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We're back from the Bahamas. No sunburns, but quite a few more freckles for me.
So Atlantis is unreal. I've never seen an entire island so landscaped within an inch of its life before. Gorgeous, in a completely ridiculous way. There are dozens of pools and three different beaches and multiple waterslides that go through shark tanks and waterfalls (some in the pools, some actually waterslides, some just landscaping) and more aquariums than I could count. There are aquariums designed to look like archaeological ruins of a steampunk magical ancient culture. There are aquariums that can only be seen upon exiting waterslides. There are aquariums in the lobbies, in the restaurants, next to the pools. There are two of the biggest manta rays I've ever seen, including one that I think might have actually been ten feet across. (It was well bigger than me.) There are dozens of different kinds of sharks, and dolphins, and a 300 pound grouper. The railings are sea creature-themed, the light fixtures are sea creature-themed, the domes have swordfish on them. They made up a language and covered everything in fake hieroglyphics. There's a lazy river that was closed and a rapids-river that was a mile long. Two towers of water slides. The surge generator in the river turns into a wave pool. No expense was spared, anywhere, from the giant flying fish fountain to the multiple Chihuly sculptures. The engineering and architecture and design of this place must have been the most fun jobs in fifty years. Gorgeous, ridiculous, fantastic, and ludicrously over-the-top.
Also, incerdibly expensive. Despite the 21 restaurants in the complex, we ate a lot of our meals off the reservation and did most of our drinking in our rooms with a couple of bottles of booze and mixers we bought ourselves. (The drinks weren't so bad for us--Manhattan prices. The food was pretty pricey, though.) Also, there are a billion places they try to upsell you. I find it difficult to believe anyone pays the rack rate--we were theorizing that they set a crazy high rate so you feel like you're getting a bargain and don't mind all the extra charges so much. (Example--taxi from the airport is $32 plus $2/person over 2 people. Airport transfer bought from the hotel is $58/person.)
The first couple days were cloudy, but we got some sun the last full day. Had a lovely time. Lots of swimming, walking, lounging, and waterslide riding.
So Atlantis is unreal. I've never seen an entire island so landscaped within an inch of its life before. Gorgeous, in a completely ridiculous way. There are dozens of pools and three different beaches and multiple waterslides that go through shark tanks and waterfalls (some in the pools, some actually waterslides, some just landscaping) and more aquariums than I could count. There are aquariums designed to look like archaeological ruins of a steampunk magical ancient culture. There are aquariums that can only be seen upon exiting waterslides. There are aquariums in the lobbies, in the restaurants, next to the pools. There are two of the biggest manta rays I've ever seen, including one that I think might have actually been ten feet across. (It was well bigger than me.) There are dozens of different kinds of sharks, and dolphins, and a 300 pound grouper. The railings are sea creature-themed, the light fixtures are sea creature-themed, the domes have swordfish on them. They made up a language and covered everything in fake hieroglyphics. There's a lazy river that was closed and a rapids-river that was a mile long. Two towers of water slides. The surge generator in the river turns into a wave pool. No expense was spared, anywhere, from the giant flying fish fountain to the multiple Chihuly sculptures. The engineering and architecture and design of this place must have been the most fun jobs in fifty years. Gorgeous, ridiculous, fantastic, and ludicrously over-the-top.
Also, incerdibly expensive. Despite the 21 restaurants in the complex, we ate a lot of our meals off the reservation and did most of our drinking in our rooms with a couple of bottles of booze and mixers we bought ourselves. (The drinks weren't so bad for us--Manhattan prices. The food was pretty pricey, though.) Also, there are a billion places they try to upsell you. I find it difficult to believe anyone pays the rack rate--we were theorizing that they set a crazy high rate so you feel like you're getting a bargain and don't mind all the extra charges so much. (Example--taxi from the airport is $32 plus $2/person over 2 people. Airport transfer bought from the hotel is $58/person.)
The first couple days were cloudy, but we got some sun the last full day. Had a lovely time. Lots of swimming, walking, lounging, and waterslide riding.
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Date: 2011-10-25 04:24 pm (UTC)From: