Bermuda trip report

[liamsaunt]

Day one. Arrival

Bermuda is a short flight (less than two hours) from Boston. Everybody is so friendly in Bermuda! It only took about 10 minutes to clear immigration because our plane came in first. All of the flights arrive at the same time, so folks on other planes definitely had a longer wait—I would guess about an hour for some people. I noticed that anyone traveling in a wheelchair or on crutches got to skip to the head of the line. We noticed one woman with her foot in an air cast that went to the head of the line—particularly notable because we saw her leaving the airport on the same day we flew out—with the aircast on the opposite foot! Sneaky!

You can arrange for a particular taxi driver to meet you at the airport, or just use one of the drivers waiting outside. You don’t share taxis on Bermuda, so there’s no waiting for the vans to fill up.

This was a last-minute budget type of trip so we were limited in where we could stay. The Reefs and Elbow Beach were sold out, and the Fairmounts didn’t appeal to us. I’d heard mixed things about Nine Beaches, and Cambridge Beaches was out of our budget. We ended up at Surf Side Beach Club. My family has stayed here many times in the past. When he was a kid, my brother used to fish the land crabs out of the pool in exchange for coffee ice cream from the maintenance man. My brother is 30 now.

It is not a four star type of place, but I like it for the fact that all of the rooms have great views, there is a kitchen, the beach is uncrowded with great snorkeling just offshore, you can dress casually, and the staff is friendly. When we arrived we were upgraded to one of the penthouses, which was nice.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823836558/" title="penthouse east by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3432/382 ... bf4f06.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="penthouse east"></a>

The unit had two bedrooms, two baths, living room, dining room, kitchen, and a private lawn with resort and ocean views.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823836382/" title="penthouse east view by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3425/382 ... 0fb925.jpg" width="500" height="278" alt="penthouse east view"></a>

The kitchen had been renovated with granite counters, and the interior was recently repainted. The furnishings were older but comfortable.

I read on Trip Advisor that Surf Side no longer has beach access. That is not true. It is true that hurricanes have destroyed the hotel’s original stairway to the water. However, there is still access to the beach, you just have to go down to the street and walk about 50 yards to the left, then down a lane, where you find alternate steps to the beach. These steps were renovated in 2008, and really are the easiest way to get down to the beach. We saw some folks scrambling over the rocks to get to the beach from the original entry, but this way is safer. When you get to the beach, here is what you will find.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823841320/" title="surf side beach footprints by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2435/382 ... 2f93cc.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="surf side beach footprints"></a>


Our first night we ate at Aqua, the poolside restaurant at Surf Side. It was pretty good. We had some local fish. Mahi mahi:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823020057/" title="aqua mahi mahi by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2449/382 ... b9cd36.jpg" width="500" height="406" alt="aqua mahi mahi"></a>


Amberjack:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823823866/" title="aqua amberjack by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3467/382 ... cd9858.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="aqua amberjack"></a>

Then we went back up to our lawn and watched the moon.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823028233/" title="full moon and palms by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2652/382 ... 18016e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="full moon and palms"></a>

Day two. Day of confusion.

We went down to Surf Side’s beach, but the waves were breaking on the beach about 10 feet high. It was way too dangerous to swim or snorkel.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823844082/" title="surf side surf 4 by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3528/382 ... b291ec.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="surf side surf 4"></a>

So, we packed up and took the bus to Church Bay, considered to be one of the best snorkeling spots on the island. However, we could not swim here either! The water was full of seaweed.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823828976/" title="Church Bay seeweed invasion by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/382 ... 7507bd.jpg" width="500" height="386" alt="Church Bay seeweed invasion"></a>

Now on plan “C” we went back to the hotel and had a cab come to get us to go to Tobacco Bay, on the opposite side of the island. The beach was crowded with cruise ship people, which was a little disappointing.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823846442/" title="Tobacco bay cave by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2629/382 ... 8d552b.jpg" width="500" height="362" alt="Tobacco bay cave"></a>

We did a little snorkeling but the water visibility was poor, and worse, my new camera housing started leaking! Luckily we got back to shore before the camera got corrupted. Instead, we went hiking, and found these beautiful rock formations:


<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823848042/" title="tobacco bay sculptures copy by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/382 ... bff4e1.jpg" width="500" height="326" alt="tobacco bay sculptures copy"></a>


We also had a wahoo sandwich, local style with slaw and hot sauce, from the fish shack on the beach. It was good.

