The Bahamas is a magical string of 700 islands in the middle of the Caribbean that has been a popular tourist destination for decades, according to American Express Travel. The Bahamas is a world-renowned travel destination with a rich history. In 1492, Christopher Columbus made his first landfall on the island of San Salvador in the eastern Bahamas. Columbus commented on the shallow water of the sea surrounding the islands, calling the water “baja mar”. It is from these words that the name “Bahama” came. Since the Bahamas islands are located close to Florida they caught the attention of explorers, settlers, invaders and traders.

Pirate History in the Bahamas

One of the most interesting things about the Bahamas is its history with pirates. Black Beard, Calico Jack and Captain Henry Morgan himself were known visitors to the Bahamian islands. 1680 to 1730 was the golden age for Bahamian pirates. These islands made an ideal home base for pirates because of the numerous islands and islets. These were great places to hide their renegade ships and stolen treasure. The islands were also close to well-traveled trading routes, creating the perfect opportunity to plunder merchant ships.

A calling card is the best way to stay connected to your family while traveling!

The battles fought between pirates, merchants and other authorities often caused may casualties, especially ships. These ships often sank off the coast of the Bahamas, laden with gold, silver, and other antiquities. Spanish galleons were easy prey for pirates. These ships carried stolen riches from the native peoples of South and Central America. Pirates would hide this treasure in the numerous limestone caves dotting the Bahamas or bury it somewhere on the miles of beaches.

Rumors of treasure still hidden in the Bahamas exist today. Pirate William Catt is supposed to have buried loot on his namesake, Cat Island. Sir Henry Morgan, who preferred the island of Andros, is said to have buried treasure throughout the many islands. Where rumors may be false, the Bahamas certainly offers a mystique that encourages its visitors to indulge in opportunities for adventure and seclusion. American Express Vacations is beginning to offer special tours for travelers interested in highlighting famous pirate sites all over the islands of the Bahamas.

Modern Day Fun, Rest and Relaxation

The Bahamas of today is still full of adventure and excitement. The islands of the Bahamas are some of the most popular locations for travelers in the world. A big draw to most Caribbean tourists, the Bahamas cater to travelers on a moderate to high-end budget. AMT American Express Travel offers a number of moderate and high-end accommodations that give the best value for your money. There are no accommodations such as hostels because the focus of the island is a luxury experience. But travel to the Bahamas is on most world traveler’s to see list.

Now that you know where you want to go it’s time to work out all the little, but important, details of your trip. When to travel, what documents will you need, what tickets to book before you leave, should you reserve accommodation now or leave it until you get there, should or shouldn’t you take out travel insurance, hire a car and if so what model, size, auto or manual, which guide book/s should you take with you. How are you going to select which hotels (cost, location, amenities, etc.) to stay in, which items should you take with you and how are you going to get the stuff you buy home?

When you should travel. It really depends on a lot of issues. Do you have to be in a particular place at a certain time? If you do then part of the trip is already planned but if not then do you have a choice of season? If you want to laze on a sunny beach when it’s warm then you need to get there in summer but if you want to see penguins in the North of Scotland then a Northern Winter gives you the best chance.

If you have a limited budget then traveling in the ‘off-’ or ‘low-season’ is best. The reason is that airline, long ago, discovered that most people wanted to travel to catch the summer warmth at their destinations so fare went up to get higher profits and the opposite happened in the cooler winter months when for those times of the year fares went down to try and attract more people to fly to get more profits. But for all the attempts of the airlines to increase profits we, the fly public, can benefit by grabbing those low fare times if it suits.

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Sit behind the driver so you can see him, but he cannot see you.

Pay the driver upon arriving at your destination and while you are still sitting in the vehicle.

If you must rent a car, rent only from a reputable company. Any operating problems that occur could signal sabotage.

Be aware of ’staged’ car accidents meant to catch you off card.

Back into your parking spaces to facilitate a quick exit.

Park only in well lit and well traveled areas.

Take a phone card with you and make international calls anywhere in the world!

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