The Beetle has just come back from a diving expedition to Bermuda and
can share all the do’s and don’ts. Bermuda is without doubt a beautiful
green and lush island in the Atlantic, some 775 miles off New York. It
is very pretty with some great caves, lovely secluded little sandy bays,
nice walks (although walking anywhere other than the beach and the disused
railway tracks is very much discouraged – there are very few pavements)
and lots of history.
First off, tourists are not allowed to hire cars. To get around, you
have two options. You can pay $36 for a 7 day bus pass (which includes
the use of the ferry) or you can hire a scooter for about $175 a week.
The buses are clean and the network is reasonably extensive, but don’t
rely on them at night. Taxis are expensive – very expensive. Scooters,
on the other hand are just plain dangerous. The roads in Bermuda are for
the most part narrow, hilly and windy – and don’t forget, they drive
on the left! Scooter accidents are frequent. The speed limit is 35 kph,
but you cannot tell how fast you are going because all of the speedos
are disconnected – for obvious reasons!
If you are planning to sit by the sea and sun and swim, it is advisable
to stay somewhere on the north coast because the sea is calm enough to
swim without any worry on this side of the island. The sea has large waves
that sometimes preclude swimming on the south coast.
Bermuda is very expensive in terms of accommodation and eating out.
Both are poor value for money. In fact, it is cheaper to both eat and
stay in New York, comparing like for like. Take some basic essentials
with you, like ground coffee for your coffee maker, cookies etc.
The diving, quite frankly, is very mediocre. This is a great pity as
there are over 400 documented shipwrecks off the coast of Bermuda. The
dive boats resemble cattle trucks with up to 20 divers on them and the
wrecks are disappointing. It is also not possible to dive to depths greater
than 10 metres because the bottom of the ocean around the reef of Bermuda
is seldom deeper than 10 metres.
It is not a destination the Beetle would whole heartedly recommend to
anyone when there are so many other places in the world with similar activities
on offer at a fraction of the price with considerably less hassle. A final
warning, if you plan on staying at a certain guesthouse in Salt Kettle
– do not turnover your valuables for safekeeping. Somehow, somewhere
on the way, the Beetle’s wallet was $20 lighter.
If anyone would like to comment on an over rated travel destination
or share a disappointing experience – e-mail the Beetle on: Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk