Our Trip To The Bahamas
Why whenever you come back from a tropical vacation with sun-kissed skin and all the happy feels it is always grey, cold, and rainy? It is like a slap in the face to remind you that you are no longer on vacation and it is welcome back to reality! It is never slow, smooth sailing, let’s ease you back in…it’s like BOOM we are here now get back to work. Oh well, it is what it is, but it is also a REALLY good sign of a REALLY good vacation!
I wanted to write a post about this trip, for multiple reasons, but mainly because so many people asked me what it was like to travel out of the country, during these weird-ass times, and I think y’all need to know, especially if you are itching to travel and escape reality for a while.
At first, I was VERY nervous, especially after Shannon sent me the email from the resort letting us know what needed to be done before we arrived. The email was long with lots of forms and I started freaking out. My first thought was, OH MY GOD, what if we get it there and have to stay, how much do we have to pay for a health visa, where do we stay if we get it…The rules also changed (I believe on January 26) that you had to get tested to come back into the states, which for a while was not happening.
The hamster wheel started turning and turning…I was getting myself all rallied up and starting to stress. There were just a lot of unknowns, which seem to be normal today. And as you know, I worry. UGH…I was scared, but the trip was going to happen and I knew I needed to get away for a bit and just chill out, so we went through the process!
Keep reading to find out how it went…
TRAVELING TO THE BAHAMAS
FIRST: We had to get tested and get the PCR test, so we went to Health First Urgent Care on Sunday, January 31st right when they opened at 8:00 AM. We were the first ones in line and we were in and out in about 20 minutes. It was a very easy, simple, and painless process. The staff was also very friendly, and we had our results within three days.
SECOND: We had to fill out a health visa online with the Bahamas, once we had our results. The resort sent us this information, so it was easy to access. This required filling out all of our personal, passport, and travel information, as well as including a copy of our negative test results. We had to pay a fee of $40.00 each and then we were sent a bar code that we would then need to share at the airport and upon arrival at the resort.
THIRD: Upon arrival at the airport in Charleston, we had to show our health visa while checking in, obviously along with our passport. Charleston is an easy airport to travel in and out of, especially now, so no complaints getting out and home this time!
WHILE IN THE BAHAMAS
The trip down was very easy…We had one stop in Charlotte (this airport was packed both coming and going back home) and then our second flight was under two hours. I forgot how quick a trip this is, which is fabulous that paradise is so close!
FIRST: Alright, so once we arrived in the Bahamas, we had to get our temperature taken. As we went through customs we had to show our health visa with the bar code again, and then we were on our way to the resort.
SECOND: We arrived at the resort, we had to use hand sanitizer and take our temperatures, and we were escorted to a small area past the concierge desk.
THIRD: We again had to show our bar code, sign in to get a rapid test, and wait. Luckily, there were only a few people waiting as well, so getting the test took about 20 minutes total in waiting and getting that thing shoved up our nose.
FOURTH: After taking the test, we signed in, and were sent to our rooms, while we waited for our test results. I kind of felt like we were kids being put in a “time out”. We didn’t get our result for an hour, so it gave us time to settle in, chill out, unpack, and me to do some quick work.
We left Charleston about 9:00 AM and we were at the pool with cocktails in our hands by 4:00 PM. Not too shabby in my opinion. Let’s just say that we were both happy and settled into vacation mode REAL FAST!
Baha Mar is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!
The staff is so friendly, helpful, and happy;
The resort is beyond clean (but it was really clean the last time we were here too);
Our room was spotless every time we came back from the pool;
The fitness center has everything you could possibly need! I love that they had spin bikes placed outside on their decks, so I could workout in the humidity! Again, this space was incredibly clean too. I had the whole gym to myself on Sunday morning, so no complaints!
Plenty of food to choose from…sushi, steak, noodles, pizza, charcuterie boards, burgers, bar food, and all the booze you could possibly want, as well as a cigar bar too!
If you love to gamble, don’t worry they have you covered.
If you have ANY questions about Baha Mar, please reach out, as I would love to help you in any way. Again, I had no complaints and the resort truly has everything that you need for a blissful vacation. I am sure that there are things that I am forgetting, so ask away, I would love to hear from you!
LEAVING THE BAHAMAS
FIRST: We had to get the same test that we got upon arrival at the resort! We did this on Sunday, as we left on Monday early afternoon. You could get the results and bar code emailed or printed and this entire process was easy and painless.
SECOND: Once we got to the airport, we just had to show our bar code, passport, and fill out some paperwork, which took no time at all. Upon heading home, we DID NOT have to fill out any sort of health visas, like we did to come to the Bahamas. We left around 3:00 PM and we were back home at the house by 8:00 PM. Grateful for an easy trip back home, even though I was super antsy and ready to shower and be home!
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
AMAZING!!! I honestly have no complaints about anything! We had so much fun as a couple and with our friends. There were no hiccups or fights, we just lived our best lives and soaked it all up! The weather was great, not too hot or too humid. We spent lots of hours laying by the pool and I thoroughly enjoyed the jalapeno margaritas….AHHH SO DAMN GOOD!
I think the highlight of the trip was on Sunday before the Super Bowl, we rented a boat for 4 hours. We left from the dock below. It was our group of six, plus the two captains. We had unlimited drinks, we had plenty of sunshine, and yes, of course, there was food…When we asked the captain if they had any chips and salsa, he came back with six boxes that all had big ass cheeseburgers and crunchy salty potato chips! WINNING! The timing was impeccable.
We all must have said at least 10 times each how happy and grateful we are to live this life! And it is the truth!
I think the only thing that was hard for me is how HARD the island is struggling to stay afloat. This “thing” that is happening is hurting so many people and these resorts are struggling. Baha Mar was closed for 9 months and they only have one tower open, because people are obviously not traveling. It is just sad, because of how much money they are losing and how many people have lost jobs or are just trying to stay afloat.
I hope that for everyone’s sake we go back to NORMAL, because after traveling out of the country and feeling safe, noticing how clean things are, how people are working so hard to follow the rules and keep visitors happy, that people can stop living in fear and enjoy their lives. I was scared to travel, but after this experience, I hope we’ll be back again.
Life is short and we need to live, travel, and go back to doing adventurous things!
As I said earlier, if you have any questions, please reach out!
xoxo
