"NASSAU, BAHAMAS -- He's been jet-setting around the globe for 45 years -- on what has to be the most generous expense account ever afforded a British civil servant -- eliminating the world's worst villainy with a swagger in his step, vodka martini in hand and voluptuous vixen in tow. The name is Bond. James Bond.

Indeed, 007's cinematic exploits echo the images of exotic locales, gourmet cuisine, vintage libations and opulent beauties in glossy travel brochures. It seems fitting, then, that one of Bond's favourite destinations is the Bahamas, which has been a tropical touchstone throughout the series since Thunderball. Six subsequent Bond films have shot on location here, including the latest, Casino Royale, which hits theatres this Friday and makes ample use of the lush West Indian archipelago.

Talk to any long-time Bahamian local or Nassau government official, and they will duly credit the 007 franchise with turning their island paradise into a jet-set destination during the "Bondmania" of the 1960s. Thunderball introduced moviegoers to the refined elegance of the Café Martinique on Paradise Island, the kinetic energy of Nassau's traditional Junkanoo parade, and perhaps most alluringly, the sparkling turquoise waters and their spectacular -- and sometimes treacherous -- coral reef dives. In fact, Sean Connery became so enamoured with the isles after first shooting here that he bought a home in Nassau, making it his permanent residence ever since.

Several islands in and around the Caribbean have served as Bond locations, including Jamaica (Dr. No) and Puerto Rico (doubling for Cuba in GoldenEye).
But the Bahamas is the only destination to repeatedly lure back filmmakers for such movies as The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, The World Is Not Enough and Never Say Never Again.
"The Bahamas is a always a good place to film," says producer Michael G. Wilson on the set of Casino Royale. "It's very film-friendly here. It's near the States if you ever need anything in a pinch, there are direct flights from London, but most of all, tropical beauty is all around us here. That's intrinsic to the glamour of Bond."
The British Commonwealth factor also comes into play, as Bond's overseas jaunts tend to favour a link to Queen and country. The Bahamas retains a mannered sophistication where an Eton-educated gentleman spy doesn't feel out of place, yet remains exotic enough to indulge his reckless side.

Of course, the best way to experience the islands' 007 mystique is to pay a Bond-inspired visit, and find out first hand why the country holds a licence to thrill.
First stop: the historic British Colonial Hilton, which was Bond's hotel of choice in both Thunderball and Never Say Never Again, and features a palatial "007 Suite" that pays homage to its most famous guest with retro-spy decor and vintage Bond memorabilia. The hotel is located in downtown Nassau next to the famous Straw Market -- where locals sell their paintings, wood carvings and jewellery -- as well as near lively nightlife at Bambu and Fluid Lounge.
A short drive across a causeway leads you to Paradise Island and the posh elegance of the One & Only Ocean Club, which figures prominently in Casino Royale, both as Bond's accommodations and as the casino setting for his showdown with the film's villain. The 99-room resort, set on a soft-dune beach of powdery white sand, resembles an Old World colonial plantation, from its pillared portico and manicured lawns to the Versailles-inspired gardens, pool, and 12th-century Augustinian cloister.

For dinner, be sure to secure a reservation at Café Martinique, located nearby at Marina Village. The opulent furnishings and attentive staff of this renowned restaurant -- where 007 has his romantic rendezvous with Bond girl Domino in Thunderball -- only serve to enhance chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's menu. I recommend the sautéed Dover sole almandine and black pepper crab dumplings. As 007 might say, it's a meal to die for. The signature Royale Martini, meanwhile, may well become Bond's new drink of choice.
Beyond restaurants and resorts, venture 30 minutes west of Nassau to experience the other shooting locations for Casino Royale. The laid-back seaside village of Coral Harbor, for example, was transformed into a bustling Madagascar shantytown for the film's opening sequence. Few tourists venture here, and the jungle setting truly does evoke remotest Africa (as well as providing a buffer from the prying eyes of paparazzi hunting down Daniel Craig). A derelict hotel, located beside the Department of Defence Naval Headquarters, serves as a pivotal backdrop for one of the spectacular action scenes, with Bond bulldozing his way through rubble and scaling rooftops in pursuit of a terrorist.

On the drive back into Nassau along West Bay Street, you'll pass the beachfront home that was used as villain Emilio Largo's Palmyra estate in Thunderball, where Bond ended up tangling with sharks in a swimming pool.
To lend your trip a little more bite, try a favourite Bond pastime: scuba diving. At Stuart Cove's, instructors who have worked extensively with various Bond actors and stunt doubles will guide you to the shooting locations of the sunken 120-foot freighter from Never Say Never Again and the decaying Vulcan bomber from Thunderball. You can also take the helm of a speedy one-man submersible unit, which feels like it was designed by gadget-guru Q. Or, for an even more extreme thrill, dive with Caribbean reef sharks along the Tongue of the Ocean coral cliff, which drops 2,000 metres to the ocean floor.
All this excitement will surely work up your appetite for a sumptuous meal of French and Bahamian fare at Graycliff. (The best bets: the famous conch chowder, and then the slow-roasted crisp long island duckling, served in naval orange sauce escoffier.) Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig have all dined here, and the restaurant's wine cellar features more than 250,000 bottles.

After dinner, retreat to Graycliff's cigar factory, where Fidel Castro's former roller, Avelino Lara, hand-rolls the house brand. His affable son, Abel, runs the factory's day-to-day operations, and seems eager to teach his inherited talent. If you're lucky, Graycliff proprietor Enrico Garzaroli will be lounging in the piano bar, where he will regale you with some fascinating tales from his life as a true renaissance man, including smuggling some of Castro's prized cigar rollers out of Cuba (eat your heart out, Bond).

Spend the rest of your sojourn soaking up the sun on Paradise Island or take a 60-kilometre boat ride north to one of the seven uninhabited islands of the Exuma Cays, where the only other visitors are migrating turtles and dolphins swimming along pristine beaches. The world may not be enough, but the Bahamas is a good place to start.

Pack your bags
British Colonial Hilton:
One & Only Ocean Club

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
Fluid Lounge:
Café Martinique:
Graycliff:

THINGS TO DO
Stuart Cove:

MORE INFORMATIONSeveral islands in and around the Caribbean have served as Bond locations, including Jamaica (Dr. No) and Puerto Rico (doubling for Cuba in GoldenEye).
Paradise Island: http://www.nassauparadiseisland.com.
Exuma Cays: seadragonbahamas.com/exuma.html.
Bahamas tourism: bahamas.com." [theglobeandmail.com]