A quick last minute 4-day 3-night trip with my girlfriend. We decided to go to Bermuda because it was only a 90-minute flight from NYC and we just wanted a quick getaway during the NYC-School winter recess break. My girlfriend is a high school science teacher.
Day 1 (Arrival)
We booked our stay at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa.
Luckily for us it was just a short 10-minute drive from L.F. Wade International Airport. After the short taxi ride, we decided to explore the resort grounds which included a nice small beach, hiking trails, and caves. After that we decided to get a local bite to eat. While walking around the outside of the resort looking for local cuisine, we soon quickly learned that the local food prices were quite expensive in comparison to NYC prices. It was almost if not double in price!
After seeing this, we went back to the resort, did some research and learned that the cost of living in Bermuda is much higher than in NYC. The Bermudan Dollar is equal to the U.S. dollar. With that in mind we decided to give the resort restaurant a chance that night by booking to eat dinner there. While at dinner the waiter offered us an all-inclusive meal and transit package at a rate of $100 USD (per person) a day. It included all 3 daily meals at their restaurant and travel throughout the island by bus and ferry. We decided to book it for the next 3 days of our trip.
Day 2
With our unlimited transit passes in hand we decided to head out to explore the island. The first place we decided to visit was the Royal Naval Dockyard. We were told by the front desk that a trip there would be fun, but before leaving the resort we were told that we should pick-up our all-inclusive lunches to go! It was quite the shock since most resorts we've been to in the past don't allow you to carry food out the resort. It was a nice surprise :-) . From the resort the naval yard was an hour away by bus and ferry, both which were enjoyable rides with a panoramic view of the blue water and beaches. Once there we explored the Bermuda National Museum where we learned the history of the island and the famous Bermuda triangle! we even found out why so many ships disappeared, don't worry I won’t tell you here, but it all makes sense ;-) .
After the museum we walked around and shopped at the historic Clocktower Mall, there you can shop local boutiques for jewelry, swimwear, and crafts. They also had samples of their famous rum cakes from the Bermuda Rum Cake Company to try and local artists showing off their work at the Bermuda Arts Centre.
Before getting back to the resort we decided to walk around the city a bit enjoying the evening sunset. A pretty fun day!
Day 3
With lunch in tow we went off to visit the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo. As a fish keeper with over 15 different species at home it's only right I visit. While there you're greeted by a huge enclosure filled with sea turtles being nursed back to health after being injured by boats. I've never seen them up close like that before so that was cool. While inside we saw small primates, birds of all kinds, exotic sea creatures, and reptiles. It was a nice day date!
We then went back to the resort to explore some of the Crystal Caves! The caves were literally across the street from our resort so not much effort in trying to get there. Being from the city, my girlfriend and I were both amazed to see the cave formations, very beautiful! We recommend a visit if you ever go.
Day 4
Again, with lunch in tow! we decided to visit the east side of the island located in St. George, there we took a walking tour which lasted around 45 minutes learning about more about the history and architecture of the homes throughout the island. We also visited a grave site learning about the slave trade there as well. I definitely recommend booking a tour at the visitor information center, trust me you won't regret it.
Later that day we got a couples massage at their cave spa. Highly recommended!
Summary & Highlights
In closing it was overall a fun trip! The food at the hotel was amazing, I didn't mention what we ate everyday above, everything we ate at the resort restaurant was made fresh and tasted AMAZING! The other highlights included the Aquarium, Museums, and walking tour! Pretty much the whole trip. We recommend bringing some extra cash just in case and to bring a light jacket due to the cool temperatures during some parts of the days and nights. We visited the country during their winter.
The Crystal Caves are on my bucket list. Jealous you go to see it!
Very interesting that you did the research on price only after you got to Bermuda! I sometimes get in trouble with my wife for doing things like that....