{"id":137835,"date":"2019-02-21T12:35:33","date_gmt":"2019-02-21T17:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fourseasons.com\/magazine\/?p=137835"},"modified":"2020-12-30T18:04:56","modified_gmt":"2020-12-30T23:04:56","slug":"a-new-side-of-paradise-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fourseasons.com\/magazine\/discover\/a-new-side-of-paradise-island\/","title":{"rendered":"How I Discovered a New Side of
Paradise Island"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For me, the Bahamas used to conjure images of a teen-spirit beach vacation: neon bikinis, potent rum runners, over-chlorinated megaresorts and the like. My expectations had been set by bus-stop posters of beachgoers rolling around in sand, or giddily gambling inside a cavernous casino. I didn\u2019t anticipate being impressed. But that was before I laid eyes on The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n Check Rates & Availability <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n \tSee all you can experience at The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas<\/nobr><\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Flying into the Nassau airport, I\u2019m struck by the bright turquoise waters encircling the archipelago, the sun reflecting off sandy shallows. From the capital, it\u2019s a breezy 30-minute drive across Nassau\u2019s harbour and over the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge to the north side of Paradise Island. As I step out of the van, my luggage is discreetly handled for me, and I\u2019m welcomed by the scent of hibiscus flowers, waves of salty ocean air and a cool glass of Champagne.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Maybe I didn\u2019t know Paradise after all. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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This is the famed Ocean Club, a private estate\u2013style resort embracing 35 acres of landscaped gardens, pools, guest rooms and villas all overlooking an 8-kilometre (5-mile) stretch of powdery white beach. Since its opening in 1962, the property has matured into an elegant enclave for fine art, Bahamian culture and innovative cuisine.<\/p>\n

Standing inside the lobby with its vaulted ceiling and polished marble floors, I realize my previous notions were misguided. Here, a few takeaways from my voyage of discovery.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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