Atlantis 2010

Rick Archer's Note:  Of all the places we have seen on our many cruise trips, Atlantis is Top Three.  I now have a second story about Atlantis for you to visit: Atlantis 2012

Rick and Marla Visit Atlantis

Story Written by Rick Archer, October 2010
Date of Visit: September 8, 2010

For this story, I could probably just add the pictures and stop there. 

I could simply say, "It was great, worth the wait" and then post the pictures. 

That said, I hope you won't mind if I share some of my experiences of this beautiful resort.

I had never heard of the Atlantis Resort until Marla brought it to my attention when she scheduled our 2010 Bahamas Cruise. 

The moment I saw the promotional pictures, I was hooked.  Wow!  I definitely wanted to see this place.  The resort looked like something from Las Vegas transplanted to the Bahamas with one big difference.  Thanks to its desert locale, the one thing Vegas could use more of is "water".  Not a problem in the Bahamas.  It was the presence of beautiful water everywhere that first caught my eye.  Waterfalls, lagoons, fast-moving streams, plus the ocean nearby.

Incredible.  Atlantis seemed to be the most beautiful water world I had ever seen. So much beauty!   Besides the water, the hotels were stunning to look at as well.  Such architecture!  I was also drawn to the lush tropical gardening. 

I shook my head with gleeful anticipation.  I could definitely enjoy taking a long walk through this tropical paradise.  So much to look at!  There was no doubt what I wanted to do when our cruise ship visited Nassau. 

The word "Paradise" describes a world of ideal beauty.  I have to say that the places I have seen named "Paradise" failed to live up to my expectations.

Atlantis, on the other hand, seemed ready to live up to the hype. Unless the pictures were painting a false picture, Atlantis was closer to my imaginary vision of the Garden of Eden or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon than anything else I had seen so far in my life. I had to see this place for myself!

Let me state that I discovered the pictures indeed did not lie.  Atlantis came pretty close to meeting my criteria for "Paradise" on Earth.

Someone with a touch of genius designed this place so perfectly that it is a perfect replica of natural beauty.  I think it is vaguely sacrilegious to say this, but the beauty of the man-made waterfalls, lagoon and streams rivaled the expertise of the Great Creator above. 

We Almost Didn't Go

One day before the trip, Marla came up to me with a long face as I sat doing a crossword puzzle at home.  I asked her what was wrong.  Marla said the tickets for a day visit were $130 a person. 

Holy smokes!  I frowned.  The cost of this place was exorbitant! 

It was one thing to spring for a high-priced ticket back when I had a job, but this no-income retirement stuff has a crippling effect on a person's willingness to splurge.  My first instinct was to buy a tee-shirt and say to heck with it. 

Then I took another look at those pictures and reconsidered.  Hmm. 

An idea crossed my mind.  Yes, this place was undeniably expensive.  But then I took yet another look at the pictures.  Besides the beauty, I realized just how curious I was about the water rides.  I simply could not get the image of that fascinating Mayan Temple and its huge waterslide out of my mind.

The Mayan Temple slide reminded me of something from my past.  I thought about it for a few seconds, then I recalled a waterslide at the long gone but not completely forgotten Waterworld here in Houston.  That waterslide had mesmerized me for several years.

Back when my daughter Sam was in grade school, she visited Waterworld with her friends a couple times a year.  Since these were the days before Sam could drive, I would accompany her.  Supervision was pretty easy; the lifeguard kept a close eye.  This allowed me to sit back in the lounge chair and relax.  One day, I noticed a huge slide tucked in the back corner of the park.  From the safety of my lounge chair, I studied that slide carefully.

The first time I saw the steep slide, I just said to myself, "No way."  But on each return visit, my eyes were drawn back to that slide.  Finally I had to admit it.  I wanted to try that slide.  It didn't seem to require a lot of skill.  All it required was the ability to climb to the top and jump.  Climbing I could do.  It was the jumping part that gave me trouble. 

Each visit I would stare at that ride and try to get my courage up.  I stared at that waterslide for four trips in a row without making a move. It took me that long to screw my courage up.

After four trips over a three year period, on the fifth trip I decided it was time.  I had been chewing myself out for avoiding that ride.  My cowardice was taking its toll on my self-esteem.  No more chickening out.  This was my day to make the long fateful climb to the top of that Waterworld slide. 

As I climbed the staircase, I was all by myself.  It was late in the day, so a lot of kids had left the park.  I had waited till my daughter was pre-occupied elsewhere in case I got cold feet.  No life guard, no kids, no daughter, just the man and the challenge.   There was no one to laugh at me if I changed my mind (and I was definitely considering slinking back down to the ground). 

