The Bahamas is a destination that has been on my radar for quite some time. I haven’t been to many spots in the Caribbean and more and more I hear of families visiting the island.
I’m so excited to share this review of our family trip to Atlantis. There is a lot of ground to cover in this post and I want to make it as helpful as possible.
We go away with Jeff’s family every year around Easter. Usually to Florida {check out this post and this one}. This year, there are two pregnancies in our squad and it was cutting it close to the travel cut off, so we traveled in January. Since we were changing things up, we discussed a new location. We started exploring non Zika options and all agreed the Bahamas would be fun!!
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The two main factors: keep everyone in the group entertained and minimizing travel/transportation.
There are 4 kids under the age of 5 so we wanted a family friendly environment. After seeing the Aquaventure, Aquariums, Dolphin Cove, beachfront, and multiple pools, we knew this would be great for the kids and adults.
Also, we LOVE to go to amazing restaurants. On the premise is Nobu, Fish by Jose Andres, Carmines, Virgils – all of which we walked to. The only night we left the property was to eat at DUNE at the Ocean Club at the Four Seasons.
We stayed at the Reef, which is the most family friendly option on the property. To be honest, there are so many subdivisions, it can be super confusing reading reviews and figuring where to stay.
We had 8 adults and 4 kids on the trip. Two rooms shared a common entryway and luckily all our rooms were next to each other. We had a mini kitchen with a stovetop, sink, serving ware, cups/glasses, dishwasher and refrigerator that came in VERY handy. There was even a laundry room on one of the floors.
Our room set up was great for all the kids to be in one area while my pregnant sister in laws took turns watching the kids. {Thanks Ann and Ellie!!}
We were given bracelets that allowed us to access all areas of the property. Yes, some visitors come from cruise ships and other hotels to enjoy the Aquaventure, but do not have access to all areas like the Reef pool anch beach.
The Reef is very close to the Cove, which we walked through many times. The Cove looked really nice, but geared towards an adults only vibe. So the Reef was the better option for us.
First, the water is just breathtaking. All the gorgeous shades of blue are so beautiful to look at. The beach sand was so soft and powdery, it reminded me of Anguilla, one of my favorite places. It’s pretty shallow for the kids to play in. One of my favorite times was sitting on the lounge chairs in the surf, during sunset and watching the kids dig in the sand.
Next, the fine dining restaurant options I mentioned before. DUNE may have been my favorite, especially with the dance party afterwards.
The Rapid River was a big hit. Sam loved it! And all the adults enjoyed it as well.
And being with everyone and having an amazing time together of course! We don’t live in the same town as everyone so its so nice to see Sam and Marielle share experiences with their aunts, uncles, cousins and grandma.
A few considerations before booking your stay…
This was one of my favorite family trips. The Reef at Atlantis has my complete seal of approval. Even though we experienced a crazy torrential rain downpour one day and it was really windy after, I still rank it at the top.
Jeff asked me if I wanted to go back. With the kids or as a family trip, hands down I would do Atlantis again. The balance of finding something for everyone with the convenience made it perfect.
That said, if Jeff and I were to return without kids, I would want to check out another hotel on the island – maybe the Ocean Club, maybe somewhere in Baha Mar.
I hope this post was helpful in planning your next vacation! Please let me know if you have any questions or want to know more.
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