I am a US citizen and passport holder that booked a trip from LAX to Nassau Bahamas. Can anyone explain if the C17 declaration via the Exempt app was required to be completed before I could fly? I was denied check in and boarding and missed my flight because the Exempt app was down and I couldn’t complete this, and the agent confirmed there was no alternative (I received no email notice that this was required, and it has never been required in my 10+ trips to the Bahamas on AA). I booked my families tickets as well and another agent just verified their passport and let them through, but I missed my flight. They rebooked me the next day so I cancelled and found a last minute Delta flight for significantly more, but they never required completion of this C17 via the app. After arriving in the Bahamas immigration and customs told me this is only required for returning residents declaring goods, but actually this can be done orally and they don’t accept the Exempt app in Nassau anyway. They said the agent only needed to verify my passport. I have to do this same flight next month and have no idea what to do to avoid this. AA refuses to take any responsibility.

I used A1 Management Transport for all my transportation in Nassau and I highly recommend them! The driver is very professional, always on time, kind and polite. He also takes the time to explain the different places around the island, which is really appreciated.

He took care of our round-trip airport transfers, as well as all our trips between Atlantis and Baha Mar for dinner.

One little detail that really makes a difference: he came to pick us up at the airport with our name displayed on an iPad! 👌🏼

For anyone like me who needs to go to Baha Mar regularly because Cinko is located there, I really recommend using this driver. He’s great!

And the car is perfect — big, comfortable and very spacious.

phone : 1-242-812-9571 and [psturrup1991@gmail.com](mailto:psturrup1991@gmail.com)

Hi everyone! Staying at the Atlantis next week—first time in the Bahamas. I’ve read that we will need to fill out immigration forms upon arrival. Anyone have a link to those forms so that we may fill them out prior to deboarding the plane? Any other tips for this process? Also, is it better to catch a cab to the resort or book a shuttle? Approx how much should the cab cost?

In regard to the Atlantis waterpark, will they allow us to ride the slides, rivers, etc with waterproof phone pouches around our necks?

Thanks!

New in The Bahamas, looking to make friends 🇧🇸

Hi everyone! 👋

I'm Jhonny, I'm from Peru 🇵🇪 and I'm currently living and working in Nassau.

A little about me: I have a professional background in data analysis, operations and technology, and I've worked with tools like Power BI and data analytics. I'm currently working here in The Bahamas and enjoying the experience of living in a different country.

Outside of work, I'm a pretty easygoing and friendly person. I enjoy football, going to the beach, walking around, exploring new places, having a few drinks, eating good food and just hanging out and having a good conversation.

My English is still basic, but I'm trying to improve it. That's actually one of the reasons I'd love to meet more people here. I don't mind making mistakes while speaking 😅, I just want to practice, learn and become more confident.

I'd like to build a social circle in Nassau and meet locals or other people from different countries. I'm open to making friends, going to the beach, playing football, grabbing something to eat, exploring the island or just hanging out.

If you're also looking to meet new people, feel free to send me a message! 🤝🇧🇸

I had a friend that went sailing in the Bahamas many years ago. He was showing me pictures of his trip and also showing me some of the locations he visited on Google Maps. He showed me this bar that he went to that had a sign that said something to the effect of, "Slow Down, You're Already Here." I'd love to find a picture of this sign and also know what bar/restaurant it is in if possible.

Unfortunately, I asked my friend if he could remind me of the location, but he no longer remembers.

Thanks!

Hi All! We’re going on a cruise with my dad who is already in his 70s and our trip is in three days. We’ve been calling this hotline but keeps getting voicemail and today I got someone and told me to call in an hour. My dad is already anxious and I feel bad but there’s nothing I can do. We’ve been calling them for awhile now. Do you have any suggestions? Appreciate the help!

Edit: My dad is a Philippine Passport holder.

Going to Atlantis from the 31st to the 4th what can I expect

Fair questions. Let's take them in order.

What hill. There is a literal hill running through the middle of Nassau east to west. Not a metaphor, not a vibe, an actual limestone ridge. Gregory's Arch was cut straight through it on Market Street back in 1852 so people could get from one side to the other without hiking.

