From June until September, Bermuda is at its busiest, and prices for accommodation rise to reflect that. Furthermore, from August onwards the risk of hurricanes is at its highest; the most recent, Fabian in 2003, caused widespread damage.

GETTING THERE The only airline with a direct link from anywhere outside North America is British Airways (www. ba. com) from the UK. BA now fly daily from London Gatwick.

Travelling via the US is another option. American Airlines, Continental, Delta and US Airways fly from a range of East Coast hubs to Bermuda. This gives you the opportunity to combine New York or Washington with Bermuda, which makes up for the much longer journey time.

Two more solutions involve low-cost airlines from the US. USA3000 (www. usa3000. com) flies twice a week from Baltimore and Newark while jetBlue (www. jetBlue. com) is soon to start flying twice-daily from New York JFK. So you could, for example, fly Aer Lingus to JFK and transfer there.

GETTING A ROUND Public transport . . . buses and ferries . . . is excellent, which is just as well because visitors are not allowed to rent cars. You can hire a scooter, a bicycle or an electric powerassisted bike, but road quality is uneven and the locals' standard of driving erratic.

ACCOMMODATION You will pay handsomely for a place to stay in Bermuda, but in return you will find high quality and a friendly welcome. At the top end, the Fairmont Princess in Hamilton offers the five-star experience.

There are a number of other big but less grand hotels, such as the Grotto Bay Beach resort. For a more individual experience, though, you should choose one of the many historic homes (by New World standards) that have been converted into upmarket accommodation.

Rates are high and largely non-negotiable;

hoteliers would apparently rather leave rooms empty than reduce prices, though you could try asking for a corporate rate. And on top of published prices, you must add 10% for 'grats' (service charge) plus 7.25% government hotel tax.

Rates are usually roomonly. At some smaller properties, though, you may get some extras, such as sparkling wine on arrival, afternoon tea and breakfast.

Plan well ahead; unlike many destinations, simply turning up and taking pot luck is a poor strategy.

Many places are booked up weeks or months ahead.

Also, there is a certain inflexibility among smaller accommodation providers:

even though they may have empty rooms, if you phone or call in on the day, you may be told that they are simply not ready.

MONEY Reflecting Bermuda's main trading partner, the local currency is on a par with the US dollar. The Bermuda dollar has its own coins and notes, which are interchangeable at par with American currency.

Outside Bermuda, however, the local currency is hard to convert, so before you leave, make sure your funds are all in US dollars unless you want to bring back some colourful souvenirs. Banks and hotels will change euro for dollars, but you are likely to get a more favourable rate by using one of the many automatic teller machines.

TAXIS Bermuda has hundreds of taxis, almost all of them MPVs capable of carrying four people and lots of luggage. The standing charge is $3.75, and each kilometre costs an additional $2. A short hop around town should therefore not be more than $8, but a tip of 15% is expected, so plan to pay $10. The 16km ride between the airport and Hamilton, is likely to cost around $45, including tip.

Taxi drivers are happy to be hired for several hours or a full day, and will reliably take you to places of interest with a colourful commentary. The standard rate is $36 per hour, with a minimum of three hours and a tip on top.

DRESS If you are accustomed to the informality of most Caribbean islands, you should smarten up for Bermuda. Most restaurants . . . and even golf courses . . . insist on 'smart casual' attire, and frown on jeans. In this conservative territory, topless sunbathing is unheard of, and beach attire is never seen away from the shoreline.

Additional reporting by Roslyn Dee