Visitor Information

The two best sources to try before you leave home are your travel agent and The Bahamas Tourist Office nearest you. Visit the nation's official tourism office at www.bahamas.com, or call tel. 800/BAHAMAS or 242/302-2000. You can also walk in at these branch offices:

Chicago: 8600 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 820, North Chicago, IL 60631 (tel. 312/693-1500)

Miami: 1 Turnberry Place, 19495 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 80, Aventura, FL 33180 (tel. 305/932-0051)

Fort Lauderdale: 1100 Lee Wagener Blvd., Suite 204, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315 (tel. 954/359-8099)

Los Angeles: 3450 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 208, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (tel. 213/385-0033)

New York: 150 E. 52nd St., New York, NY 10022 (tel. 212/758-2777)

Texas: 3102 Oak Lawn Ave., Suite 700, Dallas, TX 75219 (tel. 214/560-2280)

Toronto: 121 Bloor St. E., Suite 1101, Toronto, ON M4W 3M5 (tel. 416/968-2999)

United Kingdom: 10 Chesterfield St., London W1J 5JL (tel. 020/7355-0800)

You may also want to contact the U.S. State Department for background bulletins, which supply up-to-date information on crime, health concerns, import restrictions, and other travel matters. Call tel. 888/407-4747 or visit www.travel.state.gov.

A travel agent can be a great source of information. Make sure your agent is a member of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA). If you get poor service from an ASTA agent, you can write to the ASTA Consumer Affairs Department, 1101 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314 (tel. 800/440-ASTA or 703/739-2782; www.astanet.com).

Searching the Web

Bahamas websites include:

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (www.bahamas.com or www.tourismbahamas.org): Official tourism site

The Bahamas Out Islands Promotion Board (www.myoutislands.com): Focuses on remote isles

Bahamas Tourist Guide (www.interknowledge.com/bahamas): Travelers' opinions

Bahamas Vacation Guide (www.bahamasvg.com): Service listings

Nassau/Paradise Island Promotion Board (www.nassauparadiseisland.com): Service listings