New Romney tourism hit by sewage discharges, say residents
A hotel owner in a seaside market town in Kent says they have had to "adapt or close" after sewage discharges hit tourism in the region.Dino Johnson said business at the Captain Howey hotel in New Romney had been forced to pivot to long-term lets after losing 20% of his hotel guests since issues with the water quality.Mr Johnson and his wife, Celine Goddeeris, said the change was the "only way to survive", as other residents in the area said they would not let their children swim in the sea over fears about sewage.A spokesperson for Southern Water said it was "working hard to find out what is affecting water quality".
Mr Johnson added: "We have a lot of customers visiting families and local care providers, for example, but not tourists."Tourists have a knock-on effect on all the surrounding restaurants and pubs but we need to adapt or close."Ms Goddeeris added: "It's affecting our children's health and even animals. We need to find a long-term solution."In 2025, Littlestone beach was once again given a "brown flag" for being among the dirtiest in the UK, and was joined by nearby Dymchurch beach on the list.
Water quality at both sites was rated poor by the Environment Agency, with bathing and swimming not advised at either site.Resident Dawn Stanley added: "I wouldn't go in the sea. I have a daughter with special needs and I can't explain to her to not swallow the water and don't get it in her mouth."Rob Butson, bathing water manager at Southern Water, said: "Working with councils, NGOs and the Environment Agency to protect and improve bathing waters is a priority for us."Many sources can affect bathing water – road and agricultural runoff, private sewerage and wild life for example."Southern Water is also looking for illegal sewer connections and investigating treatment work performance, Mr Butson added.
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Times
an hour ago
- Times
Sardinia has the best of Italy. These are its loveliest hotels
Beaches better than the sands of Campania, archaeological heritage to match Sicily, mountain hikes on a par with the Dolomites and food as inventive as any of its fellow Italian regions . . . Sardinia is truly the best of the bel paese. Most visitors, of course, come to the Med's second largest island for its beaches. Who could blame them? The coastline here is dreamy and each stretch is a world of its own. The north is the most famous, from the Costa Smeralda — the jet-set resort established by the Aga Khan, where pristine coves have views of the idyllic Maddalena archipelago — on the east side to Stintino on the west, where fabled sandy beaches melt into the sea. Then there's the south, known for family-friendly resorts along the horseshoe-shaped stretch from Pula to the capital, Cagliari, and down again to Villasimius at the southeastern tip. But that's not all. Stretching down Sardinia's wild eastern flank is a dramatic seaboard of precipitous cliffs and coves best accessed by boat (day trips leave from surrounding towns such as Cala Gonone), while down the western side, along heart-in-mouth rollercoaster roads, lie spectacular shores with thick desertlike sands and vast dunes. Tourism is relatively new here — until the Nineties the coast below Oristano was best known for its mines. Today it's called the Costa Verde, with fascinating industrial heritage to remind you of its roots. And that's the joy of Sardinia: discreet reminders of its past are everywhere. In seaside Alghero the streets are bilingual in Italian and Catalan, remembering centuries of Aragonese rule. Across the island stand 7,000 nuraghi: looming prehistoric edifices that were probably used as watchtowers. There are megalithic tombs, temples and sculptures. There are Punic citadels, Roman towns and Christian catacombs. And since most people stick to the beach, they're often all yours. One piece of advice: don't ignore the mountainous inland. This is where you'll find the real Sardinia — where the cannonau vines and clean air keep centenarians healthy, where you can hike from mountain to megalith, and where old traditions endure (the pagan-rooted carnival celebrations are the trip of a lifetime). Drag yourself off the beach and you'll find the best of Italy here. This article contains affiliate links, which can earn us revenue It's a match made in heaven: Italy's ritziest coastline and one of the world's most luxurious hotel brands. Tucked into a fold of the Porto Cervo coastline (perhaps the very poshest bit of the Costa Smeralda), the 1965-built Romazzino has a celebrated past — Princess Margaret, Grace Kelly and half the Beatles have passed through its doors — but was brought up to date with an overhaul in 2024. Not that it's had a complete facelift; there's still a retro feel to the rooms, with colourful tiles and unadorned wood furniture. Four yawning hectares of gardens distract from the sea