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Hidden Gems

• Phone: 441-236-1300
• Address: Royal Naval Dockyard, Sandys, Bermuda
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.bermudahiddengems.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/HiddenGemsBermuda
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hidden_gems_of_bermuda_ltd/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hiddengemsofbda

Travel with us to exquisite locations offering a sense of excitement for individuals with an adventurous spirit and passion for the great outdoors. We promise to take you on a journey to some of the finest places that nature has to offer amongst entering into the island’s one and only jungle, exploring caves off the beaten path, interacting with tropical fish and much more!

Get ready for an exclusive experience learning about Bermuda’s natural habitats and geological formations.

Check out our Summer Excursions and Winter Excursions  to find out more about the places we explore throughout the year. We also offer more privatized tours for Special Occasions which are tailored to what the customer specifically wants to see and do around the island.

Hidden Gems of Bermuda Ltd. looks forward to taking you to some of the finest places that nature has to offer…and don’t forget your camera!.

Want to get Bermuda at your fingertips? Download the “Hidden Gems of Bermuda” app today from www.hiddengemsofbermuda.com

For more information on Hidden Gems or to book, please visit   www.bermudahiddengems.com

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Scuba dive and snorkel in bermuda, ultimate water sports in bermuda, 1-677-124-44227, [email protected], hidden gems summer excursion.

Come along with us as we travel across the island into Bermuda's one and only Jungle filled with cliff jumping, dry cave explorations and cave swimming adventures! The most majestic scenery awaits you as you enter this lush land filled with national birds, trees, and other beautiful creatures. We will then make our way over to a local restaurant for a true taste of Bermuda for lunch.

Thereafter, you're in for a real treat having the opportunity to choose from many delicious flavors of locally made ice cream. Take your pick and indulge in the creamy authenticity! Finally, get ready to put your feet in the ‘Bermudaful’ pink sand as we travel to one of the island's premier snorkeling locations to swim with tropical fish around a preserved coral reef system. You also have the option of staying on the secluded beach where you can wade in the shallows to your heart's content.

Locations Visited:

• Tom Moore's Jungle / Blue Hole Park : Nature Hike, Dry Cave Exploration, Wet Cave Swim, Optional Cliff Jump into the Blue Lagoon
• Cooper's Island Nature Reserve : Nature Walk, Beach Time (Relax on the Beach, Swim, Snorkel)
• Mini Bus Transportation with Driver / Guide(s)
• Backpack for the day including: Bottled Water, Snorkel Equipment, Safety Helmet with head lamp, Rain Poncho and/or Umbrella
• Complimentary Scoop of Ice Cream

Available Pick Up Locations:

• Royal Naval Dockyard - Meet 15 Minutes prior to scheduled departure time at Island Tour Centre
• Cambridge Beaches Pick-Up -  Be at the Main Pillars to the hotel driveway entrance 5 Minutes after Tour Start Time
• Willow Bank Hotel - Be across the street from the main entrance (Heydon Drive) 5 minutes after Tour Start time 
• Pompano Beach Club Pick-Up -  Be at the Main Pillars to the hotel driveway entrance on Middle Road 10 Minutes after Tour Start Time
• The Reefs Resort - Be at the public bus stop directly across the street from The Reefs Resort 15 Minutes after Tour Start Time
• Fairmont Southampton - Be at the South Shore public bus stop at the roadside entrance to the Fairmont Southampton 20 Minutes after Tour Start Time
• Coco Reef Resort Pick-Up -  Be at the public bus Stop directly across the street from Bermuda College 30 Minutes after Tour Start Time
• Botanical Gardens - Be at the Lower South Shore road main entrance (across from the Peace Lutheran Church) 40 Minutes after Tour Start Time
• The Loren Pick-Up - Be waiting directly across the street from the hotels main entrance 45 Minutes after Tour Start Time
• Rosewood Tuckers Point Pick-Up -   Be at the public bus Stop on the golf course across the street from the hotels main entrance pillars 50 Minutes after Tour Start Time
• Blue Hole Park - Be at the Blue Hole Park parking lot (across from the Rubis Gas Station near the causeway) 1 Hour after Tour Start Time

Restrictions:

• Minimum 5 Years old to participate
• Maximum 250 Lbs
• Participants must be physically fit and able to walk extended distances over uneven natural terrain

Suggested Attire:

• Swimwear under shorts/pants and tee-shirt (avoid wearing anything new or white. Clothing may get dirty)
• Sturdy walking shoes (sneakers/socks recommended). For caving, shoes with good grip are required. No Flip Flops for the caving portion.
• Hat and Sunscreen

