FAQ's and Helpful Tips
Tipping:
- When arriving at the airport there is usually a porter there that will help you with your bags and direct you toward your rental car provider, please tip them. We typically tip at least $5 for help with one or two bags, if you are traveling as a family or have a lot of luggage consider tipping more.
- You do not need to tip your car rental provider. If they went above and beyond, such as rescuing you when you got stuck, a flat tire or locked your keys in the car, then you should consider a tip. These things happen more than you would think.
- When dining out in the Bahamas a 15% gratuity is automatically added to your bill. If you feel your server did an excellent job you are welcome to tip them more but you don’t have to.
- We tip at the grocery store if they bring our bags to our car. Eleuthera Supply generally has someone there to help you with your groceries so make sure to always have a couple dollars on you for tip.
- Generally the housekeeper and caretaker of your vacation rental are two separate individuals, but sometimes they are a husband and wife team or even the same person. We try to graciously tip the housekeepers. They tend to work really hard especially when they only have a few hours to clean before the next group. We typically tip them around $10 a week per person (minimum $20) depending on the length of stay and cleanliness of the rental. We do not tip the caretaker unless they do something special like buy supplies for us or arrange a kayak rental or fishing trip.
- We tip for any guided excursion we might take.
Time Zone:
The islands of the Bahamas are on Eastern Standard Time, and use daylight savings time.
Water:
Fresh water is scarce and expensive on Eleuthera, so take this into consideration and be very conservative while showering, washing dishes, etc. You will notice that the water pressure may be a lot lower than what you are typically used to. Many of the vacation rentals either have a cistern and/or an underground water storage tank where they have water shipped in. Some of the locals use this water for cooking, ice and a few even drink it, but it is not recommended for foreigners. If you are lucky enough to find a rental that has a water filtration system you do not need to worry, but if not you will need to purchase drinking water. Some rentals in the areas closer to settlements will have "city water", but it is still recommended that you filter this water or use bottled water for drinking. Many rentals do not have filtration systems but most will have some sort of water cooler or dispenser for 5 gallon water jugs. These jugs can be traded for full ones at most markets and grocery stores on the island for about $5-$7 (if you are returning an empty one).
Phones and Internet:
You may or may not have internet at your vacation rental. As with most things in the Bahamas the connection is slow and generally intermittent. Do not depend on having a reliable internet connection while on the Island and remember you are on vacation, so who wants to check their email anyway. If you do not have internet available at your rental most of the settlements have somewhere with WI-Fi or computers available for you to use. Most places are free, but some may charge you to use it. Here are a few places that have internet available; hopefully one is near your area. The library in Current, Laughing Lizard Café (free WI-Fi), Waters Edge Café, Rainbow Inn (free WI-Fi), Sky Beach Club, Da Perk Cafe (free WI-Fi), Governors Harbour library, Unique Village, Island Farm (free WI-Fi), and Papa Georges Pizza.
Most rentals have either land lines or cell phones available for you to use. Then all you will need is an inexpensive Batelco (Bahamas Telecommunications Company) calling card and you should be set. Make sure you tell them what kind of phone you are using (cell or land line) or you may wind up will a calling card for a pay phone instead of a cell phone. If your rental has a cell phone it helps to take the phone with you when you purchase the calling card so you know you get the correct one.
If you still want the option if using your cell phone for emergencies some cell phone carriers will work on Eleuthera, but not all. When they do the coverage is spotty and not always reliable so make sure you have a backup plan if you are relying on your cell phone for an important call. The roaming rates are high especially for data so be sure you remember turn off your data capabilities or you will have a very unpleasant surprise (could be thousands of dollars) when you get your phone bill. Most GSM carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile) should work, but most CDMA carriers will not. Make sure to call your carrier to double check.