views, interiors match the outside with granite and wood materials, and sinuous curves provide privacy away from your fellow guests. Don't miss the simple grill-on-the-sand restaurant, Éntu e B&B doubles from £1,068. Fly to Olbia The Costa Smeralda doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Just like its glitzier cousins, this four-star sits right on the waterfront with the kind of vistas for which other Costa Smeralda hotels charge thousands. The difference? Fewer creature comforts. There's no pool, for starters, but then you don't exactly need one — the beach is right outside and the clear water is perfect for swimming and snorkelling. All 100 rooms are beach-perfect: bright, summery spaces with sea-blue tiled floors, white furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows — even in the entry-level options (though it's well worth splurging for a sea view). The sandy Cala Battistoni beach is a five-minute walk Seven nights' B&B from £789pp, including flights and car hire ( This discreet four-star keeps things tranquil on the chichi Costa Smeralda. Instead of a prime beachfront location, it's set a little back with the forested Monti Corru mountain rearing up behind. That said, you still get views of the sea and the Maddalena archipelago from just about everywhere. There's an Instagrammable feel to the rooms — all cork-panelled walls, earthy drapes and pops of sea and sun in the colourful fabrics — and even the entry-level contenders have their own independent entrance, ramping up the intimacy. You'll also find a strong emphasis on wellness, from yoga in the garden to sound Three nights' B&B from £978pp, including flights and car hire or transfers ( The clue's in the nature-centric name. This 75-room hotel sprawls in 40 acres of landscaped grounds, including those pines, and opens out on to no fewer than four secluded coves in front of the Maddalena archipelago. If you prefer nurture, there are two pools, an 800 sq m spa, tennis, padel and basketball courts, plus water sports galore. Rooms are categorised according to their location: 'Gardens' are immersed in greenery, 'Lagunas' cluster around a laid-back pool of the same name, and 'Sea Views' do exactly what they say on the tin. As night falls, the focus moves inwards — there's even a nightclub, with DJs and live music taking Room-only doubles from £294. Fly to Olbia You're not far from the glittering waters of the Costa Smeralda, yet you also get a taste of the real, mountainous Sardinia at this hotel sculpted from an old stazzu (farmstead) and wedged among boulders. Between rocks and greenery, its entry-level rooms accentuate that wilderness is somehow more atmospheric than pricier categories with far-off sea views. In all cases you'll get rustic-chic style (hand-carved bed frames, rough-painted walls), a terrace and — for Pool Junior Suites and above — your own tiny pool. The Michelin-starred restaurant, Il Fuoco Sacro, creates dishes from the hotel farm's vegetables, cheese and even some meats, while the smallish communal pool overlooks the Gulf of B&B doubles from £391. Fly to Olbia 'Nest' is no exaggeration: this three-bedroom villa is perched in the undergrowth above the coast, slotted into a landscape of olives and pines. Your bird's-eye view means the Costa Smeralda twinkles in the distance as the house is enfolded in greenery. Those bright colours are all visible from the oversized windows in your living room and from the terrace and pool, which point towards the bay. With two king rooms and a twin, this is a particularly good bet for families with older kids. It's just over a mile's drive to the sandy, forest-backed Sciumara Seven nights' self-catering for six from £3,046. Fly to Olbia Shimmy west from the Costa Smeralda and you'll hit the far northwestern tip of Sardinia, a curled finger beckoning to Corsica as it stretches north. Jaw-droppingly beautiful, this area offers soft dunes, long beaches and quick hops to Asinara, the 'donkey island' just offshore, which isn't home to just any old donkeys, but indigenous white-coated ones. Don't worry about the 'club' in the name — this is a great little four-star containing just 48 rooms, all with balconies, in 10,000 sq m of grounds. The pool is filled with saltwater while the beach, facing Asinara, is private. Kids' play areas, tennis and beach-volleyball courts make it a good bet for families too. La Pelosa, possibly Sardinia's lushest beach, is just over a mile Five nights' B&B from £462pp, including flights ( • 19 of the best family hotels in Sardinia A wild headland towards the northwest tip of the island isn't the glam Sardinia of holiday brochures. Instead it's a more remote and back-to-nature kind of place, and all the better for it. Inside a namesake protected area, the clifftop Villa Nurra is an old farmhouse converted into a four-bedroom family-friendly villa whose walled garden, fenced-off pool and bunk beds render it a good fit for