Is It Better in The Bahamas? Do It or Ditch It – Atlantis July 15, 2015 – Posted in: Blog
I’ve heard about Atlantis, a giant pink palace by the sea for years. It’s heavily marketed in the U.S. and I was intrigued to find out what this place was all about.
Jewelry featured above: (left) Santorini Earrings (right) Kailua Beach Pearl Earrings (in gold tone), Maui Shark Tooth 14kt gold-filled necklace by custom order here.
In this blog post of DO IT or DITCH IT: Bahamas:
I’ll share my personal opinions on the hotel as well as the locations that we personally visited. Hopefully this saves you some time in your contemplation to visit Paradise Island. We were there for three days of work-related activities and meetings and decided to extend our trip for another four days.
To sum up Atlantis in a quick sentence, I’d say it’s an enormous property that caters to every age. That being said as a married couple in our 30s without kids, we do not typically choose destinations that cater to all age ranges.
We were given a room in The Reef building which was the family-friendly building as opposed to The Cove which is adults-only. Nevertheless, we had a great room with an incredible view so we can’t complain!
Below is a recap of our personal experience at Atlantis:
THE BEACHES
Insanely gorgeous. I have never seen water so incredibly clear and bright seafoam green in my life! Fish literally swam all around us (not a favorite for some) but it felt like we were scuba diving without the gear at times.
The Cove Beach has very comfortable lounge chairs that the staff will set up for you with attached sun covers. It can get a bit crowded but that’s something that you’ll find in most areas of the property.
I was lucky enough to spend some time with my girlfriend, Tess who was attending the awards trip with her husband as well. We hadn’t seen eachother in person for five years, which coincidentally was the same year we were all getting married! Fast forward almost five years later and this gorgeous being is a mama of twin babes and has her own blog documenting all of their adventures.
Note that there is a cruise ship terminal here. It’s a whole different world when boatloads of people ascend upon Atlantis. Once they clear out –it’s back to more expansive beaches. Luckily there are various beaches to choose from around the resort.
Jewelry featured above: (3) Thailand Moon Party bracelets, (1) Amazonian Açai Bracelet, (1) Samba Brasileira Açai and Tassle Bracelet, (1) Kauai Moon Crystal Charm Bracelet
DITCH IT: When you see masses of people following a sign on a stick, it’s usually a group from a cruise ship tour –head to another beach for a little more tranquility.
POOLS
The Cove Beach is next to the adult pool which goes from a serene experience to a Vegas-style-champagne-spraying-spring-break at some points. We were there over Memorial Day weekend so I think that may have brought out the ragers. During the week it was much calmer.
WATERPARK – DO IT
There are tons of other pools around the property as well as the giant waterpark. Hold onto your bikini tops, ladies some of these slides and rivers are wild! We grabbed some fruity drinks and experienced shooting down a shark tank and others that I only need to experience once in my life. I’m a claustrophobic person do dark tubes that I’m sliding down with rushing water are a little crazy for me! My husband on the other hand shot down each one and came out as happy as a clam.
CULINARY ADVENTURES – DO IT
There’s no shortage of anything under the sun to eat, so this topic would take up pages. One of our favorites was Nobu which we had on our last night there.
YACHT WALKING AT THE MARINA – DO IT
Let me first say that I’ve been to Monte Carlo and thought I had seen life-size yachts. The yachts (most of them) in Monte Carlo paled in comparison to the ones at the Marina by Atlantis. Some seemed to have stretched city blocks and were immaculate! It’s a gorgeous stroll for fresh air (especially to get away from the casino). While the shops are a little touristy at Marina Village, the yachts are worth the it.
SPA – DO IT
Eric and I both got massages at Mandara Spa on the property while we were there and that was definitely a highlight. It’s a completely serene spa and even the waiting room upstairs is a great experience.
Fruit infused waters, plush robes and Bali-style surroundings transport you into a paradise of its own.
By the time my 60 minute massage was over I was wishing there were another 60 minutes. They offer a full range of spa and salon services and it’s a great break from the sun.
AMERICA’S CUP REGATTA SAILING – DO IT
This was a truly unforgettable experience. We were picked up from the hotel and taken to our yacht. This was a yacht used in previous AC competition and now repurposed for tours. Our lively captain gave us background info on the yacht and even had some people take on the jobs of putting up the sails. Yours truly was elected to steer which was pretty incredible.
The captain instructed me to take it in to the dock and let me know I was the second person to ever “park it”! It was exciting to race the other yacht and provided an out of the box experience for us to take part in while we were in the Bahamas.
Overall we had a great time at Atlantis. If you know going into it that it’s far from an adults-only experience its an incredibly large property, you’re well on your way to a great time. I do wish that we had taken a day or two to visit Eleuthera (and swim with the pigs) but there’s always a next time.
I hope our adventure helps you plan the next one on your list!
JEWELRY FEATURED ABOVE:
BRACELETS: (3) Thailand Moon Party bracelets • (1) Samba Brasileira Açai and Tassle Bracelet • (2) Kauai Moon Crystal Charm Bracelet • (1) Marbella Baroque Pearl Bracelet • EARRINGS: Phuket Jewel in the Lotus Earrings • NECKLACES: Andaman Sea Boho Gemstone Necklace • Koh Phi Phi Island Serenity Necklace
See you next time, Bahamas!
Disclosure: The first three days of our stay at Atlantis were part of an awards. The remaining four days were personally funded.