Tonight I had booked us a private dinner on the beach at the Reefs hotel. The Reefs is a beautiful property.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823033341/" title="reefs by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2480/382 ... 873cf6.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="reefs"></a>

It is also very popular—every time we have tried to book it is sold out! The chaos from earlier in the day continued when we arrived—the restaurant and beach were closed for a wedding. Our reservation either got lost or was taken in error. The staff was apologetic and tried to get us to have dinner in one of their other restaurants but I refused. We were dressed for dinner on the beach, and everyone else at the other restaurants was dressed in full jacket/time/cocktail dress, etc. The manager arranged for us to come back the following evening. OK….

We had dinner at Swizzle Inn South since it was within walking distance of Surf Side. It was OK. We had more wahoo and tried some local beer. Back to Surf Side for more moon watching on the lawn, and hopes that tomorrow would be a smoother day.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823034795/" title="surf side at night by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2521/382 ... 205c8e.jpg" width="500" height="468" alt="surf side at night"></a>

Day three. Boat trip.


Today we rented a Boston Whaler from an outfit called Aquatic Bermuda. Our boating experience is somewhat…OK, really…limited. John used to own a whaler but only operated it on a lake. My experience…well, unless canoeing counts I don’t have much to offer. However, I was told that we would not need prior experience so decided to take a chance. We had a (maybe too brief!) orientation and headed out.

Hamilton harbour:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823028849/" title="Hamilton princess from water by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2608/382 ... 00d08a.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Hamilton princess from water"></a>


Once John got over his initial nervousness at being in charge of a boat on the ocean, we had a good time. They gave us a map of suggested places to go and we agreed to ourselves that we would not deviate from it (you can go pretty much anywhere if you want to). It was interesting to see all of the beautiful large homes from the water.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823021771/" title="boat cottag by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2637/382 ... 30c3e4.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="boat cottag"></a>

In Bermuda they prefer that you anchor the boats rather than tying up to a mooring.


<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823825414/" title="boat anchored view by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2590/382 ... 6a071f.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="boat anchored view"></a>

We were both a little nervous about anchoring, because not only do you need to avoid the corals and turtle grass (obviously), they wanted you to anchor the boat close enough to shore that you could wrap the stern anchor around a rock or tree on shore. But, you had to be in deep enough water not to beach the boat, and of course, the closer you get to shore, the more people you encounter snorkeling and so on. It was tricky, and we opted to skip a couple of suggested anchoring sites because we didn’t feel comfortable with the layout for one reason or another. We did anchor off a small beach for lunch, off the wreck of the Vixen (where we hoped to snorkel but there was too much boat and jetski traffic), and in Devils Bay, where we had some decent snorkeling.

Wrasse:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823045261/" title="wrasse 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3531/382 ... f8ee66.jpg" width="500" height="247" alt="wrasse 2"></a>

Flounder:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823832612/" title="flounder backside by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/382 ... 37d989.jpg" width="500" height="282" alt="flounder backside"></a>

Finger coral:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823027015/" title="finger coral real by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2595/382 ... c32805.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="finger coral real"></a>

The Vixen:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823044015/" title="vixen closeup by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2571/382 ... 4b6345.jpg" width="500" height="323" alt="vixen closeup"></a>

Cathedral rock:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823827790/" title="cathedral rock 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2585/382 ... 7052c6.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="cathedral rock 2"></a>

Nine beaches resort:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823030575/" title="nine beaches by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3515/382 ... 32ba78.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="nine beaches"></a>

Overall we had a lot of fun. If we had been able to tie up I think it would have been even better. We had the boat from 10-6:30. Cost was $280 for the boat, and $88 for the gas.

