I was just having the conversation with someone the other day about how blessed we are as Bahamians to be able to so easily travel the world with our very strong, very recognizable and highly respected passport! And then I woke up to news earlier this week that solidified that, when the Bahamian passport was ranked among the world’s strongest!

YAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSS

For a travel writer, this is great news…news that had to be shared!

According to a release from our government agency:

“The Bahamian passport was voted 21^st and 27^th in two of the world’s most trusted “passport strength” listings. These rankings place the Bahamian passports among the most powerful in the world – within the top 33 percentile out of 199 countries ranked. In 2016, Bahamian passport holders have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 140 countries worldwide. The United Kingdom, Sweden and Finland are ranked #1 on the MoveHub list with access to 173 countries; The Bahamas is ranked 21^st  on the Visa Restriction Index, The Bahamas is ranked 27^th in the world.”

And I stand as a witness! In preparing for my trip to Dubai and Thailand  and my upcoming travel locale, I thought I had to gear up for the visa application Olympics! But the process was so easy and so smooth…they emailed my Dubai visa about 2 days after I had applied and 3 days was the max for the Thai visa! WINNING!!

Travel could seem like such a hefty task when considering tickets, flights, hotels, tours and visas for some places, but with a lot of preparation and planning, it could be a very fulfilling experience!

I’d advise all Bahamians to put that passport to work and see the world!

READ: Guilty Conscience: Why I Want to Become a More Responsible Traveller

READ ALSO: A Guide to Planning the Ultimate Girls’ Trip 

Check out MoveHub and the Passport Index for the full stories and rankings…and to see some really cool, colorful passports from around the world!