If you think you will absolutely have to have a cell phone and your rental does not provide one you have a few other options. You can rent a Batelco cell phone for your trip from one of the car rental providers such as Arthur Nixon or Taylor & Taylor. If you are going for a longer trip or visit frequently you can purchase one (start at $50) from the Governors Harbour Batelco office or at the cell store in the Nassau airport. If you have an "unlocked" phone you can purchase a Batelco sim card for your phone and use it as if it were a Batelco cell phone. This will only work with an “unlocked” GSM 1900 band phone. You can also purchase and unlocked phone before you leave and take it with you. The sim cards are available at the Batleco office in Governors Harbour or the cell store in the Nassau Airport. For all of these options you need a pre paid Batelco calling card (make sure to get the one for cell phones) in order to make outgoing calls. These are available at most markets, hardware stores and the Batelco office in Governors Harbor. It will cost about $0.50 a minute to call the U.S. using these cards.
Most rentals have either land lines or cell phones available for you to use. Then all you will need is an inexpensive Batelco (Bahamas Telecommunications Company) calling card and you should be set. Make sure you tell them what kind of phone you are using (cell or land line) or you may wind up will a calling card for a pay phone instead of a cell phone. If your rental has a cell phone it helps to take the phone with you when you purchase the calling card so you know you get the correct one.
If you still want the option if using your cell phone for emergencies some cell phone carriers will work on Eleuthera, but not all. When they do the coverage is spotty and not always reliable so make sure you have a backup plan if you are relying on your cell phone for an important call. The roaming rates are high especially for data so be sure you remember turn off your data capabilities or you will have a very unpleasant surprise (could be thousands of dollars) when you get your phone bill. Most GSM carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile) should work, but most CDMA carriers will not. Make sure to call your carrier to double check.
- Verizon Wireless is a CDMA carrier but you can occasionally get their phones to work if you are close to the cell towers in Governors Harbour and Rock Sound, but the service is not necessarily reliable. Unless you have one of their "global ready" phones (check their site for a current list) then the phone will automatically switch from CDMA to GSM and you will get a signal anywhere a local cell phone would work. It still costs $1.99 a minute to call anywhere (with or without the international plan) including voicemail and $0.50 to send a text and $0.05 to receive. They also offer a global data plan which is $25 per 100MB.
- AT&T also works in all the major settlements. Standard international roaming is $2.29/min including voicemail, or $1.99/min if you have the world traveler plan ($5.99 mo). Texts are $0.50 to send and $0.0195 KB to receive. Data is pay per use at $0.0195 KB.
- T-Mobile has good coverage on Eleuthera but beware they currently have a roaming rate of $3.49/min for the Bahamas. Text messages are $0.50 to send and $0.20 to receive, data is $15 per MB.
- As far as I can tell Sprint and Alltel do not work in the Bahamas. One of our friends tried to use his Alltel phone on Eleuthera and he could not call out or send texts. If you have either Sprint or Alltel I would call them to see there is a way to get them to work or try to find an alternative calling method.
If you think you will absolutely have to have a cell phone and your rental does not provide one you have a few other options. You can rent a Batelco cell phone for your trip from one of the car rental providers such as Arthur Nixon or Taylor & Taylor. If you are going for a longer trip or visit frequently you can purchase one (start at $50) from the Governors Harbour Batelco office or at the cell store in the Nassau airport. If you have an "unlocked" phone you can purchase a Batelco sim card for your phone and use it as if it were a Batelco cell phone. This will only work with an “unlocked” GSM 1900 band phone. You can also purchase and unlocked phone before you leave and take it with you. The sim cards are available at the Batleco office in Governors Harbour or the cell store in the Nassau Airport. For all of these options you need a pre paid Batelco calling card (make sure to get the one for cell phones) in order to make outgoing calls. These are available at most markets, hardware stores and the Batelco office in Governors Harbor. It will cost about $0.50 a minute to call the U.S. using these cards.