Cost: $185 Per Person Admin Fee: $5 Non-Refundable Admin Fee applies at time of reservation Tour Duration: 7 Hours Months of Operation: April-November Excludes: Towels; Gratuities for the driver/guide(s)

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Hidden Gems Tours

Explore the natural hidden gems of Bermuda with adventurous tours curated and led by Ashley and Joel Cassidy. of Hidden Gems Tours. Their insight of the natural environment and heritage of the island allows guests to explore Bermuda in a more adventurous fashion, with tours that include fort exploration, cliff jumping, dry cave explorations and even cave swimming. Tours are intuitively designed to include rest stops with options to enjoy casual yet delicious local foods from fish sandwiches to freshly made ice cream.

For inquiries or reservations:

[email protected]

+1 441 236 1300

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Hidden Gems of Bermuda Tour: Discovering the Best of Bermuda in 1 Day

Posted on Published: June 2, 2020  - Last updated: March 17, 2024

Categories Bermuda , Blog , Caribbean , Ecotourism , Hiking , Kind Travel , Outdoor Adventures , Resources , Reviews , Snorkeling , Tours , Water Activities

The Hidden Gems of Bermuda tour was our favorite thing to do on the island. The concept of the Hidden Gems of Bermuda tour is just our style: an all-inclusive, fully interactive, island eco-tour where we’d explore many off the beaten path destinations. It was one of the best things we did throughout our four days in Bermuda . We went hiking in Bermuda through Tom Moore’s Jungle, explored caves (even went swimming in one!), snorkeled on a deserted beach, challenged ourselves to cliff jumping, and more. Here’s what you can expect on a Bermuda Hidden Gems tour.

Our tour guide, Ashley, picked us up at our hotel for our full-day tour. We spent seven hours in total with Ashley. It was one glorious day discovering Bermuda’s beautiful natural spots, including jungles, caves, and nature preserves. We lucked out because we were the only couple taking the tour that day, so it was a private excursion for the two of us. Typically, a small group will travel around the island with Ashley, so it’s still an intimate experience. Our first stop on our Hidden Gems of Bermuda tour was Tom Moore’s Jungle.

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Hidden Gems of Bermuda: Tom Moore’s Jungle

Tom Moore’s Jungle, also known as the Walsingham Nature Reserve is located in Hamilton Parish. The jungle is named after the Irish poet, Tom Moore, who wrote many of his famous works in Bermuda. Here you will discover a forest, trails, caves, grottoes, mangroves, and many varieties of flora and fauna.

The Blue Lagoon

The first place that Ashley showed us a crystal clear pool in Tom Moore’s Jungle called the Blue Lagoon. Much of the water that flows into the caverns and ponds of the jungle comes from the nearby Castle Harbour. To our surprise, this pond was home to many kinds of fish. The largest resident of Bermuda’s Blue Lagoon is the Rainbow Parrotfish, although we kept seeing this gorgeous beauty called the Princess Parrotfish.

We continued our walk along the nature trails of Tom Moore’s Jungle. It’s a great place to go hiking in Bermuda. Unfortunately, when we visited Bermuda, a hurricane passed through only days earlier. The hurricane damaged many trees and paths in the jungle. Thankfully, the hurricane didn’t damage too much of the island. Unfortunately, we couldn’t visit the Blue Hole because the path was temporarily blocked from the hurricane damage. Instead, we explored some other amazing natural spaces. Our next stop was the Subway Cave.

Subway Cave

Ashley provided each of us with a backpack filled with the appropriate gear for this caving experience. Hidden Gems of Bermuda has thought of everything! Justin and I put on helmets equipped with head lamps. These are very handy while exploring the caves as it gets very dark in there. Ashley also brought a higher powered flashlight that could even be used underwater.

These are public caves in Tom Moore’s Jungle that are very natural and untouched. Therefore, there aren’t any signs, paths, or lights in Subway Cave. It’s handy to travel with a local guide who knows exactly where to find the best spots. These caves can be very concealed and you might not even know that they exist otherwise. I wouldn’t have even known there was such an impressive cave buried beneath the greenery and sprawling tree roots.

Subway Cave is a fascinating dry cave beneath the forest floor. Many stalactites hang down from the ceiling. On the outside, they look like regular rock formations, though the inside of the rocks shimmer and sparkle like crystals. Unfortunately, some of the stalactites are covered with a black soot as early cave explorers, lacking the technology of flashlights, brought torches and open flames into the caves. Thankfully, the stalactites are growing back (though at a very slow rate) and are recovering from being burned.

