Beautiful, charming and relaxing
Written: Dec 13 '00 (Updated Mar 16 '01)
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Pros: Weather, beaches, relaxing environment, physical beauty
Cons: Hotels and food can be bit expensive
The Bottom Line: This is a beautiful, laid-back, charming, warm destination ... just an hour's flight from the east coast of the U.S.
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| yippee1999's Full Review: Bermuda |
I have been to Bermuda about 7 times, my last trip being about 10 years ago. (I have heard some people say that it has since gotten a bit dirty, and has a few tacky tourist shops now, I think they said in the capital of Hamilton, and that part of this could be due to the increase in the number of cruise ships docking. Whenever I went there, I recall that cruise ships were not a very common sight, but I can imagine that IF cruise ships are now docked there most of the time, that yes, it might change the feeling there to one I would find more "touristy", and therefore less desirable.)
I will tell you about Bermuda as I remember it, with the assumption that it hasn't really changed all that much.
GETTING THERE
Bermuda is located off the coast of South Carolina I believe, and is about a 1 1/2 hour flight from Boston. It's amazing to see the pools of green and blue water below you as you fly into Bermuda! No passport is needed if I recall. Just a valid US driver's license.
WEATHER
This is a great destination for people looking to just relax and enjoy beautiful weather. I usually travel there anytime between April and August. During those months, the weather was always beautiful. Almost always sunny, with a daytime temp. anywhere between 70-85 fahrenheit? At night, I think a light sweater/jacket is usually needed.
ORIENTATION
Bermuda is divided up into parishes, Paget and Warwick being my favorites because they are central to most other parts of the island, and have a number of nice beaches. Hamilton is the capital of Bermuda, and has lots of little gift shops, mainly with fine imported goods from England. It also has a number of restaurants.
St. George's is at the eastern end of the island, and my understanding is this is where the first people settled in Bermuda, so it has a few historic sites. It also has some gift shops and restaurants, and is not as congested as Hamilton can sometimes be (although I'd imagine if a cruise ship is docked there at the time, it would be a different story).
DAYTIME ACTIVITIES
Riding around aimlessly on a moped -
I go to Bermuda to do "nothing", and always have a great, relaxing time. I loved to ride around on a moped, and just "get lost". That was also the best way to find hidden little streets with the most charming homes and landscapes. Everywhere you turn you see something beautiful. You just can't lose!
If you're a bit daring, you just have to check out I think it's called Corkscrew Hill. If I recall, it's located just a bit Northeast of the center of Hamilton. You should be able to find it on a map by looking for a short road that's very winding! Go slowly though! It's like a mini version of the famous Lombard Street in San Francisco!
The island is only 25 miles long, so as long as you have a full tank of gas and a map, you're never really in any danger of getting seriously lost. Also, even though it may not FEEL like it, you will be getting alot of sun while on the moped. Sunscreen is a must!
Of course, it's never a good idea to ride your moped at NIGHT unless you know exactly where you're going!
Botanical gardens -
They were quite nice as I recall, and pretty large. I think we spent about 2-3 hours there. The hotel that we stayed at made us boxed lunches, which we were allowed to eat there, so it made for a nice afternoon.
National Conservation Land (or some kind of name like that) -
I think it was somewhere along the south shore of the island. When we went 10 years ago, it was a poorly-marked, and very poorly-maintained site, overgrown with brush. I wouldn't recommend it. Not sure if it's better maintained now.
Cruise/barbecue on one of the nearby islands -
These are one of those hoaky touristy excursions where you pay maybe $30/person, and you get to ride around the island, and then the boat will stop at a "private" island, where you will be fed barbecue-style. If I recall, they also had some live music on the island. Usually there is some kind of entertainment on the boat - the time I went it was two funny guys who whip up a brew of Rum Punch in an entertaining manner, and then everyone gets to have a cup of it. While pretty corny, it's a nice way to get a view of the island from the water, and it's a fun way to meet other people.
Hotel-hopping -
We liked to just hop on the moped, and check out the different hotels and their beaches/pools (no, we didn't swim in them!). We'd often have lunch in one of the hotel restaurants. Nice ones to check out are the Royal Sonesta, Southampton Princess, Grotto Bay, and Cambridge Beaches.
FOOD
If you want to make your own meals, note that the local supermarkets had very limited options for food, and were also very expensive, I assume because most things were imported.
Not only that, but I found that most of the local restaurants weren't of very good quality, I think perhaps because they mainly cater to transient tourists, and therefore don't think they HAVE to be good in order to stay in business; there'll always be new tourists coming into town....
Therefore, I recommend either staying at one of the bigger, or more "refined" hotels where they have their own restaurants, or else, if you want to stay at one of those cheaper "efficiency" rooms, just don't plan on cooking in your room, but rather, eat your meals at the various hotels. Try a different one each day. I'd imagine that non-hotel guests are welcome, at least at the larger hotels. Call ahead to check.
BEACHES
I always went to Elbow Beach, along the south side of the island. Not sure if it's changed, but the beach was always pristine, and has beach chairs and large umbrellas available. There's also a great bar on the beach, bathrooms, and a cute cafe overlooking the beach. If you are not staying at the hotel, I believe you have to pay a $5 fee to get on the beach, and I think it's a few more dollars for an umbrella. But I always found it worth it. Note that if you are taking a moped, the entrance down to the beach is very steep and winding. I found it alot of fun (because I'm a bit of a risk-taker), but you may want to take extra caution at first when driving down to the beach.