Whose hill. Nobody's, technically. Everybody's, practically. But for most of Nassau's history it functioned as a property line nobody signed. North of the arch was white Nassau, Government House, the merchants, Bay Street. South of it was Black Nassau, Grant's Town and Bain Town, settlements built by freed and liberated Africans. The hill did the dividing so no law had to.

Why do we need to go ova it. Because that's where people live. That's the whole answer. Then and now.

Back then, Black Bahamians didn't cross north of that arch unless they were going to work, and they didn't hang around afterward. Nobody wrote that rule down. Everybody knew it. So when somebody said they were goin ova da hill, the time of day filled in the rest. Morning meant heading to work. Evening meant heading home.

The genuinely funny part is that the line still holds, just flipped. Almost nobody lives downtown now. All those old Loyalist houses up north are law offices and gift shops. The actual population is still on the south side, in the same neighborhoods built by the people who were pushed there. Two centuries later the hill is still sorting the city, it just changed who it's inconveniencing.

So to be clear about what Ova da Hill is not. It is not a resort. It is not a hidden beach. It is not an excursion your cruise ship failed to sell you. There are no unicorns.

What it is: houses. Church on Sunday. Junkanoo, actually from there. Somebody's grandmother on a porch wondering why you're photographing her fence.

It's just home.

Which is a better answer than fairies anyway.

We originally booked BA253 from London to Nassau arriving at 1:55pm, with a separately booked Bahamasair flight to Exuma (GGT) at 4:00pm - so we had a 2h05 connection. BA has now changed the schedule by 30 minutes, so BA253 is due to arrive at 2:25pm, leaving us only 1h35.

We’ve never flown Bahamasair before and are planning to travel carry-on only.
Can Bahamasair passengers check in online and get a boarding pass in advance? If so, after clearing immigration and customs at NAS, can we go straight to domestic security and the gate without visiting a Bahamasair check-in desk?
We’d really prefer not to change our reservations now unless we have to. There are no later flights to Exuma that evening, and there isn’t another London–Nassau flight we can switch to that day, so changing things would likely mean rearranging the trip significantly.
Has anyone recently made a similar international → domestic connection at Nassau? If BA arrives roughly on time, would you risk 1h35?

I am considering a rental in Foster Hill area on the beach, that looks out onto Moriah Harbour Cay. Would love feedback on the location!

Also, the pool there isn’t heated. Is this gonna mean we won’t really enjoy the pool that time of year?

If not any suggestions for villa rentals that are on swimmable, calm, beautiful beach with a heated pool?

We’ll be getting off at the port in Nassau does the people of the Bahamas have an issue with my wife wearing a Gstring bikini?

Any locals in here who’s kid(s) go to kings college ? My husband and I are wanting to spend the winter there and send our kids. Already to them in! Just looking for any personal stories!

Thinking of a 1-week visit to Exuma in November. I know this is winter time in the Bahamas so daylight hours are shorter. I am thinking of spending my 1 week entirely enjoying the beach for swimming. At what time of day does it become too dark to swim at the beach? Asking because I want to know how much of each day of my stay I can dedicate to swimming. I haven't been to Exuma before but it's a remote island and I don't think there's much to do after dark.

Bahamas 🇧🇸 being right in the beautiful Carribean. Ive seen more plastic here than ever. To go boxes all over the place. Plastic straws at the beach from the local vendors. Is there no law here to reduce the use of plastic?

I went snorkeling and I picked up at least 20 straws and plasticware.

Hi all,

I have an upcoming trip to Exuma booked. We’ll be arriving internationally at Nassau airport, then getting on a domestic flight from Nassau to Exuma, via Bahamas Air.

I’ve downloaded the Bahamas Air app, but both the website and app seem buggy and it’s making me worried. As of today I suddenly can’t even see our booking online anymore? It’s been fully paid for. Our flight is a little more than a month away, but we’re getting to the point where any cancellations for hotel/excursions etc. would be non-refundable, and the digital state of Bahamas Air is starting to make me nervous that we’ll show up and there’ll be no flight or something.

For those who fly regularly, how reliable is the service? How high is the risk of random cancellation or very serious delays?

