Virgin Gorda/Bitter End Yacht Club
Written: Jan 22 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: relaxation, good service, easy access to water sports
Cons: removed/inaccessable, can be hot,
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| habanero32's Full Review: Virgin Gorda |
We went to Virgin Gorda on our honeymoon (1995). We spent a week at the Bitter End Yacht Club and a week in a bungalow near The Baths. We loved both. When you travel to Virgin Gorda, you definitely feel like you are getting away from it all. For us it invloved a plane to Puerto Rico, a plane to Tortolla, and then a small ferry boat to the Bitter End. With each leg of the trip, you feel the layers of urban/civilized life peeling away.
Don't let the "Yacht Club" in Bitter End Yacht Club" fool you if you are looking for a simple, unstuffy Carribean vacation. The Bitter End is both laid back and well run. There are a large number of bungalows, all with great views of the surrounding Bay. The bungalows are exactly what we were hoping for... mostly open air, thatched roof, private balcony, privacy, quiet, etc. Going to dinner/breakfast is a pleasant walk along the beach back to the main compound. Meals are all well done and prepared and change enough from night to night to keep you from getting bored. If you sail or if you're just interested, almost every option is available to you from windsurfer to sunfish to skippered and unskippered charters. One couple that was there at the same time split there time between a bungalow and a boat and ended up moving back to a bungalow because the boat was just too hot at night.
There is also a scuba outfitter there at the Yacht Club. They were great. We went out 3 times. There is a great old wreck to dive on "The Rhone" that is about 100' down but surprisingly easy to handle given the visibility. There were also several easy coral reef dives. The groups were usually small. One dive, we were the only 2 on the dive besides the instructors.
The only bad thing I would say about the Bitter End was that you are a little stuck once you are there. It is safe throughout the BVI but there isn't much near the BEYC. It is accessable only by boat and is removed from any other commmercial dev't.
We spent our 2nd week in a bungalow above the famous Baths on the other side of the island. This was our more exploratory week. It was a nice counter to the laid back nature of the BEYC. We explored the Baths doing some rock climbing through the rocks... took a ferry to Tortolla to explore there and had dinner at a few of the local restaurants, hiked to the top of the island, etc. There are several other resorts, some on there own island that you can dine at. We had dinner one night at one resort where they pick you up at a dock and take you over to their island. It was quite nice and romantic. I think it was on Mosquito Island.
One of the best things about the BVI is that there is not much crime or poverty thanks to the mgmt of the British Government. This makes it easy to relax no matter where you are. If relaxation and a little fun int he water are what you are after, I would highly recommend Virgin Gorda and the Bitter End Yacht Club.
Andy
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
habanero32
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
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