Frequently Asked Questions

MELA TRAVEL LTD (brand: MELA Travel Bahamas) is a Bahamas-based Destination Management Company established in Nassau in 2015. It specializes in private Bahamas experiences — private Exuma day tours and Pink Sands Beach excursions — and customized ground handling services for travel agencies and individual travellers.

MELA Travel's operational headquarters and resident team are in Nassau, The Bahamas. The company operates across Nassau, Exuma, North Eleuthera and Harbour Island. MELA Travel also maintains a US-registered entity in New York that supports international business operations, global travel partnerships and cross-border payments — but the core operation is Bahamas-based.

Since 2015. MELA TRAVEL LTD was established in Nassau, The Bahamas in 2015 and has operated in the Bahamian tourism industry continuously since then. The New York support entity was established at the end of 2018.

Yes. MELA Travel has three full-time resident Chinese-speaking guides based in Nassau year-round, alongside two English-speaking guides. They provide fluent Chinese communication, airport transfers, concierge support and local destination management.

MELA Travel operates a private full-day Exuma experience using round-trip flights from Nassau — roughly 30 minutes each way — paired with a private powerboat charter in the Exuma Cays. This avoids long ocean ferry crossings and maximizes time on the water.

Private only. MELA Travel does not sell mass-market shared group tours. The private flight, the private boat and the itinerary timing are arranged exclusively for your group.

Up to seven signature stops: the swimming pigs at Big Major Cay, nurse sharks at Compass Cay, Bahamian iguanas at Bitter Guana Cay, low-tide sandbars at Pipe Creek, Thunderball Grotto (the James Bond snorkelling cave), the sunken aircraft wreck, and Staniel Cay Yacht Club for lunch.

Yes. The captain adjusts the route order in real time based on weather, sea swell, tide levels and visibility. Sandbars, Thunderball Grotto and the sunken aircraft are strictly tide-dependent. Dynamic routing protects guest safety and secures the best conditions at each stop on that specific day.

The USD 740 per person starting price includes the private round-trip flight from Nassau, the private boat with a certified local captain, Nassau or Paradise Island hotel transfers, snorkelling equipment, onboard drinks, the Compass Cay landing fee, pig feed at Big Major Cay, Thunderball Grotto entry, and real-time concierge support. The only out-of-pocket cost is lunch at Staniel Cay Yacht Club, roughly USD 40 per person.

MELA Travel arranges private day tours to Harbour Island using round-trip flights from Nassau to North Eleuthera Airport (ELH) — about 20 minutes each way — followed by local ground transfers and a short water ferry across to Harbour Island.

Public fast ferries take approximately 3 hours each way, or 6 hours round trip, through rough open ocean, which commonly causes motion sickness and consumes most of the usable daylight. Ferry schedules also arrive around midday, when harsh overhead sunlight washes out the pink tone of the sand. A 20-minute flight means an early arrival in optimal morning light and far more time on the island.

Yes. Both North Eleuthera scenic stops are fixed inclusions on every Pink Sands Beach departure, not conditional extras. Queen's Bath is a natural Atlantic-side tidal pool, so safe water entry remains dependent on tide and surf conditions on the day, though the stop itself is always included.

The ferry ticket between North Eleuthera and Harbour Island, golf cart rental on Harbour Island (optional — the island is walkable), a beach umbrella, and lunch are all guest expenses.

Yes. MELA Travel is a Destination Management Company partner for Chinese travel agencies, luxury travel advisors and international tour operators, providing ground handling, group transport, custom excursions, VIP logistics and local operations across The Bahamas.

Yes. MELA Travel handles corporate incentive groups, multi-generational family groups and VIP delegations, coordinating land transfers, private charters, hotel check-ins and dining arrangements.

MELA Travel's Nassau team monitors marine and aviation weather continuously and holds direct long-term relationships with local captains and aviation partners. That allows charter dates and flight times to be moved proactively, often without penalty, rather than cancelling on the day.

Yes. MELA Travel coordinates private inter-island air charters across The Bahamas, arranged through long-term trusted local aviation partners. MELA Travel does not own aircraft; it handles dispatch, scheduling, ground coordination and weather rerouting. Pricing is quote-based — as a reference, a round trip between Nassau and Staniel Cay on a 9-seat aircraft is USD 5,800 for the whole aircraft.

Yes, for the Exuma marine operation. MELA Travel owns two high-speed powerboats carrying up to 12 passengers each and six compact speedboats carrying up to 8 passengers each, operated by three full-time licensed local captains. During peak periods, capacity is extended through long-term contracts with selected vetted local marine partners. Aircraft, by contrast, are never owned — private flights are always arranged through trusted local aviation partners.

Yes. All land vehicles and marine vessels operated or dispatched by MELA Travel hold valid Bahamas commercial operating licences and carry comprehensive commercial passenger liability insurance.