Taxi Tours

[hpreece]

I have went on taxi tours in other places and find this as a great way to view the city from a natives prospective. Has anyone done this in Nassau? Is it safe? What are some must sees that the driver can take us by? I

definitely want to go in Atlantis. Do you have a water taxi to get there?

 

I'm sure that all of these answers are scattered about these boards...sorry for repeating if they are.

 

Thanks in advance,

Heather

[NoSoupForYou]

Last April, we sailed on the NCL Majesty to the Bahamas. After leaving the ship in Nassau, we were approached by Mike and offered a taxi tour of the island. We shared the cab (actually a mini-van) with two other couples. Mike took us all around the island, with stops at the queen's staircase, an old fort and a couple of other places. Mike was very knowledgeable, pointed out many historic sites, government buildings and the various beaches. We crossed over the bridge to paradise island and he conducted a mini-tour of the resort including the casino, the lobby and the ouside areas. They seemed to know Mike and made no effort to stop our little tour group from going anywhere on site. The tour was totally enjoyable and informative and lasted a little over 2.5 hrs. For this, he charged $50.00 pp plus a voluntary tip. We paid at the end and he dropped us off wherever we wanted, and we had him drop us off at the straw market. I never felt unsafe and would not hesitate to do it again.

[Lostinthe50s]

Last April, we sailed on the NCL Majesty to the Bahamas. After leaving the ship in Nassau, we were approached by Mike and offered a taxi tour of the island. We shared the cab (actually a mini-van) with two other couples. Mike took us all around the island, with stops at the queen's staircase, an old fort and a couple of other places. Mike was very knowledgeable, pointed out many historic sites, government buildings and the various beaches. We crossed over the bridge to paradise island and he conducted a mini-tour of the resort including the casino, the lobby and the ouside areas. They seemed to know Mike and made no effort to stop our little tour group from going anywhere on site. The tour was totally enjoyable and informative and lasted a little over 2.5 hrs. For this, he charged $50.00 pp plus a voluntary tip. We paid at the end and he dropped us off wherever we wanted, and we had him drop us off at the straw market. I never felt unsafe and would not hesitate to do it again.

It sounds like you paid a lot for your tour,we used a great guy called Otis who we found out about on this board. We had 2 1/2 hours all over the Island including Atlantis . He also showed us around Atlantis and the fort and many other stops. he only charged $25.00 per person and I want to use him again on our trip back in June.He is very famous on these boards from people using him and being very satisfied.

[NoSoupForYou]

You are right, 50.00 pp is too much. My brain wasn't staying ahead of my typing fingers. We paid $50.00 TOTAL plus $10.00 at the end of the tour, not 50.00 per person. Seems to be fairly standard price for the taxi tour.

 

I have heard of Otis, but by the time we got off the ship, he was already gone with a tour. What I liked about the tour was the scope of it. Mike drove us to the nicer, upper-class areas as well as the poor neighborhoods; the historic sites as well as the modern government buildings. The good and the not so good.

[hpreece]

Thanks for the info and clarification.

Do either of you have email or telephone #s for the guides that you used.

Thanks again,

Heather

[BIG_Steve]

Thanks for the info and clarification.

Do either of you have email or telephone #s for the guides that you used.

Thanks again,

Heather

 

Otis' contact info has been posted here before, so a search of this forum should find it. Also, sometimes his name is spelled "Ottis" so search that way too.

 

I'd be careful about picking a cabbie at random. While perhaps the vast majority are hard working and conscientious, we got one we weren't happy with. It was 8:30, and at that time Otis didn't get to the pier until around 9:15. A charming and funny cabbie talked us into taking a tour with him. We did, and it was awful. We didn't stop at the queens' staircase or any beaches. We zoomed around the island and were supposed to be mesmerized by the shopping centers he was pointing out as we zipped by. Then we stopped at a Starbucks. He had us all wait in the van while he walked around the back of the store with a paper bag and met someone. I don't even want to know what was in that bag........... He dropped us at Atlantis and insisted we have a great time gambling and shopping, and meet him in exactly 1/2 hour. Yeah right. We paid him and stayed at Atlantis for awhile.

 

Anyway, enough cabbies get recommended here that you should be able to locate one of them at the pier instead of taking a chance on getting someone like ours.