Bermuda
 

Going to The Fairmont Southhampton this week for 4 nights. Any suggestions for dining, sightseeing, excursions, etc. would be greatly appreciated. We're fron N.Y.
Thank you!

check out the Don't Stop the Carnival - a dinner cruise which is worth the money. Approx $85US/person includes drinks, dinner and entertainment - the best bargain you'll find in Bermuda.

Just came back from a 7 night stay in Bermuda (5 nights at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess and 2 nights at Ariel Sands).

I highly recommned dinner at Aqua which is located at Ariel Sands. Dining takes place at about as close to the ocean as I have ever experienced. The food is classified as Bermudian with what I call an Asian flair - absolutely delicious. You have a few options on where to sit. If you are brave and can risk the chance of a shower, sitting on the patio is a stone throw away from the water. Or there is indoor dining with windows- offering water view. I highly recommend the "deck" which has a roof and open windows and offers equal views to that of the patio.

Depending on your appetite and the number of drinks you consume, a meal for two can range between $120 to $180 (which is what our tab was for two separate dining experiences - not much more than a fine dining experience in NY).

This place is not all about views, but the food is excellent and the waitstaff is pleasant and will allow you to linger. If you which to sit on the deck, it is advisable to make a reservation for 6:30-7:00 and seating on the deck is first come, first serve. (BTW, they have awesome burgers for lunch)

Other suggestions include
Portofino for delicious Italian - they have the best thin crust pizza - for a change of pace.

Lobster Pot and Boat Bar - fresh fish, very casual - make a reservation early.

We also took a sunset champagne sail on a catamaran. Fantasea Cruise - book early.

Take a trip into Hamilton via the Ferry offered at FSP to the Hamilton Princess. A nice ride that brings you into Hamilton where you can shop, lunch and walk around. You can also take the pink ferry line and get an inexpensive harbour tour of some beautiful homes.

There are many touristy things you can do such as the crystal caves, the acquarium, botanical gardens, snorkel and rum swizzle cruise, etc. It just depends what you are looking for.

If there is anything else I can tell you, let me know. Have a great time :)

Port O'Call on front street and don't forget to rent the scooters and see the country.

By the way, the beach at the Fairmont Southhampton is pretty rocky and is small and okay as beaches go, IMHO. What you should do, at least one time, is go past the tennis courts and out the gate and follow the path to Horseshoe Bay Beach which is right next to FSP beach - beautiful!! Walk a little further and you reach Jobson's Cove - stunning. Bring an underwater camera, your snorkel gear and you'll see some great fish! Some of these coves is like having your own private beach!

If you are travelling with kids, and trust me you will find plenty of them at FSP, you might want to try some kid friendly restaurants such as M.R. Onions, Bailey's Ice Cream & Food D'Lites. Although not particularly for kids, although I took my well-behaved children there 5 years ago, North Rock Brewery which has pub style food is quite good.

On Reid Street you will find Timothy's which has various coffees and tasty wraps. You can get table service or take it to go (and save the 15%). Don't forget your gratuity is always added to your bill so don't double tip!

If you are not secure about driving on the right side of the road, skip the scooters - This past trip I saw many come back badly injured from their excursion - perhaps from too many rum swizzles b/4 hitting the road. The bus system is an excellent one, as is the ferry system - IMO a safer alternative - but I guess I am getting old (the roads are far more congested now than they were 25 years ago when I took to the road on a moped!).

Have fun!

Oops, I meant the left side of the road.

One more local fav is Robin Hood located a few streets back from the main drag in Hamilton. A sports bar it has great pizza at reasonable prices!

There is a little bar at the end of where the cruise ships dock - can't remember the name but it is pink and I believe called the Paradise? A local hangout with tables outside. They make great portugese red bean soup and their fish chowder is great too.

I agree with the Aerial Sands for dinner or lunch - you can't miss!

I like Ascots for dinner. I have seen some recent negative posts about La Coquille, but in my experience it has always been very good food, but pretentious service. I like it best for lunch. I also recommend the Waterloo. First class food and first class staff.

We stayed at the Granaway Guest House in July 2004 while the owners were vacationing in Europe. I hope their European accommodations were better and their continental breakfasts more generous than ours were at the Granaway. Actually, the room was fine: bright, large, and nicely cooled by a room air conditioner, and a television, so the accommodations were adequate. Our room in the 280-year-old house had a comfortable king-sized bed and two couches that pulled out into 3/4 beds; our 9-year-old granddaughter seemed to sleep well, as did we. We enjoyed socializing with other guests, and the view of Hamilton Bay from the small balcony was quite good, especially at sunset.

