Larence

Seems like this an expensive island..is it worth it -say compared to Hawaii? Where have you stayed and what did you do that made it enjoyable?

Julie Marie

Have not been yet. but sure would love to read some other opinions.

Parrot Mom

Yes, Bermuda is expensive...that is why most people arrive by cruise ships... The hotel industry is working in cooperation with the cruise industry to present packages.. Never having been to Hawaii I can't compare, but Bermuda is lovely..the people are warm and helpful.. We have cruised there in the past 6 years five times... and hope to have an unexpected trip if the price is right the end of August. The beaches are lovely, the bus system gets you around...It is a touch of the UK in the Carribean... Best of all I have never seen such polite people who with their children great and thank the bus drivers...childen actually get up to give you a seat... What is fun..well everybody has a different idea...some it's beachs, some it's shopping, snorkeling, diving, and partying... Frankly, I enjoy the whole atmosphere and the place that makes a tourist feel welcome...and not a pain

Carl

Agree with Parrot Mom. Have not been to Hawaii but have been to Tahiti. Bermuda does not have striking natural features such as mountain peaks or waterfalls, and it is much smaller. In it's favor are proximity to the East Coast (little wasted time if you only have a week's vacation). In addition to freindly locals their properties are universally beautifully taken care of. The government there has see to it that there is plenty of open, natural spaces - all at no charge, and very few are crowded. Bermuda does not have the spectacular large resorts I've heard about in Hawaii but does have many very good smaller hotels which bring out the best in the Bermudian staff. Check other posts here for info on some of them. Also check www.bermuda.com for a forum concentrating on Bermuda. We go to Bermuda because we feel relaxed as soon as we get there, and without the stress of multiple time zone dislocation. Good luck!

Parrot Mom

Okay, if you really want to know--there is a site for B.O.P.'s-Bermuda Obsessed People....tHEY really are..complete with pictures of beaches and sites... <BR> <BR>http://www.keyguide.com/cgi-bin/web54152/talk/config.pl

Samuel

I am quite interested in this -does anyone have an answer?

Hopeson

I stopped and looked at this -does anyone have an answer? I was also wondering how it compares to Hawaii

David

Is Bermuda over rated? The answer is simple- yes. I've been to both Hawaii and Bermuda, both places are very different from the other. It all depends on what you expect out of a vacation. Here's a comparason: <BR> <BR>Scenery- this is a hard one. Bermuda is small, but seems larger because of the winding roads. While Bermuda is not tropical, it is beautiful in its own right with its pastel colored homes with limestone white roof tops, and the flowering plants and trees. Hawaii's scenery is breath taking, with water falls, valleys, volcanoes, coconut trees, the only problem is there's too many people to really enjoy it to its fullest. Award for Best scenery goes to- Hawaii. <BR> <BR>Beaches- Once again, Bermuda is small, so the number of beaches is limited, but there are a couple of pink coral beaches in Bermuda (Elbow and Horseshoe Bay) that are just overwhelmingly beautiful. Hawaii has some nice sandy beaches as well (like big and small Makena beaches of Maui), but they just don't compare to Bermuda's. Award for best beaches goes to Bermuda. <BR> <BR>Water- Ocean that is...Bermuda has the some of the bluest ocean around. What can I say- Bermuda wins this as well. <BR> <BR>Things to do and see- There is no comparason here. While Bermuda has better shopping for quality items, its somewhat limited on breath taking views, or places to go. Snorkeling at Church Bay is fantastic, and the view from Gibbs light house is excellent, but Hawaii has almost unlimited things to do and see with its volcanoes, valleys, long drives, and diverse history. Award goes to Hawaii. <BR> <BR>Food and Service- We were not impressed with the over priced food in Bermuda. I paid $18.00 for a hamburger in the hotel, and it was terrible. (I was told not to eat beef in Bermuda anyway). The service is slow and the servers made us feel like they were doing us a favor by waiting on us. The tip is added in the bill regardless of the service in most restaurants, so what would be the reason for good service? In Hawaii the service was great, and the food was excellent as well every where we ate. Hawaii wins this category. <BR> <BR>Something Different- Bermuda is British with a caribbean twist. With no fast food joints (well, one KFC), no WAl Marts, not over run with tourists, and just different in almost every aspect compared to the states, Bermuda wins. <BR>Getting Around- In Bermuda you cannot rent a car. You have to take the bus (which wastes lots of time standing and waiting), take a taxi (which is expensive) or rent a scooter (which is dangerous. Many tourists are injured and even killed every year). Even walking is a hassle because some streets are very narrow, and have no place for people to walk. In Hawaii you rent a car or a jeep and go where ever you want to. Hawaii wins again. <BR> <BR>Hotels- Again, no comparason. While the hotels in Bermuda are nice, for posh major resort style hotels, Hawaii is one of the best places in the world (take a look at the Grand Wailea resort on Maui at www.grandwailea.com). Yep, Hawaii wins. <BR> <BR>Cost- Bermuda is expensive. Especially the food and hotels. In Hawaii you can spend as little or as much as you like for hotels and food. Hawaii...again. <BR> <BR>Crime- Bermuda use to be considered almost a paradise due to its lack of crime. Well, thats what the government of Bermuda wanted you to think, but no more. Crime is on the rise with violent crime increasing the most. Murders are not that uncommon, tourists are targeted more often than not. Assault and robbery have also increased. People are having to work two or three jobs to get by. The hotels have had to be subsidized by the government because tourism is down. It's not getting better, its getting worse. There is also a "glass ceiling" for blacks, racism is pushed aside and ignored. A paradise? Not at all(For an inside look into Bermuda check out http://www.accessbda.bm/gazette.htm). Hawaii has its crime too- Neither place wins this category. <BR> <BR>Well, This thing has gotten a little long- sorry, but I hope it helps... <BR> <BR>dafree <BR>

Plenty

Would love some more opinions

Joel

I've spent time there off and on over the past... (well, a lot of years and we'll leave it at that). It's unique. There is nothing like it. But I think it is very much of one thing like a meal that has ice cream for the salad course, the main course, and dessert. While I liked it, many people don't like ice cream. <BR>An old saying about Burmuda is that it's "for the newly wed and nearly dead". I can understand that. For many it would take the notion of tranquility to an unpleasant extreme. How much quaint can one take? How many traffic cops with flawlessly white gloves and impeccable demeanor does it require to push someone over the edge? <BR>Whew! Well that's as close as I can come to lambasting Bermuda. <BR>

Joel

One more thing. I think Bermuda came into being when the Brits took a look at England and decided, "You know, it's not English enough. It's not perfectly English. It doesn't raise our culture to the level of stereotype. Let's make a picture-perfect England with a dash of the tropics (to remind us of lost Empire) on an island in the Atlantic..."

shannon

David, <BR> <BR>Thank you for the in depth look at a comparison between Hawaii and Bermuda. My husband and I were trying to decide between the two, and now we are leaning more towards Hawaii (Especially after keeping up with the Bermuda Gazzette). <BR>Maybe we'll go to Bermuda on our trip after our honeymmon sometime. We both have never been outside the continental U.S. (except for Mexico), we have been saving for some time for our honeymoon and want to make the right choice. Thanks to your in depth review along with everyone else's information I think Hawaii is the best choice for us. Thanks everyone and thanks to Fodors too! <BR>

Bruce Klein

Hawaii blows away Bermuda. My wife and I (around 30 years old) went to both in the last year. Hawaii is more beautiful, has nicer beaches, has more to do, and more to see. We're from the East Coast, so Bermuda is much closer, but Hawaii is so much better. The only way I would go back to Bermuda is by cruise ship. Plus Bermuda is more expensive.