We really had to watch our heads as we crawled through some of the narrow passageways in the cave. Some of the thicker stalactites of various lengths could actually be “played” as a natural pipe organ. When striking the sides of the stalactite with your hand, various tones would sound. Don’t worry, this doesn’t harm the rocks in any way. They are incredibly sturdy and aren’t going anywhere.

Walsingham Cave

Our next stop was Walsingham Cave, a partially drowned cavern where you can go swimming to view interesting rock formations all around. Justin and I packed our water shoes for the occasion because the rocks can be a little bit sharp as you enter or leave the pool.

The cave is fairly dark, but there’s enough natural light to see clearly. Ashley also gave us her underwater flashlight so we could shine light to the farthest rock walls and beneath the water. As we swam inside the cave, we saw one huge rock that looked exactly like a bear! The cave water was a little bit chilly, but we got used to the temperature once we started swimming around.

Learning About Native Plants

As we went hiking in Bermuda at Tom Moore’s Jungle, Ashley shows us some natural plants and how Bermudians use them for natural remedies. For instance, you shouldn’t use bug spray in the jungle due to all of the chemicals (if you’re going to use it, please spray it on well in advance before you enter!). While you won’t encounter many mosquitoes in the jungle, you could always use the leaves of the Surinam Cherry to keep them away. It also treats bug bites if you take a few of the leaves and rub them vigorously on your skin.

The Warwick Spice Tree also grows in the jungle, which smells strongly of cloves if you scrunch up its leaves and rub them in your hands. We also scrunched up the leaves of the Shell Ginger plant, which smelled like a calming eucalyptus scent from the spa. Bermudians use the root of this plant to make the island’s famous Ginger Beer!

Lunch Break on This Bermuda Tour

After our cave and jungle explorations, it was time for lunch. Ashley drove us over to the Black Horse Tavern, a restaurant on St. David’s Island where you will find the most authentic Bermudian cuisine. Unfortunately, this restaurant has since closed.

Nowadays, lunch on the tour is prepared by Eliana’s Fine Dining. There’s always a vegetarian or vegan option on the tour, and every meal comes with a Bermuda ginger beer soda. At the Black Horse Tavern, we enjoyed chickpea burgers with a beautiful view. If you’re looking for more vegan options in Bermuda, check out our Bermuda vegan dining guide .

St. David’s Lighthouse

After lunch, we visited St. David’s Lighthouse for a panoramic view of the island. St. David’s Lighthouse was originally built in 1879. It is the most authentic lighthouse on the island. Its walls were constructed using Bermuda Limestone, and an interior staircase was made from the island’s endemic Bermuda Cedar.

You must walk up the 85 steps to the top of the lighthouse for the brilliant 360 degree views. From here, you will be at one of the highest points in Bermuda, and can view many brightly painted homes and the sparkling blue ocean all around.

Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve

From St. David’s Lighthouse, we traveled to Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve, near the site of the NASA station in Bermuda. Until 1995, the site of Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve was occupied fully by the United States Military. Nowadays, members of the public can enjoy its twelve acres of unspoiled beauty. We visited a beautiful sandy beach called Long Beach, one of the best beaches in Bermuda .

This beach was quite secluded, and we may have seen maybe one other person there. We had this pretty beach entirely to ourselves. It proved to be quite the amazing snorkeling site, as we saw several species of fish including large schools of parrotfish. Ashley provided us with all of the snorkel gear, as well as pool noodles if we wanted to float around on them. We had plenty of free time to swim around with the fish on our own.

Admiralty House Park

For our final adventure, we went to Admiralty House Park to go cliff jumping in Bermuda. Admiralty House Park is just outside of the city of Hamilton, at Spanish Point off the North Shore. We walked down the park’s main path towards an underground passageway to the Admiral’s Cave.

There are tunnels and passageways to navigate through in order to reach the edge of the cliff. This is a popular spot with the locals for cliff jumping, especially the island’s daring teenagers.  We jumped several times from the rocky ledges and felt pretty courageous for having attempted something that we’d never done before. After each jump, we swam towards the cove and back inside the cave. From there, we walked through the cave and back up to the top for another jump.

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A HUGE thank you to Ashley for showing us all of the amazing places that Bermuda has to offer! We had the experience of a lifetime. We highly recommend that you take a Hidden Gems of Bermuda tour when you travel to Bermuda. It was great to spend the day with a local who taught us about the island and showed us so many wonderful, eco-friendly places.

Would you ever go cliff jumping or swim inside a cave?