Apart from the efforts of Susie, a friend of the owners who attempted to oversee the employees in the owners' absence, the paid employees were scarce and the service sparse. We offer two warnings for anyone considering a stay at the Granaway Guest House.

First, if you have any appetite for breakfast at all, you will go hungry. The continental breakfast consisted of one small muffin, perhaps as much as 1/2 cup of fruit, a small glass of juice, and no more than two cups of coffee or tea per guest. Period! I am not a big breakfast fan, and our granddaughter is unaccustomed to eating breakfast at all, but we both left the table hungry. On our first morning, a guest was ignored when she asked for additonal coffee. On the second morning of our stay, one woman at the table was openly startled by one of the Granaway cats when it rubbed against her leg. The Granaway web site warns potential patrons that the guest house is home to three cats, but this poor soul was both unaware of the living arrangement and frightened of cats. We have two house cats and our granddaughter lives in a house with three cats and two dogs, so we were delighted and entertained by the Granaway cats; however, the lizards and insects the cats killed remained in the house far too long; for example, a lizard head lay under the breakfast table through two mornings before it was cleaned up by the staff or carted off by the thousands of ants sharing our living quarters. Our third morning, when my wife and I tarried at table with a very nice professional couple during an engaging conversation, the employees not only were oblivious to our empty cups, but actually rushed to clear the table with rude abandon.

Secondly, the swimming pool, although large enough for the few guests who ventured in, surrounded by beautiful plants and flowers, and shady most of the day, contained no detectable chlorine. The underwater surfaces were slippery with some kind of disgusting slimey growth that gave me an eerie sensation of impurity.

This trip--our third to Bermuda--was delightful in every other way, and a wonderful way to spend a few days with our granddaughter. My family and I have been staying in guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments on three continents for over twenty years; we commend nearly all of the proprietors for their hospitality and the professionism; Granaway Guest House is one of only two such establishments to which we will never return.

We returned from Bermuda about two weeks ago. We are not wealthy and I have a few suggestions for activities that will not be expensive. We recommend public transportation passes for your length of stay unless you rent a Moped. The passes allow unlimited access to all busses and ferries in the country; ferries are the best way to see the coastlines. The Botanical Gardens are worth the hour or so it takes to tour them (free). We are animal lovers, so we visited the Acquarium and Zoo (inexpensive). Lighthouses and historical churches are free or inexpensive to tour, but bus and ferry access is limited. We enjoy the party atmosphere and food at Robin Hood in Hamilton and found Bistro 12 a tiny but delicious eatery open for breakfast and lunch. The Pickled Onion is pretty good but pricey for us. We like the La Trattoria quite a bit. We had the most fun eating in the outdoor bar of the Spring Chicken because it is a local hangout for a mixed class of residents. Avoid Front Street restaurants on Wednesday evenings because every Wednesday is Harbour Day, and all of the cruise-groupies have restaurant coupons; you can't get a table without a wait of about an hour unless you dine before 5:30pm. We are aware of many other activities and excursions that are beyond our budget.
Email me for additional information if you have specific questions. This was our third trip to Bermuda. dhr

Hey, SeeTheWorld!

What did you think of Ariel Sands?

Have you ever eaten at Cambridge Beaches or The Reefs? How would they compare to Aqua?

Was the beach there better than the Fairmont SH? How about a pool area? The rooms?

Thanks for any info. Maybe I'll just chuck the whole b-day party idea and go away with my family! :)

Hello Dreamer2:

I thought the Ariel Sands was the pefect way to end our stay in Bermuda. As I said earlier, we stayed 5 nights at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, which is a lovely resort but does appeal to business travellers. The service was rather impersonal and I did not enjoy the trek to the Southhampton Princess in order to use the beach. Even if I were to stay at the SHP, a trolly is necessary to ride down to the beach, I don't wish to sound impatient but I often felt like cattle in a herd trying to get on board. If you have young children, the SHP is the place to stay. Anyway, the beach is okay but rocky - a stroll away however, brings you to the public beach, Horseshoe Bay, which is beautiful.

Now at the Ariel Sands there are only 47 cottages and you can very easily and quickly go to and from the beach as often as you like or sit on your patio or under the thatched canapy and watch the white caps roll in. The beach is also rocky and not ideal for big swims but there are two salt water pools that butt up to the ocean offering spectacular views. The cottages are well appointed with British Colonial furniture, generous bathroom, and two comfy leather chairs (a total opposite of what was available at the Fairmont). The pool is also small but on my visit we sometimes were the only ones in the pool (I never saw more than 6 people there at a time).