Dinner was back to the Reefs for dinner on the beach. This was the best food we had on the trip. Four courses, local fish, great setting….I am glad that we agreed to come back and do the meal. It was definitely a highlight.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823837676/" title="reefs beach dinner by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2623/382 ... 0b53fa.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="reefs beach dinner"></a>


Day four. Finally Surf Side Beach

The waves had died down a bit and the seaweed dissipated, so we were able to swim at Surf Side. We still could not snorkel because the current was running too strong, but we had fun jumping in the waves all day long.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823031889/" title="pink sand by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3484/382 ... acb99e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="pink sand"></a>


We had the beach to ourselves all day.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823036583/" title="surf side beach pink by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2616/382 ... 8ed272.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="surf side beach pink"></a>

That night we went over to Elbow Beach for dinner at their beachside restaurant, Mickeys. We really liked this place—it had a cool vibe, and the fish was fresh.

View:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823835200/" title="Mickeys by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3477/382 ... 6cd6f5.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Mickeys"></a>

Wahoo carpaccio:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823029851/" title="mickeys carpaccio by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3438/382 ... 496609.jpg" width="500" height="253" alt="mickeys carpaccio"></a>

Mixed seafood plate:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823834958/" title="mickeys mixed grill by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3527/382 ... 5176c7.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="mickeys mixed grill"></a>

Seafood stew:


<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823835106/" title="Mickeys seafood stew by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2558/382 ... c9117a.jpg" width="500" height="327" alt="Mickeys seafood stew"></a>

Day five. Home

Finally, the conditions were good for snorkeling off Surf Side’s beach!


<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823843614/" title="surf side pink beach 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2631/382 ... 2d3905.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="surf side pink beach 2"></a>

There are good reefs right off shore here. The coral is denser and healthier than on St. John, though there is not as much variety, and there are less fish.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823838304/" title="sargeant majors by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2593/382 ... cd3747.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="sargeant majors"></a>

Bermuda chubs:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823023913/" title="chubs favorite by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/382 ... 8b2183.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="chubs favorite"></a>

Angelfish:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823032421/" title="queen angelfish by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2519/382 ... b6d17f.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="queen angelfish"></a>

Our flight was not until 4 PM, and Surf Side had agreed to give us a late check out, so we spent the morning swimming, then had lunch at Aqua. Grouper roti:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823824464/" title="aqua grouper roti by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2499/382 ... ee4a3c.jpg" width="500" height="289" alt="aqua grouper roti"></a>

No troubles at the airport, easy flight home.

Goodbye Bermuda:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823028441/" title="goodbye bermuda by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2454/382 ... 6c64a5.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="goodbye bermuda"></a>


Conclusion: we still like Bermuda, but St. John is our favorite! I started going to Bermuda in the mid-eighties with family. John and I honeymooned there in 1997, and we vacationed there together a few more times before discovering St. John in 2003. This long weekend was our first time back since 2002. Because our time was short, we did not do many of the usual tourist activities, or visit the most popular beaches. I’ve been everywhere on the island at some point though, so if any of you are thinking of going to Bermuda and have questions about places I didn’t mention in this report, just let me know and I will try to help you out. Thanks for reading!


Becky and John

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/3823842732/" title="surf side gs by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2588/382 ... 0f85_m.jpg" width="240" height="214" alt="surf side gs"></a>

[AnyTing]

Thanks for taking the time to share, Becky! Loved it!

[lprof]

Thank you! ...the reading was a pleasure and the photos wonderful. Your reports are always a joy - love the food, the fishes and the beaches.
Glad that you had a good time.

[Nancy_B]

Great report, Becky. We visited Bermuda in 1995 and loved it but haven't been back. I have a feeling that it won't be #1 for me anymore now that I've fallen for St. John.

My grandmom loved Bermuda - she visited 18 times in her life - St. John is now that for me

[iowaguy]

Thanks for another great report Becky! I remember enjoying Mickey's at Elbow Beach for dinner, as well as The Reefs, several years ago. Surf Side Beach Club looks charming. Bermuda does have a lot of unique character. It will not replace St. John for me but its a different experience.

