What's New in Bermuda?

[islegroove]

It's mini-golf course sized, but without the castles and drawbridges and windmills.

[iheartbda]

It's mini-golf course sized, but without the castles and drawbridges and windmills.

IMHO, certainly looks much better than the miniature golf around here with the hokey windmills, etc.:D

Husband just looked at the pictures and said, "that's a pitch and putt".:)

[Cruisin Around]

Hi All,

Now that we verified that there is a mini golf course - it looks beautiful from the pics - would this in fact be the mini golf that children can play? Some of the pics look small on my screen and it's hard to tell if it's just mini as in smaller than the norm or mini as in my five year old can do it?

Sorry to be thick!

Thanks!

[iheartbda]

Hi All,

Now that we verified that there is a mini golf course - it looks beautiful from the pics - would this in fact be the mini golf that children can play? Some of the pics look small on my screen and it's hard to tell if it's just mini as in smaller than the norm or mini as in my five year old can do it?

Sorry to be thick!

Thanks!

Did you click on the picture? It will come up larger. Look back at the last post by Tomct #25, he as well as my DH think it could be a pitch and putt. If so, probably not something a five year old could do.

[islegroove]

Hi All,

Now that we verified that there is a mini golf course - it looks beautiful from the pics - would this in fact be the mini golf that children can play? Some of the pics look small on my screen and it's hard to tell if it's just mini as in smaller than the norm or mini as in my five year old can do it?

Sorry to be thick!

Thanks!

 

Each hole isn't very big. I'm sure your five-year-old could do it but there's no boundaries (at this point) to keep the ball in play.

 

It was supposed to be open in July but everything moves on island time here.

[Tomct]

Each hole isn't very big. I'm sure your five-year-old could do it but there's no boundaries (at this point) to keep the ball in play.

 

It was supposed to be open in July but everything moves on island time here.

 

One factor with a five year old could be their insurance policy. There was an excellent "pitch and putt" near our home in CT, and we used to take our kids, and later grandson there as youngsters. When our grandson was about 10, a few years ago, we took him to one on Cape Cod, Ma., and they did not allow anyone 12 or under on the course "for insurance reasons". He was a pretty good golfer on a regular course, but could not play there.

[P&C4/16/67]

Knowing Bermuda, green fees, clubs and balls will be big bucks even on a pitch & putt. They'll get it too with all the ships in port during season.

[Tomct]

Knowing Bermuda, green fees, clubs and balls will be big bucks even on a pitch & putt. They'll get it too with all the ships in port during season.

 

That may very well be the case, but it appears like the one we played on Cape Cod, very short, and all you needed was a 9 iron, a putter, and a ball. The price was all inclusive. Now the one we played most often in CT had a couple of holes around 110 yards or so, where depending on your skill level, and age, we often brought a couple of clubs from our own bag, as well as a quality golf ball.

[luvfamvaca]

Don't mean to get off topic but I saw something about horseback riding on the beach, just an fyi…I emailed the place mentioned and found out they are no longer permitted to ride on the beach but they do take the trails very close to the beach and I heard it is breathtaking!:cool:

[Tomct]

Don't mean to get off topic but I saw something about horseback riding on the beach, just an fyi…I emailed the place mentioned and found out they are no longer permitted to ride on the beach but they do take the trails very close to the beach and I heard it is breathtaking!:cool:

 

Here's some discussion of horseback riding I saw on the Bermuda (port) thread, maybe you have already seen it:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1572953

 

The stable link they reference is:

 

http://www.spicelandsriding.com/

[KarlS]

While not new, horseback riding on the beach isn't on everyone's radar. This independent excursion was the highlight of our multiple visits. I'm a novice rider and had no trouble at all.

 

http://www.spicelandsriding.com/

 

Giddy up!

