Shopping Opportunities

The Bahamas: Part of Your Complete Shopping Experience

Shopping in the Bahamas in an experience that no dedicated shop-a-holic should allow to pass them by. Truthfully speaking, why do people go on vacation? They do it so that they can get away from the rat race, meet new people, have fantastic, exotic experiences that will make their friends green with envy when they get home and (let's admit it) to pick up some great souvenirs that will see them through when their stuck in their office in the middle of the winter with nothing to look forward to but long days filled with paperwork and stress.

With the wealth of shopping opportunities to be found in the Bahamas there is no reason for anyone to come back to the mainland without the perfect souvenir. Oh yes, if you are the traditional shopper who likes to pick up the usual, commercial, cheesy souvenir that will sit on their desk untouched and forgotten after the first week the islands will happily accommodate you; you can pick up postcards and snow globes a plenty in ordinary tourist shops. If you are a true shop-a-holic, however, you understand the importance of finding the perfect, one of a kind souvenir to commemorate your vacation.

The Bahamas will gladly accommodate you on this score by allowing you to step foot into their one-of-a-kind straw market, where you will have the opportunity to purchase items that are "Authentically Bahamian". What does this mean? It means that every part of that product was produced on the islands; the raw materials are naturally grown, and all of the work was done by hand by one of the natives on the island.

Before a product can claim to be authentically Bahamian it must pass inspection by the Authentically Bahamian Department, one of the many branches of the Ministry of Tourism, and as you would imagine any quality control organization would be on an island that makes a large part of its profit from its tourist industry would be the Authentically Bahamian Department has stringent guidelines that products must meet before they will receive their stamp of approval.

Authentically Bahamian products can be found in outlets in Festival Place, Prince George Dock, The Craft Centre, Paradise Island and in the Out Islands, and all products are guaranteed to be made by local artisans. So if you're looking for a unique gift for a loved one or a one of a kind souvenir that will make all of your co-workers green with envy, place these shops on your to-do list and be sure they do not get pushed aside-you'll regret it if you do.

Along with these outlets, be sure that you set aside an afternoon or two to visit Festival Place on Prince George Wharf. You will get a chance to see local artisans in the process of producing their wears and to sip at a cup of authentic Bahamian tea while you wait for them to complete your custom-made souvenir, whether that be a straw bag or a one of a kind painting. The entire structure is designed to give you a shopping experience that is 100% unique to the Bahamas and cannot be topped anywhere in the world.

The fact that the islands are not just for beaches anymore means that the savvy shopper can step off their plane with their credit card in hand and be assured that they will not be stepping back onto the plane at the end of their vacation empty handed.