What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's Bermuda

Even some diehard fans compare Bermuda to certain beauty queens -- beautiful but dull. We prefer to think of it as "tranquil." If you're looking for exotic local color or sizzling rum- and reggae-filled nights, look farther south to the Caribbean. But if you need to escape the stress and strain of daily life, look to Bermuda. This quiet island is one of the best places in the world for a honeymoon or a celebration of any romantic occasion. The joint may not be jumping, but it's the most relaxing -- and safest -- of the foreign islands off the American coast. Locals will always tell you, "If you want change, go to the Bahamas. We stay the same in Bermuda." Defying local wisdom, we've come up with some developments.

Planning a Trip

Hurricane Fabian hit Bermuda with its mighty force in 2003, and as we go to press the island has not fully recovered. But recovery is on the way. Most of the hotels, such as the badly damaged Sonesta Beach Resort, should be up and running by the time of your actual visit. Although all the manmade attractions of the island should be ready and waiting for you, expect some nature reserves to be either closed or slow to open in the wake of massive destruction to their virgin parks. Before setting out anywhere, it is always a good idea to inquire if a walking trail or other natural sight is open. If you visit toward the end of this edition's life, late in 2005, everything should be functioning, waiting for the next storm, which hopefully won't be for a long time to come.

Accommodations

The Fairmont Southampton, 101 South Rd. (tel. 800/441-1414 or 441/238-8000; www.fairmont.com/southampton), has bounced back after Fabian passed by and reopened for business as usual to meet the spring hordes descending in the spring of 2004. Expect a spiffy new glossiness.

Of all the major resorts of Bermuda, the hardest hit was the sprawling Sonesta Beach Resort, 6 Sonesta Dr., in Southampton Parish (tel. 800/766-3782 or 441/238-8122; www.sonesta.com/bermuda). It's taking millions to bring it back to what it was in pre-Fabian days. Check its status before trying to book there.

For years, the Stonington Beach Resort was one of the most popular in Bermuda, staffed by students of the Hospitality and Culinary Institute. It's still there but with changes, and has emerged anew as the Coco Reef Resort, South Road (tel. 800/648-0799 or 441/236-5416; www.stoningtonbeach.com). It's still the same good place it always was, with the same excellent food.

The old White Sands Hotel, familiar to hundreds of readers, has reincarnated itself as Grape Bay Beach Hotel, White Sands Road, in Paget Parish (tel. 800/548-0547 or 441/236-2023; www.grapebay.com), and is a much-improved complex. Everything has been redone, from the bedrooms to the public lounges, including the addition of an even better on-site restaurant.

Dining

Most Bermuda restaurants withstood Fabian's fierce blow and weren't wiped out. The restaurants at the Fairmont Southampton Princess have to be restored, but other old favorites will still be there to welcome you, including some new ones. Creating the most press has been La Coquille, on the ground floor of the Underwater Exploration Institute, 19 Crown Lane (tel. 441/296-6122). It's becoming increasingly known for its savory Mediterranean cuisine with a mainly Provençal accent.

Newly discovered is The Robin Hood, 25 Richmond Rd., in Pembroke (tel. 441/295-3314), a bit of Merrie Olde England in Bermuda, serving standard but quite good international cuisine. Affordable in price, it also draws budget seekers who order its pizzas, burgers, steaks, and salads, along with the freshly made pastas of the day. In another development, Rustico, North Shore Road (tel. 441/295-5212), has burst onto the scene at Flatts Village. It's an Italian eatery that also serves some of Bermuda's best thin-crust pizzas, along with such specialties as soft-shell crab or rockfish with a Black Seal rum and ginger sauce. The newest eatery in St. George is Café Gio, 36 Water St. (tel. 441/297-1307). Serving an international cuisine, this is a family-friendly dining room with good, fresh food and affordable prices.

Another immediate hit in St. George when it opened was Tavern by the Sea, 14 Water St. (tel. 441/297-3305). Known for its moderately priced international cuisine, it serves the usual sandwiches, salads, pastas, and burgers at lunch, with more formal dining in the evening, including an array of German-inspired dishes such as Wiener schnitzel.

After Dark

In the post-Fabian era, Deep, 60 South Rd., in the Elbow Beach Hotel (tel. 442/236-9884), has emerged as Bermuda's hottest after-dark rendezvous, drawing a young crowd of under-35s. It's a recognized and better version of an older club that operated here. A DJ plays the latest hits from America and Europe, and there is multilevel seating surrounding a large dance floor.