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Fun in the sun
WBN09 - Feature_Fun in the sun
Fun in the sun
Activities for the younger set
For a child visiting The Bahamas, every day is like summer holidays, even in winter. This is a place where there are no limits to a youngster’s imagination.
A stretch of powder-soft beach can easily become a village of sandcastles with the help of a bucket and spade, while a snorkel mask and flippers can open an underwater world of kaleidoscopic reefs, talking fish and even a mermaid or two.
Fortunately for kids, fun in the sun isn’t limited to the beach and ocean, because Nassau and Paradise Island have plenty of other exciting activities geared just for them.
Grown-ups not allowed
At Atlantis, you’ll find a variety of fun and adventure for children of all ages.
The Atlantis Kids Club is a drop-off service for resort guests and non-guests specializing in fun and educational activities for children three to twelve, featuring hourly, morning and afternoon escapes on Monday to Saturday and evening escapes on Wednesday to Saturday.
Kids Club manager Daniel Belton explains that each day, activities such as games and crafts are based on a different theme.
“(During the evening escape) we have Willy Wonka Wednesday, Tournament Thursday and Candy Carnival on Friday when we have plenty, plenty candy,” he says. Kids Club also treats guests to trips to many of Atlantis’ exclusive areas.
“We give the kids a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that guests normally don’t get to see, like going into the fish hospital and Dolphin Cay, where they do the food prep, and to see the sea lions,” says Belton.
Kids Club guests can also enjoy playing XBox 360 and PlayStation video games, computer time, musical games, storytelling and much more.
While Kids Club is mainly a “parent-free” zone, Atlantis’ Aquaventure has a variety of fun rides and swimming pools that the whole family can enjoy.
This 141-acre waterpark features a mile-long Lazy River ride, where guests can float along rapids and waves atop rubber rings, and the Power Tower, a giant complex with four exciting waterslides. Both the Lazy River ride and Power Tower are suitable for older children ages 10 and up.
Younger kids ages three and up will get a splash out of Aquaventure’s three kiddie pools, which also have water slides and activities just right for their size.
Flipper fun
A visit with dolphins and sea lions is another activity that is sure to please both young and old.
Dolphin Cay offers guests three programmes—the Shallow Water Interaction, where you can wade in waist-deep waters for an up-close dolphin encounter; the Deep Water Swim, where participants ages 10 and up who can swim in deep water without support, can snorkel and glide alongside a dolphin using a hand-held water scooter; and the Trainer for a Day programme, which allows guests to feed, train and care for dolphins and sea lions. This programme is also for guests ages 10 and up.
A short yet scenic 20-minute boat ride takes Dolphin Encounters’ guests to beautiful Blue Lagoon Island, located three miles off Nassau. Participants have an opportunity to interact with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins during the Dolphin Encounter, where guests stand on a waist-deep water platform to kiss, hug and touch a dolphin, and the Dolphin Swim, which features the popular “footpush,” where participants are propelled by dolphins through the water.
The Sea Lion Encounter gives guests an opportunity to kiss, hug, feed and play with the sea lions from a waist-deep water platform. Children ages eight and older or at least 48 ins tall can participate.
Walk on the wild side
Kids who don’t want to get their feet wet can still get up close with feathered and furry friends at Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Center —the only zoo in The Bahamas.
Phillippa Moss, manager of public relations and education, says the zoo offers 41 exhibits of exotic species native to The Bahamas and from around the world.
“Ardastra is a great hit with the kids,” she says. “We have the world-famous marching flamingos show, which is popular with children, and the especially popular petting zoo and farmyard, where guests can interact with sheep, goats, geese and rabbits.”
Moss adds that the lory parrot feeding is also exciting for children, where “they have a real hands-on experience by hand-feeding them in the aviary.”
“It’s a great family atmosphere and very tranquil,” she says.
These are just a few family activities that Nassau and Paradise Island have to offer. Check the See and do listings on page 161 of this Welcome Bahamas book for more kid-friendly ideas.
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Information in editorial and listings is subject to change at any time.