Kickin’ It: Caribbean Crawl (Bahamas Edition) Recap

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Last weekend I had the opportunity to embark on yet another Caribbean Crawl adventure with my good buddies Jessica of Glamazons Blog and Lexi of LexiWithTheCurls. Last time we went to Barbados for our very first Caribbean Crawl. We had SUCH a blast that we decided to do another one for the summertime. This was our first time visiting the beautiful Paradise Island, Bahamas and we were hosted by the Hotel RIU Palace Paradise Island, which is absolutely stunning.

Related: 2014 Caribbean Crawl Recap (Barbados)

Here’s what we got into:

riu-hotels-paradise-island-bahamas-beachSo I was the first to touch down in Nassau and from the airport it was just a 30 minute ride across a bridge to get to Paradise Island. The beauty of staying on Paradise Island is that you can easily get back and forth to downtown Nassau if you want, simply by taking a taxi or by ferry. Once I pulled up to the Hotel RIU Palace Paradise Island I was ready to kick off my shoes and head straight to the beach. The RIU is an all-inclusive resort, so I was greeted in the lobby with a fresh cold glass of rum punch and at check-in was given a wristband and my room key.

riu-hotel-paradise-island-bahamas-suiteThe Hotel RIU Palace Paradise Island put us up in one of their corner suites overlooking both the beach and the pool. It was absolutely beautiful. The room was spacious and the view was breathtaking.

riu-hotels-paradise-island-bahamas-bathroom-selfieOf course I went straight for the closest mirror for a “straight-from-the-airport-hair-tied-chillin-with-no-makeup-on” selfie. #bloggersbelike #selfietime

riu-hotels-paradise-island-bahamas-poolAfter jumping on the bed like a little kid and throwing my swimsuit on, I was ready to head to the pool.

motions-hair-conditioner-beachRight before heading down, I threw some Motions Hair Moisture Plus Conditioner on my hair to prep it for water fun.

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Because the Hotel RIU Palace Paradise Island is all inclusive, we ended up spending the majority of our time in the Bahamas right on the premises. There were cocktails, amazing food, poolside activities and more included.

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By the second day, I was ready to hit the beach. Lexi and I got up early and headed down to soak up sun while waiting for Jessica to arrive.

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I wore my new floral printed high-waisted bikini from Forever 21 Plus collection. It fits my body so well and it comes in such a fun print! Also, it was only $27.80. Here’s the link for the one-piece version of this: Forbidden Fruit Swimsuit ($27.80). I checked and it looks like the two-piece is sold out. Also similar is the Fierce Fiesta Bikini Set ($27.80) – it’s essentially the same suit but in red.

caribbean-crawl-bahamas-lexi-christinaLexi and I had a blast on the beach. The local Bahamian men (Baha men? IDK) kept trying to take us on “private” jet ski rides. Needless to stay, we stayed on land.

caribbean-crawl-bahamas-christina-lexiThe beach on the Hotel RIU Palace Paradise Island premises is absolutely beautiful. There are complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas as well for your use. And of course courtesy towels for hotel guests.

atlantis-paradise-island-landscapeThe next day we ventured next door to the Atlantis Resort to check out the on-site aquarium as well as the water park. I LOVE water parks so I was stoked.

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Atlantis is absolutely beautiful. It definitely lives up to the hype. I remember watching commercials for the resort as a kid saying “Man I want to go there!” Finally had my chance and it was so totally worth it.

caribbean-crawl-atlantis-aquariumThe girls and I saw all types of marine wildlife at Atlantis. They offer really cool activities like swimming with dolphins, snorkeling with stingrays, and more. Here we are at the aquarium fascinated by the sharks above head.

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I was all like “Mama, I made it!” Absolutely loved Atlantis. After this point (obviously) I couldn’t take any more pics because we had to lock our phones away in lockers. I took a swim in one of their many pools, sailed down the lazy river, and hit three major water slides. So much fun and an unforgettable experience. If you’re headed to Paradise Island, you MUST visit Atlantis.

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That about wraps up my weekend with the girls for our second Caribbean Crawl (Bahamas Edition). I had SO much fun and the best part is that my airfare to and from Nassau was really reasonably priced. I flew Jet Blue direct from JFK to Nassau and was able to score a great last-minute deal. For more travel tips, check out my post about My Dream Getaway Destinations & 3 Tips For Making Yours A Reality.

Have you ever been to the Bahamas? What were some of your must-see places to go and things to do? Leave me a comment!

#CaribbeanCrawl (Bahamas Edition) was sponsored in part by RIU Hotels and Motions Hair. All opinions expressed herein are my own and not those of the company.

Christina Brown

Lifestyle influencer and digital mompreneur Christina S. Brown is a New York native, LA resident, and the founder of LoveBrownSugar.com and BrownGirlsLove. She's an award-winning storyteller, a motivational speaker and an advocate for confident millennial black women.

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