Are ATM Machines easily accessible?
Most of the larger islands have ATMs located in airport terminals, branch banks, most casinos and other convenient locations. Most machines dispense local currency. Machines in casinos and at Rawson Square in Nassau dispense U.S. dollars.
What are the local Banking Hours?
Banking hours are 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Fridays. Most automatic teller machines (ATMs) are open 24 hours. Queries relating to banking regulations may be addressed to the Bank Supervision Department, Central Bank of The Bahamas, P.O. Box N-4868, Nassau, Bahamas, or call 242-322-2193.
Are Cellular Services available?
The Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation (BaTelCo) has automatic roaming agreements with cellular carriers in the United States, Canada and Mexico. BaTelCo's roaming partners include Aliant Cellular, Ameritech Cellular, BCTEL Mobility, Bell Mobility, Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile, BellSouth Mobility, Blue Ridge Cellular, Cantel, Cellular Holding, Cellular One Bay Area Cellular, Cellular One of Illinois, Cellular One of Southwest Florida, Comcast Cellular, Crowley Cellular, Dansbury Cellular, Pioneer/Enid Cellular, MT&T Mobile, NBTel Mobility, Radiofone, 360° Communications, Telcel, TELUS Mobility U.S. Cellular and Western Wireless.
If your home carrier has a roaming agreement with BaTelCo and your cellular number is active in The Islands Of The Bahamas, you can enjoy cellular service. Simply ensure that your phone is switched to system B and dial away!
To place a call, dial 7 digits for local calls and 10 digits for calls to the United States and Canada.
To receive a call, the caller must dial BaTelCo's access code (242-359-7626), wait for the second dial tone and dial the roamer's cellular number including the area code. Billing is a breeze ... There are no activation fees for Roaming in The Bahamas and you will be billed via your home carrier at a rate of $3.00 per day and $0.99 per minute (plus toll charges for long distance calls).
Note: Roaming agreements are subject to change without notice. Additionally, a carrier may have a Roaming agreement with BaTelCo but opt to disallow Roaming in The Bahamas for some of their markets.
What is the Dress Code in The Bahamas?
Casual summer wear can be worn during the day any time of the year, but be sure to bring a jacket or sweater for cooler evenings from December to February. Most hotels, restaurants and casinos require jackets for men in the evening, especially in cosmopolitan Nassau and Grand Bahama Island. Though walking the streets in swim trunks in mid-January might sound irresistible, beach clothing is inappropriate on the streets of downtown Nassau, in churches, restaurants and casinos. On the more laid-back Out Islands, dress codes are more flexible.
Commerce
Are things expensive in The Islands Of The Bahamas? Prices in The Islands Of The Bahamas are comparable to other destinations. Prices vary in relation to the product. Some luxury items, for example, liquor, perfume, watches and photography equipment can be more reasonably priced than in the Unites States. Breadbasket items tend to be more expensive than in the United States. Can I spend U.S. dollars in The Islands Of The Bahamas? Yes. The United States dollar is on par with the Bahamian dollar.
Driving
British rules apply, so please drive on the left and watch those roundabouts! Persons entering a roundabout (traffic circle) must give way to traffic coming from the right already on the roundabout. Visitors may use their home license for up to three months and may also apply for an international driver's license. Pedestrians should remember to look right before crossing streets.
What are the Emergency Numbers in The Bahamas?
The visitor emergency number for travelers in distress is 242-326-HELP.
What Languages are spoken in The Bahamas?
The official language of The Islands Of The Bahamas is English, more British than American, and generally intertwined with a special Bahamian dialect. The increase in the Hatian population, have forced some businesses to employ Creol translators.
What is the Mailing system like in The Bahamas?
If you are sending letters or postcards from The Islands Of The Bahamas, be sure to use only Bahamian stamps. Mail traveling to The Out Islands will arrive a bit more slowly than to Nassau and Grand Bahama Island since it goes by mail boat.
Sports
The Islands Of The Bahamas have a variety of water sports activities, such as scuba diving, snorkeling, parasailing, water/jet-skiing, windsurfing, fishing, sailing and boating. Land sport activities include tennis, golf, cricket, soccer, bowling, squash, track and field events, basketball, American football, baseball, volleyball, roller-skating and field hockey. And big game fishing.
Time
Eastern Standard Time is used on all islands. April to October is Eastern Daylight Time, in conjunction with U.S. summer hours.
What is the currency in the The Bahamas and do I need to exchange my money for Bahamian?
The Bahamian dollar is on par with the US dollar and either currency is accepted in the Bahamas. Some Bahamian money are considered novelty and make good souvenirs such as the 15¢ coin and the $3.00 bill.
What is the legal age for drinking and gambling?
18 years of age.
Is it possible to work in The Bahamas if I am not a Bahamian citizen?
Generally no. There are exceptions for those having skills not available from a Bahamian. The employer must show proof of exhaustive searching for a suitable Bahamian prior to applying for a work permit for the foreign candidate. Work permits can be costly and are assessed based on the value of skills. The field of teaching is an area of need and many teachers enter on work permits. For more detailed information on working in The Bahamas, Immigrations and Residency please refer to this resource.
What taxes will I pay?
