7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good information, Bad recommendations., February 22, 2011
Always a fan of Lonely Planet travel guides, I was disappointed to find that Lonely Planet did not make a guide for Bermuda, so I decided to give Fodor's a try. Overall, the book provided a good amount of information, lists of hotels and restaurants with relatively helpful reviews and details about them. My major complaint (and the reason I like Lonely Planet so much) is the quality of the recommendations. I like a travel guide that does not just give me the names of every restaurant on the island but also helps me choose which ones to try. I tried to use the Fodor's recommendations but was disappointed a number of times. For example, Lido's restaurant got a star, but was an average restaurant... Barracuda Grill did not get a star, but was recommended by everyone I spoke to on the island. Similarly with sightseeing, Paget Marsh was labeled Fodor's choice and was described as a lush natural habitat, 25-acres large, that one could explore via boardwalks. When we arrived, however, we found that it was indeed beautiful, but only about 100 feet of the habitat was accessible (the boardwalk took about 5 minutes there AND back), which would have been helpful to know before we spent $30 on a cab to get out there and asked the cab to come back in an hour. These are only two examples of a generally mixed track-record for the book. In the end, there are not many choices for guides to Bermuda, so go ahead and grab this one off the shelf. But be forewarned, do not trust the recommendations, rather use this guide for ideas but check with your hotel for recommendations and details before heading out to any of the recommended destinations!!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not for the Frugal, February 15, 2011
Bermuda is an island that epitomizes paradise, mystery, and excitement. From the honeymooner, to the retiree, to the family, Bermuda attracts a wide array of visitors. The Fodor brand prides itself in that it listens directly to travelers' feedback and tips and uses them to create thorough but brief easy-reads that are a useful addition to one's carry on bag. Fodor's has examined a notable number of islands, so it is appropriate for them to write a guide for Bermuda. Right off the bat Fodor's Bermuda 2011 is organized into topics of exploration, eating, accommodations, nightlife and arts, beaches and outdoors, golf, shopping, and cruising. Because of its apparent variety, my initial reaction is that this guide could be extremely handy to any traveler: young or old, budget or luxury. Yet, reading the guide brings to light a bias towards an audience seeking an action-packed trip full of sightseeing and cushy amenities. College students seeking a simple island getaway with good vibrations might want to save their money and avoid this guide.
Lodgings are an essential for any vacation, and Fodor's does a fairly decent job covering various quality levels of resorts, hotels, bed and breakfasts, and guesthouses in Bermuda. This section of the book is well organized, and uses a dollar sign symbol to clearly represent different price ranges adjacent to the short descriptions of the lodgings. However, the guide has a tendency to describe things that a budget traveler probably won't find important. For instance, do we really need to know that the floors are bamboo, that the hotel's restaurant has beam ceilings, or that the lobby is multi-mirrored? Those seeking an affordable vacation shouldn't lose hope in the guide completely, however, because the guide lists several rental apartments and guesthouses that are within the $110-200 price range for a double room. This was the cheapest price range that can be found in Bermuda, according to the guide. Travelers should be aware that the Fodor's says these cheaper lodgings are almost always far from the beach. But there is a decent selection of clean, charming guesthouses and bed and breakfasts. The guide also does note "You can shave about 40% off your hotel bill by visiting Bermuda in low or shoulder seasons." This is an important tidbit for the traveler who would like more luxurious amenities without spending full price, which the guide says can be as bank-breaking as top notch hotels in New York, London, or Paris.
No matter where you choose to stay in Bermuda, you will probably want to go see the ocean. Fodor's even admittedly assumes the reader is going to Bermuda for its "legendary pink sand" within the first few pages of the guide. But beaches, the island's main attraction, are surprisingly not the focal point of the attractions described in Fodor's Bermuda 2011. Horseshoe Bay is a beach that receives the special "Fodor's Choice" ranking, as it is very popular and full of features like a snack bar and changing room. But details of the other beaches collectively only take up 3 pages of this 227 page guide. This is especially unhelpful to those who are staying in the cheap hotels without a beach nearby.
