Chicago Addick living in Bermuda
Friday 14 August 2009
  Ten things to do with a child in Bermuda If you ever find yourselves in Bermuda, and I hope you do, then you will soon realise there is a lot of stuff to do with children, that is as long as it doesn't rain because nearly even single activity involves being outside. Below in no particular order I have listed the top 10 things to do with a child on the island:

1. Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo
The Natural Museum might be somewhere to keep the kids out of the son or the rain and zoo has it's flamingoes, tamarins, giant tortoises and wallabies but it is the Aquarium that takes centrestage. 200 species of stunning indigenous species beautifully laid out. Pick out the Parrotfish, Groupers, Triggerfish and Puffer Fish. Cost $10 Adults, $5 5-12 year olds, under 5's free.

2. Crystal and Fantasy Caves
There aren't many real sightseeing things to do on the island but I was very impressed with the Caves. First discovered by two boys playing cricket and looking for a lost ball in 1907, the Crystal Caves are a labyrinth of stalactites and stalagmites. A pontoon bridge carries you across crystal clear waters 120ft under ground. If however you only want to do one of the caves then I would choose the Fantasy Cave, an underground jewel box of soda straw formations. Very cool and there is a very decent cafe on site too. Cost to do both caves $20 Adults, $10 for 5-12 year olds. Under 5's are free

3. Bell Helmet Diving
A very old concept developed by the Hartley family over 50 years ago. The helmet is weightless under water and it works like an upturned glass. Anyone can do this and it is very safe. In 12 ft of warm clear water Greg Hartley introduces you to all kinds of friendly fish and amazing coral. Cost $80 Adults, $55 under 13's.

4. Jet Ski
You can rent kayaks, boats or jet ski's but for the exhilaration of flying across the water and through the coral reefs riding a jet ski around the western tip of the island was thrilling. My son loved it and the guide even let the kids have a go on some open water. We fed the fish, watched the turtles and dived into warm transparent waters too. Cost for 70 minutes $125 for two.

5. Gibbs Hill Lighthouse
It is 185 steps to the top of the world's first ever cast iron lighthouse which towers 362ft high above the island. From here one can see the whole island in it's incredible glory. There is a gift shop and a new restaurant. Cost $3

6. Dolphin Quest
This might not be to everyone's taste as the dolphins, eleven in all, are kept in quite a small area in the Maritime Museum at the Royal Naval Dockyard. However the staff appeared well trained and helpful and no one can deny that watching and interacting with these amazing creatures is an incredible experience. Any doubt I had was washed away by my son's face during the hour he spent with just one other kid and the dolphins and how much he was full of it afterwards. It is expensive, around $250 but you can spend $60 to have a 5-minute encounter or in fact just entry to the Maritime Museum allows you to observe the dolphins at close quarters. Cost ranges from $50 to $300 depending on what programme you choose.

7. Boat ride
Now everyone should have a mate who owns a boat. I have no real interest in owning one because of the drain on money and valuable time and frankly I have better things to do on a Saturday than waxing a boat's hull. However being able to get out on the water surrounding this tiny hook shaped isle not only gives you a different perspective but also makes it appear much bigger. We spent an afternoon on my mates speedboat and my son loved it. He took the wheel, swam, fed the fish and put his sunglasses on and relaxed like the grown ups. You can hire a small Boston Whaler from $75.

8. Mini Golf
My son always wants to challenge me at mini golf. Bermuda is a haven for golf courses and there are two driving ranges on the island but also a very picturesque 18-hole challenging mini golf course with floodlights for night play. Cost $10 Adults, $8 Children.

9. Town of St George's
Where Bermuda was first settled and therefore St George's is a fine history lesson for children and at noon (check for days) at the town's square a nagging woman gets the ducking stool treatment all for your enjoyment. Plenty of nick-nack shops and restaurants plus some beautiful narrow streets to stroll. Free

10. The Beach
Try keeping kids of the pink sands and out of the turquoise waters. There are 70 public and private beaches surrounding the islands and probably the major reason why people come to Bermuda. Some of the small coves are absolutely stunning and during the summer the sea can be as warm as 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Be careful of the sun though, there is little shade and a lot of the beaches have no facilities. Horseshoe Bay (pictured) was my son's personal favourite. Free 
|