Electricity:
The Bahamas uses the same 110-120 volt outlets as the U.S. and Canada, so if you are coming from North America you do not need an adapter. Electricity on the islands is typically diesel generated and very expensive. Please remember to turn off the lights when you are not using them, and only use the AC when you are present and absolutely need it. It is very common to have intermittent power outages on the island so do not be surprised if you experience one or more power outages during your vacation. This is just part of your Out Island vacation adventure.
Currency:
The Bahamian dollar ($B) is equal to the U.S. dollar and Bahamian and U.S cash are used interchangeably. There are a few banks with ATM’s on the island where you can withdrawal cash. The ATM you can use depends on the type of card your origin country. Most establishments (grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, etc.) only accept cash. There are a few of the resorts, inns, and nicer restaurants take credit cards but most charge a fee, plus you will be charged an international fee by your credit card company (usually 3%). We have listed included which stores accept credit cards in the shopping sections.
Weather:
The climate on Eleuthera is very mild with daytime high’s ranging from the upper 70’s to just shy of 90 and lows from the mid 60’s to upper 70’s. Weather forecasts for Eleuthera are not very accurate and can vary by dramatically depending which site you are looking at. They are just to be used as a guideline, and to check the wind direction. It rarely rains all day and showers generally occur in the evening. These are the sites we use the most.
Eleuthera Bahamas, average temperature and rainfall.
Eleuthera Bahamas, average temperature and rainfall.
Driving:
The speed limit is 45 on the highway and 15 in the settlements. The Bahamas follow British driving rules so remember to DRIVE ON THE LEFT!! The roads generally do not have a shoulder and do not have lines painted on them. Due to the climate in the Bahamas the roads break down rather quickly so they may seem a lot rougher than what you are used to. Most people are not comfortable going 45mph on these skinny island roads. Be aware of the locals who tend to drive faster than the speed limit and are occasionally known to pass on blind corners. If you find someone behind you who wants to drive faster than you, please pull over to let them pass as soon as you safely can.
Estimated Distances (in miles):
Insects, and Other Potentially Poisonous Things:
Compared to most tropical climates Eleuthera has a surprising low number of pests, very few of which are poisonous. The main pests on Eleuthera are misquotes and sand flies. They are typically only a problem for about an hour during dawn and dusk so if you stay inside during these times you should not have much to worry about. If you decide to go out at these times wearing long clothes and insect repellent is recommended. We have tried numerous insect repellent options but despite our reservations we have found the more DEET the better, our personal favorite is Sawyer brand MAXI DEET or Jungle Juice 98% DEET. Others recommend OFF Deep Woods, and Avon Skin So Soft. We did find that mosquito coils are really effective alternative to bug spray. The sand flies have trouble flying when it is windy so a slight breeze will keep them away or if they happen to get into your rental turn on a fan and they will leave you alone. Some say taking a vitamin B complex will help deter bug bites; there is not scientific data to back this up and it did not work for us. Despite taking all these precautions you are some people are bound to wind up with sand fly bites. Just remember to bring along an antihistamine and some sort of anti-itch cream (hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion), baby oil also works well and can be found at many of the grocery stores.
Other little critters you might run into are sugar ants. They are little tiny ants that show up in large numbers around any left out food or garbage. If you keep the doors shut and take out your garbage every evening you won’t have any trouble. You may also see the occasional palmetto bug which is basically a large flying cockroach. A WHAT??? Don’t worry they are harmless, just a bit unnerving. We have seen them even in some of the newest, nicest vacation rentals. There are scorpions and centipedes on Eleuthera, which can be poisonous. Most of the scorpions are just a painful sting, but the giant centipedes can be quite dangerous. They are very rarely seen, but it is a good precaution to check your shoes, sheets and other hidden areas just in case.
