Islands Of The Bahamas among Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best 2017

Several destinations in The Islands of The Bahamas are ranking high with Travel + Leisure’s globetrotting readers. The popular travel magazine revealed its World’s Best winners on July 11, with The Bahamas snagging four spots on the region’s Top 15 list.

 The gorgeous Exuma Cays, the Abacos and Harbour Island were voted ‘Best Islands in the Caribbean, Bermuda and The Bahamas’ in Travel + Leisure’s 2017 World’s Best Awards. Harbour Island was ranked sixth best island, Exuma came in at number 8 and Abaco was rated as number 14.

Kamalame Cay in Andros was also voted the top resort in the Caribbean, Bermuda and The Bahamas for the second year in a row. One reader described Kamalame Cay as, “Three little words: paradise on earth.”

The exclusive resort was also named among the top 100 hotels in the world, ranking 17th; up from number 28 in the world in 2016. The Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2017 Readers’ Survey results were announced today by the magazine’s editors.

“It is an amazing honour to have been chosen again by the readers of Travel + Leisure for this prestigious award,” said proprietor David Hew “We strive to provide our guests with a vacation that is unmarred by the worries of the world, a true getaway during which one can reconnect with friends, family and oneself-- one where every need and desire is filled even before it they can be named. It is wonderful to have our efforts toward this end be recognised by one of the most respected travel magazines in the world.” 

“We could not have won two years in a row without the help of our tireless, excellencedriven Bahamian team, our local partners and bespoke suppliers and the fact that life truly is better in the Bahamas. Kamalame is the very antithesis of the corporate luxury resort, the ultimate tropical getaway where a bikini and sarong counts as dressed for dinner, every guest is treated as family, and the atmosphere is as much gracious vibe (and chilled Rosé…) as spectacular setting” concluded Michael King.

The awards are based on readers’ nominations of the best cities in the world to the best spas and cruises. Participants were able to nominate their favourite hotel, destination, or airline in the survey and in order to be eligible for the rankings, each entry had to rack up a minimum number of votes. 

Nathan Lump, Editor-In-Chief of Travel + Leisure said this year’s awards show that travellers are being drawn in by experiences.

“Travel + Leisure’s annual World’s Best Awards provide a picture of what the world’s most discerning travellers find most satisfying in travel right now. What’s clear to me this year is how much they are drawn to experiences that aren’t just enjoyable but provide something richer—cultural immersion, mental and physical well-being, a true sense of adventure,” Lump said.

“It’s not easy to satisfy this group, but the destinations, hotels and companies that are doing it know that today’s traveller cares about a lot more than creature comforts.”

Bahamas Minister of Tourism and Aviation Dionisio D’Aguliar said the awards are a testament to The Bahamas’ commitment to providing rich experiences and the destination will continue to improve.

“We are thrilled to receive these impressive honours, it is a wonderful tribute to these beautiful Islands of The Bahamas. These awards show The Bahamas’ commitment to the tourism industry and we will continue to work to provide the highest quality of experiences for visitors. It is our hope that more people can discover the beauty of The Islands of The Bahamas so they can have some of the same if not better experiences that impressed Travel + Leisure’s readers,” he said.

For over 20 years, the Travel +Leisure World’s Best Awards has been the travel industry’s leading gauge of places and companies that are most satisfying to travellers within the United States.

The complete list of winners can be found on www.travelandleisure.com and will be featured in the August 2017 issue of Travel + Leisure.