and beautiful Ft. Charlotte in Nassau, Bahamas this year for three fun-filled days from February 27 – March 1.
When we realized we’d be in the Bahamas at about the same time as the rum festival, we made plans to be in Nassau to experience this “rum”tastic event. Boy, were we glad we did!
The organizers of RumBahamas (Events by Alexandra) did a fantastic job of combining festival elements to appeal to the serious rum fanatic as well as to those that enjoy rum because of its ability to conjure up images of beautiful beaches and a tropical escape. RumBahamas 2015 was a feast of delicious rums made even more authentic with the sights, sounds and smells of the tropics.
These were just few of the highlights of this years events for us:
1. Rum tastings. Although we’re not rum experts, we certainly enjoy rum and it was a treat to sample rums that we’ve not experienced before.
2. Having rum connoisseurs at the ready to chat with and answer questions about all aspects of rum.
3. Experiencing and learning about beautiful Fort Charlotte and sipping great rum in a dungeon!
4. The unique combination of a historical fort combined with brightly colored larger than life decorations.
5. The festival atmosphere, replete with some very talented Moko Jumbies, marching bands, live music, and delicious food.
6. Booths and booths of beautiful locally crafted items.
7. Dirty Mules. This tasty ginger and rum drink is new to us and we enjoyed one…or two. Even more appealing as the recipe for this delight is hush, hush.
8. Rum cocktails galore. Want a Piña Colada, Daiquiri or a Bahamian favorite, the Goombay Smash? Not only could you find them there, you could try one with different brands of rums.
9. Capt. Jack Sparrow. Who doesn’t like Capt. Jack? This guy really played the part well.
10. A pirate atmosphere and lots of fun costumes.
11. Rum bottles used as decorations. Ingenious.
12. All of this in a magical setting in the beautiful Bahamas. Bravo.
To see more posts on the Bahamas and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory
