Bar Hopping in Bermuda

Dance clubs, music clubs, beach parties in summer, the Bermuda Music Festival and a wide selection of bars with live entertainment ensure that visitors to Bermuda never have a dull evening. Whether you are looking for a place to relax after dinner with a good Cuban cigar and single malt or you find yourself in the mood for some mellow vintage wine, Bermuda bars cover the entire spectrum of nightlife and entertainment options that vacationers choose.

Guests at various luxury hotels and resorts will find that their hotel has one or more bars with live music and dancing as well as shows as part of the entertainment. Bars and night clubs are scattered around the city of Hamilton mostly, and there are a few nightspots such as the White Horse Tavern in St. George’s. Among the bars, The Veranda Bar at the Elbow Beach Hotel is the place for an energetic salsa with your partner on Fridays. To mix with an elegant crowd and sip the perfect martini seated on comfortable sofas while listening to live music, there is no place like Jasmine at Fairmont Southampton. For a quiet evening nursing a cocktail while you play a game of pool, step into the Cellar at the same hotel.

British style pubs like the Frog and Onion Pub and Robin Hood Pub are the places one goes for hearty ale. For those on the lookout for a trendy chic bar the Pickled Onion, Ozone and Opus fit the bill with their hip décor and casual ambiance. To get a taste of Bermuda’s own Rum Swizzle, visitors to Bermuda flock to Swizzle Inn on Bailey’s Bay.

Café Lido and Mickey’s Beach Bistro and Bar at Elbow Beach Hotel as well as Tavern by the Sea are bars for those who don’t want to stray too far from the beach. Whichever Bermuda bars you patronize, don’t forget to taste the Dark ‘n’ Stormy, considered by many as Bermuda’s national drink.

Go to Bermuda !

If “work hard, play harder” is your motto, you will find Bermuda to be the best place for a fun-filled holiday, given the extensive recreational and athletic facilities available at various luxury hotels and resorts here. Accommodations in seaside cottage colonies, resorts and luxury hotels, Bermuda has plenty of variety for travelers to choose from. The more luxurious the accommodation, the more extensive recreational and athletic facilities the resort has. Pools, fitness centers with saunas, steam baths, spas, and water sports operators catering to guests of a particular hotel, these are some of the extensive recreational and athletic facilities that guests have come to expect in most luxury resorts. Hotels like the Fairmont Southampton go a step further offering their guests an 18-hole executive golf course, 11 tennis courts and 11 venues for their guests’ dining pleasure. A full service business center on the mezzanine floor caters to the needs of professionals who travel to Bermuda on business.

In addition to these, Fairmont Southampton also has a team of professionals to arrange the perfect wedding for those who want to get married in Bermuda. The Willos Stream Spa offers special treatments for couples and honeymooners. Special touches like a dinner on the beach or a candle light dinner for two on the balcony of the suite can be arranged for couples who wish to celebrate an anniversary or a special moment.

Families with children find the Fairmont Southampton’s extensive recreational and athletic facilities ideal for a relaxing holiday in the sun. An explorer’s camp at the children’s activity center keeps children busy with an interesting range of activities and excursions, allowing the parents to spend quality time together. For those with infants and toddlers, the hotel can arrange for a babysitter on request. The concierge at the hotel helps to book tours or fishing trips and even with reservations for dinner at restaurants for their guests..

Bermuda Nightlife

Vacationing in Bermuda, we wanted to explore the Bermuda dancing scene and check out some night spots where we could dance the night away. We were staying at the Fairmont Southampton where they had live entertainment and dancing in the Jasmine Lounge and in the Cellar .A couple we met at the pool table in the Cellar told us about the piano music and comedy shows that they had enjoyed at Henry VIII. Talking of dance, reggae and salsa, they said that the Spinning Wheel is the ideal place to go if you want to shake a leg or just sip a cocktail after a refreshing swim in the pool.

We explored Hamilton’s nightclubs, bars and pubs on our own, zipping from one place to another on our rented scooter. After dinner at Portofino, we went to Splash which was right next door. The energetic DJ and the vibrant music drew us to the dance floor almost immediately. Relaxing with a glass of wine on the outdoor patio, we decided to move next to Ozone, on Front Street. The music scores and the cool lighting there attract a young crowd, both locals and visitors. Flanagan’s Irish Pub and Bar in the same premises was another pub where we found the music to be as good as the food and drinks served.

On our way back from Crystal and Fantasy Caves, we decided to stop by at Swizzle Inn to get a taste of the famous Rum Swizzle. They had live music and we enjoyed browsing around in their gift shop for souvenirs and whacky gifts for our friends back home. The Verandah at Elbow Beach was where we had the best time dancing to the rhythmic beats of salsa on Friday evening.

Bermuda - things to know before you go

So you have decided to go to Bermuda for a holiday? Congratulations, it is a great choice to make. Prepare yourself for a mind-blowing holiday at a complete vacation destination with incredibly beautiful beaches to relax in, a wide spectrum of water sports and land activities to keep you occupied for as long as you wish to be. The world heritage site at St. George’s adds a dash of history to your tour itinerary while the Crystal and Fantasy Caves add to the wow factor. Scuba diving to explore the reefs and ships wrecks around the islands and snorkeling to see the colorful marine life, fishing and whale watching in season should be some of the items on your “Bermuda things to do” list.

Here are some interesting facts about Bermuda

1. If you area golfer, you will be pleased to know that Bermuda has more golf courses per square mile than any other country in the world.
2. Mainland Bermuda is a group of seven islands connected by bridges and there are around 130 other islands that make up the territory.
3. Distances are given in kilometers and meters.
4. Gas is called petrol and sold by the liter, not by the gallon.
5. Visitors cannot rent cars but you can rent a scooter or a moped and zip around on your own.
6. Remember to drive on the left hand side of the road and don’t get offended if you hear a car honking – it is probably a drive acknowledging a friend across the road.
7. You can also use the public transport. Buses and ferries ply to different places of interest to tourists with predictable regularity.

Pink bus stop poles indicate buses going towards Hamilton and blue poles point to buses going away from Hamilton. Tokens, tickets and cash fares in coins as well as single day passes for unlimited travel are common for buses and ferries.

Bermuda for shopping

After spending days at the beach and hours in the spa getting pampered, if you crave some serious retail therapy, Bermuda has plenty of options for the discerning shopper. What is the point in working out at the gym to keep your body in shape if you can’t show it off draped in the latest Lilly Pulitzer sundresses? From swimwear to suits and smart casual resort wear, women and men can shop for everything in Bermuda’s Hamilton city. The best brands from UK and Ireland are often available in outlets in Hamilton at very competitive rates, often lower than the prices in the country of origin.

Boutiques and shops selling accessories, jewelry, clothing, perfumes and fine tableware line Front Street in Hamilton city as well as King’s Square in St. George and Somerset’s shopping areas. Department stores like Marks & Spencer, A. S. Cooper and sons and Gibbons attract locals and visitors alike with their wide range of apparels and household wares.

For the more discerning shopper looking for international labels in accessories and clothes, there are several outlets in Bermuda like the English Sports Shop, Cecile, Stefanel and Mambo. Iana is the place for children’s clothing though you may have to go to Cecile to pick up Lilly Pulitzer sundresses for girls in bright colorful prints. Smart classy Bermuda shorts at English Sports Shop and cotton knits for ladies at Stefanel and Lily Pulitzer sun dresses in vibrant floral prints and colors make for chic resort wear.

Visitors to Bermuda’s Royal Naval Dockyard and the Maritme museum on Ireland Island can stop by at the Craft Market to pick up articles made of Bermuda cedar or even needlework and quilts. Exquisite handcrafted glassware at the Dockyard Glassworks and the delicious aroma wafting from the attached Dockyard Cakery draw many a visitor. If you are tempted to indulge in all the ten different flavored rum cakes, remember that you have to fit into those lovely Lilly Pulitzer sundresses.

