Tortola Trip Report-June 2006 Part 1
Jun 21st, 2006, 11:13 AM
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Tortola Trip Report-June 2006 Part 1
Please forgive typos and bad grammar. I typed this really fast.
Overall Impression
Tortola is a lovely, uncrowded island, with lots to explore. We usually go to St. John, so it was fun to explore a new place. We went in low season, so it was a great deal less crowded than St. John is in June. We never waited to have dinner. In most restaurants, there wouldn’t be more than a few couples. Tortola is much more remote than other places we’ve been. There are chickens and cows running around loose. Many of the roads are dirt, and many of the buildings are run down, but, in a way that’s part of Tortola’s charm.
Many breathtaking views and lovely beaches around every turn. We would definitely go back. Don’t get too excited about the food there. It’s not an eating destination, although we had some good, simple meals. Definitely get 4 wheel drive. It rained a little almost every day, so we were grateful to have it.
I would probably skip that shell musuem, although it is pretty funny. I tried to drag my husband in there for breakfast, but he said it didn’t look “up to code” ha ha! I’m sure it was our loss. Never made it to Myetts, Quittos, Sugar Mill, Long Bay, either, but wanted to. Found almost everything we needed right there by Sebastian’s.
Thanks to ejcrowe, greenie, saharabee, tess53, kateny17, beth48, Moglet, Islander, druckerm,
and all you other great posters for helping me plan this trip.
Check out our photo album:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...0&y=5lh6xg
Day 1
Missed our flight out of DFW, so long day of standbys. Finally arrived in Tortola around 9:00 or so. Hertz and National have offices right in the airport. So our car was ready to go. No shuttle. Arrived at Sebastians on the Beach late (http://www.sebastiansbvi.com/), but they were still there.
Day 2
Breakfast at Sebastians was good. Got in our little jeep and drove all over the island. Went past Smugglers cove, then around Steele Point to Sopers Hole (roads are dirt and rock, can be hairy, especially when it’s raining.) Then to Cane Garden Bay and Brewers Bay. Now we have our bearings! Dinner at Sebastians was lovely. We ordered the lobster to split. It was $38 and was easily as big as my arm. Sebastians is a perfect small resort. Nothing fancy, but everything you need. We would stay there again. However, the staff at Sebastians (in restaurant and office) are really not that friendly. Has anyone else encountered that, or is it just me? We thought they were rude, so we decided never to eat there again. They put a 15% gratuity automatically into your bill, so I guess they feel like they don’t have to try. So they were marked off the list early in the trip. We had some friends that did Sebastian’s all inclusive deal. I felt sorry for them after a few days, they were stuck eating there for every meal. I wouldn’t recommend the all inclusive. After dinner we walked down the beach and had a drink with Bomba.
Day 3
Quick trip to Sopers Hole for provisions, plus, we love to look at the boats. Then spent all day at Smugglers Cove, which was by far our favorite beach. Good snorkeling on both sides. There are a couple of little bars where you can get drinks, food, and rent chairs. Dinner at CocoPlums was fun and delicious. Don’t miss their conch fritters. We met Steve and Lili, a couple from Kemah, Texas who are sailing around the world. Check out there website: http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?go=liward. After dinner we were torn between the full moon party, or watching game 2 of the basketball finals. We are big Mavs fans. We chose the full moon party at Bomba Shack, and low and behold, they had a TV and the game was on. Met lots of crazy people from Texas, and the Mavs won (those days are gone). I think everyone should catch this full moon party at least once in their lives. That is, if you are not offended easily. We left before they broke out the mushroom tea, but rumor has it they have weakened it over the years for the sake of the tourists. http://www.bareboatsbvi.com/bombas_shack.html
Overall Impression
Tortola is a lovely, uncrowded island, with lots to explore. We usually go to St. John, so it was fun to explore a new place. We went in low season, so it was a great deal less crowded than St. John is in June. We never waited to have dinner. In most restaurants, there wouldn’t be more than a few couples. Tortola is much more remote than other places we’ve been. There are chickens and cows running around loose. Many of the roads are dirt, and many of the buildings are run down, but, in a way that’s part of Tortola’s charm.
Many breathtaking views and lovely beaches around every turn. We would definitely go back. Don’t get too excited about the food there. It’s not an eating destination, although we had some good, simple meals. Definitely get 4 wheel drive. It rained a little almost every day, so we were grateful to have it.
I would probably skip that shell musuem, although it is pretty funny. I tried to drag my husband in there for breakfast, but he said it didn’t look “up to code” ha ha! I’m sure it was our loss. Never made it to Myetts, Quittos, Sugar Mill, Long Bay, either, but wanted to. Found almost everything we needed right there by Sebastian’s.
Thanks to ejcrowe, greenie, saharabee, tess53, kateny17, beth48, Moglet, Islander, druckerm,
and all you other great posters for helping me plan this trip.