 

Hello,

 

My wife & I will be arriving at King's Wharf on Enchantment of the Seas Sunday afternoon, September 30th, for two half and one full day. We'd like to arrange for a trail ride during the full day, but we have one hesitation. On our only other visit to Bermuda, waaaaaay back in 1987, the horses we saw on the island were in pretty bad shape, very malnourished and living in poor conditions. We chose not to ride then, because those horses looked like they were worked pretty hard. If Spiceland's group trail ride horses today are in as good shape as those on their web site, we think we'd like to ride. We have two horses of our own here in our barn in northern VA. My wife is the daily (English dressage and trail) rider, and I'm the reluctant horse husband who does occasional trail rides in a western saddle. What can you tell us about the condition of your trail horses when you rode at Spicelands? Did your group trail ride get down to the beaches? Thanks very much, in advance, for your response. Best regards, ...Karl

[3rdGenCunarder]

Don't mean to get off topic but I saw something about horseback riding on the beach, just an fyi…I emailed the place mentioned and found out they are no longer permitted to ride on the beach but they do take the trails very close to the beach and I heard it is breathtaking!:cool:

 

It is beautiful, even if you don't go down on the beach. It's several years since I've done it, and I always did the "breakfast ride," which was early in the morning, and we did go down onto the beach. (continental breakfast when we got back) Once people start getting on the beach, it's just too dangerous. It's amazing how people will walk right in front of or behind a horse without thinking of the potential for being stepped on or kicked.

 

And if you feel deprived of a gallop on the beach, you wouldn't be missing that anyhow. At one time, they did take the experienced riders on a separate trail where we could canter. But they never cantered on the beach. If you let a bunch of horses start running, they get excited and want to race, which could be faster than novice riders could handle.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Hello,

 

My wife & I will be arriving at King's Wharf on Enchantment of the Seas Sunday afternoon, September 30th, for two half and one full day. We'd like to arrange for a trail ride during the full day, but we have one hesitation. On our only other visit to Bermuda, waaaaaay back in 1987, the horses we saw on the island were in pretty bad shape, very malnourished and living in poor conditions. We chose not to ride then, because those horses looked like they were worked pretty hard. If Spiceland's group trail ride horses today are in as good shape as those on their web site, we think we'd like to ride. We have two horses of our own here in our barn in northern VA. My wife is the daily (English dressage and trail) rider, and I'm the reluctant horse husband who does occasional trail rides in a western saddle. What can you tell us about the condition of your trail horses when you rode at Spicelands? Did your group trail ride get down to the beaches? Thanks very much, in advance, for your response. Best regards, ...Karl

 

Spicelands is great, and the horses are in good condition. Tell your wife to call them before you go. They might let her ride a horse with English saddle and tack. I'm pretty sure I did. I will NOT ride in sneakers, no matter what a stable says, and since we weren't flying to our port, I brought boots and breeches. I was probably the only experienced rider in the group, so they had me mount first and lead the warmup walk in the schooling ring.

[KarlS]

Thanks very much for your responses. We're driving to Baltimore to meet our ship, so bringing her breeches and half-chaps might be an alternative, and then she'll feel more comfortable. Cheers!

 

...Karl

[KarlS]

Spicelands is great, and the horses are in good condition.

 

Were you there on a cruise, possibly tied up at Kings Wharf ship yard? If so, how'd you get to Spicelands? Bus? Ferry? Taxi? A combination? Thanks.

 

...Karl

[njhorseman]

Were you there on a cruise, possibly tied up at Kings Wharf ship yard? If so, how'd you get to Spicelands? Bus? Ferry? Taxi? A combination? Thanks.

 

...Karl

 

You take the#8 bus from dockyard to Spicelands Stable. Your other option is a taxi.

[KarlS]

Thanks! :)

[3rdGenCunarder]

Thanks very much for your responses. We're driving to Baltimore to meet our ship, so bringing her breeches and half-chaps might be an alternative, and then she'll feel more comfortable. Cheers!

 

...Karl

 

If I can't take the full boots, I wear jeans and ankle-high boots. They aren't riding boots, but they have a good heel, and I will not ride in a shoe without a heel. Most people on the ride will be in jeans. Some are in white pants of shorts, which always gives me a laugh.

 

I was on a cruise docked in Hamilton each time I rode. I took a taxi because I went so early, and took the bus back to Hamilton.

[Tomct]

Still looking for new ideas for enjoying our time in Bermuda. We are planning our 4th cruise, and though we have a few "Must Do" agenda items, we do want to mix in some new with the old, and create a flexible schedule that we can adjust as we go along in the planning, and once we are there. Thanks for all the discussion so far, and look forward to more before we sail next May.

