Video: 48 Hours In Bermuda
The UK “Independent’s” travel writer Simon Calder and his colleague Ben Ross conducted a podcast on Bermuda yesterday [Mar.9] at the newspaper’s website to accompany the globe-trotting journalist’s ”48 Hours” column and half-hour video on his recent trip to the island.
Describing Bermuda as a “fascinating Atlantic outpost” which “combines colonial history with great beaches” [he is pictured dodging waves on the South Shore here], Mr. Calder said Bermuda was “a land of happy surprises” and “the venue for a perfect holiday.”
“Spring in Bermuda equals summer in Britain, and finds the UK’s overseas territory in the North Atlantic at its best: the two driest months are April and May,” he said in his well-read column. “Even in the height of summer, though, Bermuda has a benign climate – it is 1,000 miles north of the Caribbean.”
Criss-crossing Bermuda during his two-day stay here last month, Mr. Calder visited attractions ranging from the Dockyard at the westernmost tip of Bermuda to St. George’s in the East End — and was particularly enthused about bicycling the Railroad Trail.
“Work up an appetite on the splendid ride along the Railway Trail to St. Georges,” he said. “Bermuda’s only train line was a financial disaster, but has been reinvented as a walking and cycling path. Its north-east terminus is St George’s, which became Bermuda’s capital 400 years ago and is now UNESCO-protected.”
When he visited the island last month, the Bermuda Department of Tourism said: “Essentially, Mr. Calder will uncover all there is to know about Bermuda and return to the UK to share why this Island is considered such a hidden gem in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Mr. Calder, who has visited the Island before, said, “I am thrilled to be back in Bermuda. There’s nowhere quite like it on earth from the traveller’s perspective in terms of the way that everything you want is easy to access, whether you want golf, fishing or if you want to amble around the fine City of Hamilton and meet the people.
“I am really enthused about bringing to the British viewers the concept that it is possible to build in a 48-hour stop in Bermuda, and guess what, if my previous visit is anything to go by, if you have been once you simply cannot wait to get back and plan your next trip. It’s a great escape to a land where you can feel the love.”
Wow that was the best advert for bda that I have ever seen….Simon Caldor did a fantastic job.
Can the powers that be please see that this uses the British connections positively, something that has been deliberately downplayed for local political reasons by the DOT and past Ministers of Tourism. Go and look at how Barbados, an independent country, uses its “Britishness” to market itself.
The powers that be do not want the British connection !!! plain and simple.
wow, awesome, very nice for Bermuda….
l just did not like how he used the words “can feel the love” horribly like someone we previously know that is in the news today/yesterday……..wonder if this is all a horrible coincidence/premeditated…meaning he is a paid crony of someone who says “feel the love”…..LIARS!
ohhhhhhhhhh !!
Simply impressive..
What a great guy! And I’m impressed that he managed to do so much in just two days, and, even moreso, am glad that his visits and stops did not err on the side of too touristy. A nice balance, I thought.
Bermuda used to be advertised as ‘the showcase of the British Empire’, and that title did a great deal to promote British & UK tourism. Britain is a unique part of the Island’s heritage, so why are the present ‘powers that be’ ignoring that ?? Could it be something to do with some sort of prejudice ? If so, why are these ‘powers’ so quick to accept the Queen’s honours and ‘go to London to visit the Queen’ so they can have their photos taken with her ? ——- Sad, isn’t it ?
An Excellent short film. one correction – Simon states that after Edward VIII abdicated he became Governor here. That was the Bahamas, not Bermuda.
Good catch…apparently he was offered the Governorship of Bermuda, but declined.
Excellent exposure for Bermuda, good job Mr Caldor!!
The programme didn’t effectively showcase the tremendous beauty of our Country, IMO (probably because the show was videoed in the winter?)… but overall it was well presented and quite interesting.
I still feel the DoT is wasting our money promoting Bda in GB and Toronto. The bulk of Bda’s advertising/marketing/promotion budget should be spent in our Primary Markets – where we get 80% of our business – the Gateway cities of the Atlantic Northeast.
There certainly are lots of great videos featuring the Island on YouTube!!
thanks for sharing with us Bernews! I have forwarded the link with family & friends who live overseas who have never had the opportunity to visit us!
This is the exposure we need. Simon Calder also has a weekly travel show on London LBC radio which goes out to hundreds of thousands of people where he offers advice on travel destinations to people who call in. Great exposure for Bermuda, let’s see moe like this though.
This is truly one of the best travel films I’ve seen on Bermuda, and I’ve seen many. The country has a truly rich history and should be showcased more as a draw for tourists as the more seasoned travellers are interested in experiencing more than just sandy beaches and pleasant weather.