When OK isn’t Good Enough

Atlantis is located at the top of Paradise Island, which is surrounded by the massive Atlantic Ocean. From almost every part of the city, you can see the ocean and feel its nice cool breeze. If you’re not a huge fan of salt water and a little terrified of the creatures you could come across while taking a dip, Atlantis has recently built the largest water themed attraction in the world just for your pleasure. Aquaventure is an amazing water park with a mile long river-ride with intense rapids, waves, and never-before-seen special effects. This ride lets you stay in the river as long as you wish with never having the get out of your tube. One rapid after another keeps you occupied and entertained all in one sitting. Atlantis also offers the Power Tower and the Mayan Temple. Both of these places have multiple high dropping water slides. When I went to Atlantis, there was just the Mayan Temple. These water slides were so much fun, but supposedly the Power Tower and the river-ride are much more enjoyable. Don’t forget there are five massive pools surrounding the city, so if you had a long night and just want to chill by the pool, there is no problem finding a beach chair and taking an afternoon nap.

I think it’s literally impossible to starve in the city of Austin, Texas. Austin offers all types of restaurants ranging from the traditional American burger and fries to Middle Eastern spicy cuisines. I suggest you go to Hula Hut for a meal while in town. This is a Mexican/Hawaiian restaurant that is absolutely delicious. Hint: do not go to this restaurant over the weekend; the wait ranges from an hour to three hours just to get seated! If you decide to go at the right time, I recommend you get the pineapple chicken and order a Texas Martini- by far the best alcoholic beverage I’ve ever tasted!

For lunchtime, there’s this cute little sandwich place right near downtown called Thundercloud . They are known for their smoked turkey sandwiches and I was lucky enough to see why. I’ve had a lot of sandwiches in my life, but this is by far the best. For the guacamole lovers, this will be your new favorite restaurant. They load the turkey sandwich with their own special recipe of guacamole. M’m! M’m! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

The country of South Africa is mostly known for its wild life, but there’s definitely more to see. South Africa is located at the southern-most tip of the continent of Africa and is surrounded by the South Atlantic Ocean. You know what comes with an ocean? That’s right, BEACHES ! The country has four major coves called the Cliftons that are most popular among tourists and the natives. Clifton 4th is by far the most beautiful but there’s one catch to getting to Clifton 4th…you have to pass through Clifton 2nd. Clifton 2nd, I’d say, is one of the most “unusual” beaches of South Africa because some like to call it, the Nude Beach. Hint: South Africa is on the other side of the world so don’t forget that the seasons are switched. If you plan to go to the beach everyday, travel there over winter break, not the summer!

Outside the safe city of Atlantis, the Bahamas is full of cheap clothing and souvenir shops, and exotic restaurants. The shops were great, and I found many wonderful gifts for friends, family, and myself. There was just one problem. Right outside Atlantis, are the slums of the island. Do not walk around the shops alone and always keep your personals close by. The locals are very sneaky, and crime is pretty common right in that area because the locals know there are many American tourists coming from Atlantis. But, when you do go to a restaurant or a store, the waiters and employees treat you like royalty. They know you are from the U.S. and automatically assume you’re a billionaire and tip really well. Just be aware of your surroundings like you would in any large city, and don’t forget to enjoy royalty!

The best experience I had in Atlantis was at the Jokers Wild Comedy Club. This is located between the Beach Tower and Coral Tower. My family and I were extremely lucky to go to the comedy club on the night that we did for they had a special guest who did the stand up comedy that night- Ray Romano. I never was a big fan of his show “Everybody Loves Raymond,” but he was absolutely hilarious! If you do decide to go to the Jokers Wild Comedy Club while in Atlantis, I suggest you get close with the concierge and see if there are any famous comedians staying at the hotel. Even if you don’t get as lucky as I did, the opening acts were just as funny and I’m sure you’ll have a great time.

Another option for your nighttime pleasure is to visit the Marine Habitat in the Royal Tower. This is also a wonderful experience. You can visit it during the day, but it is much more breathtaking during the evening. The Marine Habitat is a huge underground aquarium filled with Ancient Atlantis artifacts and has over 20,000 deep reef and pelagic fish. Don’t leave Atlantis without seeing this!