families with younger kids. The decor is pleasantly rustic, typified by exposed stone walls, while the sea is visible beyond the garden and fields of cows and Seven nights' self-catering for nine from £2,855. Fly to Alghero Sardinia produces some of Italy's best wines, and you'll be a short stagger upstairs from nightly samples at this vino-themed stay in the countryside near Alghero. A former farmhouse swaddled by 44 acres of vineyards and olive groves, it's now a six-room retreat for anyone aged 12 and over. Pair mornings by the pool with afternoons of tastings (try the home-grown vermentino), tours of those groves or a bike ride into town — Alghero is half an hour away. Rooms are simple but tasteful — think wooden floorboards, cheerfully tiled bathrooms and the odd wooden beam — while even the cheapest have sofa-filled balconies overlooking the Seven nights' B&B from £1,199pp, including flights and car hire ( Sea vistas needn't be expensive. Etched into a cliffside, the four-star Petraladda has views for days: of the multicoloured houses of neighbouring town Castelsardo, clinging to the cliff; of the small Pedraladda beach, immediately below; and of the sea ambling towards the Strait of Bonifacio and Corsica. Drink them all in from its rooftop pool, or from the floor beneath, where a restaurant juts out over the blue, or from your window. In each bedroom sunny yellows and sea blues complement the colours outside; splash out on a still affordable superior for some of those sea Seven nights' B&B from £594pp, including flights and transfers Get the best of both worlds courtesy of this castlelike grande dame. You'll be right in the middle of Alghero, the delectable seafront town that's more Catalan than Italian thanks to its past rulers, yet also far from the crowds on your very own private peninsula. Italian royals used to love this escape, separated from the masses by two hectares of grounds. Today its 24 rooms still have that classical style with lashings of drapery, antiques galore and views over gardens or the sea. Flop by the saltwater pools or set up a lounger on one of the tongues of rock extending into the B&B doubles from £223. Fly to Alghero As the summer holidays drag on, well-heeled parents sigh and think of Forte Village. It's not just that the southern coast east of Cagliari is more family-friendly than the Costa Smeralda. This resort is also legendary for providing the kids with so much to do: bowling, ceramics classes, a waterpark, even a Barbie-themed area. Feeling competitive? Train them up at one of Forte's academies, where the great and good of the sporting world often shower a bit of stardust on the little blighters. Tennis, fencing, dance and boxing — they're all on offer. There's plenty for parents too, including the Acquaforte Thalasso and Spa, which specialises in seawater treatments and has circuits taking in six Half-board doubles from £454. Fly to Cagliari Here's your leafy retreat in Sardinia's capital: an elegant art nouveau mansion inside one of the poshest parts of the city, turned into a graceful 19-room hotel (having also once been a convent). Depending on the category, your room, designed by the owner, Lucina Cellino, might have an exposed-stone wall, an in-room hot tub or a soothing view over the back lawn. Whichever you pick, you'll enjoy this home-from-home. The staff are invariably delightful, the public areas are drenched in art and the garden sunloungers instil a holiday vibe whether you're on your first or last night. It's an easy drive to one of Italy's best archaeology museums in the Castello B&B doubles from £102. Fly to Cagliari An hour's drive southwest of Cagliari, past the ancient Phoenician city of Nora, gets you to Chia, one of the southernmost points of Sardinia (next stop: Tunisia). This is a coastline of immense beauty and family-friendly calm-watered beaches, and the resort of Chia Laguna, overlooking a flamingo-filled lagoon, makes the most of it. One of three hotels here, its family-centric Conrad has a kids' club hosting youngsters up to 17 years old, a children's pool and activities for teens including riding, tennis, snorkelling and, new for 2025, a football academy. Modern rooms keep the focus on the outside through the huge windows or patio doors. Choose either the hotel's Laguna (closer to the sea; better for couples) or Oasis (family-friendly; immersed in gardens) B&B doubles from £210. Fly to Cagliari On Sardinia's southeastern tip, astride the deliciously named Capo Carbonara, is peaceful Villasimius, where white-sand beaches are two-a-penny. The Stella Maris sits on one of its own so, while there's an on-site pool, you'd be mad not to swap it for the loungers and parasols set up on the sand. A four-star, it's secluded from other hotels and set in a pine forest that backs on to the shore. They aren't afraid of colour here, with pastel greens, soft yellows and emerald pine tones on the walls. All 49 rooms also have balconies, affording inland views that are just as soothing as those of the Five nights' half-board from £1,302pp, including flights and transfers ( • 24 of the best things to do in Sardinia 'Retreat' is no exaggeration for this eight-bedroom villa, tucked away in the forested hills behind Sardinia's less-visited southwest coast. Perched on an eyrie-like hillock from which you can survey the landscape as it unfurls to the sea, it has everything you need: proper lawns, enough loungers for everyone around the 15m pool and even a spit roast with the barbecue so you can have a go at cooking Sardinia's famous porceddu (suckling pig). Oh, and there's a vast shaded table area for everyone to enjoy it in. Inside, it's a modern affair with contemporary art and film posters on the walls, and windows that perfectly frame the wild outdoors. Grab a bike from downstairs — the sprawling, sandy Portixeddu beach, popular with surfers and one of the area's largest, is an easy ride Seven nights' self-catering for 16 from £3,448. Fly to Cagliari Here's a case of Robinson Crusoe meets five-star luxury. It took three years to refurbish what used to be an old mining warehouse (and, later, a simple hotel) on the beach into today's top-notch resort, and plenty of wildness remains. For starters, they didn't redo the unpaved road that leads here, crossing some of Europe's highest dunes on its way, and the hotel really does sit right on the sand. Despite such a spectacular location, it's not all about what lies outside the deceptively simple rooms, where sand-coloured walls give way to sandy patios. There's an art collection too, including pieces designed for the B&B doubles from £265. Fly to Cagliari If it was good enough for the ancients, it's good enough for us. Sardinia's Nuragic people were the first to settle the Sinis peninsula, on the west coast near what is now the city of Oristano. Later, the Phoenicians turned it into a trading port, and they were followed by the Carthaginians, Romans and Spanish. You can see the remains of these civilisations at Tharros, an archaeological site racked along the cliff, and stay nearby in the small town of Cabras, where this four-star 'scattered hotel' (an Italian speciality) is spread across several buildings around town. The 1950s Laguna building has six classic-looking rooms overlooking the pretty Cabras lagoon, with a birdwatching terrace on the roof. Note that as this is an albergo diffuso, the buildings aren't always manned, giving the vibe of a more independent B&B doubles from £121. Fly to Cagliari It takes patience to reach the east coast of Sardinia — this is the wildest side of the island, where roads peter out into tracks and sheer cliffs dive into the sea — but if you make the trek, you're rewarded with pebbly coves that have nary another person on them. This sweet 40-room four-star manages the best of both worlds: it's plum in Cala Gonone town itself, yet steeped in clifftop greenery and just 300m from the pebbly Palmasera beach. Pared-back rooms emphasise the greens and blues outside. There's a pool, a tennis court, a five-a-side football pitch and a kids' playground in the grounds, while the restaurant enables full-board stays if you just want to Seven nights' half-board from £1,004pp, including flights and car hire ( • The magical crowd-free Italian city that stays warm in winter Round up the family because this nine-room villa is the stuff of dreams — and it becomes attainable if you can fill it up. On the beach at Capo Coda Cavallo, or Cape Horsetail, which flicks upwards into the Tyrrhenian Sea about 12 miles southwest of Olbia, it has direct access to two beaches, as well as its own infinity pool beside the Mediterranean scrub. Wallowing in an acre of coastal gardens, it has room for loungers on the lawn, a pine-shaded dining area and even a patio cantilevered over the beach. Inside lie slick, brightly painted rooms, as well as a cottage suite in the garden, with floor-to-ceiling windows always pointing you outside. Rates include a housekeeper, butler and cook, but not Seven nights' self-catering for 17 from £38,299 ( Fly to Olbia If you prefer the wild east of Sardinia but don't want to scrimp on comforts or ease, pick this: a two-bedroom apartment overlooking a sandy beach outside Arbatax, one of the east coast's larger (though still small) resorts. This is Capo Bellavista, or Cape of Good View, and that's no exaggeration. Facing towards mainland Italy, it's a place of dazzling dawns and a jumping-off point for the beaches and coves along this stretch. Though the flat is compact — a double room, a twin and a sofa bed, all sharing one bathroom — it offers sweeping views of the bay from a large Seven nights' self-catering for six from £1,967. Fly to Olbia This dubs itself an 'experience hotel' and that's spot-on. In the island's wild entroterra, or interior, Su Gologone offers activities such as trekking through canyons and caves, taking a 4×4 up the mountainside or dropping in on Europe's largest karst sinkhole. Back at base you can learn embroidery, make ceramics, stargaze or listen to traditional tenores singers every Friday night. The hotel is a repository of Sardinian art — its owner, Giovanna Palimodde, has collected about 900 works — while the bedrooms, always stylish, range from rustic doubles full of traditional Sardinian artisanship to the outrageously romantic Wild Suite, which is wholly B&B doubles from £244. Fly to Olbia Of all 7,000 nuraghi in Sardinia, only one enjoys Unesco world heritage status: the formidable Su Nuraxi di Barumini, a vast defensive complex spread along a plain in central southern Sardinia. Fifteen minutes' drive east is the village of Gergei and this luxury four-room B&B, lovingly converted from a 19th-century farmhouse (one room's in a stable-like building) into an upmarket take on how its owner Samuel Lai's ancestors would have lived. That means low lighting, exposed-stone walls, headboards made from traditional orbace wool, artisanal carpets and pick-your-own eggs for breakfast. For the full slow tourism experience, take a ricotta-making class with Lai — he's a cheesemaker by B&B doubles from £103 ( Fly to Cagliari • The charming Italian island where our war correspondent goes to relax In the highlands behind the Costa Smeralda, Cascioni manages to combine five-star luxury with eco-friendly policies encompassing renewable energy, electric house cars, re-used water and organic farming, for starters. Within an 18-hectare estate overlooking the Padula Saloni nature reserve and lagoon, this is a boho kind of luxury: the bedrooms, all of which feature understated whitewashed walls and wooden bed frames, get their own shaded patios, ringed by olive and mastic trees. Guests can collect their own veg and eggs, then have them cooked to order; spa treatments use products based on Sardinian herbs and local honey. The pool suites have their own pint-sized pools surrounded by Seven nights' B&B from £1,799pp, including flights and car hire ( You're only half an hour away from the Costa Smeralda beaches, but up here in the mountainous highlands behind the coast you're in another world. Not just the world of rolling hills and boulder-strewn peaks but also a liminal world between the living and the dead. Around Luogosanto ('sacred place') is a land of prehistoric stone circles, nuraghe and tombe dei giganti (megalithic burial sites), as well as gargantuan olive trees that are more than 1,000 years old. Gallicantu takes those eternal peace vibes and adds olive groves, beehives, pick-your-own vegetable patches and a cherry orchard. The simple whitewashed rooms overlook granite boulders, the pool is surrounded by olive and myrtle trees, and a cave-turned-wine cave is the ideal aperitivo B&B doubles from £182. Fly to Olbia
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Is an affordable holiday in Bermuda possible? How to stay budget-conscious on one of the world's most idyllic islands
Bermuda: home of brightly-coloured shorts, salmon-coloured sand and one seriously mysterious triangle. Brits might also know it for its offshore banking and top-tier sporting events. What it's not renowned for is being a bargain holiday destination. Replete with palm-fringed beaches and a nightly tree frog chorus loud enough to defy even the best sound insulation, Bermuda is often confused as being located in the Caribbean. In fact, this fish-hook-shaped archipelago, formed of seven primary islands, lies 1,000 miles north of that colourful collection, floating alone in the Atlantic Ocean like a last puzzle piece lost beneath the sofa. For many, it's a popular travel spot. In 2024, the total number of visitors arriving by air had almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, while the average spend per person was $2,151, shelled out over roughly nine days. That cost is in addition to forking out for airfares, which can average a few hundred pounds more expensive than flights from the UK to Caribbean islands. While hardly Maldives -level spending, it's also undoubtedly not a bargain. So is Bermuda a destination happy to remain reserved for cruise lovers and the private yacht-owning elite? Or is there a way your average holidaymaker can enjoy it too? Thankfully, the answer seems to be yes. According to Expedia, average flight prices to Bermuda dropped 6 per cent for Brits between 2023 and 2024, meaning it's more affordable now than in recent years. And while accommodation and dining add up, there are ways to conserve spending while there without sacrificing feeling like you're watching your pennies (universally agreed as the antithesis of a good holiday experience). So if you're keen to soak up the sight of white stepped roofs, yawing sailboats and Bermudian blue seas, you need to be smart about it. Here's what I learnt about visiting Bermuda on a budget. At just 20 square