That is how I ended up at Paradise Island, an amazing tropical wonderland which boasts magnificent resorts, a casino, a golf course and an airport. The island, formerly called "Hog", lay undeveloped for decades as holiday-makers flooded Nassau Island close by. It took visionary hoteliers like Merv Griffin and Sol Kerzner to transform it into the glamorous world class resort it is today.

Wealthy Americans rub shoulders with celebrities in the very exclusive Ocean Club, while reclusive millionaires like Howard Hughes and the former Shah of Iran are among those who found refuge here. But you don't have to be a superstar to stay here. With more than 2300 hotel rooms in the vast Atlantis resort, there are accommodations to suit all budgets and tastes.

I stayed in the Atlantis Paradise Island Coral Towers Hotel, where my room overlooked a host of swimming pools with the sparkling ocean in the distance. The complex has to be seen to be believed, with three tower blocks and 35 restaurants. Oprah Winfrey once broadcast her talk show from a massive $25,000 USD-a-night suite here and it has been the location for many Hollywood films, including last year's James Bond classic Casino Royale.

While the beach is the main attraction, the futuristic aquarium takes some beating. It is the world's largest open air marine habitat, with a 100-foot clear acrylic tunnel running underneath the water, giving visitors unobstructed views. Among the hundreds of different aquatic species that can be spotted here are angelfish, sharks, manta rays and jellyfish. There is also a predator lagoon with sawsharks, barracudas and stingrays.

Earlier this year, the resort opened a water park called Aquaventure. Sprawling over 63 acres and using 200 million gallons of water, it combines slides, lazy rivers and rapids into one large, natural setting. The centrepiece of the attraction is the Power Tower, which contains three waterslides and a rock-climbing wall. All rides in the Aquaventure section end up in one large pool, where guests can get off or carry on into vast underground caverns.

You don't have to spend the whole time on Paradise Island. To see one of the best beaches, pay a visit to Harbour Island. On the east side, you can spend time on the famous pink sand beaches, which are flanked by private villas and estates. The area has a village atmosphere, as if it has been frozen in time and is probably as close as one can come to the get-away-from-it-all holiday experience. You can reach Harbour Island from the larger Eleuthera Island.

For a totally different atmosphere, head for Nassau, the bustling capital. It is cloaked in the legend of shipwrecks and legendary pirates like Blackbeard, but its colonial roots are more clearly reflected in its architecture. Victorian mansions, 18th century fortresses and cathedrals lie alongside duty-free stores and upmarket boutiques. A statue of Queen Victoria is surrounded by picturesque rainbow-coloured buildings that give the island its special flair.

The protected harbour is the delight of the big cruise liners, and when the passengers pour onto the island, the streets hum with excitement. There are many attractions in Nassau, like the museum and Fort Charlotte. And there are scores of restaurants, ranging from the more opulent to more casual ones frequented by the local residents.

It is here that you can taste some of the island specialties like conch fritters, grouper fingers, peas 'n' rice, boiled fish, johnnycake and guava duff, to name a few. And don't forget to wash it all down with a refreshing Bahama Mama cocktail. When that's done, you can fight the flab by climbing the Queen's Staircase. A total of 66 steps lead to a lookout with a glorious view of the island.

One night I had a good run in the casino, winning a few hundred dollars, but even the thrill of that could not compare with the ultimate island experience - swimming with dolphins. After a 25-minute boat ride from Nassau, we arrived at the natural dolphin habitat on Blue Lagoon Island, an exceptionally scenic spot where the beach scenes in the movie "Splash" were filmed.

After a brief orientation where you learn about the dolphins, you put on a lifejacket and then enter the pool. Just touching these amazingly friendly creatures is something special, so you can imagine the feeling when one 'kisses' you or allows you to hold their body in your arms. A trainer is with you in the water, so there is no danger to you or the animal.

The trainer also sets you up for the highlight of your swim - the "foot-push". By pushing with his nose, the dolphin propels you out of the water and across the pool. What an incredible feeling! Without exception, everyone in our party said they would remember this experience as the highlight of their stay.

Another interesting natural experience is a visit to the Inagua Wildlife Sanctuary, which dominates the remote Inagua Island. Here you can witness the untouched landscape and swarms of wildlife. But the highlight is the huge number of flamingos that make their home here during the mating season from October to March. The birds cover Lake Rosa, the largest inland lake in the Bahamas, and present a true spectacle of nature. The best way to see the sanctuary, which is run by the Bahamas National Trust, is on a day tour. Only hardy adventurers would want to camp here.

My favourite memory of my Bahamas holiday is sitting at a beach bar watching the sun go down. As I watched my girlfriend paddling in the shallow water, I sipped on the drink that had brought me here, my Bahama Mama, and wondered where my next holiday would be.