Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board's Betty Bethel, Director & Carmel Churchill, Director of Marketing Services
A close and intimate dolphin encounter
Hungry, hungry sharks
Kayaking through the mangroves with Sunwing's Regan Baird & Yves Guezou from Montreal
Our Jeep convoy stops for a photo op
The Star Restaurant & Bar's Robert Grant preps his famous conch salad
Conch gathered fresh from the ocean
Top down on my 4x4 Jeep and wind in my hair… the Jeep Tour on Grand Bahama Island was the epitome of cool. Aside from being extra wary of which lane and direction I was driving (they drive on the wrong…ahem “other” side of the road) our convoy was cruising along just fine.
This was one of the many excursions I experienced on a recent Sunwing FAM to the beautiful Grand Bahama Island. The destination was at its tourism peak 20-30 years ago until back-to-back Hurricanes, Frances and Jeanne, ripped through the island. Insurance companies went bankrupt and resorts were unable to rebuild.
“Unfortunately, Grand Bahama has been underserved in regards to lift,” said Paul Strachan, Director of the Bahamas Tourist Office. Now, with Sunwing’s new program to Freeport, the opening of its latest BlueDiamond Resort and departures from 6 Canadian gateways, the Bahamas Tourist Office is breathing new life into the destination and Grand Bahama Island is on its way to becoming the country’s next hot spot.
What makes this destination so special aside from the friendly Bahamians, beautiful beaches and bang for your buck? According to Betty Bethel, Director of the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board, a focus has been placed on their product offerings as more of a soft adventure destination experience.
I had the opportunity to try some of these excursions and I’d have to say that they whetted the appetite of my adventurous side. We got up close and personal with dolphins at the UNEXSO dolphin encounter. What made the experience even more enjoyable were the informative (…and animated) facilitators.
Not as up close and personal (which was a good thing, believe me) was the Reef Tours’ Glass Bottom Boat Tour. Along with the colourful coral and tropical fish, there was a swarm of hungry looking sharks circulating our vessel. Amazing sight for sure, but there’d be no kissing here!
Kayaking through the mangroves of the Lucayan National Park with Grand Bahama Nature Tours was surprisingly calming and tranquil, despite also being a thorough upper body workout. And I already mentioned our cool Jeep tour which brought us to sites that included Clough Point, Grand Bahama’s protected Pine Forest and the pristine Gold Rock Beach.
Of course, no travel experience is complete without taste testing some of the local cuisine and the dish that still haunts my food cravings is the conch salad that was served seaside in the city of West End. A 45 min. drive took us to The Star Restaurant & Bar, where Robert Grant, Owner, hospitable host and conch salad connoisseur, shared stories about West End and his family’s history.
That was my Grand Bahama adventure in a conch shell. With the revival of the destination’s tourism industry, more and more adventures await.
At Clough's Point on Grand Bahama Island
