Live Like A Local

As my last 8 months on the island wind down, a few people have said they would like to know where to stay on the island.  Bermuda has several very nice hotels, some of which are a fair price in the winter months, but in the summer months when tourism is at its peak, the hotel rates can be ludicrous.  A quick search on expedia for next July lists Surf Side Beach Club as the best rate at $245 a night and Rosewood at Tucker's Point at a staggering $883 a night.  Elbow Beach ranks second highest at $725 a night, with most of the other hotels coming in between $300 and $500 a night. The hotel tax is 9.5%, which means a room at the Rosewood is actually $967 a night.  Bermuda also does not operate on the "all-inclusive" model -- meals at the hotel are extra.  So quite quickly Bermuda can become unaffordable to the less than truly wealthy, unless you know how to travel wisely.

My recommendation to everyone is to rent private units, much like the apartments guest workers live in, from vrbo.com.  This stands for Vacation Rental By Owner, and there are units for rent literally around the world.  In Bermuda, there are a several incredible good deals to be found for $125-$200 a night.  I recommend anyone travelling to Bermuda look at these properties.  This view is from a little gem that Margaret chose for her visit (photo grabbed from your facebook page Margaret), and I have seen it advertised for as low as $100 a night.  Tidy, comfortable, modern studio with an incredible view and access to the water and kayaks on demand.

Margaret Kaneda gets this photo credit at her Fairylands Rental

With your own kitchen, you can greatly reduce your food costs by eating in.  Grocery store prices are no cheaper than anything else in Bermuda, and the price of snack foods can be truly shocking (I have been craving old Dutch Ketchup potato chips for about 2 years now but refuse to buy them at $6 a bag..it's not the teeny tiny vending machine size, it's bigger, but still).  Most supermarkets have a good selection of fresh fish and meats which are not as ridiculously expensive as the snack foods.  In fact, fresh is usually a better price than frozen.  Barbara was delighted with her kitchen and backyard barbecue -- and the rental unit as a whole.

This Warwick unit was a large 2 story property with ocean view of both the south and north shore

Before picking a unit however, you need to consider the location, and make sure that it fits with the type of vacation that you want to have.  Bermuda, in all its almost 21 square miles of glory, has 1 city, and 1 town (and two areas it claims as villages but i question the accuracy of that label).  There is the City of Hamilton, and the Town of St. George's.  When travelling on the island, you will not hit a patch of open road between the two -- the whole island is basically a series of roads and houses interspersed with the odd park or agricultural patch.  Bermuda actually ranks 9th in the world's most densely populated countries, so while you don't see wide open spaces unless you are gazing out to sea, you will also rarely see a crowd. It all adds to the quaintness and charm of the island.

Bermuda, like the UK, is divided into parishes. There are 9 in all.  There is a very good bus system to get you to where you want to on the island, as well as ferry service which is faster but runs less frequently than the buses.  Many of the units are a bit of a trek off of the road and bus route...it may only be a couple of hundred metres, but it will likely be uphill on the way back.  If you have mobility issues you will want to make sure you are right on the bus route, or rely on taxis.


If you want to be in a secluded small town environment to just relax and get away from it all, St George's may be the perfect place for you.  Home to several historical homes, churches, and UNESCO World Heritage sites, it's quiet style and beauty may be exactly the place to get some much needed rest and relaxation.  If you want to be where the action is and experience Bermuda shopping, dining and nightlife, then you want to be close to the City of Hamilton, notably in the Pembrooke parish not the Hamilton parish...and you want to be there for Friday night!  There is much history to be found at the royal naval dockyards in Sandy's parish, while Southampton parish features some of the islands most popular beaches and snorkeling spots as well as our Gibbs Hill Lighthouse.  World class golf courses can be found in Warwick, Southampton, and Sandy's to name a few.  If you want to be close to the town but still walk to the beach, Warwick and Paget parishes are a nice compromise.  Hamilton Parish and Smith's boast calm waters on the north shore and popular attractions like the Aquarium and the Crystal Caves.  The main scuba dive shops are located in Sandy's, Southampton, and Hamilton parish.

One final consideration is the time of year you want to visit.  Bermuda has agreeable temperatures all year round, however between the New Year and end of March you may find it more slacks and T-shirt weather, with a fleece for the evenings and possibly a light jacket in the day.  Most locals do not go in the water until Bermuda Day in May when the ocean is like a nice warm bath, but most tourists will take the plunge without complaint as early as March.  A few brave souls enter in Jan - Feb, but I prefer to wait for the warmer waters as well.  In July and August, the temperatures and humidity can feel very hot for walking and exploring the island -- the temperature stays around 30C but the humidity is usually in the 80's and 90's making it feel much warmer.  If you want to golf and explore the island's land attractions, the winter months can be a pleasant and discounted time to visit.  If you like to bake July and August are the perfect time.  If you are living in -30C in January and want to bask on the beach under a blazing hot sun...you would be disappointed and need to come a few months later.  If you are content with a 40-50 degree improvement in your daily forecast, the fall and winter can also make for a pleasant trip.  Margaret tried to get me in the water in November last year, she thought it was lovely.  I have been here long enough to call her a crazy Canadian.

Hurricane season is June 1 - November 30, which is the best time to be on the island...as long as we don't get a hurricane.  The good news is that we are only affected by tropical systems a few days out of each season so the odds are that your trip will not be affected.  Unless you have my luck, my first vacation here I was delayed due to Hurricane Bill (interestingly the earliest hurricane on record to affect Bermuda, go figure it would be on my arrival date).  We may get a tropical storm or 3 or 4 in a season, but rarely do we get more than one brush with a hurricane.  Typically everyone retreats in doors and for the day or so that it takes to pass, and life then goes on as normal.  The limestone houses are much sturdier than wooden homes, so the Bermudians are more prepared but less fearful of hurricanes than our American neighbours.  It is part of life here, as is storm preparedness.

If anyone is looking to book accommodations, feel free to contact me and I can give you the pros and cons of the location of the unit you are looking at, and where it is in relation to what you want to do.  Come live la vida loca (live the crazy life) like a local.  It is absolutely your best value.