Unfortunately the maps and pictures do not make up for the lack of written information on the beaches either. Normally I would not consider photographs an absolute essential for a travel guide, but Fodor's could truly use some pictures so the traveler can at least visualize the beaches since the written descriptions are so brief. There is not even one picture within Fodor's Bermuda 2011, while other brands' guides, such as Moon Bermuda (2008), offer plenty of glossy color pictures of beaches. A map does provide the general location of the main beaches, but it does not provide any insight on the specific roads that can be taken to get to the beach; only the highways are shown. Student travelers seeking the best beach in Bermuda could struggle to find one that suits them because of Fodor's vagueness.
Instead, Fodor's lists a great deal of activities that appeal more to the luxury traveler. With 40 pages dedicated to describing golf courses and cruises, you can see why this is true. Various water-related activities such as boat tours, fishing, parasailing, snorkeling, and scuba diving are all listed, but the prices of such activities are generally very expensive or not listed in the guide. Fodor's Bermuda 2011 tends to describe these expensive water activities and their perks (often affiliated with a formal tour) in great detail, adding to the luxurious tone that is noticeable in the guide. More affordable activities mentioned include tennis and biking, both of which are quite common in Bermuda. Fodor's takes note that shopping is a worthwhile activity in Bermuda and can be quite upscale, especially in Hamilton. The lack of sales tax does make it worth it to buy that designer handbag in Bermuda instead of New York. Because so many different activities are mentioned in the guide, Fodor's lists can at least give budget travelers the option of splurging on one especially alluring activity or doing several simpler and cheaper activities.
The guide exhibits numerous restaurants that can fill the appetite after a long day at the beach or on the town. It is handily forewarned in the guide that food naturally costs more in Bermuda because so much has to be imported. Most restaurants that are listed and recommended cost between $21-40 a plate, but that is not to say that decent, cheaper food does not exist in Fodor's listings. A few restaurants serve the $10-20 price range, serving food that Fodor's deems tasty but nothing to write home about; one description says, "It's no frills food, but the prices are good and the portions are huge." One can eat anything from classic Bermudian food on a budget, or opt for a pricey Mediterranean restaurant, but the guide makes very clear that there is only one fast food restaurant on the island. Essentially, all visitors should be prepared to pay a little more for the eclectic cuisine Bermuda offers and to adapt the slower paced, island lifestyle.
The nightlife section of Fodor's Bermuda 2011 is the one piece that could easily appeal to student travelers who want affordable fun. This section of the guide is concise but allows the traveler to understand the big picture and get a grip on the party scene. Simply put in the guide, "Bermudans love to drink," yet there are only a few music and dance clubs. Though clubs are not numerous, Fodor's emphasizes their rich cultural experiences, such hosting talented local jazz artists while serving up Bermudan classics such as rum swizzles. Hamilton is the nightlife hotspot of Bermuda, so those who stay in the less expensive hotels that are inland should have easy access to party until 2 a.m., the latest time bars will close.
The full Bermudan experience, however, is put into perspective when the guidebook describes the cultural adjustments to which a traveler should take note. Fodor's emphasizes that although the weather is hot in Bermuda, conservative and more formal dress is more common than strutting around in a skimpy bathing suit. Other things our society often takes for granted when traveling are also pointed out in the guide, such as Bermuda's hesitancy to accept gay couples, aversion to public display of affection, and expectance of monetary tips on a multitude of occasions. This section of the guide is useful for any type of traveler, but can especially appeal to younger travelers who might be less experienced with adjusting to foreign cultures.
Overall Fodor's Bermuda 2011 is a guide that provides worthy information, and at $17.99, it is in the same price range as other Bermuda guidebooks. I highly recommend this guide to a traveler who wants an extravagant vacation, but otherwise you could take it or leave it. Yes, some sections are very helpful to an ordinary budget traveler, but these sections are miniscule in comparison to the real meat of this luxury traveler's bible. The lasting undertone of Fodor's Bermuda 2011 is "go big or go home."
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