Meliá Nassau Beach, Cable Beach, Bahamas

Sister Sarah and I spent the last week at the Meliá Nassau Beach in Cable Beach, Bahamas ... we got there last Saturday and left today.

Until recently, it was a Sheraton and is in transition.

The reception

The lobby

Checking in was brutally slow ... over a half hour standing in line waiting for our turn.  Checking out took about a minute (long enough to snip our bracelet).  My bill showed that I owed $152 ... huh?  I was on the all-inclusive plan so had her investigate and she discovered some things had been coded incorrectly (so check your bill when you leave).  I found the ladies at the reception desk friendly but cold, strange considering they are the first contact for the hotel.

There was a Starbucks on the lower level (not part of the all inclusive).

Here was my room ... it was a bit dated and worn but I thought it was okay.

Cable Beach, Bahamas - Day 7

It's our last night here.  Sister Sarah and I had supper in the lobby bar ... we both had wings and split an order of nachos.

The VIPs, the band who played at the BBQ last night, were the entertainment.  They played a lot of motown tonight and were good.  It was fairly quiet when they started but was crowded when they finished about midnight.

We had some glasses of bubbly.

Me and Sister Sarah

Charisma was one of our servers tonight ... she has been taking excellent care of us all week.

Me, Charisma and Sister Sarah

Strolling to Nassau, Bahamas

After I left Curly's, I walked to downtown Nassau (about 15 minutes with the pace I was going).

Across the street from the Fish Fry, there is a beach (Western Esplanade).  Food trucks are set up.

The beach was a lovely spot to sit for a while.

Fish Fry, Arawak Cay, Nassau, Bahamas

I got too much sun yesterday so wanted to stay away from the beach and the pool today.

So I caught the bus to the "Fish Fry" in Arawak Cay (about a ten minute ride from my hotel) for lunch.

Arawak Cay offers the authentic atmosphere of the Bahamian Fish Fry with vendors selling made to order conch salad, fried fish and other Bahamian dishes. Arawak Cay was artificially built from the sand when the harbor was dredged in 1969.There is a police station, a storytelling porch for special events, an old Bahamian rock oven, an open stage and an open grassy area with seating for the audience where concerts and other productions are held. Sunday nights is when the majority of locals can be seen at Arawak Cay or Fish Fry as the locals would say.

It is a collection of 31 colourful restaurants offering fresh authentic Bahamians meals, spread over a couple blocks.

Cable Beach, Bahamas - Day 6

Sister Sarah and I were supposed to go on a four hour boat cruise yesterday afternoon but it got cancelled so we did the bus tour of Nassau instead.

We were supposed to do the boat cruise today ... but it got cancelled again.  So we took that as a sign that we were supposed to stay on the resort and relax.

We started our morning at the beach.  During the early part of the week, it had been windy and the water was rough so it wasn't much fun spending time in the water.  But today everything was calm and I was in and out often.

Señor Frogs, Nassau, Bahamas

Sister Sarah and I spent some time today at Señor Frogs.

Nassau City Tour, Bahamas

Sister Sarah and I did a 2.5 hour bus tour of Nassau today.

Vince was our guide and he took us and another couple around in a van showing us Nassau.

Here's the view of our hotel from Goodman's Bay.

There were four cruise ships in today.

We drove around and Vince let us have some time to explore the Queen's Staircase.

Nassau's most visited attraction is the Queen's Staircase. Climb the 65 steps, carved out of solid limestones by slaves in the late 18th century, between 1793 and 1794. It is reported that slaves were forced to cut through rocks with axes and other sharp hand tools.   This 102 foot staircase was named in honour of the 65 years of Queen's Victoria's reign.

Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Centre, Nassau, Bahamas

Sister Sarah and I went to the Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Centre today.

In the heart of Nassau, more than four acres of lush tropical gardens are inhabited by a variety of animal species, including the national bird of the Bahamas, the Caribbean flamingo. Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre was created by Jamaican horticulturalist Hedley Edwards in the 1950s. He developed the picturesque and exotic gardens as a nature preserve, later bringing in flamingoes from the southern Bahamas. In 1980, the gardens were purchased by Norman Solomon, whose passion for wildlife and conservation education inspired him to incorporate more animals into the gardens and create a boutique zoo. Today, thousands of visitors visit annually to marvel at the tranquil, restorative gardens; enjoy close encounters with our collection of over 135 animals; and admire the long-legged flamingo beauties National Geographic has called “Ballerinas in Pink”. The opportunity to enjoy this rare gem will be a highlight for visitors of all ages.

Ardastra Gardens depends on philanthropic support from the public to meet its operating needs and to fulfill its educational and conserving missions. 

Conservation education is truly a window on the world, allowing us to share in the global commitment to preserving natural species of plants and animals. The team at Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre dedicates much of its time, expertise, and resources to promoting conservation through programs which ensure the survival of many endangered species, as well to encourage recycling, reusing and the use of environmentally friendly products. 

By providing a sanctuary and survival centre for the plants and animals of the world's vanishing natural habitats, Ardastra can help visitors and researchers learn more about these creatures, while giving them a chance to flourish and breed in a near natural setting. 

It was a $15 cab ride or a $1.25 bus ride so we took the bus.  It was about a 10 minute walk from the main road when we got off the bus.

Me

Sister Sarah

Admittance was $16 each and there were lots of birds, reptiles, animals and plants.

We got there in time for the lory parrot feeding, which was fun.  We were let into a cage where there were lots of lory parrots.  Everyone was given slices of apples and the birds came flying to us.  It was a very cool fun experience!

Cable Beach, Bahamas - Day 3

Sister Sarah and I spent the morning at the beach.  It was sunny and breezy and the waves were quite strong.

Sister Sarah

After lunch we hung out by the pool for the afternoon.

Here comes my favourite sister with drinks!

Sister Sarah risks drowning for a drink :)

There are four places to eat at this resort.  Tonight we checked out the only one you need reservations for, which has an Italian theme ... we had an 8pm reservation.

The Daiquiri Shack, Cable Beach, Bahamas

Sister Sarah and I had a late supper in the lobby bar.  There was a fella singing Spanish songs ... he was good but a bit mellow.

So we took a walk off the resort and discovered the Daiquiri Shack (the Daq Shack), which is across the street from our hotel.

How could we not stop in for a daiquiri made with fresh strawberries?  It was nice to sit outside on a picnic bench.

Cable Beach, Bahamas - Day 2

When I woke up this morning about 8am, it was grey and cloudy ... oh no!

By 9:30, the sun was shining ... yippee!  Here's the view from my balcony.

I left a voice message for Sister Sarah and went down for the breakfast buffet.  I had a lovely spot just out of the sun.

My breakfast, including an antioxidant juice and an energy juice

The energy juice is on the left and the antioxidant juice is on the right

Then I headed for the beach and spent the morning there.  It was sunny and breezy.