Lauren is the full-time travel blogger and content creator behind Justin Plus Lauren. She started Justin Plus Lauren in 2013 and has travelled to 50+ countries around the world. Lauren is an expert on vegan travel as one of the very first vegan travel bloggers. She also focuses on outdoor adventure travel, eco and sustainable travel, and creating amazing travel itineraries for cities and small towns.

BARRY SHAPIRO

Thursday 22nd of July 2021

Hi Thank you so much for all your information. One question. I am not a good swimmer so I'd only be comfortable in shallow water. Is the water in the Tom Moore caves deep?

Friday 23rd of July 2021

Thank you so much for your quick response. Much appreciated.

Hi Barry! Inside the caves themselves, the water is not very deep. However, in the water surrounding the caves, it is a bit deeper. You will be fine if you swim in the cave!

Candace Glenney

Tuesday 16th of June 2020

This looks like a great day tour to do some of everything! I loved Bermuda and was amazed at the caves, beaches, and so many other things to do!

Wayne ''Whisky Sour '' Ebbin

Thursday 16th of August 2018

Glad you enjoyed your trip to my beautiful island home. If your readers intend on coming for a visit please do enjoy the pristine cleanliness of the beaches and the charm and goodness of the people. Bermuda us another world . Do come back some day justin and lauren until then safe travels . Peace

Wednesday 18th of April 2018

I love scuba diving not only for the adventure, but also for the wonderful and unique things you get to see below the water surface. In the past years I've taken a lot of interesting and amazing pictures.

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Monday 4th of December 2017

Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a extraordinary job!

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Tom Moore’s Jungle – Hidden Gems Tour in Bermuda

By: Author Carrie Ann Karstunen

Posted on Published: July 31, 2018  - Last updated: September 28, 2022

Looking for an unusual Bermuda shore excursion? The Hidden Gems Tour will take you to Tom Moore’s Jungle on the eastern end of Bermuda.

On our seven-day Norwegian Cruise Line cruise to Bermuda, I wanted to do something more adventurous than the average walking tour or bus excursion. Come along with Mr. SBC and me on the Hidden Gems Tour! Explore Tom Moore’s Jungle , take a swim inside a cave, snorkel next to a reef, and more.

Choosing the Hidden Gems tour to Tom Moore’s Jungle

While researching our cruise, none of the shore excursions that Norwegian offered really stood out to me as fantastic, must-do experiences.

I checked with my travel agency, as well as with the major shore excursion companies. A lot of the “tours” I found were just transportation to an attraction. We could definitely find our own transportation for less!

Many were boat rides, but we’d be spending several days on a ship to get to Bermuda. I wanted to see Bermuda, not more water! However, one excursion did look interesting: the Hidden Gems Tour.

The Hidden Gems tour included a visit to a jungle with wet and dry cave exploration, cliff jumping, lunch, and then snorkeling. It finished with a stop at a local homemade ice cream parlor. Sounded pretty good, but at $249 per person through NCL, I thought it was a bit expensive.

How you can take the Hidden Gems Tour for less

Always looking to save a buck, I tried to find a cheaper way to book the Hidden Gems tour.

I often have good luck finding cheaper rates than the cruise line offers! On a cruise we took that visited Costa Rica, we had our hearts set on doing the behind-the-scenes tour of the sloth sanctuary . The cost of the ship’s excursion was just insane. But booking on my own, I was able to save tons of money on our tickets.

Same with the Hidden Gems Tour! I found the exact same excursion for much less than NCL’s price, saving over $150 for the two of us. (Ticket prices can vary, so click the link below to find the best deal.)

Check pricing and availability for Hidden Gems here

The only issue? There weren’t any spaces left on this seven-hour tour for our second day in Bermuda, the only full day we had in port.

I had read that lots of people choose to end the tour before the coach ride back to the Dockyard, and have dinner at the famous Swizzle Inn before taxiing back to the ship.

But the only way you can do this is to book tickets for your second day in Bermuda. The ship arrives too late in the day on day one, and on day three the ship leaves in the late afternoon.

This wasn’t an option for us, so I booked our tour of Tom Moore’s jungle for day three.

Meeting our Hidden Gems tour guide

Mr. SBC and I woke up early on our third day in Bermuda (like 7:30—cruise early, not real-life early) and grabbed a quick, but filling breakfast from the buffet. Our excursion included lunch and ice cream, but I had read some reviews that said all they got for lunch was a turkey sandwich in a bag. I wasn’t taking any chances, considering that we had an active day ahead of us.

