Babymoon on Virgin Gorda?
Jul 22nd, 2009, 11:02 AM
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Babymoon on Virgin Gorda?
Hello! I am assisting my sister in planning a joint trip to Virgin Gorda in mid-October. Neither of us (or our husbands) have ever been to the British Virgin Islands, and she is going to be roughly 6 months pregnant at the time.
Is this island a good place for her "babymoon"? My husband & I are tagging along as well, invited of course!
I'm mostly concerned with:
- getting in and out of the island. are there other options besides taking the tiny little plane in from san juan?
- medical care, in case anything should happen!
- safe activities for a pregnant lady to do
Also, is the weather during October alright? We are thinking it will be probably just 5 days max, so probably not enough time to check out nearby Tortola?
Thanks!!
Is this island a good place for her "babymoon"? My husband & I are tagging along as well, invited of course!
I'm mostly concerned with:
- getting in and out of the island. are there other options besides taking the tiny little plane in from san juan?
- medical care, in case anything should happen!
- safe activities for a pregnant lady to do
Also, is the weather during October alright? We are thinking it will be probably just 5 days max, so probably not enough time to check out nearby Tortola?
Thanks!!
Jul 22nd, 2009, 12:17 PM
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Other than flying in by a small plane the only other way to reach Virgin Gorda is by Ferry from Tortola. Your pregnant sister may find it easier to get on/off the ferry rather than in/out of the small plane - a lot will depend on how "big" and/or agile SHE will be at 6 months.
Medical care on Virgin Gorda is really not too much better than basic "first aid" type of care. While locals give birth on VG all the time the standard of care is not anything like you/your sister is use to getting "back home". Seriously, if she needs medical care your sister would be wise going to St. Thomas or San Juan for treatment. She really should check with her doctor and get his OK before making the trip. If she is experiencing a difficult pregnancy you might want to postpone the trip.
As far as safe activities for a pregnant woman - well what did you have in mind? Your not going to find big neon signs advertising "Activities for Pregnant Women" but she certainly can go walking, go for a day sail (if she feels up to it), visit scenic overlooks, drive around the island to see points of interest, do a little shopping, take a trip on the ferry to Tortola, relax on the beach, wade in the water and perhaps swim a bit - pretty much anything she would feel up to doing if she was at home - it all depends on how energetic she feels. Obviously, your sister will want to avoid strenuous activities such as diving, mountain hikes, water skiing, etc. but there's nothing to stop her from enjoying a relaxing time on the island.
October weather can be "iffy". It's peak hurricane season so there's always a chance a Tropical Depression, Tropical Storm or even a hurricane could threaten the island. If so, there could be a period of unsettled weather. If not, you are likely to experience daytime temps in the low to mid 80's with lots of sun. There will be a good chance of very fast moving showers once or twice a day.
Medical care on Virgin Gorda is really not too much better than basic "first aid" type of care. While locals give birth on VG all the time the standard of care is not anything like you/your sister is use to getting "back home". Seriously, if she needs medical care your sister would be wise going to St. Thomas or San Juan for treatment. She really should check with her doctor and get his OK before making the trip. If she is experiencing a difficult pregnancy you might want to postpone the trip.
As far as safe activities for a pregnant woman - well what did you have in mind? Your not going to find big neon signs advertising "Activities for Pregnant Women" but she certainly can go walking, go for a day sail (if she feels up to it), visit scenic overlooks, drive around the island to see points of interest, do a little shopping, take a trip on the ferry to Tortola, relax on the beach, wade in the water and perhaps swim a bit - pretty much anything she would feel up to doing if she was at home - it all depends on how energetic she feels. Obviously, your sister will want to avoid strenuous activities such as diving, mountain hikes, water skiing, etc. but there's nothing to stop her from enjoying a relaxing time on the island.
October weather can be "iffy". It's peak hurricane season so there's always a chance a Tropical Depression, Tropical Storm or even a hurricane could threaten the island. If so, there could be a period of unsettled weather. If not, you are likely to experience daytime temps in the low to mid 80's with lots of sun. There will be a good chance of very fast moving showers once or twice a day.
Jul 22nd, 2009, 01:28 PM
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I went to St John when I was 5 months pregnant. I had no problems and had a Wonderful trip!
I had a really easy pregnancy so a lot depends on how she's feeling at 6 months.
I did some moderate hiking and a lot of snorkeling (I found swimming to be very liberating), a boat trip to Virgin Gorda and some sitting on the beach too!
I had a really easy pregnancy so a lot depends on how she's feeling at 6 months.
I did some moderate hiking and a lot of snorkeling (I found swimming to be very liberating), a boat trip to Virgin Gorda and some sitting on the beach too!
Jul 22nd, 2009, 06:39 PM
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If she's up for a full day of travel, she'll be fine w/VG. It's a beautiful laid back island. I would recommend travel insurance, both in case she needs to be medivac'd off the island or if a hurricane hits. Actually we always get it as a precautionary thing just in case even one of us gets sick or something before-hand. It's worth the $ in our opinion.
One thing to note about taking Air Sunshine from San Juan there. It's about a 30-45 min flight if I recall correctly, and there aren't any bathrooms on the puddle jumper. Just something to keep in mind for being prego. I think the ferry is the way to go, but it may make for a longer trip and if she's feeling lousy it probably won't do her any favors.
I was about 4 months prego when I was in VG and had no problems. There are lots of laid back activities-swimming, walking around the baths (although she probably won't want to get too crazy hiking through the caves, but the beach there is nice to explore), shopping at Leverick Bayt, ferry to Bitter End, restaurants, etc.
good luck!
One thing to note about taking Air Sunshine from San Juan there. It's about a 30-45 min flight if I recall correctly, and there aren't any bathrooms on the puddle jumper. Just something to keep in mind for being prego. I think the ferry is the way to go, but it may make for a longer trip and if she's feeling lousy it probably won't do her any favors.