Those guests at hotels will pay a government tax of 6% and a resort levy of 6% as well as a maid service charge on the hotel room. Departure tax (children under age 6 are exempt) is $15.00 (one-day excursion passengers pay only $13 by sea) throughout The Bahamas however, in Grand Bahama (Freeport) there is an additional $5.00 airport security fee for a total of $20.00. In 2003 the departure tax itself has been included in the price of airline tickets but the security fee remains payable at time of departure. Small children are exempt of the departure tax. There is a fee of $2.00 for motorized vehicles to cross the Paradise Island Bridge and 25¢ for all others.
How much should I tip?
15% is the acceptable amount to tip wait staff, taxi drivers and others offering personal services. Many restaurants automatically add the gratuities to the guest bill, so be sure and look to for the restaurant policy or upon the bill. If you are uncertain of the policy or if the charge has been added inquire. For bell boys and porters is customary to tip $1.00 per bag.
Is nude or topless sunbathing allowed?
Generally no, it is not legal to be nude in public. However those who wish to do so will find that there are certain unfrequented beaches they may go to and privately sunbathe as they prefer.
What are driving and walking rules?
Driving is on the left, so walking should be on the right for safety. Wearing helmets while riding on a scooter or motorbike is compulsory.
What are the means of transportation if I don't wish to rent a vehicle?
Buses, rental cars, motor bikes, bicycles, tour cars and limousines are available for hire. Airports, sea ports, hotels, shopping centres and other busier destinations have taxis standing near by. They can be called on the less frequented islands. Always ask and agree to a fare before starting your journey. Nearly all islands have a regular bus schedule. Buses/Jitney are privately owned in the Bahamas and are smaller than the traditional buses such as used in the U.S., Great Britain and other regions. Schedules are posted on the Jitneys, if you are unfamiliar with routes question the driver and ask which bus to wait for to reach your destination. They may only run during daylight hours after which you will need to hire cabs.
What are the current taxi fares?
Taxi fares are government regulated and all cabs are required to have meters. General rates for one or two passengers are $3 for the first quarter mile and each additional quarter mile is forty cents. Each additional passenger is $3 however children under age three are free.
Waiting rates are thirty cents a minute and Baggage charges are free up to two items of hand luggage and small bags/packages carried by the passengers. Additional pieces of luggage are seventy-fives cents, large bags, golf clubs and boxes cost one dollar each.
What are the laws concerning possession of illegal drugs?
It is a serious criminal offense to be in possession of illegal drugs.
Can I camp in The Bahamas?
The Bahamas does not cater to campers and does not offer any formal camp grounds. It is not advisable to camp on the beaches. To camp on privately owned property it is required that you obtain the permission of the land owner.
What is the electrical service?
Electric is 120 volts AC. American appliances will work just fine.
Can I drink the water?
The tap water is fine for drinking. However some folks prefer bottled water purely based on flavour. It is readily available for purchase.
What are the business hours?
For shops in Nassau normal weekday business hours are from 9am to 5pm and on Grand Bahama they tend to vary but mainly operate from 10am to 6pm. Many businesses make choices to open early or stay open later. They are usually open the same hours on Saturdays although some businesses reduce the open hours. On Sundays nearly all shops are closed but you may find some straw vendors still open. Grocery stores open at 7:30am and close at 9:00pm Monday through Saturday and on Sunday most are only open from 7:30am and close at 10:00am.
Do I need to obtain vaccinations prior to going to The Bahamas?
No you need not get shots to travel to The Bahamas.
How do I make overseas calls from The Bahamas?
You will find that most pay telephones in The Bahamas have discontinued accepting quarters.
To use these pay phones you require a prepaid phone card issued by BATELCO (The Bahamas Telecommunications Company). The cards are readily for sale from vending machines, many stores and restaurants, and from BATELCO offices. They come in denominations starting at $5.00. If you use a pay phone you can access the following long distance carriers toll free (but you will need the card to initiate the call) to use your service from The Bahamas or you can simply use a regular phone:
- AT&T Canada Country Direct 1-800-389-0004
- Canada Direct (Stentor) 1-800-463-0501
- MCI Call USA 1-800-888-8000
- Sprint Express 1-800-389-2111
- USA Direct 1-800-872-2881 (AT&T)
- U.K. Direct 1-800-389-4444
Blocked phones and prepaid cards: many phones do not offer long distance service (many folks elect not to engage in overseas phone service as if there is a dispute they must pay the bill despite their claim that it is not their charge and often there is no way to prove otherwise) and therefore there is no ability to dial beyond seven (7) digits. In this case you may not use the above 800 numbers to access your service without first initiating the call using a Bahamas Direct Prepaid Card. These cards differ in appearance and usage and must be purchased from BATELCO. At the time of purchase you pay the amount desired of the card value (you can choose anything $10 and over). The card renders a local access number that is only seven (7) digits enabling you to place long distance calls against your Bahamas Prepaid Card or by dialing one of the above services by numbers listed.
Please note that the majority of toll free numbers available in the US, Canada and other advertised toll free numbers are normally not toll free from The Bahamas. This is the choice of the business setting up the toll free service as they must designate which countries, regions etc. that they are willing to incur the charges for.
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