Just staring at the earth far below scared the willies out of me. 

However, I had determined over the course of the previous four visits that everyone who slid down the darn thing had survived... including lots of kids about 8 years old.  There was no logical reason to believe I would be the first not to survive... although some part of me was convinced I was a goner.

I took a deep breath and jumped.  So off into space I plunged. I was completely alone.  There was no life guard to note my demise if I perished. 

Sonofagun, my butt immediately left the surface of the slide!  My body wasn't touching anything!  I was terrified.  I was convinced I had done something wrong and my body had somehow left the protective pocket of the water chute.  I must have fallen over the edge!

I screamed bloody murder.  I was hurtling straight down to my doom!

Somewhere about halfway down, my butt was thrilled to settle back into comforting contact with the slide.  An instant later I made a triumphant entry into the water pool below complete with a huge splash of water. 

A big smile crossed my face.  I had lived to fight another day.

Don't tell anyone, but the loss of Astroworld and Waterworld still stings.  Houston doesn't have a whole lot of fun places to visit as it is, so losing those two parks was a real blow.  To this day, I still wonder what on earth they were thinking.  To this day, that space just lies empty.  What was the point of killing the parks?  They didn't even warn us or give us a chance to save the parks.  I would have gone a few extra times a year or paid more.  What a shame. 

I think missing Waterworld so much was the deciding factor in my Atlantis decision.  I said to Marla, "Well, look at it this way.  If the price tag scares us off, what is it going to do to a family with four kids?  How are they ever going to afford this place?  With us visiting on a weekday with school in session, at that price I bet the place is deserted!  Maybe we will have the place to ourselves!"

And you know what?  I was right.  We did have the whole place to ourselves.  I never waited more than a couple minutes for a ride all day.  

This place was just what I had hoped for... and much much more.  Even at a price as steep as the waterslides, Atlantis exceeded my expectations.

Mike and Joyce, Jack and Jo, Marla and Rick after a tough day on the Lazy River

This is a picture of the amazing Mayan Temple and the Challenger waterslide.
The Mayan Temple holds four different slides including the world famous
"Leap of Faith".  We will get to the "Leap of Faith" later.

This is not the original slide at Houston's Waterworld, but it is very similar.
If you have no previous experience with this ride and you are dumb enough to
look down,  I guarantee you will gulp with fear.  It is basically a free fall!

I took this picture from the top of the Mayan Temple.
The bizarre structure in the distance is called the Tower of Power. 

The Tower of Power is a recent addition to Atlantis.  It houses 4 very unique waterslides of its own.  One of them even sends you hurtling in the dark. 

By the way, can you see the Atlantic Ocean in the background?  This picture makes it crystal clear just how beautiful and magical this waterpark is. 

The Lazy River doesn't look too crowded, does it?  Sure enough, we had the place to ourselves.  If you look, you will see the Lazy River actually had a current. That Lazy River was fun. I could have stayed in there all day long!

What more could we ask for?  Atlantis is truly a Paradise on Earth.

Atlantis is much too vast to visit in just one day.  Nassau is to the left of this picture.  The first thing you see is the Harborside Resort.  I haven't said much about Harborside Resort, but this is a yacht marina complete with million dollar homes.  The bus from the cruise ship drops you off at the front door of the casino (#17).

To get to the large Atlantis complex, first you take a ten-minute walk through the impressive casino complete with stunning sculptures.  Obviously the intention is to lure you to the gaming tables.  I am not a gambler, so I was immune to the diversion.  However I could see other people with eyes bulging as they passed the gaming tables.

During the walk, I enjoyed the panoramic view of the stunning Paradise Lagoon displayed through the Casino windows.  Look for the purple #14.  That is where the Casino allows you to enter the Gardens.

As you enter the Gardens, there is the vast Paradise Lagoon (#24) on your right.  On your left, there are beautiful waterfalls with shimmering pools of water complete with thick tropical foliage. 

When you see my pictures, you might agree that this resort is a stunning recreation of Nature's work in its finest.  It is amazing the beauty that man can create using imported rock, transplanted trees and water pumps.

Let's have a photographic tour of the Gardens.

The pictures in this section were taken at the Gardens in front of the Royal Towers.  The Gardens greet you the moment you leave the Casino (#14).
Wherever you look, there are waterfalls. Plus there are fast-moving streams that empty into lovely water ponds complete with sting rays.  The tropical foliage is so thick you can't see the next area ahead.  Without the walkways, you are truly lost in a tropical rain forest.  This stunning panorama must be beautiful to see from the Royal Tower rooms above.

