The Travel Society

Exotic wildlife? Check. Ample snacks? Check. Beautiful stately home? Check. It can be tough to find entertaining, safe activities to keep the family engaged when there's a bit of jet lag standing between you and your stress free embarkation! Marwell Zoo really does tick a lot of boxes, and it's only about 30 minutes by car from the cruise terminals. Great option for burning some energy on a comfortable half day out!

Were you one of the lucky ones to visit The Bahamas last year? While the ministry responsible for tourism figures had reported slightly higher than expected visitor numbers for 2023, I think the biggest surprise has been just how much growth the islands have enjoyed since 2019, the previous record-setting year for visitor numbers. More than 9.6 million guests visited The Bahamas last year, representing a 33% increase since 2019! This figure wasn't necessarily unexpected, if a little higher than the local tourism board had estimated. I think the biggest surprise has been the rate of growth and some minor figures among the distribution of visitors: New Providence, which includes Nassau and features the largest casino resort in the Caribbean at The Baha Mar represented the lion's share of those visitor numbers, with nearly 4.5 million by air or sea. The Baha Mar in New Providence Grand Bahama was the next most popular destination, welcoming just under 600,000 visitors. What are known as "The Family Islands" represented a 40% increase over 2022 with more than 4.6 million guests; a region scattered to the multitude of wonderful islands across turquoise waters elsewhere in the archipelago. Think Eleuthera, Berry Islands, Exumas, and beyond!

Check this place out! The Oxford University Museum of Natural History - a little unassuming outside, but it's absolutely beautiful inside. The collection is quite cool and not at all overwhelming, kept our family with young kids entertained and curious for just the right amount of time!