Bermuda - Guest Review

In the spirit of our new girls' getaway message boards, where you are the expert, JSG has a guest blogger today, Jamie Stone, who shares the dish on her New Year’s Eve trip to Bermuda. And speaking of those message boards, sign up before March 30 an you’ll be entered to win a the most comfy bra ever, the Spanx Bra-llelujah.

Who did you go to Bermuda with?
I went to Bermuda with my friend Jen. We both were in desperate need of a vacation and had some time off from work right after Christmas until the New Year.

Why did you choose Bermuda?
We wanted to go somewhere that was warm and not too far from New York. We got a direct flight on Jet Blue and it only took about an hour and half to get there, so it was the perfect choice. We knew it wasn’t going to be super hot (70F at the warmest) but we figured it would be a LOT warmer than New York City and it’s also a place that we’ve both always wanted to visit.

What were your expectations of Bermuda before going?
We knew that it wasn’t going to be like a Cancun or South Beach vacation spot, meaning we knew it wasn’t going to be a bunch of college kids running around drunk. I’d heard from a few colleagues and friends of friends that they had a really amazing time there and that the beaches are beautiful and the people are very friendly.

What surprised you the most?
It sounds silly but everyone associates Bermuda with islands like Aruba and the other Caribbean islands and it’s actually not anywhere near that area. I also didn’t know that Bermuda has four seasons just like New York! Lastly, I think another thing that really surprised me was how friendly the locals really were.

Where did you stay?
We stayed at the Fairmont Southampton, which we had heard was one of the nicest resorts on the island. The hotel has an amazing golf course, a private beach, an indoor and outdoor pool and plenty of restaurants that kept us busy. What I really liked most is that the hotel was very close to one of the nicest public beaches on the island, Horseshoe Beach.


What did you do on your trip?
We actually did a lot considering we were only there for 5 days. There happened to be a ton of things we wanted to do and see but we also made time for swimming in the pool, walking on the beach, etc. We played golf on the resort’s golf course, which is supposedly one of the nicest courses on the island. We also did some of the touristy things like the Crystal Caves and visited the Naval Dockyard.

How was the nightlife? The boys?
The nightlife wasn’t that great. To be fair, we were there in the off-season (winter) so obviously we knew the nightlife wouldn’t be as lively. We met some nice Canadian people and some guys that grew up in Bermuda but had since moved away and were just visiting their families for the holidays.



Where were most of the people you met from?
I’d have to say the majority of people we met were Canadian, which after thinking about it, makes total sense. It’s MUCH warmer than their winter and it’s not a far flight if they’re East Coast Canadians.

We've heard Bermuda is expensive? Did you find that to be true?
Absolutely true. The Bermudian dollar is equivalent to the American dollar and the American dollar is accepted everywhere but simple things like taxis, sodas, etc. were outrageously priced.

Would you recommend it for a girls' trip?
I think it really depends what you’re looking for. I went to Bermuda AS a girls’ trip and it was exactly what wanted. Like I mentioned before, it’s not a Spring Break/Cancun type place to vacation so if that’s what you’re looking for, then definitely don’t go to Bermuda; it’s a very upscale, classy island. If you do decide this is a place for your girls’ trip, then you can be assured you’ll be safe at all times. There wasn’t one point on my trip where I felt unsafe being alone or with my one friend.

Anything you wish you knew before you went?
I wish that I had known it was only going to get to about 70F. I would’ve liked it to be just a bit warmer so I could spend more time in the sand! I also wish I had known that it’s somewhat difficult to get around on the island. They have a bus and ferry system but we just couldn’t seem to make them work with our schedule and they don’t rent cars to tourists so the only other option would’ve been to rent a scooter. Scooters scare me and all I ever hear is how people die on them all of the time so we opted to stick with taxis and the bus.