[KarlS]

Thanks for everyone's help. We booked (online) Spicelands Stables more-expensive "private" ride for this past Monday so we could trot/canter in addition to just walking, and go on a 90-mins vs 60-mins ride.

 

The good news: It's easy to get to Spicelands stable from King's Wharf. Catch a number 8 bus (as an earlier poster recommended) and ask the driver to let you out at Spicelands. It's about a 30-minute ride. Easy. The bus stop is right on Middle Road at the end of Spiceland's driveway. Walk down the driveway to the office on the right just on the other side of the riding ring to check-in and get your helmet if you choose to wear one. (We have horses of our own, so we know to wear helmets). The horses were in good shape. Well cared for and quiet. The saddles were western, the rest of the tack English. Because it's the beginning of Bermuda's "winter" season, no other rides were booked for this particular Monday morning, and only one in the afternoon. On Monday morning, the riders were just my wife and me. Theresa, our guide, was a very pleasant young woman, born and raised in Bermuda. She pointed out lots of flora along the way, and told us some of the history of the area, too. We rode over heavily-vegetated trails, crossed a few roads with traffic, and walked along a few back streets in pretty neighborhoods to get to Warwick Long Beach. Then we rode along the sandy path near the beach and parallel to the shoreline down to Horseshoe Bay Beach before turning back. As anticipated, we rode on a path near the beaches, but never actually "on" the beaches. It was a beautiful blue-sky day, and the beaches were spectacular. Some great photo opportunities. We saw a few families on the beaches, but not very many. We got to trot and canter. I'm glad my wife got the horse she did, because she's the experienced rider, and her horse chose to get quite "spirited" when asked to canter.

 

The only "bad" news: After a half-hour on the trail, we started back towards the stables. My wife asked Theresa when would we have a chance to trot/canter? Theresa said she was told we had booked a "group" ride, which goes on a shorter/different trail than a "private" ride. We also think the "group" horses for a ride are most likely selected because they're quiet and will only have to walk for an hour. Theresa said she wished she had known at the start we had paid for a private ride, because we would've ridden on the normal "private" ride trail instead of this shorter trail. There was no access from the short trail to the other trail. She did try to extend our ride another fifteen minutes by back-tracking on the shorter trail in a few places, but we had the feeling we didn't get the ride we'd paid the premium to enjoy. In hindsight, had we known this was the slow season in Bermuda, and chances of anyone else riding on the same day we rode were small, we would've saved a tremendous amount of money and booked a "group" ride (in our case a group of two) instead of the more than twice the price "private" ride.

 

Everything considered, though, we had a very nice ride, and we'd recommend Spicelands and Theresa to anyone who wants a unique experience while visiting this beautiful island. Just sign up for a group ride. (Of course, as always, your mileage may vary depending upon the time of the year you visit Bermuda). Cheers! :)

[luvfamvaca]

My plan was to book Spicelands when we are in Bermuda until my daughter returned from a trail ride with her cousins here where we live and had bruises up and down her inner thighs, seems she somehow couldn't get a grasp on putting her weight into her feet and leaning back so (and I am not a good rider either, must be hereditary LOL)…we are now trying to decide between the Wildcat boat tour or one of the glass bottom snorkel tours…decisions… decisions...:confused: Care to share your opinion to help us decide?:)

[KarlS]

we are now trying to decide between the Wildcat boat tour or one of the glass bottom snorkel tours…decisions… decisions...:confused: Care to share your opinion to help us decide?:)

 

Sorry. Can't help you with either of those. ;)

[Tomct]

This isn't new, but since there have been some knowledgeable visitors here, I was wondering if anyone has experienced a Catamaran in Bermuda. We have talked about a Sunset cruise and then there is the Party cruise. I also wonder whether you should or can book locally or are they usually booked up with ship excursions?

[Tomct]

Still looking for new ideas to consider in making plans for our three day stay in Bermuda in May, while our cruise ship visits Bermuda. All replies will be appreciated!

[mare73]

Have you looked into Hartley's Helmet Dive? We felt it was the best part of our entire cruise (Bermuda, Boston, Newport) and would do it again next time we're in Bermuda.

 

Have fun!