Bermuda Travel Report, By Kirsty Speake - Robert Broad Travel 01543 258631

Bermuda travel report, by Kirsty Taylor...
Bermuda main menu - call our Bermuda specialist Kirsty on 0845 003 2211 or 01543 258631

My first visit to Bermuda was in September 2001, on an educational trip with Prestige Holidays. I instantly fell in love with the island, so much so that myself and my family made a special trip there this year to celebrate my father’s 60th birthday. My second visit to Bermuda was a totally different experience to my first, as this time I was able to enjoy my trip as a tourist and I got to see a lot more of the island and what it has to offer.

Our home for the week was Pompano Beach Club - a property that I was very impressed with when I visited in 2001. Situated on one of the most fantastic beach fronts in Bermuda, it is suited to couples and families, and is a perfect choice for golfers as the Port Royal Golf Course is located adjacent. Pompano Beach Club has a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere, and the staff really can’t do enough for you. On several occasions, the owner of the hotel gave us a lift to and from the bus and ferry stops - this is all part of the personal service you can expect to receive at Pompano. There are four room categories available - all with stunning sea views. We chose to stay in a deluxe room which was located on the waterfront. The property is one of three hotels which is part of the ‘Bermuda Collection’, along with The Reefs and Cambridge Beaches. The main advantage of staying at a ‘Bermuda Collection’ hotel, is that they offer guests who are on a half board basis a ‘dine around’ programme. Therefore, if you are spending your holiday at The Reefs but would like to try the food at Cambridge Beaches, this can be arranged for you, and will be included as part of your half board package. The only extras payable are drinks and transport between the properties.

The bus and ferry services in Bermuda are extremely easy and safe to use, and are very reasonably priced. If a bus stop pole is pink, buses are heading into Hamilton, and if it is blue it is heading away from Hamilton! Bus and ferry passes for all services can be obtained from most hotels. I made full use of both the bus and ferry services, and would recommend any visitor to Bermuda to do the same as it is a fantastic way to see the island. Another popular way to travel around the island is by scooter, as car hire is not possible in Bermuda. The speed limit is 20 mph and driving is on the left hand side of the road. Island taxi tours are a very good way to see the island, and can be personalised to suit your requirements. I would recommend at least three hours to see the main areas of interest. Island tours can be arranged at most hotels, and the itinerary can be planned with the driver in advance.

There are many attractions in Bermuda to suit all tastes and age groups. As I travelled with my two year old daughter, one of the first places we visited was the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo. Extremely well priced at just $10 per adult, $5 per child and free for children under five, I would highly recommend a visit. The Royal Naval Dockyard is one of the main attractions in Bermuda with something to suit everyone ranging from restaurants and stores to workshops and water sports. Dolphin Quest is located here, and a swim with the dolphins can be pre-booked if you wish. The old Capital of the island St Georges, and the current Capital Hamilton are both worth a visit with a good choice of shops and restaurants, with something to suit all tastes and budgets. Hamilton even has it’s own Marks & Spencer store!

Sports enthusiasts will appreciate all that Bermuda has to offer ranging from all types of water sports to fishing and horse riding, cycling and tennis. Bermuda is also a golf lovers paradise with eight courses in just over twenty one square miles. The 25th edition of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf is being held in Bermuda in October, at the Mid Ocean Club (known as one of the greatest golf courses in the World) and the Fairmont Southampton Hotel.

There are a wide variety of properties to choose from when planning your trip to Bermuda, from traditional C ottage Colonies to World Class Resort Hotels. I personally prefer the smaller, more personal properties, as I feel you get a real taste of Bermuda when staying there.

Overall, I feel that Bermuda is a fantastic destination which suits all kinds of people and age groups, and I hope I am lucky enough to visit for a third time!

To discuss your holiday plans to Bermuda with Kirsty please call our office on 0845 003 2211 or 01543 258631.

I travelled down to Gatwick by Flightlink coach on Monday morning and met up with the rest of the group. We were asked to meet up three hours prior to departure due to the recent terrorist attacks in the US as security had been heightened. On check in at the British Airways desk we were pleasantly surprised to find we had all been upgraded to Club Class and because of this we were able to take advantage of the Club Class lounge at Gatwick Airport which offered spacious and comfortable surroundings and complimentary food and drinks. I was extremely impressed with Club Class on the flight and would definitely encourage clients to pay for the extra comfort and quality if it was within their budget. I was also lucky enough to experience First Class and landed into Bermuda in luxurious style! On arrival we were swiftly met by our drivers and were taken to our home for the next six nights - Horizons and Cottages (a Relais & Chateaux Hotel). We were greeted by Brian and Julie Cook (an English couple that manage the hotel), had light refreshments and headed off to bed to re-energise for the next day!

