Do not expect to be able to use a credit card or personal check to pay for car rental, guide services, food or other services. Most business on Andros will accept only cash. Personal checks are not accepted by anyone! Always expect to pay cash, USA or Bahamian dollars. Other currencies are not generally accepted.
At Hank's Place, your Payment Options are:
Before leaving your home country, be sure to notify you credit card company that you will be traveling to the Bahamas. A lot of card companies will decline your credit card when it is used outside your normal shopping area. Not only is this a little embarrassing, but it can add $20-$30 dollars to your bill to call your bank or credit card company since most toll free numbers are not toll free from The Bahamas.
USA/CANADIAN CITIZENS need one of the following documents, along with a return or onward journey ticket (if using an electronic ticket, please show Immigration a copy of the travel itinerary & ticket number) and proof of funds to support visit (Stays not to exceed 8 months):
PASSPORT (current or expired up to 5 years maximum) Officially, however expired passports are sometimes not accepted.
or
OFFICIAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE (original/official (government-issued only), or court-certified copy (raised or ink seal) and OFFICIAL PHOTO ID issued by a Government Agency. (i.e. driver's license, county ID etc.) for persons 16 years and over. Persons 16 and under only require a Birth Certificate, and if they possess a Student ID, should carry it along as this would facilitate their being processed by Immigration. Persons under 16 years traveling alone will require a notarized Parental Letter of Consent. In the case of organized group travel, a letter is not necessary since it is assumed that the chaperone would have obtained prior permission.
or
ORIGINAL NATURALIZATION / CITIZENSHIP CERTIFICATE (original only) + recent photo if photo on naturalization paper is not recent. NOTE: Persons are advised to purchase return tickets (and seek reimbursement upon returning home for the unused ticket), even though they are certain to return via a private boat. The chance of an airline/cruise line ticket agent allowing travel on a single ticket is very slim. If, however, the person gets to the point of Bahamas Immigration on a single ticket, the Captain of the boat would have to present himself and the cruising permit. However, a copy of the cruising permit will be permitted for crew members, who may be arriving by plane and returning by boat as their names will appear on the manifest. A letter will not suffice!
All USA Citizens traveling to the Caribbean, Central
America or The Bahamas will be required to have a
passport to re-enter the USA. By 2009, all USA Citizens
will be required to have passports for any foreign
travel. You should get your passport now, while you can still
obtain one in a reasonable timeframe.
Less then 30% of Americans that travel to the
Islands have passports. It will be impossible for the USA to issue
50 - 60 million passports in the next 24 months. Get yours now!
Click Bahamas Travel guide for document requirements for citizens of countries other than the USA or Canada.
Be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen. Even if you think you have a good 'Northern Tan'. The sun below latitude 25 is A LOT more intense then in the more northern climates. Plus, on a island the sun reflects of the water becoming even more intense, and the cool ocean breezes will fool you. Don't ruin your vacation with a serious sunburn. SPF 30 or higher is needed for noses, ears and necks. Start with SPF 30 for the rest of the body, lowering to SPF 15 after a few days in our tropical sun.
Most places in the Tropics and Sub-Tropics have a large mosquito population. The Bahamas is no exception. Like most tropical islands, we also have an abundance of sand flees, locally known as "No-See-Ums". Be prepared, bring a good insect repellant, like Deep Woods Off. Other than bees and wasps, there are no venomous insects, nor venomous snakes, for that matter, on Andros.
Taxi fares from the Andros Town International Airport to most locations in Central Andros are set by the Government and are quite reasonable. The fair to Hank's Places is $10 for 2 persons with a $5 surcharge for each additional passenger. If you use a taxi for any other travel, be sure to negotiate your fare in advance. Some of our guest have been shocked by the fees charged for relatively short trips. Get the fare up front and avoid unpleasant surprises!