Visiting The Ocean Club in The Bahamas Where James Bond Hung Out During Casino Royale

“When the storm arrives would you be seen with me by the merciless eyes of deceit?” – Chris Cornell.

While backpacking around the world I’d often end up in places where famous films/movies have been filmed. Sometimes that was by accident. I rarely watch films and I’m cinema unloyal so I never go looking for a whackpacking film adventure. However a few examples of accidental visits to film sets include the Indiana Jones sets of Petra in Jordan, the Charlie/Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory sets in Munich in Bavaria and many The Sound Of Music venues around Austria. I was just whackpacking the hat-trick and happened to research or find out that the shebang took place there.

Backpacking Bond

I even backpacked Bond a few times…The MI5 Building and The Millennium Dome in London as well as the Oil Fields in Azerbaijan. These are just a few of the many locations around the world where you can backpack Bond.

“Warm sun feed me up; cos I’m leery, loaded up” – Bush.

Bond And The Caribbean

The Caribbean has long time been a set location for a plethora of James Bond movies. This dates back to the very first Bond film, Doctor No. In that episode the mysterious Ursula Andress appears in pristine waters under the name Honey Ryder.
“Underneath the mango tree, me honey and me can watch for the moon…” – Doctor No, James Bond Movie (1962)

Jamaica was enveloped too and many Caribbean locations were used for Bonds down the years. I planned to visit both Paradise Island and New Providence when backpacking in The Bahamas. On the flight in (from Haiti), I flew backwards with a French backpacker called Antoine. We decided to tour some of The Bahamas together and just after arriving, we decided to walk to Paradise Island from New Providence. I had already planned to visit the beach and the Ocean Club, however I honestly did not know that Casino Royale was filmed here until Antoine told me. It was Daniel Craig who played James Bond in that one. And so, I had to do the Bond! Here are some James Bond locations –

James Bond Away

“Martinis, girls and guns. It’s murder on your love affair” – Sheryl Crow.

Getting To The Ocean Club on Paradise Island  in The Bahamas

Getting to the Ocean Club in The Bahamas was easy enough on foot. I was staying at the Humes House Backpackers Hostel in Nassau on New Providence island in The Bahamas. I walked across the bridge and it’s easy to visit 2 islands in The Bahamas without using a boat or a plane.

I backpacked it loyal from that adjacent island, New Providence by bridge across to Paradise Island. I was with my French mate Antoine, and we decided to walk across the bridge between the two islands. This was not only to save money but also for the views, the adventure, the randomness and keeping fit.

The bridge is a 5 minute dander on peak but we took photos and savoured the place along the way. Cars and vehicles have to pay some kind of tax, toll payment or fee. On foot, it’s free. It was the Sidney Poitier Bridge we used to cross over onto Paradise Island. Coming back, we used the other bridge. There are only two bridges and the trip is easy to do and it’s easy to navigate. I had a paper map but you won’t need one. Paradise Island is a cool and quirky place and it’s not big.

Once on Paradise Island we did a bit of touring around including a main street full of shops, restaurants and bars slightly akin to a wacaday Caribbean version of Walt’s Disney World. We headed through the pedestrian area as well as the swanky Atlantis Resort. It looks like this…

Arrival At The Ocean Club

Then we headed to the grand entrance and gardens to The Ocean Club. It’s actually part of The Four Seasons Hotel and although you might think it’s private property, we just walked on in. The Bahamas seemed very safe to me, one of the safest countries I have been in. We walked through the gardens past the entrance to the Ocean Club, saw the spa and a swimming pool and a bar, plus a Livingstone statue.

“Name’s Bond; James Bond. Name’s Blair; Jonny Blair” – JB loyal.

Next up, and past a swimming pool and bar overlooking the Caribbean Sea, it’s time for a swim in the gorgeous waters here at the oddly named Cabbage Beach…

Cabbage Beach

When I backpack in the Caribbean, I love a swim in the waters here – simply beautiful. I headed to Cabbage Beach for my dip. This is really as good as swimming in a Sea or Ocean gets – so clean, clear and pristine.

Oh and my latest (at the time) paperback book made it here too, with the subject matter “somebody” whose lies inspired it all…I Went To Gdansk With Somebody.

Cocktails at The Ocean Club Bar overlooking Cabbage Beach

After a dip in the pure sky blue turquoise waters, I craved a cocktail and this was one of the dearest drinks of my life but it had to be done. I opted for a Pineapple Mojito At Ocean Club 4Seasons Cabbage Beach. The price was 24 Bahamian Dollars. I was to learn that the dollars in The Bahamas are pegged to the US Dollar. So actually, this was the dearest drink I can ever remember buying. A close second would have been my Singapore Sling in The Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, but that was two decades eaerlier!

Even though it was dear, and I paid on card here, this was a truly delicious drink, well deserved and I did it on the 31st December 2022 so a nice end to the year with a gorgeous view.

Actually Doing The Bond At The Ocean Club: Casino Royale Away

So after all that, I finally copied something Bond did in the film Casino Royale. Firstly please note that this is the second Casino Royale film – the 2006 one with Daniel Craig as James Bond 007, as opposed to the 1967 Casino Royale. Though being in a soapy bath with a babe like David Niven once did with Angela Schoular, would still be up there with the Connery Andress scene…

Then it’s time for the main reception entrance to the Ocean Club – in the 2006 Casino Royale, James Bond arrives here by car and is seen in this car park by this building a few times in the film…

 

 

The front entrance to the Ocean Club is the place which reminds us most of the iconic Bond moment from that film in terms of Bahamas filming. Before that in the film, he was seen driving by the coast on a road I also took by taxi earlier that day. I did the Bond including the walk up the steps from the movie. I have linked both the Bond version and the Blair version below.

The James Bond Scene From The Ocean Club, Paradise Island, The Bahamas in 2006:

The Jonny Blair Scene From The Ocean Club, Paradise Island, The Bahamas in 2022:

Here are the details of The Ocean Club in The Bahamas where James Bond hung out in Casino Royale:

Tweets by FourSeasons

 

Here are the details of the James Bond Movies:

David Niven as 007 in The Original Casino Royale (1967)

Daniel Craig as 007 in The Newer Casino Royale (2006)

Here are some videos from my visit to The Ocean Club in The Bahamas where James Bond hung out in Casino Royale:

Underneath The Mango Tree: