Time Zone

The Islands Of The Bahamas is in the Eastern Standard Time Zone.

In March of 2007, The Bahamas adopted a new policy for Daylight Saving Time. As a result, Daylight Saving Time will commence at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and will continue until 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in November.

This is the same daylight savings policy practiced in Australia, Canada and the United States.

Language

The official language of The Bahamas is English, more British than American, and generally intertwined with a special Bahamian dialect. Some Indian words like cassava and guava have been retained in the language.

Communications

The U.S. and Canada are a direct-dial call away and most hotels provide direct-dialing service from your room or conference center.

Both visitors and business travelers will find that telecommunication services on The Islands Of The Bahamas are comparable with the service found in most developed nations. A 100% digital switching system allows direct-distance dialing to more than 100 countries. The U.S. and Canada are a direct-dial away and most hotels provide direct-dialing service from guest rooms and/or the conference centre.The Bahamas Telephone Company (BTC) provides a variety of services beyond telephony. Also provided are fax, telex, Internet, cellular, private line service, satellite and radio leasing and an improved VHF-FM radio telephone service that allows you to contact ships at sea. You can save money on long-distance calls by purchasing phone cards. These have great rates to the U.S. and Canada and can be found at any BTC location in Nassau/Paradise Island, Grand Bahama Island or The Out Islands.

For those who refuse to be unleashed from their cell phones, it is very easy to stay connected while visiting The Islands Of The Bahamas. BTC has in place roaming agreements with 128 companies worldwide. Roaming rates for the United States and Canada are $2.24 per minute and is billed through your home service provider. To access BTC’s GSM roaming system simply turn on your phone and wait while it connects to the network. To verify if your home service provider is a roaming partner with BTC or for country specific roaming rates, visit btcbahamas.com.

Currency

The Bahamian dollar is held on par with the U.S. dollar and both are accepted interchangeably throughout the islands. Credit cards and travelers checks are accepted at most locations on Nassau/Paradise Island and Grand Bahama Island. +PLUS and Cirrus ATMs can be found at banks on Nassau/Paradise Island, Grand Bahama Island and on most of the major Out Islands.

BANKING

Banking hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In Nassau/Paradise Island there are ATMs at both Paradise Island and Cable Beach casinos and, commercial banks. In Grand Bahama, they can be found at major banks, the casino and Port Lucaya and on The Out Islands ATMs are at banks on all of the major islands. Most are equipped with +PLUS and Cirrus ATM systems.

Climate

The trade winds that blow almost continually throughout The Islands Of The Bahamas give the islands a warm, agreeable climate that varies little year-round. The most refreshing time is between September and May, when the temperature averages 70-75°F. The rest of the year is a bit warmer with temperatures averaging between 80-90°F.

Hurricane Season

June through November is The Bahamas’ hurricane season. The weather does influence travel decisions and often inaccurate reporting of information on hurricanes results in needless cancellations by U.S. travelers. Many Bahamian hotels have instituted a Hurricane Hotel Policy that states that visitors who cancel a Bahamas vacation during a hurricane will receive an immediate refund with no penalties.

Rainy Season

The Islands Of The Bahamas can experience rain year-round; however, the months of May through October constitute the rainy season. The northern islands normally receive twice as much rain as the southern islands.

FAQ (None at the moment) we will update as needed.