While hundreds of Bermudian Students return to school this week, they will be joined by a handful of foreign exchange students who hope to experience the real Bermuda.

Thomas Houlden-Hansen from Denmark, Daniel Espinosa from Ecuador, Olympe Vanderwalle from France and Ricardo Soeiro from Brazil are starting school in Bermuda thanks to the Bermuda Rotary Youth Exchange Programme.

Seventeen-year-old Houlden-Hansen starts school at Saltus Senior School on Monday.

He said that he became interested in the programme after visiting his sister, who had been placed in the US last year.

"My sister went away to the US on the program, and that's where it all began. All the interest came from her," he said.

"I spent five weeks visiting her. I wasn't living there, but it was interesting, going to another country and really experiencing it."

According to Mr. Houlden-Hansen, Bermuda wasn't his first choice, but only because he didn't know anything about the Island.

He focused on other countries because he wanted to go somewhere that he could proactive his English, which he has been learning for the last five years.

"I wanted to go to an English speaking country. U.S., Australia, New Zealand," he said. "I didn't know anything about Bermuda.

Now, I'm glad I came here. Bermuda is better then that. I love it here."

Despite the fact that Bermuda has only around a third of the population of Houlden-Hansen's hometown of Odense, he said Bermuda's size doesn't really change anything.

"I don't think it's a big difference. There's just as much noise here as back home."

Since arriving on the Island three weeks ago, he said he has spent a lot of time exploring the Island and hanging out on the beach.

"Everybody is very friendly. Everyone says hello and how are you. You don't get that in Denmark," he said.

Right now, Mr. Houlden-Hansen isn't sure exactly what he wants to study, but he's looking forward to getting a taste of life in Bermuda over the next year.

"I hope to get a lot of experiences. It's a whole different country."

Ricardo Soeiro, 17, became involved in the programme after his family started taking in exchange students in his Atibaia, Brazil home.

"Two years ago we started to receive students. My mother is part of the Rotary there," he said.

While he originally wanted to go to Germany, he said he was excited about coming to Bermuda because not many people in Brazil know about the Island.

"It's very beautiful. I'm hoping to learn the language, learn about the culture."

Mr. Soeiro has already started school at Warwick Academy, and despite the language barrier, he encourages others to get involved in the programme.

"It's very good," he said.