Where To Go In Freeport - Lucaya

For the modern shopping centers, and convenient tourist facilities you will want to go to the planned city of Freeport. Only minutes from downtown you will find the airport and the harbor just a little beyond that. Here are some of the sights you will want not want to miss when you are visiting Freeport/Lucaya.

First there is the Bahamas National Trust Rand Nature Centre. Here you are only minutes from downtown Freeport. This nature center takes up about 100 acres and the trails will show the 130 types of native plants, which include many species of orchids. In the center of this nature wonderland you will be able to catch sight of the birds indigenous to the islands. If you are a bird watcher you will fall in love with the red-tailed hawk or the Cuban emerald hummingbird, which might be sipping hibiscus nectar. From the Flamingo Pond's observation deck you will glimpse the graceful pink flamingos from the Bahamian island of Inagua. The reserve is named after philanthropist James H. Rand. Mr. Rand was the president of Remington Rand and donated a hospital and library to the island.

The Casino at Bahamia was scheduled for major renovation in 2001. The Casino at Bahamia is a Freeport landmark with its infamous onion dome, which was removed and a Mediterranean look added to the décor. The revue-style floorshow has been replaced with a more contemporary entertainment center, which hosts different bands from around the island. Gamblers are still attracted to the casino in large numbers to try their hand at one of the new 700 slot machines, blackjack or any one of the other gambling games offered here at this casino. You can even place your bet on any of your favorite sports games at the casino's Sports Book. The casino is adjacent to the International Bazaar and part of the Resort at Bahamia, but the Casino at Bahamia is still a Freeport attraction.

The Hydroflora Gardens is a beautiful attraction whether you are a plant enthusiast or not. Agronomist and horticulturist Roger Victor who the plants without soil using a method called hydroponics created the Hydroflora Gardens. The Bahamas have a limestone soil, which is like a natural laboratory. A member of the Victor family will be happy to show you what is blooming and share with you their knowledge of plants. As you stroll through three acres on trails lined with blooming native and exotic flora you will learn about the medicinal and biblical plants especially when they are interwoven into the Bahamian history and their culture. If the fruit trees are bearing fruit, you might get the opportunity to sample a fresh mango or guava.

The International Bazaar is a 10 acre complex filled with cobbled lanes and a jumble of shops and restaurants. If it reminds you of a Hollywood sound stage, you are not alone. A special-effects artist, Charles Perrin designed it in 1967. These days some of the shops and restaurants stand empty, the straw market crashed, but they stand ready for someone to come along and rescue them from their downfall. The ones that have remained sell duty-free jewelry, china, and perfume, or clothing, T-shirts and souvenirs. At the entrance there is a 35-ft. torii arch, a red lacquered gate, which is the traditional welcome sign of Japan.