Complimentary afternoon tea is offered and it included a variety of tea sandwiches as well as cookies and cakes. Water is left in your room every day and fresh fruit is placed at the reservation desk. Also, on Thursdays, they have a managers rum swizzle welcome with delightful hor'deurves. We also had a 5pm flight and they let us stay until it was time to go to the airport, which they didn't have to do. It is these little personal touches that I really enjoyed. Oh, I almost forgot, breakfast is included in the rate. Between 8-10 there is a full breakfast offered - fresh omelets, eggs benedict, fresh fruit, french toast, etc., etc.

The people who were guests there were either couples, or couples with new babies who had extended family in the cottage next door.

Ariel Sands and Acqua are the only hotel and restuarant in the parish. It is a 10 minute ride to Hamilton and a 20 minute ride to the airport. It is definately a place for peace and quiet and I don't believe I would stay there for a full 7 nights, but DH and I thoroughly enjoyed the change of pace from our city stay.

As far as Cambridge Beaches goes, it was my first choice but decided that my husband would have a fit if I made him wear a suit to dinner (which is required) then it would not be a "vacation" for him. FYI, Cambridge Beaches also does not welcome children unless you bring along a nanny - I didn't think I would feel entirely comfortable there.

If you go to Acqua, you will not be disappointed. The trip could have only been better if Michael Douglas himself would have been visiting :)

Sorry, I do know how to spell Aqua!

Thanks, SeetheWorld! Sounds heavenly. We have been to Cambridge Beaches, and would go back in a heartbeat, but I'd love to try something new. Sounds like Ariel Sands is similar, but with a more relaxed atmosphere. I'll keep that in mind!

There are more restaurants in the parish than Ariel Sands. Ones close to Aerial Sands include the Speciality Inn for great breakfasts and pizzas. Real home cooking at reasonable prices. Also there is a microbrewery very close by with a restaurant. I haven't tried it but plan on doing so this year while I am there. Also within walking distance of Aerial Sands is a great little grocery store and pharmacy, the Botanical Gardens and a spot just up the road where you can buy fresh fish right on the public beach. We bought some and froze it to take home. Not as good as fresh but the next best thing!

The brewery you are referring to is North Rock Brewing Company located in Smith's Parish, not Devonshire. BTW, not this last visit, but during our previous visit we ate there a couple of times and the food was very good.
The Botanical Gardens are located in Paget Parish.

Thanks for the info on the parishes. I simply assumed since they were so close it was in the same parish.

Glad to hear about the North Rock - will definitely try it this year.

I have never responded to one of these forum chats before but felt the note from BroDav concerning the Granaway required a comment. My husband and I recently stayed at the lovely Granaway Guest House on our third trip to Bermuda and had a fabulous experience. In the past we have stayed at the large hotels readily available and decided to enjoy another type of Bermuda getaway. The Granaway was the perfect site for us. It is located near the Warwick ferry for a quick trip to Hamilton and is just a scooter trip away from the best beaches on the island. The breakfast situation mentioned by the aforementioned writer was not the one we experienced during our week's stay. The breakfast of fresh muffins and toast, homemade jellies, juice and coffee or tea were plentiful and all served beautifully.

My husband is a big breakfast eater and never walked away hungry. I just thought another view from guests was necessary. We highly recommend the Granaway Guest House for a peaceful and elegant vacation. We will definately return there on our next vacation to Bermuda.

I too feel that the harsh comments toward Granaway Guest House are a fluke bad experience. We stayed there last summer and had a delightful experience. We were upgraded to their cottage at no additional charge since it was available. Breakfast was plentiful, and pleasant. We were never rushed and were always given as much coffee & tea as we'd like, along with wonderful suggestions & assistance with ideas for things to do and see during our stay. The pool was very clean and well cared for and we practically had it to ourselves most afternoons. Olive, one of the cats adopted us, much to our delight during our stay. This is a beautiful property in an excellent location and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for small inn in Bermuda.

I will be celebrating my 70th birthday in January and I have always dreamed about going to Bermuda. I would like to know if January weather there is pleasant. I don't intend to do any swimming or water sports-don't play golf- and I don't mind wearing a nice cashmere sweater.
I'll be going with a friend and he and I like to get to know the local history of the area, museums and such, and maybe some shopping for Wedgwood pieces. Having a few drinks before dinner, have a nice dinner and watch the sunsets and sunrises.
We don't care about nightclub life and usually go to bed by 10 PM.
Would you suggest we stay at a hotel in Hamilton or St. George?
We'll be flying out of Philadelphia. An all-inclusive air-hotel plan or book separatly? We are both on just Social Security, so budget accomodations are a necessity.
Thanks for your advice.