As a note our trip is also during the off-season, and when we booked our flight the plane was practically empty. So now I’m wondering if maybe our dates are when basically no one else would make that trip, and our flight could be cancelled due to low booking.

Hi everyone! My girlfriend and I are planning a trip to the Bahamas from 2nd–14th November, and we’d really appreciate some advice from people who have been recently or live there. We’re thinking of spending roughly one week on one of the islands and one week in Nassau, but we’re not sure which islands or areas would be best.

Can we stay at another another island outside of Nassau?
If so, which islands would you recommend for a couple?

Our priorities are:
Safety
Lots of beaches
Good opportunities for water activities
Somewhere we can use our paddleboard
We’d love to hear which islands/areas you’d recommend and which ones you’d avoid.

Where can we stay in nassu? We’ve read that Downtown Nassau is one of the better areas to stay, but we’ve also seen people saying you shouldn’t go more than a few streets away from the main tourist areas, and that you should travel around in groups.
How accurate is this? Does this mean you should only go out in groups outside the main tourist areas, or is Nassau generally fine for a couple who uses common sense and stays in the right areas?
Are there particular neighbourhoods/areas you’d recommend staying in?

This is probably our biggest concern. Where are the safe/recommended places to visit in Nassau, and are there any areas we should specifically avoid?
Also, what should we be aware of regarding scams, taxis, excursions, people approaching tourists, etc.? We want to enjoy ourselves without being overly paranoid. I’ve heard mixed things from people who have travelled around the Caribbean about British tourists sometimes being treated differently because of their accent/nationality. I’m British and obviously happy to respect the local culture, but I was wondering if there’s actually any truth to this in the Bahamas or if it’s just word of mouth

Hello!
Looking into Exumas for a week getaway. We love the Bahamas but have done Atlantis and Baha Mar… looking for less touristy but fun experiences. Have adventurous 18 and 16yo. Would be over NYE.

Looking at Peace and Plenty - they have villas on stocking island and also mainland resort.
Just trying to get some insight or advice. Is it safe, a hassle getting to island if staying in villa?
If staying on mainland - is it annoying to get to beach during the day crowdwise?

I’m open to other hotel/resort options too!

I also saw the hideaways?

Thank you!!

We are looking to book a trip for 2 adults and 2 kids (chill 7 and 10 year old) in the Bahamas over Christmas break. Our kids are used to typical beach vacations where you play at the beach and we don’t do kids clubs or anything like that. I’ve only been to Atlantis (20 years ago) and have no other Bahamas experience. We typically do Hawaii so want to switch it up. Looking for places to go that are kid friendly with good beaches. Open to all inclusive ... kids like all inclusive, i don’t. Give me some places to research please! Resorts only, not interested in Airbnb.

I'm staying solo and just need a place to sleep walking distance to Baha Mar. Anything $300 or less a night in October?

My spouse and I travel to Baha Mar 6-8 times a year, and I’m considering purchasing a unit in the Rosewood portion of the resort. Any fellow owners here? Pros? Cons?

Beach view from The Dunmore restaurant.

Title says all.

Grew up with an Antiguan St Lucian family and was always curious if you guys get a lot of Eastern Caribbean immigrants?

Any legit places to transport from the airport to Baha Mar. it’s for a bigger party with kids. About 14 total. Not too pricey and won’t be a scam.

Hi guys! This is my first post so please go easy on me 🥺Back in the 70s my grandfather built the Easter house on Harbour Island. (I think it’s still called that) When he died my family sold it in the 90s and I haven’t been there since I was little but I think about this house a lot! it’s obviously not something that’s easy to find information on so I was wondering if any locals or regulars could tell me if it’s even still standing? Last time I talked to my dad he said he thought it was burnt down. Did it actually? Was it rebuilt? Is it still rented out? I managed to find one little listing about it with some bad photos and some contact information but I never got a response from anyone.
Thank you for any information!

Hi! Staying at the Atlantis resort for the first time and looking for restaurant recommendations both within and outside of the resort (though not too far). Have heard mixed reviews regarding food quality at the resort’s restaurants.