Bahamas holidays

Junkanoo’s up there with the Rio Carnival as one of the world’s biggest, most colourful celebrations. If you’re here over the Christmas holidays, you’re in for a treat – the main events take place on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. There’s a Junkanoo festival in the summertime too. Prepare for the early morning wakeup of a lifetime (or stay up all night…) - it hits the streets between 2am-10am. Bay Street in Nassau holds the wildest and most wonderful of them all, and events are also held in Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Bimini and the Exumas and Abacos.

Everyone has their own story of where it began, but most say that Junkanoo stems from the slaves of the Loyalists, who celebrated their annual 3-day holiday over Christmas with singing and dancing. These days, dance troupes rehearse and perfect their routines for months, as costume-makers beaver away to combine feathers, sequins and all colours of the rainbow. The result is seriously spectacular.

Soca - derived from Caribbean Calypso – and rake n scrape are the basis for most of the music you’ll hear on the islands these days. The Goombay beat features heavily, traditionally played on a goatskin drum. The best time to experience Bahamian music is during the Junkanoo festival after Christmas, where it blasts from the streets of Nassau. Other popular music includes the gospel singing in churches and folk songs passed down from British and American settlers.

Seafood plays a massive role in Bahamian food, and you simply can’t come here without trying Conch in some form or other. Crack’ conch, conch fritters and raw conch salad are easy to get your hands on throughout the islands, a white meaty seafood taken from the large, pink and white shells found in the shallows. Rock lobster, crab, grouper and snapper often appear on menus too, and keep your eyes peeled for boil’ fish – a tasty white fish broth with lime and spices often eaten for breakfast after a big night out...

Another dish widely eaten here is souse, a stew made of onions, hot peppers, celery, lime juice and meat. You’ll also see a lot of peas, from the traditional Caribbean rice and peas to pea soups and broths. Soups and curries are often served with Johnny Cakes, a sweet pan cooked bread.

Fruit is the main theme of Bahamian puddings, from dilly crumble (made of a local pear-like fruit) to mango pie and pineapple tart. Coconut comes served in every shape and form, from biscuits to cakes, tarts and ice cream.

You’ll struggle to find a bar that doesn’t sell Kalik lager, brewed in Nassau and the iconic ‘beer of the Bahamas’. Rum makes a regular appearance in cocktails (there are even islands named after it), with favourites including Bahama Mama (gold rum, coconut rum, pineapple juice and orange juice) and Goombay Smash (light rum, coconut rum, pineapple juice, orange juice and grenadine). John Watling’s distillery produces rum in Nassau and a rum festival takes place in Fort Charlotte (usually every February). Another cocktail to look out for is Sky Juice, which mixes gin, coconut water, condensed milk and spices.

The fruit juices are incredible here, and fresh pineapple juice from Eleuthera Island is a must. The pineapples here are thought to be some of the best in the world, with a pineapple festival held annually to honour them. Coconut water’s also easy to get hold of, and can often be sipped straight from the coconut - as fresh as it gets.

In the Out Islands, look out for Bush Tea which is made from local herbs and spices and drank hot and cold, usually in the morning.

Take a step away from the idyllic beaches, and The Bahamas is an avid sportsman's dream destination. Basketball and cricket are the most loved sports on the islands. Other popular sports include Bowling, American football, gymnastics, golf, rugby, squash, tennis and athletics. Holidaymakers mainly engage in water-based sports, such as swimming, snorkelling, sailing, fishing and scuba diving, and leisurely sports such as golf and tennis. Horse racing is the oldest sport played in the country, which started in 1796.

Cricket is the national sport of the Bahamas and has been played in the country since 1846. Around the 1940s-1970s just about everyone on the island would play cricket. An interest in the game declined in the late 1970s as the teaching of cricket in schools was reduced and US-trained PE teachers instead focused on athletics, baseball, softball, among other sports. During the 2000s, the Bahamas Cricket Association has reintroduced cricket into schools in Nassau, Grand Bahama and Bimini and created a U13, U15 and U19 league. Cricket is played at Haynes Oval (main ground) and Windsor Park.

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the country. The country has produced several international talents that have gone on to play in the NBA, including Mychal Thompson and Rick Fox.

It depends what kind of shopping you’re after, but generally, Grand Bahama wins the most shopaholic’s hearts over here. The Port Lucaya Marketplace is where you’ll find the legendary Straw Market, selling locally produced clothes, accessories and ornaments as well as a bundle of shops and restaurants. There’s also the International Bazaar complex which has African, Indian, French and East Asian food and products.

Nassau has a hub of duty-free shops on colourful Bay Street, as well as a traditional Straw Market, while in the Abacos you’ll want to head to Marsh Harbour for more of the same. For a more authentic shopping experience, we love Hope Town on Elbow Cay and Harbour Island. Though the main islands have the biggest, you’ll also find Straw Markets throughout the out islands for the chance to pick up a souvenir or three.