We headed down the gangway and were happy to see a pleasant young woman holding a Hidden Gems sign. She introduced herself as Angel, our guide for the day. As our group assembled (there were about 12 of us), Angel led us to our bus. Before we got on, she asked if everyone had their swimsuits on under their clothes, because there would be nowhere to change before our first swimming stop in the jungle.

One couple, who apparently didn’t know there was swimming involved in a cave swimming / cliff jumping / snorkeling excursion, had to return to their room to put on their suits, because they didn’t even bring them.

I was very surprised that our guide was fine with the delay, given our long schedule and the fact that we had to be back by a specific time. It was a small group though, not a massive excursion where the guide times everything to the minute. Plus, we were on island time. No stress.

You might also like: 20+ Cute Swim Coverups for Cruises & Beach Travel

They don’t tell you about the sunscreen…but I will!

Angel then mentioned that we shouldn’t put sunscreen on until after our cave swim, because the chemicals can erode the cave. I must have had a guilty look on my face (I had put loads of sunscreen on because of my horrible shin sunburn from our outing to Horseshoe Bay Beach ). She looked right at me and said, “Don’t worry, it’s OK. You didn’t know.”

I’m very concerned about what the chemicals in traditional sunscreen can do to coral reefs, so I always use reef-safe sunscreen (my fave is MyChelle Dermaceuticals ). My sunscreen didn’t contain the nasty chemicals that most do, but I still felt bad. Both the Hidden Gems website and the NCL excursion description had no mention of not applying sunscreen!

On the road to Tom Moore’s Jungle

Once we were all reassembled, we got on our tour bus and met Dee, our driver. We headed out to Middle Road, the same way we had gone the day before on our trip to Horseshoe Bay Beach.

Angel narrated, pointing out the sights as we went along. She had mentioned that Dee isn’t her regular driver, and I think she was a little thrown off that Dee didn’t stop at the scenic points that her usual driver did, so her narration probably wasn’t as smooth as usual.

It took us almost an hour to get to our destination, and Angel quickly acclimated to having a different driver. By the middle of the ride, Angel would point out where to stop, and Dee would often chime in with additional information.

We learn about alcoholic trees

Arriving at the jungle, we stopped in a clearing where we saw a squat palm tree with what looked to be some chunks hacked out of it, that had long since healed over with bark. Angel told the story of how Tom Moore’s Jungle got its name.

Thomas Moore, the Irish poet, was appointed to a government post in Bermuda in 1803. He spent only three months there and reportedly was bored out of his skull. According to Angel, he would sit under the now 500-year-old Bermuda palmetto palm tree that still stood in the clearing to write poetry. He was well-known for getting very drunk in this clearing, from alcohol that he had obtained by hacking those chunks out of the palm tree.

We’d never heard of palm tree alcohol, but apparently, there IS a way to get alcohol out of palm trees . Don’t tell the kids.

I had some doubts that the palm tree we saw is 500 years old. Bermuda’s native palmettos don’t live anywhere close to that long. It’s more likely that the tree was young when Moore sat under it, or it’s a completely different tree.

Modern art at the Blue Hole

We next made a quick stop at the famous Blue Hole (swimming isn’t allowed in this one), where an artist had installed fabric pyramids to float on the water. We could tell our guides were not fans of this oddity, and neither were we.

But the water in the blue hole was gorgeous—an otherworldly, semi-opaque cerulean. It was beautiful on its own, and I hope the pyramids won’t be a permanent feature.

Exploring the caves in Tom Moore’s Jungle

We headed off on our hike to the first part of our adventure: the cave exploration and swimming! We headed down a jungle path, with lots of roots sticking up from the ground. Angel pointed out the various vegetation on the path, including a plant that wards off mosquitoes. This plant does an excellent job, because despite being in a dense jungle, we didn’t get a single bug bite!

Our group then clambered down a steep, rocky hill to get to the cave. Arriving at the cave, we put on hair nets, hard hats, and head lanterns. I looked like a school lunch lady visiting a construction site.

We had to duck and twist our way through the entrance of the cave until we arrived in a series of chambers with stalactites and stalagmites. Some of the stalactites were dripping with water, rich with minerals. Angel explained that the dripping is how the formations develop, over thousands of years. In Bermuda, it’s considered good luck if one of the droplets falls on you.

Angel told us that the formations in this cave are in their natural state, as opposed to the formations in the famous Crystal Caves. Although they are the same type, the Crystal Caves formations have been polished to reveal the inner minerals!

Cave swimming and cliff jumping

We continued on to visit the swimming hole in another part of the cave. But before we ventured inside, Angel took our lunch orders to call into the restaurant. 

