There's a lot to see in Nassau. Many tour options can suit your taste and take you through the colorful historic city and outlying sights of interest.
Walking tours, arranged by the Ministry of Tourism, leave from the Tourist Information Booth at Festival Place every day intermittently, depending on demand, at 10am. Tours last an hour each and include descriptions of some of the city's most venerable buildings, with commentaries on Nassau's history, customs, and traditions. The cost is $10 (£5.30) per person for all ages. Call tel. 242/395-8382 to confirm that tours are scheduled. Advance reservations are "helpful but not essential," according to a Ministry spokesperson.
Majestic Tours, Hillside Manor, Cumberland Street, Nassau (tel. 242/322-2606), offers a number of trips, both night and day. A 2 1/2-hour city-and-country tour leaves daily at 2pm, visiting major points of interest in Nassau, including the forts, the Queen's Staircase, the water tower, and the former site of the Straw Market (passing but not entering it). The tour costs $40 (£21) per person. An extended city-and-country tour also leaves daily at 2pm and includes the Ardastra Gardens. The charge is $50 (£27) per person, half-price for children 12 and under. Combination tours depart Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 10am and combine all the sights you see on the first tour listed above, plus the Retreat Gardens and lunch. They cost $60 (£32) per person, half-price for children. Many hotels have a Majestic Tours Hospitality Desk in the lobby, for information about these tours, as well as for reservations and tickets. Other hotels can supply brochures and tell you where to sign up.
Journeys into the Wilds
You can take a day off from the beach and join one of the wildlife tours offered by Bahamas Outdoors, P.O. Box CB12564 (tel. 242/362-1574 or 242/457-0329; www.bahamasoutdoors.com). We highly recommend Carolyn Wardle, president of Bahamas Outdoors, for insight into the best of the island's remaining wildlife habitats. Born in Surrey, England, and a resident of New Providence for at least 42 years, Ms. Wardle, a passionate conservationist, is a well-known figure to residents of New Providence's more isolated regions. Armed with sturdy shoes, a Bahamas Outdoors T-shirt, sunglasses, a hat, and binoculars, she knows the island's wildlife habitats (forest, seashore, and freshwater ponds) better than anyone on the island. Consider signing on for a half-day tour, priced at $59 (£31) per person, or a full-day tour, at $99 (£52) per person. Tours rarely include more than a half-dozen participants and can be conducted either within a vehicle (with frequent stops along the way for closer observation) or on an all-terrain bike. Depending on what you communicate in advance, the focus of your island tour could include birds, native flora and fauna, butterflies, national parks, historic sites, or -- best of all -- a combination of all of them. Access to binoculars and a battered collection of field guides are included as part of the price of any tour. The full-day tours also include a picnic lunch.
Advance reservations at least a day in advance are advised. Most tours begin in front of the tour participants' hotel at whatever time was prearranged. Bird-watching tours tend to begin earlier (around 7am) than biking and/or historic and nature tours, which begin just a bit later. Ms. Wardle, incidentally, is a director of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB).
