Breathtaking pink beaches, warm turquoise water, really expensive food - true bliss! DH and I love this island. He's been to Bermuda 22 times, while I'm still a "newbie" with only 3 trips under my beach hat.

The best part is, tourists can't rent cars on this 21-mile long island - you can either cab it, take the bus or rent a scooter. It's a lot of fun when you add in the whole driving on the other side of the road and those confusing yet somehow effective "roundabouts".

As most hotels can charge well over $200 a night, we decided to opt for a "vacation apartment" at Barngrove in Devonshire. We booked the "upper apartment" which featured its own covered porch, gorgeous views of the surrounding gardens and easy access to the swimming pool. We loved the location, being as close to the centre of the island as you can be, within easy reach of Hamilton, the beaches, and a grocery store for when we ran out of Diet Coke or chocolate!

Interesting fact - there is only one American fast-food franchise on the island: KFC. It's single location in Hamilton, the country's largest city was the first and last to arrive. So if you're craving a Whopper or Bacon mushroom Melt, you're outta luck.

Of course, most people come here for the awesome scuba diving and snorkeling. That's what the DH likes to do. Me? I'm more of a poolside/beachside lounger. And I get violently ill on boats, so I bide my time with a good book or my own WIP notes while he explores reefs and shipwrecks.

We did a bunch of touristy things - visiting the aquarium, the underwater exploration institute, the maritime museum and the like. But I have to say our best times were racing around the island discovering new glorious beaches to try out.

This is the part where I warn people that spray-on sunscreen does NOT stay on once you lie down on a towel. Spray again once you roll over. You can thank me later.

We decided to dine like the rich and famous at the Ariel Sands hotel on our last night. It's the hotel owned by Michael Douglas. Very chi-chi-poo-poo with waiters imported from South America, Australia and the States. All taking a break from their medical school, MBA or law studies, I'm sure!

I wish I had taken a photo of my dessert. It was called the Chocolate Bento Box. Served with chopsticks and a spoon, it featured three chocolate delicacies on one platter: a shot glass filled with a "shot" of milk chocolate with a solid morsel of rich chocolate resting at the bottom of the glass; a trio of small circular cakes (about the size of a dime) each holding chocolate inside (milk, dark and white); and to finish it off, a tube-shaped wafer was filled with white chocolate cream and drizzled with a lycee fruit sauce. OMG it wasn't just a dessert, it was an experience! Must go back for more...or see if they can send some over by FedEx.

All good things, like vacations, must come to an end. We've agreed to go back in 2008. Can't wait!