I was about 4 months prego when I was in VG and had no problems. There are lots of laid back activities-swimming, walking around the baths (although she probably won't want to get too crazy hiking through the caves, but the beach there is nice to explore), shopping at Leverick Bayt, ferry to Bitter End, restaurants, etc.
good luck!
Jul 23rd, 2009, 06:07 AM
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Thanks for your responses!
To be clear, she doesn't need any specific medical care. I was just asking as a precaution because it is her first pregnancy and it's hard not to be slightly paranoid about the baby's safety!
Is the ferry ride to VG a lot longer than the flight/. We all plan to use miles as much as possible. Could you please shed some light on how much the last flight or ferry to the actual island is?
Thanks for the travel insurance suggestion! We've never gotten it before but it seems like it would make sense for them to do so this time around!
And lastly, is the Hurricane Season a real concern? We'd hate to get there and spend the entire time worried about being swept away!
Thanks!
To be clear, she doesn't need any specific medical care. I was just asking as a precaution because it is her first pregnancy and it's hard not to be slightly paranoid about the baby's safety!
Is the ferry ride to VG a lot longer than the flight/. We all plan to use miles as much as possible. Could you please shed some light on how much the last flight or ferry to the actual island is?
Thanks for the travel insurance suggestion! We've never gotten it before but it seems like it would make sense for them to do so this time around!
And lastly, is the Hurricane Season a real concern? We'd hate to get there and spend the entire time worried about being swept away!
Thanks!
Jul 23rd, 2009, 08:31 AM
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Generally October tends to be not as active for hurricanes as do the months of August and September. Technically hurricane season does run until the end of Nov. However, the chances of a hurricane hitting while you are vacationing are slim.
My husband and I got married in October so we tend to go away that month each year for our anniversary. We have been going for 7 years + and only once (last year) we were there when hurricane Omar hit. This year forecasters are predicting a lower then average named storms this year due to the cooler water temps in the caribbean and El Nino.
To ease your mind you can always purchase travel insurance and/or stay at hotel/resort where they offer compensation for lost days due to a hurricane. I would say go! -Susan
My husband and I got married in October so we tend to go away that month each year for our anniversary. We have been going for 7 years + and only once (last year) we were there when hurricane Omar hit. This year forecasters are predicting a lower then average named storms this year due to the cooler water temps in the caribbean and El Nino.
To ease your mind you can always purchase travel insurance and/or stay at hotel/resort where they offer compensation for lost days due to a hurricane. I would say go! -Susan
Jul 23rd, 2009, 09:21 AM
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It's difficult to give you specific ferry times/fares as there are several different ferry services and routings between St. Thomas and/or Tortola and Virgin Gorda. If you do a ggogle search for "BVI Ferry Schedules" and/or "BVI & St. Thomas Ferry" you'll find several links showing all the schedules and fares for the different ferries that service the islands. You can then choose the one that works best for you. As a rule of thumb, however, flying between islands will be much quicker than taking a ferry. For instance, flying time to VG from San Juan is about 30 to 35 minutes, about 15 minutes from St. Thomas and about 7 minutes from Tortola where as taking a ferry from St. Thomas to Virgin Gorda will probably take about 90 minutes or about 30 minutes from Tortola. Your sister will have to decide what suits her best - a quicker ride using a small plane that may be difficult for her to get in or out or a longer ride on a ferry that will be easier to board.
October is in the midst of Hurricane Season but that doesn't mean there are storms bearing down on the island every day or even every week. Far from it in reality. The chances of a major tropical storm hitting a particular island during a particular week are small but they can and do happen. The thing is, no one can predict now what the weather will be on Virgin Gorda in mid-October other than to say it will be tropical. If there are no major storms in the area the weather could indeed be some of the best of the year - you just don't know. You might want to consider Trip Interruption Insurance if you would suffer an undo financial hardship if your plans were cancelled or changed. You can go to www.insuremytrip.com to compare policy terms and premiums of just about every travel policy available. Make sure you read and understand the policy terms BEFORE you purchase insurance. Policy coverages vary and no one policy covers ALL RISKS so be sure you are getting a policy that covers the type of loss you wish to insure against.
October is in the midst of Hurricane Season but that doesn't mean there are storms bearing down on the island every day or even every week. Far from it in reality. The chances of a major tropical storm hitting a particular island during a particular week are small but they can and do happen. The thing is, no one can predict now what the weather will be on Virgin Gorda in mid-October other than to say it will be tropical. If there are no major storms in the area the weather could indeed be some of the best of the year - you just don't know. You might want to consider Trip Interruption Insurance if you would suffer an undo financial hardship if your plans were cancelled or changed. You can go to www.insuremytrip.com to compare policy terms and premiums of just about every travel policy available. Make sure you read and understand the policy terms BEFORE you purchase insurance. Policy coverages vary and no one policy covers ALL RISKS so be sure you are getting a policy that covers the type of loss you wish to insure against.
Aug 3rd, 2009, 05:24 AM
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American flies into Beef Island (EIS- Tortola) from San Juan and you could use mileage. The small ferry from EIS to Virgin Gorda takes about 20 minutes and is right next to the airport. You may want to check with your OB-GYN before flying in a non-pressurized plane (San Juan into Virgin Gorda directly, or not so directly as it sometimes stops in St.Thomas)
As mentioned earlier, there are ferries from St. Thomas as well.
It does take a bit of doing to get to VIrgin Gorda, but once you are there....oh my how nice it is! JKR
As mentioned earlier, there are ferries from St. Thomas as well.
It does take a bit of doing to get to VIrgin Gorda, but once you are there....oh my how nice it is! JKR
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