The Bridge Suite connects the Royal Towers.  It is one of the most expensive hotel suites in the world, costing approximately $25,000 USD a night... minimum 4 nights.  No, Marla and I didn't stay there.  Maybe next time.

The physical beauty of Atlantis was overwhelming
 

Thanks to photography, I think it is pretty easy to make my point about the beauty
 

There are waterfalls everywhere you go and lovely pools of water.
 

Yes, those dark spots are sting rays.
 

Marla and Jo Wilson passing a garden of crotons.
 

The grounds were in perfect condition
 

The one thing to always keep in mind is that everything you see - waterfalls, grottos, pool, rock formations, rivers - is MAN MADE. 

I don't know what the Garden of Eden looked like, but I have never seen landscape prettier than Atlantis.  This place has my best man-made "Garden of Eden" vote.

Let's have a photographic tour of Paradise Lagoon.

All of these pictures give you a look at the Paradise Lagoon from different angles.  I made a complete circle and took pictures from each spot.  I am not positive, but I have to believe the Lagoon was also man-made.  If you study the picture above, Paradise Lagoon connects to the Atlantic Ocean on the right. That conveniently allows fresh seawater into the Lagoon.  Are there fish in there? Yes.  Paradise Lagoon is basically one big 7 acre saltwater fish pond with thousands of tropical fish.  Snorkeling is a real treat here except for the days when the sharks come to visit.  Nah.  Just kidding.  I have to believe there is a hidden net somewhere that allows water to pass, but not fish.

This is the canal that connects the Paradise Lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean.

That is the Casino with a beautiful view overlooking the Lagoon.  However, this particular area seemed barren.  If I had to pick out one small flaw in the Grand Design, I would have foliage and rocks for that waterfall to descend to.  It is the only "unnatural look" I found in the entire park.  A touch of green would help soften that dark corner considerably.

That is the South Beach on the left and the North Beach on the right.
The Atlantic Ocean is hiding just 100 yards past that green bridge.  If you look carefully, you can see the Atlantic Ocean peeking at you behind the palm trees just above the right of the bridge.  Look for the dark blue btw the trees.

I realize I have already made this point several times,
but I never could get over how soft and "natural" everything looked.

Another point I have previously made is how uncrowded the park was this day.

Right behind that ridge is the Atlantic Ocean.  And yet miraculously there are three waterfalls emptying into this section of the Lagoon.  It looks natural, but obviously water pipes and water pumps are helping to create the magical illusion of "Nature at Work"

There is so much beauty that you begin to feel like you are in a Lost World.  Everywhere the eye can see there is something fascinating to behold.
 

This lovely pool of water is emptying to become a small waterfall. 
Looks natural, right?  But like everything else, it is man-made
 

I wish I had the ability to take a picture that could do justice to this amazing vista.
Paradise Lagoon has beauty in every direction you look.
 

If all the swimming pools, the Lagoon, and the Lazy River aren't good enough,
there is always the Atlantic Ocean.  Finally something awesome that isn't man-made!
 

This is called "Atlantis Beach".  That is the Coral Towers in the background.
The Paradise Lagoon is only about 100 yards to the right of this picture.
 

Here is a look at Atlantis from a new angle.  To give some perspective, always use "The Cove" to get oriented.

The Beach Tower and Coral Towers are the oldest part.  The Paradise Lagoon is in the middle.  All that area between the Royal Towers and the Cove Atlantis is the water park. 

The water park is an immense layout with unparalleled beauty.  What I liked best about the Lazy River is that it connected all the various swimming pools together.  There were no conventional "sides" to any swimming pool or any metal ladders to help you climb out of the pool.  Instead each pool gradually tapered down to the Lazy River.  In many places, all you had to do was walk into the Lazy River.

The overall effect was an illusion that these weren't swimming pools at all, but rather just shallow parts of the river itself.  I loved it.  Even though the entire area was 'man-made', the swimming pools seemed like water pools created by waterfalls and small streams.   

We are looking due north.  The Cove is on the upper right.  In this picture, I count five different "wading areas" that connect to the river.   Notice how the Lazy River merges with each swimming pool area.  Notice how there are no obvious "sides" to any swimming pool.  The ability to "blend" the swimming/wading areas into the Lazy River is extremely tasteful. 

Here we are looking south.  The Mayan Temple is at the top and that is a wing of the Royal Towers just to the right of the Temple. As you can see on the left, the lounge chair area tapers directly into the swimming area.  All you have to do is get up from your chair, pick up a tube, and walk through the wading area into the deeper water which is the Lazy River. 