We visited a total of six hotels today (Tuesday 25th September), Horizons and Cottages, The Hamilton Princess, The Rosedon, The Royal Palms, Waterloo House and The Southampton Princess. All of these hotels, with the exception of the Southampton Princess, are situated in the city of Hamilton. The Princess hotels are very large and quite business like. Although they are very nice I felt that once inside the hotels you could have been anywhere in the world, whereas the other hotels mentioned each had their own particular charm and character. This evening we had dinner at the Southampton Princess Hotel.

On Wednesday 26th September we visited four hotels - The Reefs, Sonesta Beach, Pompano Beach Club and Cambridge Beaches. My favourite by far was Pompano Beach Club. The location was stunning overlooking the ocean and at this particular area you can walk out for about ¼ mile up to your waist in beautiful clear water. The Pompano Beach Club is also home to the best golf course on Bermuda. The other hotel which stood out from the others was Cambridge Beaches although the location is quite remote. Tonight we had dinner at the Harmony Club.

Today (Thursday 27th September) we visited Ariel Sands, Pink Beach Club, Stonnington Beach and Harmony Club. Ariel Sands Hotel is part owned by Michael Douglas. and I felt it was probably the worst property I saw whilst in Bermuda (although it had a good beach side location) - extremely basic, dull rooms and Michael Douglas memorabilia everywhere! However, the Sales Manager for this property did inform us that the rooms would be totally refurbished in early 2002. Pink Beach Club had a stunning location and gorgeous spacious rooms decorated to a high standard. Harmony Club is the only All Inclusive property on Bermuda. However, you cannot compare it to the All Inclusives some people may be used to in the Caribbean. The property is very basic, is not located on a beach and apparently serves soup and a roll for lunch! The bonus point to the property were the staff - extremely friendly and seemed to know all of the guests by their Christian names! As well as visiting hotels today, we also took a trip to the zoo and aquarium and had lunch at St George’s. Tonight we dined at Cambridge Beaches - I have never eaten such exquisite food in such a beautiful location in my life! Highly recommended!

On Friday 28th September we were given a free day to explore the island of Bermuda. we decided to take full advantage of this and the previous day purchased a bus and ferry pass (valid for the whole day for as many journeys as you wish for approximately $11.00). After an early breakfast, we caught the local bus into Hamilton in time for the 0900 ferry (which took around 30 minutes) across to the Dockyard. Here we visited Dolphin Quest, a rum cake factory, a glass blowing factory and various shops. We took lunch in a typical English pub and caught the long duration ferry (around 1 ½ hours) back to Hamilton. Once here we visited more shops and caught the local bus back to Horizons and Cottages. This evening we attended a Gala Dinner at the Elbow Beach Hotel which was hosted by Prestige, British Airways and Bermuda Tourism. We had a brilliant evening with gorgeous food and drink and dancing to a live band.

Today (Saturday 29th September) we had hotel visits at the Elbow Beach, Astwood Cove and Surfside where we took lunch. Elbow Beach is a large elegant hotel which was nicely decorated with an excellent beach front location, but again I felt you could have been anywhere in the world once inside. Astwood Cove is a self catering property which is extremely basic and located on a busy road. I would not recommend anyone travelling to Bermuda to stay here unless they didn’t mind catering for themselves in basic surroundings.

After our hotel visits, we took afternoon tea at Carol Holdings beautiful home. Carol is an English lady who is famous on Bermuda for her watercolour paintings. Our final evening meal in Bermuda was taken at Horizons and Cottages.

Our final day on the island was spent around the hotel pool soaking up the relaxing atmosphere. On our return flight, the whole of the group was again upgraded to Club Class on British Airways.

To sum up, I thought Bermuda was a stunning island - beautiful beaches and scenery, immaculate landscaping and extremely friendly people. The island offers something for everyone from snorkelling and diving to shopping and eating out. It is extremely easy to get around the island either by the local bus and ferry service or by rented moped (cars are not available for hire) and driving is on the same side of the road with the same traffic signs and signals as the U.K. There is an excellent range of accommodation available from basic self catering apartments to luxurious five star suites and the standard of the cuisine is second to none. I would not recommend Bermuda to those travelling on a budget as it is extremely expensive to eat out and shop, due to everything being imported, although certain items such as U.S. branded toiletries and cosmetics are a lot cheaper than the U.K. Bermuda is a very safe island and I felt more than comfortable catching the local bus and walking around. It is also an excellent location to do a two centre holiday teamed with either New York, Boston or Toronto. All in all, a fantastic island with plenty on offer for all tastes. I certainly hope to visit again in the near future (if my budget will allow!).

To discuss your holiday plans to Bermuda with Kirsty please call our office on 0845 003 2211 or 01543 258631.