My partner and I are mid 30s and are looking for a place with a great beach, at lease one restaurant with good food, and a quiet remote atmosphere. We've decided on BVI, perhaps Peter Island, for the first of Sept. We've never been to the Carribbean. Anyone have a comment or better suggestions? Thanks.

Instead of Peter Island we would pick Cooper Island or Guana Island depending how much you want to spend. If you are not very adventuresome Peter Island is ok. Little Dix or Biras Creek would be better than Peter Island in my estimation also. Some people just love Peter Island. It is a matter of taste. We have been at all of the properties mentioned. For the money Cooper is the choice hands down. On Tortola, Frenchman's Cay is one of the top values for the big Island but you need a car. I believe Amway Corp still owns Peter Island and if you like their products you will most likely still find them in your room. There is more of a US or cruise ship feel about the island which might make you feel more at home. As a world class resort Little Dix, however is tops. For a lovely private Island Guana Island is next with unusual flora and fauna and sublime isolation. Biras Creek is a nice remote honeymoon spot with outstanding food. Cooper Island is a fun place and a particularly a good spot if your are divers or like to snorkel. If nothing else it is fun to watch the yachts come and go there and the food is good. For Cooper Island check http://www.cooper-island.com. For Guana island check http://www.guana.com. The easiest places to get to are Peter Island and Guana Island but it is not hard to get to the others. I would book direct with all of these places. They can well advise you on the connections. You don't want an agent unless they are really expienced in BVI. That way you are certain that people will be expecting you. You can do everything with 800 numbers. Good Luck. You fly into Beef Island Tortola and connect to Virgin Gorda depending where you are going to stay. If you are going to stay at Peter Island, I think you would enjoy a trip to the Baths if they offer it. Also, a trip to Anagada is something you will write home about, if available. The lobster there is truly unusual. It is a wonderful trip by boat.

Thanks for your advice. Sounds as if I need to do a little more digging.

Harold, <BR>Ditto to everything Louis Dameson said. It really depends on your wallet. Let me add this to Louis' comments. Almost all of his recommendations imply that you're going to be at the resort all the time because there's really nowhere to go; i.e., no road system. Virgin Gorda has road but there's nowhere to go and nothing to see. Cooper and Peter are remote and there's only the resort. <BR>That really leaves Tortola which, in my own opinion, is a fun island without being crowded. Lots of friendly people and you can't possibly do all the fantastic beaches. I stay at Frenchman's Cay. Phenomenal view from your simple but sufficient villa. A 4x4 comes with their several package deals. The restaurant is very good, and when the resort is packed there are a total of about 40 people. Exploring Tortola is a lot of fun: big mountains, steep roads, no tourists, no kids, fast ferries over to St. Thomas and St. John (40 min), and a wide choice of restaurants. A one bedroom, double occupancy with 4x4 is $1,400 per week which includes all taxes and service charges, 7 breakfasts for 2, and 2 lunches and 3 dinners for two. They're at http://frenchmans.com.

If you are looking for a single destination resort it is one thing but if you want to explore and see what a real Caribbean Island is like I echo jd's recommendation. From Beef Island Airport, a taxi will take you to Frenchman's Cay for about $15 which tavels the entire length of Tortola. From there you can use it as headquarters for many trips in the area such as a boat trip to the Baths at Virgin Gorda, recommended. You might visit Little Dix if you have the time. You can easily take a ferry to St. Thomas and shop for the day. They have many snorkeling boat trips from Tortola. With a car you can have dinner at the Sugar Mill which is not far away. You can easily take the dive boat over to Cooper Island for lunch and snorkeling off the end of the island. You can see a lot of the area. If I were to spend any amount of time on Tortola I would pick Frenchman's Cay without hesitation. At this point you both have to decide what you want and what you want to pay. At the bottom price range you will get good comfort and food but not luxury. In fact all of the BVI tends to be more nature oriented and you will not find what many expect to find at the Four Seasons etc. in the US or Hawaii. It tends to be more like the real Caribbean if there is such a thing without tourists.

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