Julie

Why try to compare Hawaii and Bermuda? They have very little in common except that they both have beautiful beaches. I went to Bermuda and loved it! A very beautiful, low-key island. I took a cruise to Bermuda and would recommend it for anyone interested in seeing Bermuda but without the huge expense of staying at a hotel on the island. Also dining out is quite expensive. When you cruise there, you are docked on the island for 3 1/2 days, which is plenty of time to see this small island. Bermuda offers a 3-day unlimited bus pass, which is a great way to get around the island. <BR>But back to the beaches... beautiful and yes the sand does have a pinkish hue. The rock formations scattered along the beaches create all sorts of little coves and pools that can be explored. Good snorkeling. <BR>One negative of Bermuda: limited season if you are looking for warm weather. Also, the hurricane season can put a damper on things, which starts, I believe, in August. <BR>If you would like any more info, let me know.

Julie

One more thing... While I LOVE Bermuda, I would pick Hawaii over Bermuda for a honeymoon, particularly if you are from the east coast, as long as you are going for a decent amount of time. I am actually planning my own honeymoon right now and Hawaii is one of the places we are considering.

Brenda

I honestly don't think I would try to compare any two islands each has things that make each special. <BR>We have been to Bermuda every summer for the last 13 years. We stay for a couple of weeks and love every minute of it. Yes things are cost a great deal of money there because everything has to be imported. People in Bermuda do not pay taxes, hense the cost of products because of the duty that is added to the item. <BR>Snokeling in Tobacgo bay is the best, Chaplin bay is a private cove near horseshoe bay that is a perfect beach. The water reaches 85 degrees in august and is as clear and beatiful as I have seen. <BR>No there is no quick foods, no venders selling junk on the beach, and thank goodness no amusement parks. We rent mopeds every year and love the freedom of going where we want. We have met many friends while vacationing in Bermuda, we can stay at friends houses or housesit, We cook out at night and deep sea fish with friends. There is a few shows and such but to be honest I rather enjoy not having all that tourist stuff. I love riding around visiting different people and just fishing, cooking out, and taking a lunch to tobacgo bay and just snokeling all day. <BR>Crime is on the rise but for heaven sakes have you listened to the news lately, it isn't even safe in school. No murder and violent crime isn't the norm over there but it is like a small town were you hear about it. I have taken two women with me and do not feel uncomfortable. <BR>I love Bermuda and maybe it isn't for everyone, if you need to be entertained and have someone hold your hand to tour you around well maybe somewhere else is the place to go. I have been to many islands and we always go back to Bermuda.

Darlene

Brenda, Have you been to Hawaii? I would love to hear what you thought. Thank you very much.

Jim

I found both to be expensive. Both are beautiful, and offer a great vacation, but I found Bermuda a lot better. Other than the fact that I didn't have to travel forever to get there, I though the people on the island were a lot friendlier. <BR> <BR>If your going, choose Bermuda. <BR>Jim;HereHuGo.com <BR>The Travel Search Engine <BR>http://www.herehugo.com <BR>

Megan

Hello all.. I felt I HAD to say something about the posts here... I've never been to Hawaii, but that's besides the point, it seems.. My first trip out of the US was a cruise to Bermuda. Had such a wonderful time, coming back to real life in NY was terrible. We rented scooters in Bermuda and it was definitely the best way to travel. Had so much freedom to roam. Meals were no issue since we had food on the ship, 5-star French food, and wouldn't miss it for the world. Drove literally from one end of the island to the other one day on the scooters. It was beautiful.. The beaches were great, snorkling at Horseshoe Bay was the best, and I love the view from the top of the hill there.. great panoramic pictures. The people were extremely nice. Talked to a few about moving there and they were more than happy to spend the time talking about how to do it. Drove thru a few "shady" areas that made me nervous, but it was funny, the people i was scared of were more friendly than most people in NY. Would go back in a second. M