miles, Bermuda's landmass is smaller than Manhattan 's. This makes it easily explorable, particularly Hamilton, its colourful capital city. Sign up for the free walking tour, which sets off each day from City Hall and is delivered by ebullient 'town crier', Ed Christopher. A showman who missed his calling, Ed has been revealing the secrets of Hamilton for three decades. Listen closely for fascinating facts fired out between greetings of 'Yes, sir!' bellowed at acquaintances across the street, on passing motorbikes or through truck windows. Facts you might glean include that the roof of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity is made from the keel of an old ship and local brewery Goslings is the only rum maker in the world with the patent for 'black rum'. The tour runs weekdays between April and December. Inside City Hall, the National Gallery is free to enter and has a rotating slate of exhibitions by local artists. There are also events, talks and performances throughout the year. For a creative injection while taking some sunshine, opt for the self-guided city art tour, which leads visitors around the burg via some of its most striking outdoor displays. Free maps are available from City Hall reception. Another wallet-friendly, engaging activity is spending an afternoon at the Royal Naval Dockyards, perched at the very tip of the country's 'fish hook'. This collection of shops, museums and eateries is free to wander, though I'd recommend paying the $18 entry fee for The National Museum of Bermuda, which provides a comprehensive retelling of the country's history. Begin in the basement of the Custodian's House for an introduction to Bermuda's wartime legacy, then head upstairs for stories on slave trade history, the Portuguese influence and photo exhibitions by locals. It's also a great place to spot the distinctive Bermuda Longtail, which flits over the buildings. Access it by the Blue Route ferry from Hamilton for as little as $3.50. Explore beaches, parks and Bermuda's natural beauty While Bermuda's beaches and golf courses rightfully receive a lot of attention, it's in some of the less manicured locations that the country's natural diversity flourishes. I spent a morning wandering the untamed wilds of Cooper's Island Nature Reserve with vegan chef and forager Doreen William-James. Giant conch shell in hand and daughter-in-law's post-op Yorkshire Terrier strapped to her chest, she began the tour with the excellent point: 'Why walk by food to buy food?' We began, somewhat surprisingly, in the car park, at whose concrete edge I nibbled on nasturtiums, hibiscus and wild fennel. Further in, the variety within this 120-acre park (which also houses a NASA facility) revealed itself. Every plant seemed to hold some natural nourishment, whether it was the omega-3-rich sea purslane, vitamin C-filled 'Scurvy' grass or New Zealand Spinach, bursting with Vitamin K. It's no wonder Doreen estimates around 40 per cent of her produce comes directly from the land. The tour was $65 well-spent, not least because I got to taste Doreen's delightful fennel hummus and vegan coffee cupcakes. The Bermuda Railway Trail is another enlightening way to enjoy Bermuda's blooming nature. Tracing the edge of the island for 18 miles (excluding Hamilton), and skirting some of the country's most beautiful bays, this disused railway line is now the location of choice for runners, hikers and cyclists looking to enjoy the island's scenic allure. Though it can be tackled in a day, it's advisable to break it into sections and soak it up at a slower pace (you are on holiday after all). The route takes visitors via the old capital and docks of St. George's, by stunning vistas of the Dockyards from Palmetto Park and alongside Gibbs' Hill Lighthouse. For a modest fee of $2.50, visitors can climb the 185 spiralling steps and, on a clear day, be rewarded with views of white roofs peeking out between oleander and palm leaves, and always, the inescapable blue sea. Short diversions from the trail lead to the lauded likes of Horseshoe Bay and Warwick Long Bay, two of Bermuda's best beaches. All its public beaches are free, so stock up on drinks and snacks before you arrive, borrow a brolly from the hotel, and dig in for the day. Focus on festivals for an affordable slice of Bermudian life Visiting during an event season is a good way to ensure low-cost entertainment. During my visit in April, the Bermuda Annual Agricultural Exhibition was all anyone could talk about – giant rabbits, huge hogs and gourds to make you blush were due to be on display within the Botanical Gardens' 36 acres. This long-running, weekend event (first held in 1843) celebrates Bermuda's diverse agriculture and horticulture and features woodworking exhibits, fruit and vegetable stalls, livestock pens and technicoloured floriculture displays. If such an environment isn't stimulating enough, there are also interactive zones for children