Paradise Island Shopping

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The shops carry a variety of items from the typical souveniers such as tee shirts and post cards to the designer shops with Gucci bags. We had just finished wandering through one of the Marine exhibits and wanted to take a look at what the shops had to offer.

What to buy: I bought an Atlantis tee shirt in a light green color.

What to pay: The tee shirt was under $20

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The Marina Village has a variety of shops selling everything from sunglasses and bathingsuits to jewelry and high end bags. We wandered in and out of shops and wern't impressed by most of the store prices. Only the perfume store seemed to have better than home prices.

What to buy: Liz bought her Mother some perfume since she said it was $30 less than what she pays for it at home. Plus it was a nice gift since her Mom drove us to the airport and would be picking us up.

If you are a guest at Atlanis and want to save 50% or more on water, snacks, soft drinks and meals, take a short walk to Hurricane Hole Plaza.

Maybe 100 yards from the Marina Village, where you can also find Starbucks and Jamba Juice, follow the arrow on your resort map.
You will need to cross the street a couple of times. But, your trouble will be rewarded.

Sept 2007: A six pack of Coke costs $5.50 at the supermarket. In my minibar one can costs $2.75. And, even more surprising, one can of Coke costs $3.00 at the Marina Pizzaria next to Murry's, outside the Coral Towers.

The straw market is in Nassau. It consists of numerous venders selling everything from handicrafts (woven baskets, jewelry, wood carvings, etc.) to souvenirs (t-shirts, shot glasses, clothing, etc). They also have hair-braiding. In order to get your attention, they will pay you tons of compliments (pretty girl! come look at these necklaces for such a pretty girl!) and engage you in converstaion.

I love shopping at the straw market. It is fun to browse through all of the items, and the locals are very friendly. You can find a lot of unique gifts to bring home to all your friends. Make sure that you haggle over the price. They will always reduce it to make a sale, and will give you great discounts if you buy multiple items.

What to buy: I usually buy at least one sarong, a couple of shot glasses, and some wood carvings. The last time I was there, they were selling these statues...when you lifted up the torso a big weiner would pop out! So funny, it was a great gift item!

What to pay: Most of the items are very cheap, from $5-10 dollars. However, the wood carvings, sarongs, and woven items will be more expensive. Make sure to price out different venders before buying something and haggle!

The mini-mall in the resort is home to Versace, Gucci, Cole's at Nassau, Façonable, and many more high-end stores. At the other end of the casino, there are jewelery stores with very expensive items. Between the Coral and Beach Towers, there is another mini-mall with clothes stores and a glass/porcelain figurine store that sells it's goods over $200,000.

What to buy: Almost anything, if you can afford it. I took a step back from looking in these stores because I knew that I would be in pain leaving them without something in my hand. Since I have my big endeavor in Europe coming up, I had to restrain myself. Typical things to by from the Bahamas are perfumes and jewelery. But here, the sky's the limit.

What to pay: Anything from $10 for a little toy in the Atlantis Gift Shop to over $200,000 for a porcelain clown figurine

Shoppers can have a great time at Atlantis. Some of the finest stores are located here, including Gucci, Bvlgari, Versace, Cartier, Lalique, and much more. You can also get some good Cuban cigars at Havana Humidor.

Duty-free shopping is at your fingertips at the International Bazaar & Straw Market. This popular shopping center features over 100 shops and restaurants from all over the world. Here you can find astonishingly cheap assortment of other duty-free luxury items from all around the globe. Along with the international products, you can also find great bargains on local goods, such as Bahamian weavings, jewelry, and crafts. 

What to buy: Among the best bargains in the islands are watches, jewelry, clocks, china, crystal, leather goods, fine linens, and cameras. A key to finding the best bargains is to look for shops that post a pink flamingo decal on their doors or windows. This signifies that they have met strict government guidelines, and that all their brands are authentic.  

What to pay: less than market value

Purchasing snacks, water, pop, and liquor at the local stores (off of the Atlantis Resort) will save alot of money.

What to buy: Water, bottled liquor, soft drinks, chips and candy.

What to pay: Bottled water is $2.25 at the stores and $4.75 at Atlantis.