Frommer's Bermuda 2004

Rating:
Summary: Forget the book, I've lived there
Review: Ah, Bermuda. How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways.

1. Overpriced airline tickets. Why go to London for $299 when you can pay $650 to get to Bermuda?

2. Long lines at airport immigration. Sure, why should I enjoy my vacation when I can spend 90 minutes waiting in line at the airport listening to cheesy "Caribbean" music?

3. Overpriced hotels. Cost the same as a 4-star fancy resort, only with crummy amenities, rude service, and lousy restaurants.

4. Lack of transportation. You can't rent a car in Bermuda, but you can rent a scooter (deathmobile). Tourists on scooters are the #1 cause of injury in Bermuda - you can see them all when they leave the island with their arms in slings and huge "Bermuda road rash". Except for the 3 that died this year - they didn't get to go home. The bus is unreliable, the ferries are inconvenient, and the cabs are overpriced, unreliable, and inconvenient.

5. Nothing to do when it rains. I mean nothing. Zip. Oh, they say there are things to do. Go to the "Crystal Caves". Save your money, I've been on the tour. Ever seen a cave with stalagtites and stalagmites? Now a tour guide says, "There's one that looks like a banana." That's it. That's the caves. Try the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI). What a joke - 5 or 6 exhibits that haven't been updated since the 1970s. Yeah, that's worth $20.

6. Bermudians hate tourists. A lot. Some of them are nice to you in front of your face, but as soon as you turn around you better believe they are putting you down to their "mate" standing next to them. Why do you think tourism revenues keep falling year after year?

7. Too cold to enjoy the beach in the winter. When it's cold out, I like to go to Jamaica or the Bahamas, where it's 85 degrees and I can go in the water. In Bermuda, the tourist season is May - November because it's chilly the rest of the year and not pleasant to go to the beach.

8. Rising crime. As the police have cracked down on drug importation, the cost of drugs has risen as has the crime rate. People are mugged in broad daylight in the middle of town by hoodlums wielding machetes! Guest houses are subject to frequent break-ins. Everyone I know in Bermuda has been burglarised (or attempted) at least once. Believe it or not, even in this tiny, wealthy community there is significant gang violence. Also, there are a number of vagrants that hang around the main area of town accosting passers-by. A few years ago, one of them went nuts and stabbed a guy in the back in the middle of the day on the busiest street in town.

9. Did I mention they hate America? You should have seen the smug looks on their faces after 9/11. They enjoyed watching the US "taken down a peg". A few months after 9/11, a judge told a friend of mine (in court) that Americans just need to "get over it". I personally heard a judge in traffic court say that driving without liability insurance is "just like driving a plane towards the World Trade Center". Then he laughed because he thought he made a funny joke.

Overall, save your money, enjoy your vacation, and let Bermuda reap what it's tourist-hating and America-hating population is sowing.

Rating:
Summary: Has All the Info You Will Need for Your Trip
Review: I have often wasted money by buying several travel guides for my trips abroad. This time, I wanted to buy only one for my four night trip to Bermuda. This Frommers guide turned out to be an excellent choice. It provides all the needed information about getting from the airport to your hotel/resort, getting around the island, places to stay, beaches, golf courses, the sights, restaurants, bars, shopping and everything else you could need to know for your vacation. It also has a very useful detachable map of the whole Island, including detailed maps of St. George and Hamilton. This book should truly be all that you need for your trip to Bermuda.

Rating:
Summary: Has All the Info You Will Need for Your Trip
Review: I have often wasted money by buying several travel guides for my trips abroad. This time, I wanted to buy only one for my four night trip to Bermuda. This Frommers guide turned out to be an excellent choice. It provides all the needed information about getting from the airport to your hotel/resort, getting around the island, places to stay, the beaches, the sights, restaurants, bars, shopping and everything else you could need to know for your vacation. It also has a very useful detachable map of the whole Island, including detailed maps of St. George and Hamilton. This book should truly be all that you need for your trip to Bermuda.

Rating:
Summary: The best Bermuda travel book out there
Review: I have read several books on Bermuda in preparing for our upcoming trip, and this one is by far the most helpful--and most thorough. It has a good combination of background info/history and travel info/tips. The detachable, fold-out map if the islands is particularly nice. I wish I'd bought this travel guide first (I've purchased several)--it would have saved me a good bit of time and money, since now I don't feel like I need to buy another!

Rating:
Summary: This was the ONLY travel guide we needed on our trip!
Review: This book is great for anyone going to Bermuda for their honeymoon or for a vacation. I found all the top beaches and my husband found exclusive details on all the top golf courses. With exact prices and candid reviews on hotels and restaurants, we were able to make a budget for the entire trip.

Rating:
Summary: MADE our trip wonderful
Review: Went to Bermuda to celebrate 10th anniversary and purchased this book to guide us to the best dining and sights. It was right-on with all recommendations. We got a great taste of Bermuda out of a 4-night trip thanks to this book. On our last day there, in the airport we talked to another couple who had just spent 4 nights there as well. They had no idea about Ginger Beer, Dark and Stormy drinks, Fish Chowder, or Wahoo - Frommer's made sure we did not miss the essential elements of Bermuda. Highly recommended. We'll be using it for our next trip there.