[cocosmom]

Thanks for taking the time..I always love your reports & pics of food & Fish!

[jmq]

Nice! The food looks pretty good. I assume somewhat pricey? How are booze prices?

Love that shot of the "chubs" and the time exposure of the moon with clouds.

What mixed stuff did your research turn up on Nine Beaches and what do you think about its location?

Thanks!

[Kathyzhere]

Hi Becky, nice TR and you captured some beautiful shots of the scenery! Thanks for sharing, as always.

Too many years ago; hubs and I visited Bermuda via ship, so only there for 3.5 days. Spent a good day looking up geneology and looking for relatives at the cemetery ...at least the island is small enough that we got to see a better part of it for the few days there though.

Your TR did bring back some warm memories! Someday we'd like to fly-in and visit longer. It is lovely there but we are more into the Caribbean vibe. Do you know if the Nine Beaches was also known as Daniel's Cottages? I am also curious to hear about there...

Enjoy.
Kathy

[sea-nile]

Great report and wonderful pictures! Are the photos edited or is the water really that blue?

[liamsaunt]

jmq, I would say that the food prices are on a par with St. John. Entrees around $30 or so. The Swizzle Inn was much cheaper...we shared an appetizer, ordered 2 entrees, and had a couple of beers and bottled waters each and it was under $100 including gratuity. The Reefs beach dinner was much more expensive than the other places we went to, but you are paying for the experience too.

I did not visit any of the food markets this time so can't comment on current grocery prices. Beer is definitely more expensive than STJ--we bought a six-pack of Red Stripe at a mini mart, I think it was $8.50. Wine in the restaurants was actually more reasonably priced than here in Boston, and selection was decent. Mixed drink prices were not listed on the menus, so I don't know what the going rate is. I know that many tourists bring their favorite libation from home so I am guessing there are no bargains.

Nine Beaches...the biggest complaint I heard about it, and this was verified in conversation with Bermudians when we were on island, is that it is built next to a cattle farm. If the wind is blowing in a certain direction, you can smell the farm, and sometimes there are fly problems. We brought our boat in pretty close and did not smell anything so...

It is definitely a cute resort. I actually don't have a picture of the best looking part of it--there are some cottages that come out further over the water than what I showed in the picture I posted. We saw about five of the nine beaches, and they were all pretty small. However, there was a large pink beach located to the direct left of the resort that looked like it was accessible to folks staying at Nine Beaches.

Another negative for me is that there was a lot of jetski activity in the water around Nine Beaches. I really dislike jetski noise.

sea-nile, yes, the water really is that blue. I did a little autocorrecting in photoshop on some of the pictures, but that's it. I had actually forgotten how bright blue the water is in Bermuda.

[turtlegirl]

Thanks so much for your great report. I've been eyeing Bermuda as it IS such a short flight from BOS so information from an STJ lover is very helpful.

[CariBert]

Nice report on Bermuda, first one I've seen. Thanks! Isn't that where Michael Douglas and (more importantly) Catherine Zeta-Jones have a house? I wouldn't mind running into her on Bermuda! She can come assess my phones anytime she wants!

Thanks again, and, great pictures, too!

-Bert

[mbw1024]

Nice report on Bermuda, first one I've seen. Thanks! Isn't that where Michael Douglas and (more importantly) Catherine Zeta-Jones have a house? I wouldn't mind running into her on Bermuda! She can come assess my phones anytime she wants!

Thanks again, and, great pictures, too!

-Bert

yes on Michael and Catherine. And Ross Perot and Michael Bloomberg and countless others I'm sure.

[jayseadee]

Nice shot of my yacht in Hamilton Harbour

We haven't snorkeled Bermuda since our first trip in the early 90's - I forgot how good it can be. But lugging snorkel gear and golf clubs is a pain.

I'll have to look into Surf Side; it looks interesting.

I was disappointed to hear that Swizzle Inn - South went into the old "Paw Paws" space; we loved "Paw Paws"

Nice report.

[piscesgirl0314]

Thanks for the trip report. You always take such GREAT food shots...makes me hungry...cute picture of the two of you...