Hi Stan,

My memory is that the swimming beach is small and man-made. In any case, it doesn't have the wonderful snorkeling off it that so many other beaches in the US and BVI's have. Biras must be wonderful for folks who enjoy taking the dinghys to various snorkeling spots-- or for whom snorkeling is not a main priority. It's certainly a handsome and unique property.

We are really looking forward to our 8 nights at Biras Creek in Dec.for as my up-dated post said 5-6 days ago they will have completly redecorated all the suites with new high-end furniture, linen,lighting, etc. They will have also made some renovations to public areas. This project began 1 room at a time and will be completed before the end of Nov.Based on progress to-date according to the new owners, they are ahead of schedule as of late last week.I assume they are shooting for Thanksgiving arrivals who will come 11/21-11/22.They are also adding equipment in the water sports area but I did not ask what the timetable is for that project. They do have a new Gen.Mgr. but the Chef and the kitchen staff are the same as are the front desk and support staff.See my dtailed post to "owa" on this thread.It should be lovely, I sure hope so. We were there 7-8 years sand really enjoyed it.

StanKase---
I guess we'll see you there? We will be at Biras Creek Dec. 8 thru the 15th.
poss---
My wife and I are avid snorkelers as well which is why we love the BVI, however I heartily agree that off the beach snorkeling does not exist at Biras Creek--we find the best snorkeling must be achieved by "boating" to different locations,including a day trip to Anegada. We also find that although better,the snorkeling at Peter Island really only includes off the beach at White Bay, while good, can not "entertain" us for an entire week--so we end up traveling around. The snorkeling however, off Guana is FANTASTIC--especially Monkey Point. We could spend the entire week snorkeling there.
Stan

Thanks for report on Guana, skman. Since snorkeling really is our greatest Caribbean pleasure (now that we're not sailing anymore), I will definitely do more research on Guana. I'm not sure we'd like the very small number of people though: somehow too "clubby" feeling? We're kind of loners and I'd guess that with so few others at that resort, poeple tend to mix more. Or is that not correct? I.e. I wouldn't want to seem unfriendly-- but I know we're simply not "mixers."
Some further questions, if you don't mind:
Are there good reading lights in the rooms? And comfortable chairs? We don't mind at all not having tv, etc-- but we wouldn't be happy if the room weren't quite comfortable for reading for a couple of hours before bed.
Are there king beds? (not comfortable in queen)
How far is it to the beach? I.e. is there a lot of up and downing? (We're 70-something)

Thanks for any other in-put/advice you can give.

poss, loners will do quite well at Guana. While they have some large community tables for breakfast and lunch, they also have two small tables on the other side of the dining area for those who prefer that (with a marvelous view of White Bay). Same for lunch - although since couples have breakfast and lunch at different times, we were often the only two at the table.

For dinner, you can request a private table either on White Bay terrace or Sunset Terrace (our favorite place for dinner!).

The cottages are about 200' UP from the beach. It is easy to walk down the hill, and you can ask for a ride back up.

Guana is very unique indeed. Pretty much you surrounded with nature.

On Guana Island with so few people, we hardly spoke or saw anyone all day long. The evening begins with appetizers and cocktails were people mingle before dinner. Certainly not everyone did that every evening-and no one was obviously missed. Dinner is served at group tables, but you could request "private" dining on sunset terrace each evening--also I would make this known at time of booking (that you would prefer solo dining). You would most likely connect with others and end up dining together some nights, as Guana attracts a very interesting group of people. I can assure you though you could feel very alone on your own island depending on the time of year.
We prefer the room Dominica 4--Large room with King bed (I think) A wonderful sun room adjacent with comfy sofa, and small game table. Attached is a very private sun terrace with chairs and an Umbrella. It is on the same level as the main house and dining room so no up or down. Most other rooms require walking. Unfortunately if any of you have problems traversing uneven terrain or have problems with hills (some steep at that) this would be difficult to get around. The beach is about 1/4 mile away all down hill. They will provide transport up and down. The other 4 beaches require some hiking skill--on true to form National Park hiking trails, some well marked, some not so well marked. They will give you a hand held radio to call back to the main house if you get into trouble. We love hiking so this place is perfect for us.(we're early forties if that matters)
Any doubts this place is not all that easy to navigate with any health or physical ailments. That said, on last visit last December, we met a couple(early 60's) one of whom had a knee problem and was very happy being brought up and down to the beach, and not spending time hiking or getting to any other beaches--they were active snorkelers and were repeat visitors because they liked the solitude and the snorkeling.
Stan

I agree with the immediate previous posts about Guana. I wouldn't think any other guests would think twice about it if you preferred to dine by yourselves. Privacy is one of the main reasons many people choose Guana, after all.

When my husband and I were honeymooning there in June a few years ago, there were only a handful of other couples staying there. We found that we enjoyed our cocktails & hors d'oeuvres mingling with the other guests and were then just as happy to go to our own private dining table--there were so few of us that we all dined at tables for two.

skman; We will be in suite 15A from 12/4-12/12. I plan to try to get a boatman, for a fee, to go with us and the Boston Whaler to the key spots partially because of a minor back problem; I can use help returning to the boat. Also, with a boatman I probably would feel more comfortable going "farther a field".My wife is strong but we are both not 22 any more. Maybe we can join up once or twice. Anegada is definetely on my agenda,weather permitting,as are the Doggs,and 5-6 other spots. My wife wants to go back to the Baths but after 5 visits there over the years I am not thrilled with returning though for first and second timers it is just amazing. See you there.

