Bermuda

Visiting during the November through March low season is often fine for golfing, hitting the spa, sightseeing or playing tennis. Although the water is cooler, the beaches are still picturesque. The beaches will be less crowded and you won’t have any problem claiming a bit of space for your very own.

One great reason to visit during the winter is for the diving. Visibility is better, often reaching 60 metres. And the abundance of marine life around the reefs can be spotted more easily.

However, during this time, cold fronts can bring gusty winds and heavy rain. Nighttime temperatures may fall to 13 C, so pack lightweight layers, a warm sweater and a raincoat.

Average annual rainfall is 150 cm, and it falls almost evenly throughout the year. Bermudians welcome the showers, as rainwater is the only source of fresh water, collected from roofs and stored in tanks.

In Bermuda, a British flair is evident everywhere. You can spot bright-red British telephone boxes and pillar-style post boxes of the sort you'd see in London. Cab drivers have a professional polish to them, and they are happy to serve as your tour guide as well.

You'll still get a sense of the tropics here, too. Calypso and soca tunes, the music favoured all over the Caribbean, can be heard all over the island, from the airport to local radio stations.

While Bermuda is often grouped among other Caribbean destinations, it's technically not Caribbean at all, because of its geographic location in the Atlantic. In truth, Bermuda is British and North American-ish, with a touch of Portuguese and a cultural hint of just about everywhere, thanks to the number of foreign residents here.

Simply put, Bermuda is not like anywhere else. It is unique. You will always know exactly where you are. It has the modern amenities you are used to, but with a different feel.

Unlike most sun destinations, tourism is not the economic lifeblood here. In fact, Bermuda is quite affluent, with finance as its largest sector. It's also safe, and residents are friendly and helpful.

You'll also find Bermuda is a honeymooners' paradise (ranked sixth worldwide by Brides magazine), home to the most golf courses per square kilometre in the world, and is a renowned diving destination for exploring shipwrecks.

Pink is a favoured colour here, seen on old-style cottages and tinting the sands of its signature beaches. Even men sport Bermuda shorts in cotton candy pink with matching blazers.

Architectural blandness and cookie-cutter conformity doesn't exist here. Homes and businesses are coloured in pastels like a fistful of Easter jelly beans and feature whitewashed stepped roofs that channel rainwater into underground tanks, the only source of precious fresh water.

Although the main island grouping called "Bermuda" may seem like a contiguous landmass, it is a string of seven inhabited islands linked by bridges. The territory counts an impressive 181 islands, islets and rocks.

If you're feeling adventurous, pay a visit to the uninhabited islands by boat. Be careful of the dangerous surrounding coral reefs, or go with a local cruise company. You wouldn't want to meet the same fate as the many ships that never left and became wrecks!

The islands are relatively flat, limestone-topped volcanic rock. Over millions of years, caves have bored through the rock, creating interesting tourist attractions. You'll find that the highest point is only 76 metres above sea level, at Town Hill in Smith's Parish. For the best vantage point from which to see the entire "fish hook" of Bermuda, head to Gibbs Hill Lighthouse.

Bermuda actually has one of the highest population densities in the world, with 3,140 people per square mile. Yet it has a surprising number of parks and nature reserves, thanks to the world's first environmental laws set very early on in the country's history in the 1600s.

Curious what makes Bermuda's famous beaches pink? Bits of crushed coral, calcium carbonate and the shells of tiny single-celled animals called foraminifera give the sand that rosy blush.

Many Bermudians can trace their ancestry through multiple generations. That includes Diana Dill, mother of actor Michael Douglas, whose family's roots date to Bermuda's earliest settlers in the 1630s.

Over more than 400 years, Bermuda's history has crafted a distinct culture. Its people descended from West Indian and West African slaves, English settlers, Irish adventurers, North American Native prisoners and Portuguese immigrants.

Like its southern U.S. and Caribbean neighbours, slavery features predominately in Bermuda's history. If this legacy is of interest to you, hit the self-guided African Diaspora Heritage Trail. It includes a stop in St. George's at the graveyard of the western hemisphere's oldest church, St. Peter's, which has separate sections for slaves and free men.

Today, African and West Indian culture roars to life when energetic gombey dancers hit the streets on Bermuda Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and other holidays. Accompanied by drummers, energetic men and boys perform African dances in groups of 10 to 30, usually from the same family or community.

When the gombey dancers come along, in their brightly coloured masquerade costumes and headgear, you will not be able to keep still. The ever-faster rhythm is infectious and will soon have you jumpin' up with the locals.

Bermuda is more formal than most sun destinations, although not nearly as much as you may expect. In homage to its British roots, flowing black robes and full white wigs appear for government occasions in the world's second-oldest parliament. Traditional English afternoon tea is taken here, and cool pints beckon from the English pubs that are liberally sprinkled throughout the island.

Other libations worth a sip are the national cocktails – the Dark n’ Stormy and the Bermuda Rum Swizzle.

Public transportation in Bermuda consists primarily of air-conditioned pink and blue buses and ferries. Both buses and ferries run at frequent intervals to most visitor attractions. The ferry service travels between Hamilton, Paget and Warwick, or from Hamilton to Ireland Island and to St. George's. Both bus and ferry are inexpensive and convenient.

The fleet of taxis here is also a great way to get around. Just keep in mind that in Bermuda, taxis don't have meters – so you'll have to negotiate the price before you travel. Shared transportation can also be arranged in advance from the airport to the hotel as well as to major tourist attractions.

If you're looking for a more unique transportation option, catch the Bermuda Railways Train in Dockyard, Hamilton and St. George's. Or, rent a 19-foot whaler boat and explore the gorgeous Bermudan waters.

Once you've landed at L.F. Wade International Airport, you will pass through immigration and pick up your baggage. If you've booked hotel transfers with WestJet Vacations, just look for a CEO Transport Ltd representative holding a WestJet Vacations sign. They will shuttle you to your hotel so you can begin your vacation in beautiful Bermuda.

Vaccinations

Be sure your routine vaccinations are up-to-date. Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, malaria, typhoid and tetanus are commonly recommended.

Bermuda uses the North American standard plug, however some properties have only two-pronged receptacles in the room rather than three-pronged receptacles.