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One
of the last cultural vestiges of Britain’s imperialist ventures in
previous centuries, common marks of the Empire come to mind when we think
of Bermuda. Stately mansions washed in pastel colours, bleach-white sand
beaches and attire, afternoon tea in a sunny garden teeming with flowers
in bloom, poured into cups made from the finest china: these are the
leitmotifs of this little island paradise. Bearing the marks of a unique
hybrid culture, and located just a short flight off the shore of every
major city on the Eastern seaboard, Bermuda’s allure can be found in its
colonial charm and its accessibility. To the golf traveller, the
convenience yields an impressive reward.
Despite
the limitations of the island’s size at just 21 square kilometers, there
is no shortage of exceptional golf on the island. Top drawing cards Mid
Ocean and Port Royal are complemented by a collection of amiable,
off-the-beaten track gems like Riddell’s Bay and the Fairmont
Southampton Princess Course. Along with Tucker’s Point, the newly
renovated and upgraded version of the old Castle Harbour club, the
portfolio of the island’s five best layouts is, in a space so
concentrated, perhaps the strongest to be found anywhere.
In
keeping with the traditions and pastimes brought in by the British, the
culture of Bermuda extends far beyond the golf and the architecture.
Little tolerance is shown to improper conduct, and the island may be the
only country in the world to have a sort of unspoken dress
code—well-tailored shorts, oxford shirts and ties are common among the
men. Public transit isn’t found in rental cars, but taxis can be hired,
or mopeds rented, or buses boarded, to get around the tiny island. When
masses of tourists aren’t disembarking from cruise ships in the main
port, navigating the island can be a relaxing and enjoyable experience.
Shopping in the downtown Hamilton district is unmatched, as storefronts
and boutiques are interspersed with vibrant pubs and restaurants to create
a unique Anglo-Caribbean atmosphere. When special local events like the
Arts and Crafts fair are on, the local energy in the downtown streets is
something to behold.
For
any visit to Bermuda, either in the downtown core or on the bluffs
overlooking the ocean, the Fairmont chain has a hotel to suit your
relative taste. For nightlife and shopping, the Hamilton Princess is
located just steps from downtown, and its latest restoration makes it the
perfect home base from which to explore the island, a luxury urban retreat
that holds dear the timeless qualities of courtesy and hospitality.
Inspired by the admiration of the area from Princess Louise in 1883, the
hotel first opened in 1885 as a place Harley Trott envisioned as a winter
retreat for affluent Americans and Brits, a seasonal reprieve from the
harsh winter weather in the north. Luxury liners from New York brought
aristocratic masses dressed in white down the seaboard to the Bermuda
harbour. Glitz and glamour were the operative words of the Hamilton
Princess: James Bond novelist Ian Fleming has said Dr. No’s
million-dollar aquarium wall was inspired by the hotel’s Gazebo Bar.
Wartime turned the hotel into a post for Allied servicemen, and
renovations to the hotel in the 1960s were synchronized with the
construction of the Fairmont Southampton the south shore—now, Bermuda
had a pair of elegant gems to show off.
The younger
sibling of the Hamilton Princess, from which it is accessible by ferry
shuttle, the Southampton sits atop the island’s highest point, the
consummate tropical resort perched on a 100-acre estate. With 593 rooms
and suites, direct beach access and a host of outdoor sports including 11
tennis courts and an 18-hole par-3 course, all water sports, and the
health club with Willow Stream spa services, the Southampton is the
undisturbed oasis to the Hamilton’s more energetic surroundings.
The extensive property is
worth a walking tour, but the shuttle service is a great ally when you
have to return to the main hotel, perched majestically above the water.
Together, the Southampton and the Hamilton Princess
offer easy access to the best that the island has to offer. The former has
not only its home course, but also boasts close proximity to Port Royal
and Riddell’s Bay. To the north (a relative term on an island just a
couple of miles wide), the Hamilton Princess offers better access to Mid
Ocean and Tucker’s Town. Splitting one’s stay is quite easy, of
course, offering the best of both worlds in a number of other spheres of
leisure.
For the sophisticated palate, there are, again,
benefits to both areas. At the Hamilton Princess, the international fare
at Harley’s is tough to match, but for authentic Italian fare, Portofino
is the restaurant of choice, and for comfort food on a night where the
ocean breeze comes in from the north, The Hog Penny Pub proves most
fulfilling—bangers and mash and Yorkshire pudding are the perfect
antidote to getting caught out in a squall.
In the Southampton Princess area, one must first look
to the restaurants within the hotel. Of the six, the two standouts are the
Waterlot Inn and the Newport Room. Waterlot boasts
375 years of tradition, a great location overlooking the harbour, and
draws locals and tourists nightly. The Newport Room is Bermuda's
best restaurant, a AAA Four-Diamond award winner with a décor reminiscent
of dining on a yacht. Located a few minutes away from the hotel is a more
casual option, Henry VIII, a British-style restaurant that is
popular for drinks and traditional pub fare. On
the southern tip of the island, The Frog and Onion is another
impressive pub located at the dockyard that offers a more family-oriented
atmosphere. The menu is extensive and the service is prompt, friendly and
efficient. With a few quarters, kids can run wild in the children's
entertainment arcade at the back of the restaurant. At any one of these
homes of libation, one can always wrap their palms around a Dark ‘N
Stormy, a mix of ginger beer and a shot of the island’s world-famous
Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, a jet-black concoction whose name may be derived from the relative
mind-set of the most festive tourists. A ‘passport’ of sorts is
issued when one settles in at a pub or restaurant, and a rite of passage
earned when a number of the drinks have been imbibed.
If a strong cup of coffee is needed to clear one’s
dark and stormy head the morning after, best to have the personalized
concierge service—Fairmont’s exclusive “Entrée Gold”
feature—bring it along with an early breakfast, as a day of touring the
island requires all the sunlight in the day. The main attraction of the
island are its beaches, nuzzling up to the clear waters of the Atlantic
and beckoning swimmers and water sports enthusiasts to take the plunge.
For anyone interested in exploring some offshore wrecks, and getting a
guided tour of the island's bays and coral reefs, jet skiing provides a
wonderful opportunity to experience the offshore history of the island.
Hiking, jogging and walking are also popular ways to
get a good tour of the island. The Fairmont Southampton Princess offers a
network of trails many kilometers long, allowing guests to wander through
the island countryside. For history
buffs, the Bermuda Maritime Museum is an authentic fortress built in the
1820s by convicts, and was the centre of the Empire’s Western Atlantic
Naval Base for 150 years. Several exhibits occupy eight different
buildings, which are laid out in a sequence that allows visitors to
experience them at their leisure. While at the dockyard complex, visitors should drop into the Bermuda Rum Cake Factory for a sample of
the island's famous dessert. The rum cakes are made with 100% Gosling’s
Bermuda Black Seal Rum, and come in traditional, rum and ginger, banana,
chocolate, rum swizzle and coconut flavours. The factory is located at 1
Maritime Lane, right next to the glass blowing factory. Keeping with the
nautical traditions of Bermuda, the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, just a short walk from the Southampton Princess, is the oldest
cast iron lighthouse in the world. Put into service in 1846, the 117-foot
climb may seem like an endless succession of steps, but the views from the
top are well worth the effort. Gazing out into one of the island’s many
harbours and inlets, one can see what the Crown’s intrepid subjects saw
when they came across fair Bermuda centuries ago. |
