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Heidi's byway tour or hidden gems and why


Boatingmom
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I can't speak to Hidden Gems, but we took Heidi's BywaysTour last month with our 21 and 17 year-old sons. There was plenty of physical activity for them - we climbed the Gibbs Hill Light, walked along the beach at Jobson's Cove, stopped to see the silk spiders, walked through Palm Grove Gardens, visited the caves at Grotto Bay, and spent some time in St. George. Admittedly there is a fair amount of time spent in the van, but our sons don't mind that - they're veterans of a fair number of tours. Heidi said each of her tours is different - she tries to match activities to her guests (e.g., if she has guests that are mobiity-impaired she skips the caves).

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We did both tours during 2.5 day on the island. While they were both great tours, and we would have definitely missed some sites if we had chosen 1 over the other, there was a fair bit of overlap. Hidden Gems entails a 50 minute ride to the far end of the island, and the guides do a good job highlighting Bermuda history and pointing out sites on the way. The difference is that there is no time to stop, get out, and take photos.

 

If your teens prefer an active adventure, I would probably choose Hidden Gems. We enjoyed our Bermuda Byways tour, but there were parts of it that seemed geared toward an older crowd. (The lighthouse, the fort and the beaches were the kids' favorites.) We didn't stop at Grotto Bay to explore the caves. We, instead, made a trip to see the Hamilton Princes hotel, which one of the women in the group had stayed at many moons ago. The people who we toured with had booked before us, so their request took priority. This might have been boring to my kids, except for the fact that the lobby was nicely air conditioned and had WiFi. There was a lot of time on the van, and a lot of it is spent quiet and listening, as Heidi talks while she tours.

 

Overall, I would lean slightly toward recommending Hidden Gems to families with active teens with the caveat that you try to get to the lighthouse on your own--it's totally worth it!

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In all fairness, the hotel lobby wasn't a major part of the trip . . . we just "chilled" there for about 5-10 minutes so the people got a chance to check out the hotel. There were also beautiful views of the harbor out back (and a Moongate) that we checked out. I think, with this tour, that she takes special requests and only has time to accomodate a certain number of them. So if you are the fist to book for a given day, yours might be granted (thus, the hotel stop). In restrospect, we should have used the time to walk up and down the main street in Hamilton. We were just hot and tired . . .

 

I do think your teens will enjoy Hidden Gems. There are benefits to day 1 (get an island overview can can schedule it a little later) or day 3 (if you are on a cruise that leaves at 3:00 p.m. -- you make great use of the day/can't miss the ship if you book through the cruise line which leaves more time to pack in other activities on day 1 and 2. I could help you better with "which day" if you tell me the other things you want to make sure not to miss.

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Ok you've helped. Hidden Gems may be a better fit. Not interested in a hotel lobby. Now, would you do day one or day three??

 

 

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Keep in mind about the hotel lobby the OP reported that it was a special request, not a normal part of the tour. If your group des not have total occupancy there is the possibility of special requests but I would not much worry about it. I do think that Hidden Gems would be suited to your teens but then the adults interests should be kept in mind too.

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A few options would be:

 

Day 1: Hidden Gems tour. If a Wed., then Hamilton/Harbour Nights festival in the evening.

 

Day 2: Ferry to St. George; Tobacco Bay before crowded. Lunch and explore town. Ferry back.

 

Day 3: Take early beach shuttle to Warwick Long Bay Beach and explore beaches from Warwick to Horseshoe. Beach shuttle back in time for sail away. (This is not the day pass at a resort but more an "explore beaches on your own" option). Highly recommend this beautiful beach walk.

 

Another option if you really want a day at a resort:

 

Day 1: Ferry to St. George. See St. George and Tobacco Bay. Ferry back (or bus to Hamilton and stay for Harbour Nights)

 

Day 2: Beach day at resort

 

Day 3: Hidden Gems

 

Or you could reverse day 1 and 2.

 

Hope that helps a little.

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Thank you. Imintzer. I think hidden gems day one, tobacco day two and a quick horseshoe day three. I figure hidden gems can give the overview of the island. Considered switching day one and three but would have to get up real early to get the whole tour in.

 

 

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