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Read The Glass Window Bridge like you’ve never seen before on The Domestic Tourist.
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Category Archives: The Domestic Tourist
Get even, not jealous: Live Better Travel More
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Read Get even, not jealous: Live Better Travel More on The Domestic Tourist.
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Governor’s Harbour Sunset, Eleuthera, Bahamas
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Read Governor’s Harbour Sunset, Eleuthera, Bahamas on The Domestic Tourist.
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BTC goes on island adventure with Domestic Tourist
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Iconic Long Island attractions take centre stage in a new television commercial thanks to a partnership between the leading island hopping travel blog, The Domestic Tourist, and the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC).
BTC signed Noelle Khalila, the Domestic Tourist as the newest brand talent for promoting its internet service last week. Noelle Khalila will be featured in ads for the company’s ongoing BTC Everyday brand campaign.
The new commercial features some of Long Island’s most distinctive treasures, highlighting the simple and free fun that makes island life so appealing. Children at play by the Salt Pond dock, where hundreds usually congregate for the annual Long Island Regatta, finding amusement by daring each other to jump off the dock and goading strange travellers to join the fun.
“On the Domestic Tourist Facebook page we plan to run a fun giveaway around naming these iconic locations, so we hope our fans stay tuned,” said Noelle Khalila.
The world renowned Dean’s Blue Hole makes the cut, with Noelle Khalila plunging from its 30 foot cliffs. Sandy Cay Beach is also featured, along with its native residents, protected Bahamian rock iguanas.
“BTC’s message – every island, every connection, everyday – was something I could align myself to, because the Domestic Tourist is about discovering, exploring and sharing island experiences across the Islands of The Bahamas all the time. I am promoting a lifestyle of self- discovery through travel, of life enjoyment through trying new things. I sum it up best by saying, live better, travel more. The Bahamas happens to be a playground for all of that to take place and I am blessed to showcase the faces of the islands many people do not know,” said Noelle Khalila.
“As an online brand we rely on BTC’s Internet services everyday, so it is only natural they would see value in an endorsement by The Domestic Tourist. We use their products in a way that is fresh, fun, exciting and innovative, plus it serves a broader national development interest. I believe the relationship has a lot of potential, so hopefully it will be maximised,” she said.
Full time island-hopping is quite an undertaking, and producing digital content to go along with those travels is no easy feat. It is an important job made possible through technology.
“We can’t live in a country selling travel to tourists and not enjoy the pleasure ourselves. We hope to continue inspiring our readers, motivating them to go on their own island adventures. We are always open to mutual collaborations to help us achieve that objective,” said Noelle Khalila.
Readers can follow the Domestic Tourist on Twitter @explorebahamas, on Instagram and Facebook and at the website http://www.domestictourist.com.
Read BTC goes on island adventure with Domestic Tourist on The Domestic Tourist.
This article was originally published on The Domestic Tourist
All you need to know about Sapphire Hole: Belly flops sting
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In case you wondered, belly flops sting, and they bruise. I know this because I over rotated on a front somersault and belly flopped in Sapphire Hole, my favourite blue hole in North Eleuthera.
Tucked inside the bushes of Northern Eleuthera, a few feet off an unnamed track road, is a blue hole with unmatched water visibility. You will not find Sapphire Hole on tourist maps, even though less than five minutes down the road sits the most historically significant natural attraction in Eleuthera, Preacher’s Cave.
The significance of its depth is not below the water. Light penetrates the salty pool illuminating the bottom. The perimeter walls, however, stand about 20 feet around the entire circumference. In other words, cannot be afraid of heights and fully enjoy this natural attraction.
I attempted the daring flip because more than 10 years ago I used to be a gymnast. Every now and then, when I’m on the beach showing off in front of fast-talking boys or being a dare devil diving off cliffs, I draw on my skills. Every now and then (actually this was the first time) my aging body and fading memory fails me. I usually keep within my limits.
Of course the lesson I’m taking away is not, do not somersault off 20 foot cliffs. It is, do not over rotate when you somersault off 20 foot cliffs. Fortunately the only evidence of my failing judgment is this blog, and my bruised leg.
