Nassau & Paradise Island are the cultural heartbeat of The Bahamas, densely layered islands whose history has shaped a culture unlike anywhere else in the Caribbean. The beaches are extraordinary, and the waters are among the clearest in the world. But prepare to be surprised by how much more there is. In this episode of Wanderlust: Off the Page, host Aaron Millar is joined by Arlene Nash Ferguson, founder of the Educulture Junkanoo Museum in Nassau, and Chef Tevin Kemp, chef de cuisine at The Kitchen at Baha Mar, for a conversation full of laughter, fierce opinions about Johnny Cake, Bahamian dance tips and why Junkanoo is the most extraordinary Caribbean festival you’ve probably never heard of. Get ready to discover The Bahamas beyond the beaches. Highlights include: • The beat that gets inside you. Goatskin drums in the dark, cowbells tied to the waist, costumes towering twenty feet in the air - all made from cardboard nobody else wanted. Junkanoo happens at night, in the streets, at full volume. There is nothing else like it on Earth. • An act of defiance that became a national festival. During the days of slavery, enslaved Africans were granted just three days of holiday at Christmas. They used them to secretly recreate their festivals from home - in the dark, out of sight - as a profound act of resistance and identity. Two hundred years later, The Bahamas are still dancing. • Why every dish tells a story. From Johnny Cake (the journey cake that lost its journey but kept its soul) to conch, boiled fish and guava duff, Chef Tevin unpacks the African, Caribbean and British threads woven into every Bahamian recipe, and why honouring those flavours is, as he puts it, about honouring the people who came before. Find Out More Discover Nassau & Paradise Island: nassauparadiseisland.com Fly direct to Nassau from Heathrow on British Airways: britishairways.com · Arlene Nash Ferguson: educulturebahamas.com · Educulture Junkanoo Museum: nassauandparadiseisland.com · Chef Tevin Kemp, Instagram: @cheftevinkemp · The Kitchen at Baha Mar bahamar.com/the-kitchen Read our latest feature on Nassau & Paradise Island at wanderlustmagazine.com Both Arlene Nash Ferguson and Chef Tevin Kemp featured in Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas, a 10-part series broadcast on ITV January-March 2026. https://www.nassauparadiseisland.com/taste-of-the-bahamas Intrepid Travel Thanks to our series sponsor Intrepid, the leading specialists in small group adventures. For over 35 years, Intrepid small group trips have connected travellers with passionate, locally based leaders in more than 100 countries. Find out more at intrepidtravel.com Wanderlust: Off the Page Take the road less travelled with us and subscribe to the show so you never miss an adventure. Wanderlust Magazine Wanderlust is the UK’s leading independent travel magazine, taking the road less travelled since 1993. Find out more at wanderlustmagazine.com Become a Wanderlust Club Member to join a community of passionate travellers, with print editions, exclusive content and more. Credits This episode was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Lyn Hughes and James Bainbridge introduce the show. Aaron Millar is the interviewer and script editor. Audio production by Charles Tyrie.