Check out our photo album:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...0&y=5lh6xg
Day 1
Missed our flight out of DFW, so long day of standbys. Finally arrived in Tortola around 9:00 or so. Hertz and National have offices right in the airport. So our car was ready to go. No shuttle. Arrived at Sebastians on the Beach late (http://www.sebastiansbvi.com/), but they were still there.
Day 2
Breakfast at Sebastians was good. Got in our little jeep and drove all over the island. Went past Smugglers cove, then around Steele Point to Sopers Hole (roads are dirt and rock, can be hairy, especially when it’s raining.) Then to Cane Garden Bay and Brewers Bay. Now we have our bearings! Dinner at Sebastians was lovely. We ordered the lobster to split. It was $38 and was easily as big as my arm. Sebastians is a perfect small resort. Nothing fancy, but everything you need. We would stay there again. However, the staff at Sebastians (in restaurant and office) are really not that friendly. Has anyone else encountered that, or is it just me? We thought they were rude, so we decided never to eat there again. They put a 15% gratuity automatically into your bill, so I guess they feel like they don’t have to try. So they were marked off the list early in the trip. We had some friends that did Sebastian’s all inclusive deal. I felt sorry for them after a few days, they were stuck eating there for every meal. I wouldn’t recommend the all inclusive. After dinner we walked down the beach and had a drink with Bomba.
Day 3
Quick trip to Sopers Hole for provisions, plus, we love to look at the boats. Then spent all day at Smugglers Cove, which was by far our favorite beach. Good snorkeling on both sides. There are a couple of little bars where you can get drinks, food, and rent chairs. Dinner at CocoPlums was fun and delicious. Don’t miss their conch fritters. We met Steve and Lili, a couple from Kemah, Texas who are sailing around the world. Check out there website: http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?go=liward. After dinner we were torn between the full moon party, or watching game 2 of the basketball finals. We are big Mavs fans. We chose the full moon party at Bomba Shack, and low and behold, they had a TV and the game was on. Met lots of crazy people from Texas, and the Mavs won (those days are gone). I think everyone should catch this full moon party at least once in their lives. That is, if you are not offended easily. We left before they broke out the mushroom tea, but rumor has it they have weakened it over the years for the sake of the tourists. http://www.bareboatsbvi.com/bombas_shack.html
Jun 21st, 2006, 01:15 PM
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I really enjoyed reading your trip report, especially since it brought back memories of my own trip to Tortola last year! Isn't that gingerwine chicken great? And isn't Long Bay East just beautiful when you have it all to yourself?
I just have one tiny suggestion: for the sake of posterity, maybe you could copy & paste your Trip Report Part 2 and post it here, so in the future when folks are looking back through old posts for Tortola, they'll have it all right here.
I just have one tiny suggestion: for the sake of posterity, maybe you could copy & paste your Trip Report Part 2 and post it here, so in the future when folks are looking back through old posts for Tortola, they'll have it all right here.
Jun 21st, 2006, 01:34 PM
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Sure. Done. Here is part 2. I thought maybe their was a limit. I had seen others break theirs up. Yeah, good eatin'. Don't we need that recipe?
Day 4
Drove out to Brewers Bay for the day. Beautiful beach. We saw a “Elsie the cow” walking down the beach. A very strange sight. Snorkeling was good on the left side, by the beach bar. Then we drove up to what felt like the top of the island to a place called Sky World. Great view, but the people were rude there, so again, off the list. We didn’t even buy a drink there. We went to watch the sunset at Banankeet. Truly, and inspiring view, probably the nicest restaurant we went to on this trip. Then we were off to Palms Delight for the famed Brandywine Chicken. YES. It is to die for. It’s official name is Breaded Chicken with Ginger Wine sauce. Don’t be in a hurry when you go there. Everything is slow motion. Worth the wait. We were told the cook will give the recipe, but we kept missing her, so whoever goes to Tortola next, please get her recipe.
Day 5
Rainy day. We drove out to Trellis Bay and had lunch at a little art gallery. Then we went to Long Bay East. We had the entire beach to ourselves. It is the perfect beach. Too bad it is on top of the airport. No facilities here, so bring your own. Then to Road town, which is skippable. It’s a town. Not much to see. Then to Bananakeet for another sunset and dinner. Back to the room to watch the Mavs.
Day 6
Long Bay West in the a.m. Walked the entire beach in the rain. Long Bay might be a fun place to stay, if you could get one of their beach houses. Surf was pretty big on this day, so we went back around to Smugglers Cove. Dinner at CocoPlums again. Then to Sebastians to meet friends.
Day 7
This was the best day folks. We took a day sail on Mystique out of Sopers Hole. Lots of shade on the boat also. Link: http://www.voyagecharters.com/index001.asp
All of their catamarans are made in South Africa and sailed over. They are a new company, so you wont see signs on every other tree and pole like Patouche. Our boat was brand new, and their were only 6 people on it. Highly, highly recommend this company. Saw the boats from Patouche and Kurula, sorry, just not as nice. Our crew was outstanding, and they make the best Pain Killers on the island. We went to the caves on Norman Island to snorkel, then to Willy T’s for lunch, then to the Indians (best) for more snorkeling. Back to Palms Delight for one more round of chicken. Yum!