She then encouraged us to jump off the rocks into the small pool. With our painful sunburns, I was too nervous that I would scratch my skin on the rocks while jumping into the water. I told her about our concerns, and Angel showed us where we could ease ourselves in.

The water felt fantastic, and we were able to swim around for about twenty minutes. The visibility was better than I would have expected inside a cave, as some natural light entered this part of the pool from the entrance.

Then we were off to the cliff jumping! We headed out to another area in the jungle where we could cliff jump into a larger blue hole. Angel told us that she had recently had a 90-year-old woman do the cliff jump! I’m sure that woman didn’t have a sunburn, though. We skipped the jump, but spent the time swimming in the water below and watching the jumpers.

Time for a lunch break

Our next stop was lunch, and we were hungry! We got back on the bus to go to Eliana’s Fine Dining. On the way, Angel told us that the restaurant was housed in a former McDonald’s.

Fun Bermuda fact: McDonald’s, and most chain restaurants, can no longer open in Bermuda. Bermuda now has very strict anti-franchise laws that prevent fast-food restaurants from opening. The only exception is KFC, which was legacied in.

As we exited the bus, most of us still pretty wet from our swim, Dee encouraged us to spread our wet towels out on the grassy area next to the parking lot, so they could dry in the sun while we ate.

We went inside and noticed that we were the only ones there! I found out that the restaurant isn’t open to the public until later in the day, so it was just us. Our waiters brought us glasses of ginger beer, with the option of a cocktail at an extra charge. I had ordered fried fish with black-eyed peas and rice, and Mr. SBC chose a veggie patty.

Our meals were okay, not fantastic, and definitely not “fine dining”, but the food hit the spot. Much better than the bagged turkey sandwiches I had read about in some reviews! The ginger beer was nice too—I never drink soda, but I made an exception to try the local specialty.

Angel told us that the ginger beer used to be made in Bermuda, but they have since moved the production to New Jersey. So much for local!

We try out our new snorkel equipment at the beach

Our group piled back in the bus after retrieving our (now much drier) towels from the warm grass. Dee drove us over to a public beach to snorkel near a rocky reef.

We passed a few other beaches before we arrived, and Angel pointed out one that was man-made. She said it was filled with construction sand! If you’re planning on visiting the beach in Bermuda, definitely check out some reviews before going—there are quite a few man-made beaches.

Arriving at our natural beach, Angel and Dee passed out snorkels, masks, and fins to all of the guests (except us—you can read my review of our new snorkel gear here ).

She also gave us bright pink pool noodles, and told us that we needed to swim with them. Angel pointed out a large rock sticking out of the water, not too far from shore, where the reef is. She said that we could swim around the rock, but not to stay behind it because she needed to make sure everyone was visible.

Our guides weren’t joining us in the water—they were just going to watch from the beach.

On a previous snorkeling tour in Grand Cayman , our guides came in the water with us. They didn’t snorkel, but they were right there to ensure our safety. This time, I felt like a little kid at the beach with my mom watching from shore. Thankfully, they didn’t continually yell to me that I was out too far!

I embrace my inner rebel

We put on our new snorkel gear and waded into the ocean. Wrapping our noodles under our midsections, we began swimming, not too far from shore. This is when I realized that there’s no way I can snorkel with a pool noodle under my stomach. I’m a huge rule-follower, but this was just too much.

If they had asked us to wear big flags on our heads, or even a brightly-colored snorkel vest, I would have been fine. But I couldn’t swim normally with this huge piece of foam underneath me.

So I broke the rules. Don’t tell anyone. I gave Mr. SBC my pool noodle, and just snorkeled right near him. He didn’t mind having two noodles, as he was happy to just float around and look at the fish.

We saw lots of smaller but beautiful fish swimming in schools where we started snorkeling, just a few yards from the beach. There were sergeant majors, blue angelfish, banded butterflyfish, and a few other types of fish I didn’t recognize. Next time, I’m going to bring some laminated fish identification cards  so I can tell what I’m looking at!

We went out a bit deeper, and I decided to check out the reef area near the big rock. There were more people snorkeling over there, so the visibility wasn’t as good. I saw the same exact fish by the reef, so I headed back to where there were fewer people.

After a while, Angel called us all back to shore to pack up. We headed back to the bus, stopping next to the restrooms to rinse the sand off of our gear and ourselves. Growing in front of the building is a huge aloe plant. Angel encouraged us to break off a leaf or two to use on our sunburned legs.