Sapphire Hole is one of those spots you never tire of visiting, because each visit adds a new dimension. Fellow Domestic Tourist Mark Daniels, a Bahamas National Trust park ranger and manager of the Leon Levy Nature Preserve introduced me to the spot and it keeps calling me back. On my virgin encounter I jumped. The second time I visited I dove in (not so gracefully). The third time I belly flopped. So naturally, I have to go a forth time to redeem my honour with a graceful dive and a somersault worthy of my former gymnastics fame.
As far as I know, the blue hole has no official name, so I named it. Most people refer to it as “the blue hole in the bush close to Preacher’s Cave”. Its new name, according to The Domestic Tourist, is Sapphire Hole.
What is most intimidating about the blue hole is the thought of getting stuck down below. Two sturdy ropes hang from a tree truck to assist in climbing out. But you hardly need to use the ropes. The rocks on behind the ropes are assembled perfectly for free climbing. It takes a bit of confidence, but not a lot of skill to scale the wall.
The bottom-line is do not leave Sapphire Hole off your itinerary when visiting Eleuthera, especially if you’re looking for things to do that will get your blood pumping.
Read All you need to know about Sapphire Hole: Belly flops sting on The Domestic Tourist.
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Introducing Sapphire Hole, the baddest blue hole in North Eleuthera
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The most epic conch burger: Lunch is served
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Four ingredients make my Chat ‘N’ Chill® conch burger simply epic:
- The meat is actually ground up and made into a conch patty (not my doing, but still)
- I layer on their signature coleslaw that is seasoned with black pepper;
- French Fries, of course. A burger is incomplete without them; and
- KB’s Hot Sauce, a scotch bonnet mixture that is homemade by one of the owners.
Oh, what sweet delight. I constructed my very own epic conch burger at Chat ‘N’ Chill®, one of the top beach front restaurants in Great Exuma, and it was sublime. Follow these simple steps for your very own epic experience.
Read The most epic conch burger: Lunch is served on The Domestic Tourist.
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Visiting Exuma: You must try this
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Simplicity, Comfort, Passion, Style: 4 Synonyms for Small Hope Bay Lodge
In the Out Islands of the Bahamas, you can get to know the style and character of a resort or restaurant – just about any type of tourism related property – by getting to know the owners. Invariably, the properties are a reflection of their personalities. I found this to be true once again at Small Hope Bay Lodge, Central Andros, Bahamas.
Within minutes of my arrival, I was hooked on Small Hope Bay. The first thing I saw, after the beach, was a swinging love chair made from hammock net dangling in front of the reception office. The property is strewn with hammocks, which anyone who read my earlier blog post about the best hammock in Nassau, will know I love.
On arrival, you cannot escape noticing the common area inside the main lodge house, which is visible through a giant glass window. There is a live tree wrapped with lush green vines growing inside the middle of the room. The interior walls are finished with uncut native stone tiles accented by Androsia tapestries. The pea shaped wooden coffee table is offset by a two couches with Androsia upholstered cushions, sitting next to a large chessboard with carved wood chess pieces.
I’m no interior decorator, but with all of its idiosyncratic charm, the common area immediately gave me a comforting sense of peace and relaxation. And then, the room opened up to a wider common area, where there was a bar cut from the hull of an old ship, a dining area separated by pastel soft draping tapestries, and best of all, a fire place.
I never thought I would come to appreciate a fire place while travelling in Andros, Bahamas; I have no shame in saying I did. Not because it was cute, which it was, as I am 100 percent certain my mother would say. Most importantly, it was functional: in the middle of a Bahamas cold front, on a beach front resort, the fire place was the resort’s best asset.
While there is no Internet access in the rooms, you can log onto the Wifi in the common areas anytime except between 6.30-8pm each night when the hotel shuts it down to serve dinner. The hallmark of the dining room is common dining. You sit and mingle with whoever is staying at the lodge. If you request a private table, it can be provided, but the lodge intentionally promotes a family atmosphere, where guest can meet new people and build relationships with the staff.
