ATLANTIS DISCOVERED
It’s on Paradise Island
“Anything else I can do for you Ms. Taylor?” inquired the smartly dressed gent who had just delivered a sumptuous breakfast tray to my suite at The Cove Atlantis on Paradise Island, Bahamas.
“Hide me,” I implored, and could still hear him chuckling down the hall, as I continued packing for the flight home to Canada.
Yes, I’d been pampered the past few days, lolling in the sprawling Atlantis resort grandly imagined as Plato’s fabled lost island.
I had enjoyed the sweeping view of the turquoise Atlantic Ocean from my 10th-storey balcony, exploring the massive tropical garden property, taking ocean and pool dips, and dining at exquisite eateries.
It’s an ideal Caribbean experience I shared with two other travel writers, hosted by the Atlantis Bahamas resort.
Engaging with guests vacationing as families, young and older couples plus gal pals on a yoga retreat, it quickly became apparent the large resort had widespread appeal.
At first blush, the resort — with more than a few thousand rooms, about 8,000 employees and dozens of entertainment lounges and eateries — is overwhelming.
Best to grab a cocktail or a cold Kalik — an easy-drinking beer brewed in neighbouring Nassau — and study the 3D map of the expansive property before heading out.
You’ll discover a marina, tennis centre, 18-hole golf course and a plethora of shops and eateries nestled among tropical gardens and pretty pink buildings providing a range of accommodations. The grand dame of the resort is the 23-storey Royal Towers, connected by the posh Bridge Suite, a stunning innovation, renting at $25,000 a night. It includes 10 rooms, a grand piano and a permanent staff of seven.
The Cove Atlantis, where we stayed, features 600 suites. It’s a stylish upscale resort within the larger complex offering an adultsonly pool and private beach club. I was enamoured with the open-air lobby with lush garden streams stocked with colourful fish, on either side of the marble walkway.
There are 10 pools dotting the property, including a kids splash pool and a lap poo, plus several expansive white sandy beaches.
The impressive Mayan Temple (a life-size replica) housing the challenger and jungle slides, plus the thrilling Leap of Faith is part of the Aquaventure Park full of water wonders. Here guests craving adventure can slide through a transparent tube in a shark-filled lagoon.
I happily joined the throngs of fun-lovers riding inner tubes on a mile-long (1.6 kilometre) river winding through lush gardens while waves and rapids kept things lively.
It was fun to be alongside a couple of tween brothers howling with delight every time their dad flipped over. And there was no climbing: we were propelled to great heights on watery conveyor belts.
At the 5.6-hectare Dolphin Cay we shared some quality time with the friendly beauties, part of a small group allowed to rub their bellies and “chat.” The 30-minute interaction includes an education session. Good to know dolphins here were rescued after they were swept out to sea from a Mississippi oceanarium during hurricane Katrina.
Other options at the cay include joining a marine-mammal specialist for the day, feeding and training dolphins or sea lions. It’s also possible to snorkel the “lost ruins of Atlantis” among 20,000 tropical fish, spotted rays and sharks.
The Dig, in the heart of the complex, invites visitors to wander through a maze of darkened tunnels presented as streets in the lost city of Atlantis. It’s a mesmerizing journey flanked by massive aquariums teaming with about 250 species of marine life including piranhas, moray eels, jellyfish, lobsters and clownfish.
On days when your family wants a change of pace, consider the Atlantis kids’ adventures program. It’s a cool, 745-square-metre, fully supervised funhouse. Sports, entertainment, a kids’ cooking kitchen, plus craft-making and candy.
While the kids enjoy themselves, guilt-free parents may try their luck at the resort’s casino, the largest in the Caribbean, with 75 gaming tables and 750 slot machines.
The facility features stunning glass sculptures by artist Dale Chihuly. And, don’t miss the best seat in the house, a massive Atlantis throne perfect for souvenir photos.
If pampering is more your style, Mandara Spa is a resort sweet spot offering a full range of treatments. Forays into the warm and cool plunge pools following my full-body massage was a relaxing highlight.
Dining options range from poolside bars and grills to trendy cafés, gourmet buffet-style dining and high-end eateries.
I toasted the resort’s newest restaurant, 77 West — fusing South American cuisine with Caribbean — with a pineapple mango mojito cocktail. Next it was delicious grouper fillet Moqueca and sautéed spinach with garlic. Glad I saved room for the dessert of island spice, ginger biscuit and caramel ice cream.
Dinner at celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s restaurant lived up to its reputation, including raves from a fellow guest eavesdropping on my reservation query. The tasty, tangy Japanese fare at Nobu was artfully presented and impeccably served.
Café Martinique exuded Old World charm under the guidance of celebrity chef Jean- Georges Vongerichten. Elegant service included the duck — with cracked Jordan almonds, foie gras and Amaretto sauce — artfully sliced at tableside.
And if you happen to propel an escargot to ricochet off a wineglass to the floor, like I did, be not afraid of rebuke. The charming server simply noted the same thing had happened to Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.
The café, with windows overlooking the magical Marina Village, evokes another movie. The classic James Bond Thunderball was filmed in the original eatery, re-created by Atlantis.