The doors of homes in the out islands of Bahamas are left unlocked, children seem to enjoy going to school and even the flamingos appear to be having a grand time.
And where can you find such a happy, contented atmosphere? Try the Bahamas archipelago, the so-called “Out Islands.”
Unlike New Providence and the capital Nassau, or Grand Bahama with its free port and gaudy fast-food chains, many of these cay islands are completely off the beaten tourist track. Only about 30 of the low-lying 700 Bahamas islands are inhabited. And there are also more than 2,000 coral reefs in the shallow waters which are a magnet to sailors and divers alike.
One of the islands where people do live is Eleuthera. On the map it looks like a giant sea horse with a very thin middle section. The island is 180 km long and between three and four km wide. The narrowest section is mere 10 metres across.
To ensure that Eleutherans never have to travel far to catch a plane, there are three airports and regular international flights to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Tourism director Glenda Johnson says there is an airport for every 100 hotel rooms on the island.
At the tiny settlement of Governor’s Harbour, one of the oldest inhabited places on the island with some handsome colonial houses, headmistress Karen Crean and 10-year-old Nigel are happy to show visitors around their school.
Nigel is surprised to hear that some children in Europe are not keen about going to schools but then they don’t live on a paradise island where pineapples and oranges ripen in the Caribbean sun.
These days Eleuthera and the other cays attract those seeking tranquillity and the carefree feeling which comes from having a remarkably low crime rate and the chance to sunbathe on beautiful pink beaches lined with coconut palms and slender casuarina trees.
“People from all over the world appreciate that things move more slowly out here and that people have more time for each other,” said Simon Worley, a 42-year-old Englishman on the Sealink ferry between Eleuthera and Nassau.
The globetrotter and businessman says he could have flown but prefers the atmosphere on board. “I want to enjoy myself and this way I can get a four-hour cruise.”
Small propeller aircraft fly to almost all the cays. Where no runway is available, amphibious versions set down on the waves.
Visitors might get cold feet when they disembark but they will be impressed by the warm hospitality they encounter. It is not unusual for motorists to stop and offer pedestrians a lift into town.
For those who would like to get to know the locals a little better, there is a “people-to-people” programme with about 1,000 families participating. These invite visitors who have registered their interest beforehand at the local tourist office to a stroll around the countryside or a sporting event.
“Many a tourist has made friends for life by taking advantage of this scheme,” said programme’s director Marilyn Johnson in Nassau.
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