Now, enter Jeff Birch, owner and operator. Once I got to know the owner Jeff, the resort all made perfect sense. He is a no-pretense, unabashed nature loving people’s people. In another lifetime he perhaps could have been a millionaire with a pimped out RV (circa “Rock My RV” with legendary rocker Bret Michaels) living in a trailer park; in other words, someone who defines good taste by simplicity, relationships, passion, comfort and an enduring respect for nature.
During my short stay at Small Hope Bay Lodge there is a lot I did not get to do. However, I saw enough to know, it is after my heart. And I could certainly get used to coming back to learn more. If luxury travel is a bit too pretentious for you, but you love comfort, character and simplicity, you will probably fit well at Small Hope Bay Lodge, Andros, Bahamas.
Read Simplicity, Comfort, Passion, Style: 4 Synonyms for Small Hope Bay Lodge on The Domestic Tourist.
This article was originally published on The Domestic Tourist
Kamalame Cay: the closest faraway island oasis for luxury travellers
I almost witnessed the destruction of a marriage this weekend when I visited the island oasis Kamalame Cay in Staniard Creek, Andros, Bahamas, but not for any reason I am sure you may be thinking. A young professional couple from Atlanta enjoyed a weekend stay at the private island, but someone got the flight arrangements wrong, forcing a disgruntled wife to leave the island begrudgingly a day early.
During a refined Saturday night wine pairing dinner, the error was not mentioned once or twice or three times, but so many times I lost count. I guarantee you, in addition to memory of the coconut spiced soup served in a fresh jelly-filled coconut husk or the sauteed lobster plated with traditional Bahamian grits, which they delightfully sampled on their last night of island romance, I am certain, one memory that will always be a source of marital discontent is how they had to dismount from the lap of luxury 24-hours too soon.
Kamalame Cay is one of the most accessible luxury escapes within 20 minutes of the capital Nassau. A 15 minute helicopter ride will land you on a private beach, minutes away from your very own beach-front bungalow. This is the preferred choice if bumpy roads sour your taste. The alternative, a 15-minute charter or commercial flight that will carry you into Fresh Creek, where a 25-minute taxi ride and a three-minute ferry boat will transport you to Kamalame. Booking a stay there is no more hassle than visiting www.kamalame.com and securing your connecting flight from Nassau at www.bahamago.com.
From the Western shore of the island, the glow on the horizon at night is the capital Nassau, so far but just close enough; a perfect metaphor for the type of experience you will find on the island: service at your convenience and autonomy at your leisure. You can make your own private fun on the island, or join the organized action available at the main social hubs.
You will find the Manhattan-esque social scene at The Great House and the Tikki Bar on Kamalame Cay: interesting people with a passion for life and a love of their own eccentricities. The energy of the island comes directly from the owners and managers, a Jamaican family naturalized in the Bahamas with Asian roots; they are at the same time sophisticated, smart, flamboyant and saucy with a touch of spice. For sure, they are full of life with a knack for ‘making you have a good time’, even if you and they are the only ones on the island. They live there and treat guests as if family returning home.
And although the social scene is a major part of the island, it is large enough to offer a completely different experience. Four words to let you know if you identify with this side of Kamalame Cay: privacy, comfort, service and romance. Children are welcome on the island, but it definitely suits an adult taste more completely.
The 96 acres is lined by three miles of white-sand beach; the swaying palms and coconut groves hide the beach and cottage suits nestled amongst the lush vegetation. Their sweeping verandas and panoramic views are paired with the essential amenities and the finest service. And there are lots for sale, where you can buy or build a private home. You can stay as a guest, or visit for a short stay to simply dine on the island or seek refuge and relaxation at the over-water spa. From the Western end of Nassau you can reach Kamalame Cay by boat faster than Rose Island.
I certainly only had a small taste of Kamalame Cay on my first visit to the island, but I saw enough to know, the island is the type of retreat that luxury travellers could certainly dream of owning or experiencing. The resort has been around for 15 years, and as long as it delivers on the service side, every time, it should have an easy go at another 15 years.
Read Kamalame Cay: the closest faraway island oasis for luxury travellers on The Domestic Tourist.
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