There are no obvious sides to the swimming pool.  The wading area simply gets progressively deeper until it becomes the Lazy River.  Obviously concrete was used to create this area, but it all looks so natural.  This rock formation makes the Lazy River look like a sleepy stream you might see in the Grand Canyon.

This picture gives a perfect example of the integration between the lounge chairs, the wading area, and the Lazy River itself.  By the way, do you see any lifeguards?   The lifeguards are very cleverly hidden into the foliage along the river on the opposite bank.  The lifeguard is under the blue umbrella. 

Notice how the constant presence of trees and bushes gives privacy to every single section of the water park.  There might be another area right behind you, but it is so completely hidden, you get the feeling this your own little world. 

The water is really not very deep.  I was able to stand up in the Lazy River.  I would estimate the water is 4 feet at the deepest point. The lifeguards did not want you to walk across the Lazy River to the other side, but it was easy to do. 

Unlike most Lazy Rivers where you feel like you are on public display,
there are many areas at this river where you feel totally secluded. 
Look how thick the foliage is.  The sense of privacy is wonderful. 

No matter how secluded the area, the kids are never alone.  There is a lifeguard for every angle.  It is a very safe environment.

As you can see, the water isn't very deep.  Four feet?  That's my guess.

In certain narrow parts of the river, they release a huge amount of water all at once.  This creates huge waves.  As a result, your tube gets tossed and turned every which way due to the sudden rush of water.  Fun? You better believe it is fun.  As I keep saying, I wanted to stay in the river all day!

Here is a close-up view of "The Cove", the landmark I keep referring to.

Here is yet another picture that conveys the sense of privacy in your own little Jungle World.  It is pretty easy to go into a happy trance.  If it wasn't for the hidden lifeguards, you might even do a little smooching.

It is very difficult to capture 'motion' in a still photograph.  Nevertheless, these waves should provide a clue.  As I said earlier, this may be a Lazy River, but this River is on steroids.  In some places, you really move!  They have machines which artificially boost the current.

Do those kids look happy?  You better believe it.  And it all looks so natural.

Just in case you haven't figured it out, I am a big fan of this Lazy River.  This ride is pure pleasure on so many different levels.

Here is a view of the slide known as the "Leap of Faith".  Yes, those really are sharks in that pool below.

The main purpose of the Mayan Temple was to serve as a "knock your socks off" icon for the entire resort.  In my opinion, they succeeded royally. 

The Atlantis Mayan Temple compares favorably to the real Mayan Temple known as Chitzen Itza near Cozumel in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. 

What a shame the Mayans never thought of putting a shark pool at the base of their structure. 

Here is a good look at the Challenger Slide.  If you are inclined to be competitive, you can actually race another person down to the bottom.

I will let you in on a secret.  This ride isn't all that scary.  It just looks tough.  Marla was delighted to discover a comfy rubber pad at the bottom of that pool. 

This pool serves as the re-entry point for the Jungle Slide, a ride that takes a gentle meander through exotic caves and jungle. Like everything else at Atlantis, the landscaping and design is exquisite.  It is so easy to take all the beauty for granted, but someone really knew what they were doing.

Here is the shark pool at the bottom of the the Serpent Slide.  By the way, you don't actually swim with the sharks.  Instead you glide along inside a protective tube.  Psst... don't tell anybody... it's supposed to be a secret.  Be sure to tell the world that escaping the sharks is part of the fun.

The Mayan Temple is really beautiful.  Yes, Atlantis is very expensive.  But when you realize how much money was invested into creating so much beauty, you begin to understand that you are helping to reimburse the people who took such a huge gamble in creating this magnificent resort.

Don't forget - Donald Trump and Merv Griffin, the first two owners, lost their shirts investing in this place.  So let us salute Sol Kerzner, the man whose gamble and vision paid off handsomely.  He took the risk; now he deserves the rewards.  And the neat thing is that Kerzner is always looking for ways to re-invest that money to make this place even more amazing than it already is.

Do you sense there is something sneaky about this picture?   It looks like the Mayan Temple, but then it doesn't.  This structure is known as the Ziggurat.  A ziggurat is a Babylonian pyramid. 

Atlantis has a twin in Dubai.  Atlantis, the Palm is a resort at Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  It is a joint venture between Kerzner International Limited and Istithmar PSJC.  It opened in September 2008. The resort is modeled after the Atlantis in the Bahamas.  Maybe Marla will schedule a cruise for us and we can take a first-hand look at the Arabic version of Atlantis some day.   Raise your hand if you want to go!