Bermuda’s Beaches

Beaches in Bermuda come in all sizes. There is the Warwich Long Bay Beach which is Bermuda’s longest beach and there’s the famous Horseshoe Bay Beach, a favorite haunt for families and passengers of cruise ships. Divers and snorkeling enthusiasts prefer Elbow Beach for its proximity to Tarpon Hole and the coral reefs. Everyone from swimmers, beach combers, picnickers water sports enthusiasts to sun worshippers will find a beach that they love among the many beaches of Bermuda.

Horseshoe Bay Beach is easily is the most famous of Bermuda’s beaches. A public beach with changing facilities, a lifeguard on duty in summer and a cafe to cater to hungry visitors, the beach with its curved stretch of pink sand is a must-see for all visitors to Bermuda. In September, Bermuda Tourism sponsors a competition of sand sculptures on this beach.

Warwick Long Bay Beach in Warwick Parish is a part of the south shore beaches, trails and parks stretch that starts with Horseshoe Bay and extends eastwards. This beach is a popular spot for snorkeling and there are facilities for renting snorkeling gear at the beach. A coral reef close to the shore is visible from the secluded beach.

Closer to Horseshoe Bay Beach is the scenic Chaplin Bay, a quieter place for those in search of privacy. Stonehole Bay is a small cove separating Chaplin Bay and Jobson’s Cove, a small sandy beach cove enclosed by limestone cliffs all around. From Warwick Long Bay Beach to Jobson’s cove, it is a short walk along the sandy trail. Horse riding along the trails is a popular sport. Such is the variety of marine life in these waters that snorkeling enthusiasts compare snorkeling here to being in an aquarium.

Astwood Cove in Warwick Parish is picturesque location surrounded by steep rocky cliffs. A popular destination for beach weddings, this cove in Astwood Park is ideal for picnics and a day at the beach with the family. Unlike Warwick Long Bay Beach, the sea here can be rough and it is quite a hike down to the beach from the road.

Luxurious accommodation in Punta Cana

The Dominican Republic is a popular Caribbean tourist destination for families and couples on a holiday as well as business and pleasure travelers. Known as the single largest Caribbean tourist destination, Punta Cana along with Bavaro, in the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic, welcomes the most number of tourists from the US, Canada as well as Europe. Beaches in Punta Cana are in six different sectors, namely Macao, Arena Gorda, El Cortecito, Bavaro, Cabeza de Toro and Uvero Alto beaches and all of them are counted as major Caribbean tourist destinations.

Coconut palms border most of the beaches giving this region the name Costa del Coco or Coconut Coast. Resorts and luxury hotels along the beaches welcome visitors to the region with the best of amenities and accommodations that any Caribbean tourist destination has to offer.

A brief description of three luxury resorts in Punta Cana is given below:

Excellence Punta Cana

This luxury beachfront resort on Uvero Alto beach is a renowned Caribbean destination for weddings and honeymoons. It offers its guests much sought after privacy with its adults-only policy. Picturesque wedding venues and special honeymoon packages make it a preferred choice of couples seeking a romantic getaway,

Iberostar Resort complex

Four luxury resorts, Iberostar Bavaro, Iberostar Dominicana, Iberostar Grand Bavaro and Iberostar Punta Cana in the complex on Playa Bavaro offer their guests the use of facilities like the pools, restaurants and casino at any of the hotels within the complex. Dine around privileges ensure that guests have a wide choice of casual and specialty restaurants to choose from

Riu Taino Hotel

Nestled amidst palm trees in the RIU Complex on Arena Gorda Beach, RIU Taino Hotel offers classy accommodations typical of a Caribbean tourist destination. Guest rooms are spread across several villas in the vast gardens, ideal for couples and families with children. Guests are welcome to use facilities at the sister properties in the complex.