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Bermuda
Accommodations
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As
the summer winds to a hot, humid close, we are reminded of the
necessity to make holiday plans to break up the immense expanse
of winter that looms between us and
another summer. Skiing and winter outdoor sports notwithstanding,
a little heat, a little golf or tennis and some lolling on the
beach start to sound pretty good somewhere between now and then.
Bermuda is only two
and a half hours from Toronto's Pearson Airport. With elegant
hotels and sophisticated services, the prices have seemed excessive
recently, due mostly to the drop in value of Canadian currency
against the US dollar (against which the Bermudan dollar is
pegged). The Bermuda Government does a great job of promoting
hotels, guesthouses and efficiency units, and visitors flock
to the island. Now there is a more affordable way to stay on
the island: renting the guest cottages and totally separate
apartments attached to many luxurious private homes. Bermudians
are accustomed to having family and guests come and stay with
them. Having a constant parade of visitors swirling around the
kitchen and guestroom gets tedious. The solution is to put a
pretty little one bedroom or studio cottage in the bottom of
the garden overlooking the pool, or to build an apartment wing
onto the house. Such arrangements create privacy for everybody
and a fabulous deal for the visitor who rents it when the main
house doesn't have free loading family on site!
Most units are self catering, which means you get a kitchen
and a bath of your own, plus the use of laundry facilities (this
means half the usual amount of luggage you take). Since the
owners are not hoteliers, prices tend to be extremely reasonable,
with no taxes charged. But they do expect to be paid by certified
cheque or cash; no credit cards or personal cheques are accepted
here. With kitchen facilities to cut the expense of having to
go out constantly to eat, and beautiful amenities like a pool
you do not have to share with 800 other people, a private residence
starts looking very appealing...
Bermuda enjoys a
warm climate until about Christmas, when the weather could be
best described as spring like. January, February & March
can have rain and beautiful sunny days in equal measure. Tennis
buffs and golfers find the relief from the humid weather a great
pleasure, as do beach strollers and hikers along Bermuda's justly
famous trails. Hurricanes rarely cause the island much trouble
since Bermuda is considerably north of the usual trajectory.
More that just beaches and a shopping district, Bermuda enjoys
over four centuries of maritime history. Magnificent old stone
homes carpet the island, with museums to explain the link between
the past and the present in rich detail. Meticulously cared
for, the island enjoys an extremely high standard of living
with the bulk of the population well educated and employed.
People are friendly, dignified and take care of their beautiful
island. Its time you slipped away for an extended weekend, if
you can't manage a month. Monthly rates can be as little as
$1700.00 US per couple...AIR CANADA flies to Bermuda daily from
Toronto.
Call 1-800-BERMUDA for comprehensive
details on the island, and look below for alternative accommodations.
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