One Final Look at Atlantis, Bahamas

As much as I have written about Atlantis, there is so much I never got to.
For example, I never said a word about the fabulous Dolphin Cay.   The first residents of Dolphin Cay were 16 rescued dolphins who were swept to sea during Hurricane Katrina from their previous home at the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Mississippi. 

Fortunately, the dolphins were eventually all nursed back to health.  To the naked eye, Dolphin Cay is an entertainment center with performing dolphins and sea lions. Behind the scenes, however, the Dolphin Cay is a serious research facility dedicated to learning more about these wonderful animals. 

Besides the dolphins, Atlantis is home to an incredible variety of fish and marine animals such as these abandoned mermaids who washed ashore at Paradise Island after a terrible storm.  They seem to have cheered up.

More than 50,000 fish and marine animals live in a sea of lagoons and underwater tunnels, including all sorts of sharks.

However, none of the fish are more dangerous than these undernourished mermaids who have the ability to suck the oxygen right out of any man who comes across their path.

I haven't really discussed this angle, but it should be obvious that Atlantis is not only visited by incredibly wealthy people, but many call this place 'home'.

I didn't get the chance to see Atlantis at night, but the pictures make it clear this place is just as beautiful.  That is quite a picture.

I didn't linger long in the Casino, but I looked around enough to see the Casino is just as lavish as everything else about Atlantis.

Harborside Resort is home to many of the wealthy people who own yachts and want to have access to the Atlantis Resort on a daily basis.  Sometimes my envy got the better of me.  Wouldn't it be fun to be rich?  While money can't buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose a very pleasant form of misery.

The Dig was an aquarium area with much to look at.  So much to see, so little time.

A look at Atlantis at dusk. 

Uh oh, those poor dangerous undernourished mermaids again.  I saw several women during the day just as pretty as these young ladies.  However I didn't have the nerve to take their pictures.  I figured even beautiful women have the right to some privacy. 

I am sure Marla noticed several men who were just as handsome. I suppose this goes without saying, but Atlantis attracts some absurdly beautiful people. 

Another view of the lavish Gardens in front of the Royal Towers. 

Mother Nature better watch out... humans are getting so good at recreating natural splendor that gardens like these seem like an improvement.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are considered to be one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They were built in the ancient city-state of Babylon, an area about two hundred miles south of Baghdad in Iraq.

The lush Hanging Gardens are so extensively documented by Greek historians that their existence is not in doubt.

The gardens were supposedly built by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II around 600 BC. He is reported to have constructed the gardens to please his homesick wife, Amytis of Media, who longed for the trees and fragrant plants of her homeland Persia. 

The gardens were destroyed by several earthquakes after the second century BC.  It is a shame that no images exist to give us an idea of the beauty of the Hanging Gardens, but this imaginative drawing definitely helps.

Who can say how our modern Gardens of Atlantis match up to this legendary place?  My guess is that Atlantis would not suffer in comparison. 

The more I learned about Atlantis, the more I realized what I didn't know.  For example, I don't know anything about the nightlife or the gambling.

I know nothing about the luxury hotels.  I know nothing about the fine dining experience that many people rave about.  I know nothing about the expensive condos at the Reef Atlantis.  For that matter, I know nothing about the Harborside Resort and all those impressive yachts I saw in the Atlantis harbor.

I know little about the marine research they do here. I completely bypassed the Dolphin Cay. I was so pressed for time that I sped right by the impressive marine habitats and giant aquariums.  I barely glanced at the Dig, an impressive archeological museum housed in the Royal Towers. 

I learned that Atlantis is a favorite location for weddings and certainly for honeymoons.  That makes sense to me.  Those lovely Atlantic Ocean beaches are definitely perfect for long romantic hand-holding walks .

I did see a couple of the most beautiful women who have ever crossed my path.  I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that beautiful places attract beautiful people.  Along these lines, I learned via Internet photos this is a place where celebrities like to come to be seen.  Atlantis is definitely a gathering ground for the rich and famous.  After all, they can afford the place, right?

What I can say for sure is that the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on Atlantis have produced the most exquisite "Gardens" that I have ever seen.  In some ways, I think people take this place too much for granted.  This place is actually a modern miracle that shows what man can accomplish.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the original Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.  Well, I am ready to nominate Atlantis as a Modern Wonder of the World.  Here man has copied Nature so perfectly that you would swear some of those lakes and waterfalls are real.   What an experience.