A Bermuda Vacation
Written: Mar 24 '02 (Updated Mar 24 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: White roofs, pink sand.
Cons: Bring the bank.
The Bottom Line: Bermuda is a destination for an unforgettable vacation.
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| desertmoon's Full Review: Bermuda |
Last May, I had an opportunity to take a "spa vacation" with two of my close friends. After much debate, we chose Bermuda. To our dismay, we discovered it to be very expensive, and during that time of year, almost every hotel was booked. Thanks to friends in the travel agency business, we were able to pull it off. Since Spring is upon us and many of you are planning vacations, I retrieved this article I wrote just after my vacation to share with you as you may consider a vacation and an unforgettable experience on the island of Bermuda.
The overseas territory of the UK, Bermuda lies just over 600 nautical miles off the coast of North Carolina. There are six main islands and 132 small and very interesting islands. The main island, where most Bermudians reside is 22 miles long and 1 1/2 miles wide. The population of Bermuda: Approximately 63,000.
The island is just as beautiful as portrayed in photographs. Bermudians are very warm and hospitable. Bermuda can be visited year round. The busiest tourist season ranges from April through October. During this time, the temperature is warm and the ocean is comfortable for water sports. If water is not your interest, you may wish to visit during the winter months, January being the quietest month of the year.
Upon arriving to the island for vacation or business reasons, you must have a return ticket and an address where you will be staying. If your stay exceeds 21 days, you must show good reason and have permission from the Bermuda Immigration officers. Visitors from the US are required to have a valid passport or a birth certificate with photo identification. A photo copy of a birth certificate will not suffice. The document must be an original or a certified copy.
Every structure on Bermuda is responsible for collecting and filtering its own rain water. Drill to the water table for fresh water, you will get salt water. A closer look at the rooftops, you will see that every building in Bermuda has a white limestone roof with troughs and grooves to direct water to an underground basin where water is stored. Water is filtered prior to use. If you run out of water, must purchase your water. It is very expensive. The large hotels maintain adequate supplies of water due to treatment systems that filter the salty ocean water which is costly. This is just one reason of the high cost of hotel rooms and that $2.00 glass of water you just bought.
Builders must also conform to very strict building codes to withstand seasonal gale force winds and periodic hurricanes. Hurricane season is from June to September if you want to feel that wind in your hair. Quite often when a hurricane occurs, much of the damage is to trees and boats.
For those of you who crave a burger, fry, and drink at a drive-through, think again. During my visit to Bermuda, I found only one familiar fast food restaurant, KFC, located in Hamilton. There are no franchise chain restaurants common in the US found anywhere on the island.
If you are looking for slots or a card table, consider another island. Bermuda does not promote gambling of any kind. Nor will you find any annoying billboards along the roadside.
Getting around on Bermuda is very easy, however, rental cars are not available. Public buses run approximately every 15 to 20 minutes at each stop Monday through Friday. Plan on waiting up to a half hour or longer on the weekends, especially Sundays. Don't worry about traveling on the bus and knowing where to signal to get off. The locals are very gracious at helping you find your way. The buses do not make change and small green and yellow tickets can be purchased to ride. Check with your concierge to obtain bus passes. Ferries connect Hamilton, Paget, Warwick, and Somerset. Metered taxis are very convenient and reasonable especially if you are staying in the center of the island. Probably the most popular of the ground transportation are the moped rentals. Helmets must be worn at all times and only two riders to a moped. And lets not forget which side of the road you will be driving on. Many of the accidents occurring on the narrow two lane roads are caused by tourists not familiar with driving on the left side, and negotiating the roundabouts. If walking is your choice, you must know that many of the roads are very narrow and are not pedestrian friendly as there are few sidewalks.
The exchange rate is: 1 US $ = 1 Bermudian L; no need to figure an exchange rate. Furthermore, Bermudians gladly take US dollars. Do check your change though prior to leaving the island as you may have received some Bermudian change that cannot be used in the States.
The cost of living if very high, the result of most goods having to be flown in from the US mainland. You will be lucky to find a hotel under $200 per night. However, you may find some imported goods such as perfumes to be cheaper than in the US. Shop around. Most merchants welcome credit cards. I also recommend purchasing a calling card if you plan on calling home.
Here are just a few places I encourage any traveler to visit while visiting Bermuda:
The worlds smallest drawbridge: Somerset.
Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. Take a tour and enjoy the view.
Try to see it at night while lit.
Crystal Caves
Enjoy shopping in Hamilton.
Cambden House and the Botanical Gardens
Fort St. Catherine
For divers: Visit the shipwrecks. At some sites,
shipwrecks are so close to one another, you can
explore multiple ships in the same dive.
Beachbums: Horseshoe Bay Beach and Astwood Cove.
Golfers: There are nine golf courses on this tiny
island, one of which is private.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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desertmoon
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Location: North Central Texas
Reviews written: 28
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The Desertmoon supports President George W Bush and our brave troops. GOD BLESS AMERICA
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