<< Home
About Me
After living in Chicago for four and a half years, I moved to the beautiful if bewildering island of Bermuda in July 2008. This blog is about being an exiled and depressed Charlton Athletic fan and whatever else the day brings.
CAFC Links
  • Charlton Athletic FC
  • CAFC Player
  • Forever Charlton
  • CAFC Picks
  • CASC
  • City Addicks
  • Community Trust
  • Fans Forum
  • Charlton Life
  • / forum
  • Charlton Scrapbook
  • Addicks Downunder Forum
  • Fellow Addick Blogs
  • Addicks Diary
  • Doctor Kish
  • New York Addick
  • All Quiet in the East Stand
  • SE3 Addick
  • Jakartass
  • Charlton Athletic Online
  • Views from an Iberian Valley
  • Charlton North Downs
  • Blackheath Addicted
  • Drinking During the Game
  • Kings Hill Addick
  • A Red Divided
  • Deepest Darkest
  • All in a Day
  • Johnny73
  • Confidential Rick
  • Charlton Casual
  • Many Miles....
  • Croydon Addick
  • Stickleback
  • And Nothing Else Matters
  • Out in the rain
  • Hungry Ted
  • Bermuda - all 21 square miles of it
  • The Royal Gazette
  • Weather forecast
  • Discover Bermuda
  • Bermuda National Trust
  • Bernews.com
  • Bermuda Blogroll
  • Bermuda Shorts
  • Jen in Bermuda
  • Daily London fix
  • Diamond Geezer
  • Onionbagblog
  • 853
  • The Cabbies Capital
  • A piece of my heart still in Chicago
  • Chicago Tribune
  • Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Chicago Bears
  • Chicago Blackhawks
  • Chicago White Sox
  • Chicago Cubs
  • Chicago Fire
  • My Chicago stuff
  • Andersonville
  • Bucktown
  • Chinatown
  • Evanston
  • Gold Coast
  • Greektown & Little Italy
  • Lincoln Park
  • Lincoln Square
  • The Magnificent Mile
  • Old Town
  • Oak Park
  • River North
  • Roscoe Village
  • South Loop
  • Streeterville
  • Ukrainian Village
  • Wicker Park
  • Wrigleyville
  • Ten things to do with a child
  • My Bermuda exploring
  • Paget Parish
  • Southampton Parish
  • Town of St George
  • Ten things to do with a child
  • Travelogue
  • Atlanta
  • Bahamas
  • Beachy Head
  • Beaver Creek, Colorado
  • Bermuda
  • Buenos Aires
  • Californian Hwy 1
  • Charleston
  • Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Dubai
  • Eastbourne
  • Ft Lauderdale, Florida
  • Grand Canyon
  • Hiroshima
  • Honolulu
  • Houston, Texas
  • Kohler, Wisconsin
  • Kyoto
  • Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
  • Las Vegas
  • Lille, France
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico
  • Miami Beach
  • Mt Fuji & Hakone, Japan
  • Munich
  • New Orleans
  • New York
  • Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Oman
  • Orlando
  • Palm Springs & Joshua Natl Park
  • Park City, Utah
  • Reykjavik
  • Route 66 and Hoover Dam
  • San Francisco
  • San Diego
  • Santa Fe
  • Saugatuck, Michigan
  • Sedona, Arizona
  • Sonoma & Napa Valley
  • St Petersburg, FL
  • Taos, New Mexico
  • Tokyo
  • Uruguay
  • Washington DC
  • The good old days?
  • The men in charge Parts I
  • / II / III / IV / V
  • Carlisle (a) 1986
  • Luton (a) 1989
  • Sunderland (h) 1975
  • Stoke City (a) 1994
  • Crystal Palarse (a) 2000
  • Norwich City (h) 1987
  • Coventry City (a) 2001
  • Barnsley (h) 1985
  • Bristol City (a) 1994
  • West Brom (a) 1995
  • Hull City (h) 1976
  • Burnley (h) 1978
  • Nottingham Forest (a) 1989
  • Sheffield Wednesday (h) 1986
  • Ipswich Town (a) 1981
  • Birmingham City (a) 1993
  • Hereford United (a) 1989
  • Interesting stuff
  • We're not on the telly much but who is?
  • Football Pyramid
  • Football Ground Guide
  • The Political Economy of Football
  • The Fiver
  • London 2012
  • TV Cream
  • Nice cup of tea and a sit down
  • Banksy
  • www.flickr.com
    This is a Flickr badge showing public photos and videos from ChicagoAddick. Make your own badge here.
    And not so interesting
    Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com Powered by Blogger
    EMail me
    ChicagoAddick@Gmail.com
    Follow me on Twitter
  • ChicagoAddick
  • CAFC on Twitter
  • Archives
    June 2004 / July 2004 / August 2004 / September 2004 / October 2004 / November 2004 / December 2004 / January 2005 / February 2005 / March 2005 / April 2005 / May 2005 / June 2005 / July 2005 / August 2005 / September 2005 / October 2005 / November 2005 / December 2005 / January 2006 / February 2006 / March 2006 / April 2006 / May 2006 / June 2006 / July 2006 / August 2006 / September 2006 / October 2006 / November 2006 / December 2006 / January 2007 / February 2007 / March 2007 / April 2007 / May 2007 / June 2007 / July 2007 / August 2007 / September 2007 / October 2007 / November 2007 / December 2007 / January 2008 / February 2008 / March 2008 / April 2008 / May 2008 / June 2008 / July 2008 / August 2008 / September 2008 / October 2008 / November 2008 / December 2008 / January 2009 / February 2009 / March 2009 / April 2009 / May 2009 / June 2009 / July 2009 / August 2009 / September 2009 / October 2009 / November 2009 / December 2009 / January 2010 / February 2010 / March 2010 / April 2010 / May 2010 / June 2010 / July 2010 / August 2010 /