Usually, I wouldn’t break pieces off of a plant that didn’t belong to me. But both Angel and our bus driver from our trip the previous day to Horseshoe Bay Beach told us that in Bermuda, everything growing on public property is free for everyone to use. Pretty cool!

Bailey’s Bay Ice Cream (but no swizzles at the Swizzle Inn)

Our final stop for the day was for local homemade ice cream at Bailey’s Ice Cream Parlour in Hamilton. Bailey’s is located across the street from the Swizzle Inn , and close to the Crystal Caves . Housed in a mint-green cottage, they are known for their wide range of unusual flavors, such as Cumin Nut and Dark & Stormy.

Angel said that if anyone wanted to visit the Swizzle Inn, we could, but we would have to be quick. The Swizzle has been in operation since 1932 and is the home of Bermuda’s favorite drink, the Rum Swizzle. We only had two minutes to see the historic pub, so it was just enough time for a peek.

If we had been able to take the tour on our second day in Bermuda, we would have been allowed to end our tour here to visit the Swizzle, and then find our own transportation back to the ship.

Our guides gave us each a ticket that entitled us to a single scoop of ice cream in a dish or cone. If we wanted an extra scoop or a fancy waffle cone we could just pay the difference. Although I usually go for far-out flavors, none of them seemed up my alley. I decided to play it safe with their Mint Chip. Mr. SBC chose the Bailey’s Irish Cream flavor.

We took our cones out to the patio to enjoy them in the shade. I noticed that my mint ice cream had an unusual flavor, almost medicinal. It wasn’t terrible, it was just…strange. One of the other tour guests came over and asked if I had chosen the mint chip, too. When I said I had, she asked, “Do you think it tastes a little weird?” Mr. SBC’s ice cream tasted normal, so maybe they just use an unusual mint flavoring.

Bermuda family storytime

Back on the bus, we settled in for the almost hour-long ride back to the Dockyard. On the way, Angel told us stories of growing up in Bermuda, and how everyone seems to be related to everyone else. She told us a funny anecdote about how as a kid, she almost started a fight with a young boy at school. She had heard the boy calling her own grandfather “Grandpa”.

It turned out the boy was one of her many dozens of cousins, and they did indeed share the same grandfather! From the number of folks she waved to on the street from the bus window, I think we passed half of her family on the way.

We arrived back at the ship in a short time before we set sail back to Boston , and said our goodbyes to Angel, Dee, and beautiful Bermuda.

My thoughts on the Hidden Gems shore excursion to Tom Moore’s Jungle

Overall, I enjoyed the Hidden Gems excursion. It’s not an inexpensive shore excursion, but it was a seven-hour guided tour to the other side of Bermuda.

• Our tour guide was amazing and friendly. She really watched out for us, making sure we were safe and that we all stayed together. Angel pointed out so many things that only a local would know about each area that we visited. I loved hearing her stories about growing up in Bermuda!
• We would never have been able to figure out where the entrance to the caves was, or how to navigate them without a guide. The caves were fascinating, and I enjoyed swimming underground.
• This was a very active tour, which is exactly what we were looking for.
• The lunch wasn’t the greatest. I would have preferred something more authentic and less bland. My ice cream tasted funny (although I think it was just that flavor).
• I would have rather had a bit more freedom with the snorkeling, without rules about pool noodles.

What would I have done differently next time? I would have booked our tickets much further in advance, choosing our long day in Bermuda so we didn’t have to get right back to the port. We would have been able to exit the tour after our ice cream, and then have dinner and a couple of cocktails at the famous Swizzle Inn before finding our own way back to the ship.

More resources for your Bermuda cruise

• 21 BEST Things to Do in Bermuda on a Cruise
• Spending a Day at Horseshoe Bay Beach Bermuda
• Royal Naval Dockyard Bermuda in One Day

Have you done the Hidden Gems tour, or visited Tom Moore’s Jungle in Bermuda? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below!

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Friday 28th of February 2020

This is very interesting. I am a big fan of off-the-beaten-path tours so this one would be a good one for me! But I would have never thought of contacting the tours directly to see about booking a less expensive rate. That's brilliant! Great to know ahead of time that the sunscreen affects the coral...and I didn't know you could get alcohol from palm trees, either. Who knew? Thanks for these great tips. Bermuda is on my bucket list!

Saturday 29th of February 2020

I love finding ways to book my shore excursions for cheaper than the cruise line price :) Glad you enjoyed the post, and you'll love Bermuda!

Yukti Agrawal

Wednesday 6th of February 2019

I am always very curious about Bermuda because of its unique flora and fauna. I loved your excursion and all the details about why not to use sunscreen, alcoholic palm trees and swimming underground. It must be so nice to see 500 years old palm trees as there are a couple of trees which are dating back so long in India too. It is good that your guide Angel was good and very friendly.