and live arts performances. At $10 per adult ticket, $5 for under-16s and free entry for under-five-year-olds, it promises an affordable, culturally rich day out. In summertime, events ramp up a notch. Mid-June sees carnival chaos descend on the island, and while a plethora of parties fill the calendar (Raft Up, Euphoria and Glow offer yacht-, beach- and costume-based events), visitors can enjoy much of the celebrations for free, such as the parade, which lasts almost an entire day. Food stalls, live music and the joie de vivre of festivities infect the islands, making it an easy, affordable way to soak up the country's vibrant culture. Sports fans should plump for the end of July when one of Bermuda's biggest events (the Cup Match) takes place across two significant holidays (Emancipation Day and Mary Prince Day – July 31-August 1). A historic cricket game between rival teams from either end of the island, St. George's and Somerset, this sporting event is a world away from the restraint of British cricket. Scaffolding is erected around the pitch and sections rented out to spectators, who, dressed to impress, spend as much time following the on-grass rivalry as they do sampling local delicacies from food stalls, playing Crown & Anchor (an old Navy game) and socialising. Tickets cost around $25 per adult and entry starts at 6am. The carnivalesque vibes extend into 3 and 4 of August with other adrenaline-fuelled events such as the Bacchanal Run (where runners are covered in powdered paint en route) and sleek sea vessels collect in Mangrove Bay for the Non Mariners Raft Up. Pack lunches and plan meals out strategically As with many remote island destinations, grocery shopping and dining out in Bermuda can be pricey. If you're staying somewhere with a kitchen and can cook at your accommodation, it's worth making up lunches for days out and planning the odd dinner in too. Look to local markets for groceries as they often have decent offers – the Farmers Market in the Botanical Gardens runs every Saturday morning and sells locally-grown fruit and veg as well as novelty treats such as guava candies, banana bread and mango fruit sticks. Some convenience stores also sell hot buffet food, which is popular with locals and perfect to pick up on the way back from sightseeing (boxes tend to go for around the $13 mark). Fans of all-inclusive resorts will find limited options here; currently, Grotto Bay Beach Resort is the only all-inclusive property. It charges $129 per person, per day, for its full meal plan on top of the room rate (which is one of the more reasonable rates on the island despite an incredibly generous offering). Even by the price tags of most Bermudian restaurants, this still isn't an inconsiderable cost, but for the convenience of three meals a day from either a comprehensive buffet or à la carte menu – and a lunchtime poolside eating option – it could be worth considering. When you dine out, do your research, as there are some reasonable options which come with character. Look to the island's 'oldest' pub, The Swizzle Inn, which serves burgers, pizzas and salads for around the $20 mark in a rustic, sticker-wall clad atmosphere. For a local's lunch, stop by Mamma Mia in Hamilton Parish (just off the Railway Trail), a hole-in-the-wall fish shack serving shrimp wraps and fish burgers alongside chicken wings and breakfast plates. Prices range from $6 to $27 so sampling the seasonal catch can be an affordable option. Use public transport Considering it's such a small country, Bermuda sure does like to complicate its geography. For example, you won't find the city of Hamilton in Hamilton Parish, but in Pembroke Parish. There's a Paget Island and a Paget Parish, and a Smith's Island and Smiths Parish, but neither of the islands fall within their namesake's Parish. It's probably a good thing then that visitors can't hire cars here (though scooters are available for around $50 a day), and whilst taxis are sure to get you to the right place, they charge handsomely for the pleasure – the two minute drive from the Airport to Grotto Bay for example, could set you back as much as $20. Thankfully, the bus system is comprehensive and more than capable of ferrying visitors from one end of the country to the other. Hotels can organise passes or tokens, or tickets can be bought with cash. Prices vary depending on your travel plans, but are likely to cost less overall than taxis. Ally Wybrew travelled as a guest of the Bermuda Tourism Authority and PADI.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
China's 240-hour transit visa-free policy extended to 55 countries, Xinhua reports
HONG KONG, June 12 (Reuters) - China's 240-hour transit visa-free policy has been extended to people arriving from 55 countries, including Indonesia, Russia and Britain, who will be able to engage in tourism and business, the official Xinhua news agency said. The changes take effect from Thursday.