I always heard alot about Horseshoe Bay, and I think Glitter Bay(?) as being beautiful beaches, but I recall that for Horseshoe Bay in particular, I could never seem to figure out how to get down to the Bay from the road, nor could I determine if there would be any facilities once I got down there. My impression from the road though was that no, there were no facilities down there. However, it may be worth your while to check it out yourself, as it is very possible that these bays are less touristy, and may afford you a bit more privacy if you are looking for that.
ACCOMMODATIONS
As mentioned above, I find that the lesser-priced "efficiency" hotels (with kitchenettes) are not worth it in the long run. If you think you will be saving money by cooking your own meals, note that you have to pay alot of money to buy food at the supermarkets. Also, often the kitchens (and bathrooms) are rather old at these places. Large roaches were also pretty common.
Of course there are the high-end hotels such as the Southampton Princess, Grotto Bay, Cambridge Beaches, etc. I've never stayed at such places, but would imagine the rooms are pretty much bug-free, and that their restaurant food is of high quality.
I know that Bermuda also has a number of medium-sized hotels, which may be the perfect balance between staying in some large hotel where you never recognize anybody during your visit, versus the less favorable "efficiency" hotels. However, if I recall, many of these medium-sized hotels were just as pricey as the larger ones. I think what you are paying for is a more intimate setting, perhaps more personalized attention, and the feeling of being in a private club of sorts. Again, I've never stayed at such a place, but that is just my sense. One such hotel that comes to mind is The Rosedon. I can't recall the names of any others.
During my last trip, as I mentioned, I decided to finally forego the efficiency hotels for a small hotel called White Sands. I'm sure my taste in food has improved in the past 10 years, but at the time I stayed there, I recall the food as being decent. The hotel restaurant served breakfast and dinner. It was a nice place, and the rooms were bug-free (very important to me!). The only downside was that it had no beach to speak of. But it was a fine hotel, located on the South Shore (I think in Paget/Warwick parish) and served our needs nicely.
NIGHT-TIME
I know of three different type night-time activities. You can go to one of the larger hotels, where most nights there is some kind of a play or stageshow going on. The shows are usually pretty generic and "vanilla" - often smaller, similar versions of shows that were previously done in the States - but usually well-staged, and it's better than sitting in your room watching TV. You can also go to one of the clubs in Hamilton which, when I used to go there many years ago, were mainly frequented by the young locals. Reggae music is pretty popular at these clubs. Or, for something in between, check out the week's listings for a place called The Clay House. Hopefully it's still around. If I recall, it was located on the North Side of the island, and it's a very intimate, charming kind of place that has nice shows. One time I think I saw a limbo/magician show or something, and one time they actually had Roberta Flack singing there. (She was quite a snob, but that's another story...)
TRANSPORTATION
Mopeds -
Mopeds are lots of fun, and give you the freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want. This is also a great way to discover charming little back roads that you'd normally never get to see if you were in a taxi or bus. Mopeds also allow you to stop, for when a great photo-op presents itself. For two people, I recommend getting a two-seater moped, as opposed to two individual mopeds. This way, not only will you not risk getting separated, but the person on the back can serve as an extra rear-view mirror if need be.
There are at least two major moped rentals companies, Oleander being one of them. If I recall, they bring the moped to you at your hotel, and once they show you how to use it, and are satisfied you are "OK", that's it. I think you just sign a contract, and arrange for them to pick it up at the end of your stay.
Some important notes: 1) they drive on the other side of the rode (like the British), so it will take you a bit of time to get used to it if you're from the States. It can be particularly confusing at rotaries! 2) The locals, knowing the lay of the land better than you, drive alot faster, and with more abandon. You should always beware of this. 3) The exhaust pipe is on the side of the bike, and can become VERY hot. You must always keep this in mind, or you could get BURNED. 4) Never start up the bike unless you are SITTING on it. One time I made the mistake of starting it up before I sat down, and I somehow turned the accelerator, and the bike sort of left without me, but it didn't get too far before it fell over. :) 5) At nighttime, when the air is damp, certain roads attract frogs. As such, you may be riding along, and suddenly find a road filled with a number of frogs, and then you will presumably try dodging them. I found this to be quite a harrowing experience, and if you too are squeamish about running over frogs, you may prefer to take a cab at night.
Buses -
I think there was only one period during which I took the bus, and if I recall, they were very "nice" and clean, and ran pretty regularly during the day. I think bus stops are marked by a tall, thin pole with navy and pink stripes perhaps? I don't believe they ran very late into the evening though.
Taxis -
I think the normal procedure is to call ahead for a taxi. I don't believe you can hail one in the street, although perhaps in downtown Hamilton or St. George this might be possible.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
yippee1999
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Location: NY, NY - USA
Reviews written: 84
Trusted by: 9 members
About Me:
Chocolate.Public television.Foreign/indie film.Modern art.Int'l travel.Foreign language.Performance art.Cats.Birds.Butterflies.
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