A lot of people ask about the jellyfish. We always go at the same time of year, March-April and we generally see jellyfish at this time. Sometimes they are few between, but other times they will be so thick you cannot avoid them. The majority of the time 99% of what we see are sea walnuts and tiny clear ones (sometimes with blue spots). The sea walnuts are incapable of stinging, and the tiny clear ones are mostly harmless, unless you have an experience like I did where one accidentally gets smashed into your wetsuit. Then it will sting for about 15 minutes and pass. Before that we had swam through them plenty without ever getting stung. The only other jellyfish we have seen are Moon Jellyfish and Upside-down Jellyfish both of which can sting, but mildly and are easily avoided. We have seen a few Wind Sailors and Portuguese Man O War washed up on the beach, but never in the water.
The most toxic thing on the Island is a tree called Poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum). It is closely related to poison oak or poison sumac, but causes a stronger reaction. The sap is what causes the reaction and can be found anywhere on the plant so all parts should be avoided. It has reddish brown to grey bark and are covered dark oily patches giving it a camouflage appearance. The bark can become scaly on older trees leaving behind light orange patches adding to the camouflage appearance. Poisonwood is meticulously removed from all established roadways and paths on the island so you should not have to worry about it.
Other little critters you might run into are sugar ants. They are little tiny ants that show up in large numbers around any left out food or garbage. If you keep the doors shut and take out your garbage every evening you won’t have any trouble. You may also see the occasional palmetto bug which is basically a large flying cockroach. A WHAT??? Don’t worry they are harmless, just a bit unnerving. We have seen them even in some of the newest, nicest vacation rentals. There are scorpions and centipedes on Eleuthera, which can be poisonous. Most of the scorpions are just a painful sting, but the giant centipedes can be quite dangerous. They are very rarely seen, but it is a good precaution to check your shoes, sheets and other hidden areas just in case.
A lot of people ask about the jellyfish. We always go at the same time of year, March-April and we generally see jellyfish at this time. Sometimes they are few between, but other times they will be so thick you cannot avoid them. The majority of the time 99% of what we see are sea walnuts and tiny clear ones (sometimes with blue spots). The sea walnuts are incapable of stinging, and the tiny clear ones are mostly harmless, unless you have an experience like I did where one accidentally gets smashed into your wetsuit. Then it will sting for about 15 minutes and pass. Before that we had swam through them plenty without ever getting stung. The only other jellyfish we have seen are Moon Jellyfish and Upside-down Jellyfish both of which can sting, but mildly and are easily avoided. We have seen a few Wind Sailors and Portuguese Man O War washed up on the beach, but never in the water.
The most toxic thing on the Island is a tree called Poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum). It is closely related to poison oak or poison sumac, but causes a stronger reaction. The sap is what causes the reaction and can be found anywhere on the plant so all parts should be avoided. It has reddish brown to grey bark and are covered dark oily patches giving it a camouflage appearance. The bark can become scaly on older trees leaving behind light orange patches adding to the camouflage appearance. Poisonwood is meticulously removed from all established roadways and paths on the island so you should not have to worry about it.
Things to Bring:
- Sunblock (recommended SPF 30 or higher). Eleuthera supply and some of the other grocery stores do carry sunblock but it may not always be in stock or they may not have the brand or SPF you like so it is good to have a backup. This is not something you want to go without.
- Insect Repellent. You can also find this on the island but again it is not always readily available and if you plan on being out at sunrise or sunset you are going to need it!
- Antihistamines, and anti-itch cream (hydrocortisone cream). In case you forget to use that bug spray mentioned above.
- Prescriptions and any over the counter medicines you regularly use.
- Imodium and antacids
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Snorkeling equipment. Some rentals provide, but if you want good quality it is best to bring your own.
- If you plan to fish, bring all your own equipment and lures.
- Waterproof footwear, such as teva's or chacos.
- Bathing suit(s). It is nice to have an extra so hopefully you have at least one dry one.
- One light long sleeve shirt and one pair of long pants. Attire is casual.
- Passport
- Cash. Remember most establishments will only accept cash!
