Romora Bay Resort & Marina infinity pool overlooking marina and harbor at sunset, part of the allure for New Providence residents to vacation close to home during the Harbour Island resort’s half-price special for Nassauvians. The special was introduced July 8 and runs through December 1.

For residents of Nassau, dreaming about a vacation often means digging out passports and visiting places far from home -- Disney World for the kids, a ski holiday in Colorado for a snow break or perhaps even a far-flung (and pricey) trip to exotic locales like Thailand, Australia or Nepal.
 
Joe Dargavage, General Manager of Romora Bay Resort and Marina, is convinced there is a simpler and far better idea-- do what people all over the world long to do, come to Harbour Island. And he is making it very tempting, slicing rates in half at the boutique hotel and marina for anyone who can show a Nassau address from now until December 1. Rules of engagement are simple: “When making your reservation, just let them know you are from Nassau, and want the Nassau Special”.

What’s even better, in the fall, when many hotels close in Harbour Island, Romora Bay is still going strong with activities and live music weekly.
 
“People from all over the world dream of walking the pink sand beaches of Harbour Island, swimming in the shimmering blue waters, dining at some of the finest restaurants in this hemisphere,” says Dargavage.

“Foreign visitors book up to a year in advance. They travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to experience the mixture of old world charm with high speed internet, photographing beautifully restored historic cottages dating from the late 1700s, waving to passersby from the classy electric golf carts that serve as the main form of transportation.”
 
Yet residents of Nassau all too often overlook the much sought-after iconic and idyllic island in their own back yard, says Dargavage.

“I firmly believe that Nassau is the greatest untapped market for the Family Islands of The Bahamas, and especially for Harbour Island because getting here is easy and getting around once you are here is even easier,” says Dargavage. He points to what he calls “one of the rare examples of hassle-free travel, a two and a half-hour ferry ride aboard the BoHengy or a 15-minute flight to the North Eleuthera airport, a one-minute taxi and quick water ferry ride to the island.”

The Nassauvian Special was introduced on July 8 and Dargavage has already seen traction. “We’ve had several calls and many bookings already,” he said. “In fact, last weekend one family had to reschedule because they planned to fly and all the flights were full. We host people from Asia, Africa, Europe and as far away as Iceland, and now we want to make it easier than ever for Bahamians to enjoy the gem in their own back yard.”

Located just off the northern tip of Eleuthera a few miles from the fishing village of Spanish Wells, the tiny, tony island is only three miles long, about ½ mile wide and has a population of less than 2,000. Often featured in celebrity interviews and glossy lifestyle magazines, it’s not unusual to spot artists, musicians or superstars like Susan Sarandon walking its narrow Bay Street, lined with sherbet-colored cottages, or stopping at Arthur’s Bakery for a warm, just out of the oven loaf of peppery parmesan bread or a lime tart.

“There is a real mystique about Harbour Island,” adds Dargavage, who also serves as vice president of the Bahamas Association of Marina Operators.

“We are so accustomed to celebrities that people on the island pay little attention.” He confesses however that there was one exception. The Barefoot Bandit, Colton Harris Moore, was caught on Harbour Island after eluding police in three countries on two continents and the media descended as if it were the last hour of a presidential convention.

It was Kenny Strachan, a security guard at Romora Bay, who spotted the by-then weary teen trying to steal another getaway boat and alerted the hotel manager to call authorities and provided assistance. Strachan is still at Romora Bay, overseeing the sprawling grounds with its 60 marina slips catering to yachts up to 190 feet, 18 newly renovated rooms, an infinity pool, and Sunsets Restaurant & Bar.

The latter is possibly the most popular happy hour spot on the island and unquestionably serves up the best fresh grouper, caught by resident charter fisherman Pedro Davis and seasoned and grilled by Chef Nique, who turns a native fish into a treasured memory.

The fact that Romora has been quiet since the Barefoot Bandit was caught in July 2010 is just fine with Strachan, although the day we interviewed him coincided with the day Harris Moore finished serving his prison sentence and was released to a halfway house.

“We do attract the special people,” joked Dargavage. “We just want those special people this year to be from Nassau, to show them what life can be like without the traffic, without the stress, just with the beauty of the islands of The Bahamas and the hospitality of Bahamian people. And there is no passport needed.”
 
For details on Romora Bay’s Nassau special, marina rates or other information, check www.romorabay.com.

Source: Diane Phillips & Associates