Again to say that I much appreciate the feed-back abt Guana.
If anyone can talk a bit more abt the various room choices, I'd be grateful. And I suppose whether one gets one's choice has a lot to do with how crowded the resort is-- and also, I would assume, whether one is a repeat guest. We'd be looking for as much quiet and privacy as possible, e.g. a room where folks would not be walking back and forth, where we could be on the terrace in our birthday suits, etc. (Is that possibile?) I'm also interested to know whether there's a real difference among the rooms-- since I believe the rates are the same for all of them?
Scubamom: Am I remembering correctly from an earlier report of yours that you were visiting Peter Island recently? I'd be very interested in any updates on that place. We're trying to decide whether to split our next BVI trip, half at a Mahoe Bay villa and half at PI, or half at Guana. The beach rooms at PI may be too expensive for us-- but I'm concerned abt the noise anbd lack of privacy at the upper rooms, e.g. from the pool area, from the dining room, etc.
Another Guana question: Do they not have those nifty runabouts so that one can snorkel at the various reefs around the island? Does one have to trek to each of the other beaches?
Also: Are there beach chairs at all of the beaches?
BIG question: Is there shade at the beaches?
THANKS!!!

I can help you a little bit with your accommodation questions, but admittedly some of the details from my stay are slipping away from me already.

We stayed in Anegada 1, which is a cottage with three rooms in it. Nobody else was staying in Anegada while we were there, so it was totally private. However, it would not have been a good choice for any sunbathing au naturel because there were vantage points from which we could have been seen.

There is one stand-alone cottage near the main building which houses the bar, reception, the kitchens, etc. I believe it had a private covered porch on the back facing north towards the Atlantic that would have been suitable for nudity, but with the overhang you might not get much sunlight. *However* the front side of that cottage was lacking in privacy because it was smack in front of the pick up and drop off location for the vehicles.

The more expensive North Cottage has its own beach chairs, but I think other than that, only the main beach offers beach chairs. The main beach had a few trees providing shade. There's also the little massage tent that provides shade if nobody is scheduled to have a massage.

One of the highlights of our stay was the castaway picnic, where they dropped us off on a remote beach with two chairs, two umbrellas, and a picnic basket filled with our choice of goodies. We consulted with them about choosing a beach that would provide a bit of shade from the cliffs rising up behind the sand, but also a good deal of privacy, so they took us to one that could only be accessed by boat and not by the hiking trails. You could choose a beach that would be better suited to snorkeling--just talk with the staff and they'll sort it all out.

Thank you, ej. Your response is helpful indeed. If there's not good shade on the various beaches, I don't think Guana would work for us. We love to read for hours on the beach (between loooong snorkels), but I wouldn't consider doing that without palms, palapas, umbrellas or whatever. Little Dix always included umbrellas with their beach drop-offs, so if Guna does likewise, that'd be fine. But what abt that main beach? Enough shade for all resortees?

That stand-alone cottage wouldn't do for us-- I'd mind the hustle and noise of drop-offs (even tho I imagine it doesn't happen often). I wonder if any of the cottages have more quiet and privacy (esp if the place is full). Interesting that at a place like Caneel, one can find genuine privacy-- even though there are so many more people. Guana does sound great, though, so I'm definitely interested in pursuing the idea of trying it. Either that or PI-- can't decide.
Thanks!

scubamom could probably give you the lowdown on which other stand-alone cottages would work for you.

When we were there, we were frequently the only couple on the main beach for most of the day, so there was always plenty of room under that huge tree. If more than 6-7 couples were using the shade of the tree it might get a little crowded.

The umbrellas that were dropped off with us were rather short--not tall enough to stand up underneath, but perfect for sitting underneath on the chair or stretching out the towel on the sand.

The room I described above is their largest room, and I feel has the most privacy. Even though it is in the main building it is at the end and no one walks by. The sun terrace (with a table/chairs and chaise has an umbrella) is PRIVATE. If so inclined au natural sunning is entirely possible.
Never had to fight for a spot or felt crowded under the shade tree at the beach--most times we were the only ones there. People tend to gather around 5ish at the beach bar for a sundowner.
Stan

Just returned from Peter Island and cannot stop thinking about it. My husband and I went away (w/o kids) for our 15th Wedding Anniversary. All we wanted was to relax, splend quality time together and a beautiful setting. We got that and more! It was not stuffy at all. You could choose to mingle with the other guest or not. We chose to stay by ourselves and if was a perfect 2nd honeymoon! The food is fabulous as well.

kiminva: glad you had a great time. If you don't mind, could you answer a few questions, please.
Which room did you stay in? Was it remodeled? Did you hear any noise from neighbors or other kinds of noise? (E.g. I know that some years ago, some sort of power plant or water plant or something like that could be heard on some parts of the property.)
Have you been to any of the Rosewood resorts? How does PI compare?
Are you avid snorkelers? How did you find the snorkeling?
Did the rooms have good reading lamps and comfortable reading chairs?
Thanks so much.