Thursday 7th of February 2019

Hi Yukti, thanks so much for reading and I'm glad you enjoyed reading about the Hidden Gems Tour! I hope one day to make it to India - there's so much fascinating history I want to explore!

Soumya Gayatri

Monday 4th of February 2019

This is a very helpful post. And with those pros and cons listed at the end of it, I find it very useful for quick reference when I need one on the excursion. I have bookmarked it for my Bermuda trip. And I am glad you spoke about the sunscreen here. That was totally new to me. Even I don't like those floating pyramids. It would be great if they could remove them and leave the pool as it is.

Thanks, Soumya! I hope you enjoy your trip!

Vaisakhi Mishra

I was planning a trip to Bermuda this march and somehow it just kept getting cancelled. Right now, after reading your article (all the three) I feel I do need some more time to plan it out properly, there is so much research needed about free-paid activities and holidays of the area! I have sort of a sun-allergy and literally can't survive without sunscreen so would have made the same mistake as you, but now I know we are not supposed to put sunscreen till after the cave swim! I really want to try snorkeling but don't think I will be able to do the Cliff Jump. That 90 yr old lady must have been a badass!

Oh, no! I hope your trip ends up working out. I'm glad the tips were helpful!

Bermuda itself is so inspiring and one plane I really want to visit some day. There seems so much to see and do and the snorkeling experience really sounds great specially with the fish. The blue hole in the middle of nowhere looks amazing. Thanks for sharing a great post and hope I can experience it.

I hope you can, too! :D

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Hidden gems exploration adventure, royal naval dockyard, bermuda.

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• 7 hrs Estimate Duration

Join this tour and travel across the island into Bermuda’s one and only Tom Moore’s Jungle, filled with caves to explore and swimming adventures to take part in. Majestic scenery awaits you as you enter this lush reserve filled with colorful native birds. Enjoy approximately 2 hours here to swim in the caves and marvel at your surroundings. Next, you’ll be treated to lunch at a local restaurant where you can enjoy a complimentary scoop of ice cream before heading to Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve where you’ll have the chance to put your toes in the “Bermudaful” pink sand. This is one of the island’s premier snorkeling locations and you’ll be given the opportunity to snorkel with tropical fish, see coral reefs or just relax on the beach.

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Custom Private Tours in Bermuda

Tailor-made tours in Bermuda Enjoy your dream custom trip with Bermudaful…

Your Own Hidden Gems Tour of Bermuda!

With Bermudaful, your tour options extend beyond our popular sightseeing tours of Bermuda . We also offer fully-customizeable private tours where you’re the boss!

Simply let us know your travel plans and the sights you’d like to see and we’ll design the ideal tour for you.

Don’t know what you’d like to include on your itinerary? Just let us know the kind of vacations you most enjoy and we’ll draw up a customized travel plan we think you’ll love.

On our private tours, you’ll have your very own expert, local guide who will tell the story of Bermuda’s past and answer any questions you might have.

We’ll journey around the island in comfort on Bermudaful’s minibus, so you can relax and enjoy the stunning scenery as we travel from one destination to the next.

Forget the hassle of planning your own transport and researching every attraction.

Bermudaful will take care of everything, so you can focus in what’s important – enjoying an unforgettable time in Bermuda!

Given the size of our vehicles Custom Private Tours with us are recommend for larger groups. Pricing for custom tours begin at $1,000 per vehicle required.

Any questions? Please  contact us  and we will get back to you within 48 hours.

Choose Your Must-See Bermuda Sites and Attractions

There’s a near-endless number of things to do on Bermuda. With our custom private tour option, we’ll craft a travel itinerary unique to you.

Some highlights that can be included on your custom tour:

• Visit an array of pink-sand beaches, caves and coves
• Climb the Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse for breathtaking views
• See the island’s historic fortresses, such as Fort Scaur
• Explore the National Museum of Bermuda
• Cross Somerset Bridge
• Going shopping in Hamilton

…and much, much more!

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    Are you planning for a party and want to do something uniquely different from the typical celebration? Our birthday party tours are specifically designed to cater to the V.I.P. guest of honor. Let us know if you have a theme for the party and we will adorn certain places on the tour with the décor you provide. Enquire with us if you are unsure of an age-appropriate theme and we will take care of gathering all theme-related materials.   

Pricing is dependent upon the duration of the tour and any additional costs which may be incurred through planning and preparation.  Contact us   to enquire within.