All the way to BDA

[offshore171]

Earlier this month we visited Bermuda, so I thought I'd drop a trip report.

As it's almost the exact antipode of Sydney, it's quite a journey to get there.

For us, it started with QF11, right through to JFK.

 

[offshore171]

Overnighted at the JFK Airport Hilton and then caught a Delta flight the next morning to Bermuda.

 

[offshore171]

September/October is a superb time to visit, as it's after the peak season (northern Summer). The accomodation prices drop by about a third, and there are fewer cruise ships visiting the Island.

Weatherwise, we struck a sublime 27C every day. The sea was the same temperature, which made swimming and snorkelling just perfect.

Here is Horseshoe Bay, just a short walk from our Hotel, the Fairmont Southampton.



You can wander a coastal path along the south shore beaches, and each headland reveals a new cove.

 

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The hotel has its own private beach on the grounds called East Whale Bay. It comes into its own on days when the cruise ships are in port and the public beaches get busy.

There's a restaurant called Ocean Club on the headland overlooking Whale Bay, which provides a spectacular setting for a twilight dinner. As a bonus, October is lobster season, when many of the restaurants serve their own take on locally caught Bermuda lobsters.

 

[offshore171]

Every house in Bermuda has a white roof made from limestone, designed to harvest rainwater, and the walls are painted in bright pastel colours.

The result looks like a tropical version of the Hamptons. This is a view towards the south shore, looking out to the Atlantic.



More house colours:


...to be continued

 

[I love to travel]

This TR is rather cruel for those of us that have just finished a 12 hour work day, those photos are amazing. Hope you had a great time.

 

[kermatu]

Looks amazing.

 

[Major]

Very clear water

 

[offshore171]

The Fairmont runs a free ferry shuttle back and forth between its location on the south shore, and the main town Hamilton, which is inside the enclosed harbour known as The Great Sound (where the Americas cup races were held last year).

The ferry takes about 30 minutes and the trip is spectacular in its own right as it passes some spectacular waterfront villas.



Other options for getting around are the public buses and ferries, or taxis. Bermuda is one of the few places in the world where tourists are not allowed to hire cars.

You can however, as of quite recently, hire a small electric Twizy vehicle. This has an unusual layout that seats two people in single file (think Maverick and Goose in an F14).


(not my pic)
Or you can hire a motor scoter. Normally something I wouldn't do on holiday, but the whole island has a 35kph speed limit, so it's a lot safer than riding a scooter in say Asia.

 

[offshore171]

We headed up to the area on the island known as Dockyard.

Google Maps

This is where the cruise ships dock, however we planned our dates to avoid them.

The main attractions here are the national museum, which sits within the walls of an old fortress, and Dolphin Quest, which allows you to swim with Dolphins.

Both excellent.

There's also a shopping centre, where you can buy actual Bermuda Shorts in a range of lurid colours.


Then it was back to the hotel and the beach.

 

[offshore171]

For our final evening in Bermuda, we had dinner at The Waterlot Inn. This is an historic restaurant that has been running for 300 years.

Waterlot Inn - Fairmont Southampton - Southampton, Southampton | OpenTable

It's located at the ferry dock in a quiet inlet, and you can really feel the sense of history in the place. Food and service both excellent.

...tbc

 

[Isochronous]

Paradise. Looks like I might have to relocate there!

 

[offshore171]

Paradise. Looks like I might have to relocate there!

The late Reg Grundy did exactly that!

This was his house:


[

 

[tgh]

This was his house:

wow

 

[offshore171]

Checking on the flight out to Boston on leaving day.

 

[offshore171]

And that's a wrap for Bermuda.

Next stop Boston.


...tbc

 

[jase05]

Looks awesome.
If you don’t mind me asking what was the cost of accommodation and day to day expenses like comparatively to other places?
We are looking at some new adventures and have never been to that region

 

[offshore171]

Looks awesome.
If you don’t mind me asking what was the cost of accommodation and day to day expenses like comparatively to other places?
We are looking at some new adventures and have never been to that region

As long as you avoid the high season it's pretty doable. The high season being June to early Sept when the Americans, Poms and Europeans are on Summer holidays.

Travelling in Sept/Oct works well for us, as it fits nicely with the AU school holidays, and the Bermuda accomodation prices fall by about 30-40%.

Restaurants are probably 25% higher than Australian prices. There are also cheaper eating options like pubs and food trucks, as well as supermarkets.

Local currency is pegged 1-1 to the USD and USD cash can be used everywhere.

Flights from the US east coast are very cheap. Our delta flights were $98USD.

The public transport busses and ferries are very reasonable.

And although there are some private beaches, most of the best ones are public.

Beaches

There’s also a lot of historical sites that are completely free to visit.

 

[offshore171]

A question that comes up is "what's the story with hurricanes in Bermuda?"

September/October is Atlantic hurricane season, however it's important to note that Bermuda is 1600km north of the Caribbean proper and most hurricane activity passes well to the south hitting places like the Bahamas, the Caymans or Haiti.

As a result, direct hurricane strikes on Bermuda are very rare - on average about once every 10 years. The other factor is that Bermuda has extremely robust infrastructure and recovers from major storms within a few days.

That said, they always keep an eye on things:

 

[JohnK]

Very nice trip report with lovely photos.

Did you get a chance to see the golf course behind Reg Grundy's house?