Taking its name from the Spanish, 'baja mar', which translates as 'shallow sea', the Bahamas or the Commonwealth of the Bahamas as it is officially known, is an archipelago consisting of some 700 islands and cays and is situated in the Atlantic Ocean to the east of Florida in the US and to the north of Cuba. Of those 700 islands, only 12 are significantly developed and populated with New Providence topping the list on both accounts.

The islands offer abundant natural beauty and no end of fascinating flora and fauna as well as year round good weather, which in the dry season lacks the intense heat typical of many other Caribbean islands. Views on all of the islands are akin to those that grace the front of picture postcards and very few visitors are left unimpressed by the sights on offer.