Day 8
Fly home. Back to the real world.
So where are we going next year? Seriously considering chartering one of these catamarans for a week from the folks at Voyage. Or how about Anguilla or Dominica? Thoughts?
Day 4
Drove out to Brewers Bay for the day. Beautiful beach. We saw a “Elsie the cow” walking down the beach. A very strange sight. Snorkeling was good on the left side, by the beach bar. Then we drove up to what felt like the top of the island to a place called Sky World. Great view, but the people were rude there, so again, off the list. We didn’t even buy a drink there. We went to watch the sunset at Banankeet. Truly, and inspiring view, probably the nicest restaurant we went to on this trip. Then we were off to Palms Delight for the famed Brandywine Chicken. YES. It is to die for. It’s official name is Breaded Chicken with Ginger Wine sauce. Don’t be in a hurry when you go there. Everything is slow motion. Worth the wait. We were told the cook will give the recipe, but we kept missing her, so whoever goes to Tortola next, please get her recipe.
Day 5
Rainy day. We drove out to Trellis Bay and had lunch at a little art gallery. Then we went to Long Bay East. We had the entire beach to ourselves. It is the perfect beach. Too bad it is on top of the airport. No facilities here, so bring your own. Then to Road town, which is skippable. It’s a town. Not much to see. Then to Bananakeet for another sunset and dinner. Back to the room to watch the Mavs.
Day 6
Long Bay West in the a.m. Walked the entire beach in the rain. Long Bay might be a fun place to stay, if you could get one of their beach houses. Surf was pretty big on this day, so we went back around to Smugglers Cove. Dinner at CocoPlums again. Then to Sebastians to meet friends.
Day 7
This was the best day folks. We took a day sail on Mystique out of Sopers Hole. Lots of shade on the boat also. Link: http://www.voyagecharters.com/index001.asp
All of their catamarans are made in South Africa and sailed over. They are a new company, so you wont see signs on every other tree and pole like Patouche. Our boat was brand new, and their were only 6 people on it. Highly, highly recommend this company. Saw the boats from Patouche and Kurula, sorry, just not as nice. Our crew was outstanding, and they make the best Pain Killers on the island. We went to the caves on Norman Island to snorkel, then to Willy T’s for lunch, then to the Indians (best) for more snorkeling. Back to Palms Delight for one more round of chicken. Yum!
Day 8
Fly home. Back to the real world.
So where are we going next year? Seriously considering chartering one of these catamarans for a week from the folks at Voyage. Or how about Anguilla or Dominica? Thoughts?
Jun 22nd, 2006, 04:50 PM
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Thanks for the trip report and pictures. I have been loosely tossing around Tortola for a future destination. I plan a day trip there while on STJ in November to check it out a little. How did you miss your flight out of DFW?
Jun 23rd, 2006, 07:10 AM
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We missed our flight by being total idiots. Got to the terminal about 1.5 hours before. You have to check in 40 mins b4 on an int'l flight, which we didn't know. Stood in curbside line for 25 mins. They then told us we had to check in upstairs for Int'l flights. No check in at computer either. So we were screwed. It took at least 45 mins to get thru the line, and another 30 for security. DFW is a madhouse... but still, we only have ourselves to blame.
We did a daysail from StJ last year with Horizons (i think). And that's what made us want to go to the BVI.
We did a daysail from StJ last year with Horizons (i think). And that's what made us want to go to the BVI.
Jun 29th, 2006, 03:17 PM
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ANGUILLA! ANGUILLA! ANGUILLA!
Definitely Anguilla. We will be visiting Tortola for the first time in August, flying over after 11 days on Anguilla for Carnival (our 3rd trip!) Check out www.anguillaforum.com for LOTS of information from many who love the island and return yearly, if not more often. It is a very active forum.
Definitely Anguilla. We will be visiting Tortola for the first time in August, flying over after 11 days on Anguilla for Carnival (our 3rd trip!) Check out www.anguillaforum.com for LOTS of information from many who love the island and return yearly, if not more often. It is a very active forum.
Dec 30th, 2008, 06:59 PM
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Hey guys,
Remember us? Steve and Lili on Liward - Tortola in 2006. We just wanted to thank you again for the awesome CD you gave us. It really is one of our favorites and we listen to it all the time. Especially now since we are in Cartegena we like a change from all the spanish radio stations. We call it our mystery CD since it is not labeled. So hope things are going great for you. Have a wonderful New Years. And drop us a note on our message board at www.getjealous.com/liward
We don't have your email address anymore.
Remember us? Steve and Lili on Liward - Tortola in 2006. We just wanted to thank you again for the awesome CD you gave us. It really is one of our favorites and we listen to it all the time. Especially now since we are in Cartegena we like a change from all the spanish radio stations. We call it our mystery CD since it is not labeled. So hope things are going great for you. Have a wonderful New Years. And drop us a note on our message board at www.getjealous.com/liward
We don't have your email address anymore.
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