This Must be Paradise:British Virgin Islands
Written: Jun 08 '00 (Updated Jan 29 '02)
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Pros: A relaxing, gorgeous area; terrific snorkeling
Cons: None (except for my jelly fish stings)
The Bottom Line: This is a beautiful area. It is still uncommercial and if you are looking for a sailing trip, this is it!
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| jo.com's Full Review: British Virgin Islands |
Review Topic: Sights & AttractionsI won't give you a geography lesson about the British Virgin Islands. You can read that from others or from the mini-lesson epinions gives you.
I will tell you about my trip. The most relaxing, peaceful, heavenly (How many more adjectives can I come up with to make you believe this is paradise??) trip I have taken.
We charted a 38 foot Catamaran from a group called the Moorings. First a little about the boat and Moorings. Our boat had 3 bedrooms and holds 6 people. We opted for that size even though there were four of us and I'm glad we did. That extra room gave us storage space PLUS it gave each couple their own bathroom.
Moorings charters hundreds of boats. They are top quality, new or almost new, and perfectly maintained. They are also the most expensive charter. You can rent boats from other charter companies for much less, so if you are on a budget, check around.
In fact, at least one other charter company buys their boats from Moorings when the boat is about 5 years old. We went with Moorings because we went with another couple who have sailed the British Virgin Islands (to be called hereafter BVI) and find the Moorings excellent.
Moorings owns its own hotel. The whole set up is beautiful and convenient. It sits on the harbor where the boats are moored. After arriving in Tortola we got a good night's sleep and then set sail early in the morning. Our friends are accomplished sailors so the four of us went alone. Hiring a captain is also an option.
Why the Catamaran? Our friends had sailed many times on a traditional sailboat so they were game to try this. I wanted to because I didn't think I'd like the side to side motion of a sailboat. The Catamaran is wonderful. It doesn't dip to the side AND there really is more room.
There is more room outside on both the front and rear of the boat. There is a very large sitting area which you don't find on traditional sailboats and you have a really nice net which connects the rudders for sitting and sunbathing.
The sailing is the same so even tried and true sailors would like to sail a Catamaran. At least our friends, one of whom actually has his captain's license thought so. They thoroughly enjoyed sailing this boat.
Provisions: Moorings offers a few options.
1. Once you get to Tortola you can go to a grocery store and buy your own food, etc. That seemed impractical to us, although it is a way to save money.
2. They will provide provisions for you in several ways:
a. You can have 7 days worth of food on the boat waiting for you (Our trip was one week) which would consist of 3 meals a day.
b. You can opt, as we did, for the 2 meal a day plan, knowing we would eat dinner out each night.
c. They also have two types of food that you choose from (and it is quite a comprehensive list): one I'll call regular and the other "light" i.e. non-fat, for example, turkey burgers instead of hamburgers. We went with the light menu. Not everything was exactly what we ordered but it was close enough. All provisions can be ordered, from napkins to toilet paper.
Once you get out to the British Virgin Islands themselves the water is clear and calm. At one point we could actually see 40 feet below the surface! From the Moorings, however, there was a little choppiness.
There are three surefire ways to stop seasickness.
1. a seasickness pill
2. sucking on a lime
3. staring at the horizon, i.e. a fixed point.
I will cite some of the places we went and what I would recommend:
Anagada: Even though our friends had been to the BVI, they had never been to this island. The reason: you go in a group and MUST be guided there. The way it works is this: all the boats going meet at the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda to join a flotilla (that's what the line of boats is called).
With a flotilla we got a chart briefing before the trip and then we sailed with the others. An experienced sailor with "local knowledge" sails on one of the boats in the flotilla to provide assistance as needed. Flotillas are used when local knowledge is required or when the navigation is particularly difficult.
The island of Anagada is coral (the rest of the BVI is volcanic) and is surrounded by coral reefs. There is only one way into the harbor. If you miss it, you end up on one of the reefs. Once you go with a flotilla and you rent a boat again from Moorings, you are allowed to go alone.
BVI has recently been discovered. Our friends told us that just a few years ago you wouldn't see the hundreds of boats a day we saw or restaurants on the islands. Restaurants have popped up, but perhaps just one or two on each island and they are very "low key" beach restaurants.
If you want to treat yourself one night to a fancy restaurant, go to Biras Creek on Virgin Gorda.. You take a water taxi to it because of it's location. It is absolutely beautiful and you will pay the price ($100+ per couple). It was worth the expense. It is very unusual, the food was excellent with an incredible appetizer/salad/desert buffet. The main course is not buffet.
We never got to Jost Van Dyke, but you may want to try to. It didn't fit into our scheduling. A relatively famous bar is located there named Foxy's. The owner is Foxy and word is he is quite a character. If it is convenient, head there. Our friends had been there before, but it wasn't a priority for my husband and myself to meet Foxy.
You definitely want to snorkel (if you snorkel!) This is one of the best places around. You'll find caves to swim around; fish you've never seen and exquisite coral. Bring bread!! The fish will swim right up to you to eat it.
If you scuba dive you don't want to miss what is known as "the Wreck of the Rhone." It was used to film parts of the movie "The Deep." A scuba diving company will come right to your boat and take you there.
Finally, the Baths which are beautiful caves to swim in and a beautiful beach But beware IF there is a sign that warns of jellyfish, be careful. My husband and I both got stung and it hurts. It hurts a lot for several hours. Many people got stung and a first aid type hut had been set up to help visitors. Somehow our friends didn't get stung, but they're the experts so they must know how to avoid them! If I went again and there was a warning I would not go snorkeling there.
There is one last thing I must mention. The British Virgin Islands have no rules regarding dumping raw sewage. In spite of the fact that all the chartered boats have holding tanks, they are not used. I personally found this to be a horrible travesty in this most beautiful sea..but there wasn't much I could do about it except tell myself there is a lot of water for the sewage to go to.
I hate to leave on a negative note, so I won't. This week of sailing was truly THE most relaxing vacation I have ever had. I didn't want to leave; I just wanted to buy myself a little motor boat and sell crafts or bread like the people who will motor up to your boat gutsy enough to have given up whatever life they had and settle in Paradise.
Recommended:
Yes
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