Jennifer

I just discovered Fodors, although my husband has been a devotee for a few years. What a nice website for travellers. Let me try my hand at being "informative" about our recent trip to the BVI. <BR>We vacationed at Frenchman's Cay earlier this year. Lovely! Just the kind of laid-back, nonpretentious resort we enjoy! I can't imagine a better location than the jutting point they have out into the Sir Francis Drake Channel. The accomodations were simple; i.e., you have a whole two-story home to yourself (there are about 8 or 9 of these), and they are fully equipped including kitchen, but you are not paying for bellboys or polished door knobs. The best thing about these villas is that they have an INCREDIBLE view, a wide-open panorama of the Sir Francis Drake Channel. We counted (I think) 9 islands, and you get all the yacht traffic coming up and down the mile wide channel. Seeing yachts at a distance in a pristine blue channel with all the islands as a backdrop is really quite terrific! And you're sitting there on your own shady porch, able to grab a beer out of the frig, or even cook up some burgers or steaks (and save $$$ in restaurant prices, plus not have to dress for lunch). <BR>The managers are out and about all the time and are quite friendly. They never fail to strike up a conversation and we were invited to their table a couple of times, not as some kind of privilege, but just out of what seemed to us to be their interest in us and natural friendliness and openness. <BR>I will add that while we are not nudists normally, we felt comfortable with the privacy in our villa to go starkers out on our porch on a fairly regular basis. <BR>Regarding dining at the restaurant, we found it as good as the other restaurants we visited. It offers a combination of American favorites such as steak and lobster, Caribbean dishes, and European dishes. Very relaxed atmosphere in a very open setting just off the beach. Again, you have a wonderful view from your table. <BR>As to their packages, we felt they were generous. The packages vary to suit the budget, however I'm reasonably sure that the most expensive package actually saves the most money. <BR>We will return. I'd be happy to respond directly to you if you write at the above address <BR>

Bev

Jennifer, I've read good things elsewhere about Frenchman's and caught your comment about "going starkers". My S.O. and I have been talking about vacationing in the Caribbean and finding a spot that is not a nudist colony, but where you can bare a bit, or discretely (such as you seem to have done) go nude. I don't mean prancing around the grounds naked, but we don't want to hide in indoors either. Did you get any comments, stares, etc., from guests or management when you were seen out on your porch? Any reaction at all? Were others doing it?

Killian

Frenchman's is on our list. We've heard a great deal of good about it. I have two questions and would appreciate your comments, Jennifer. We understand that FC is near the ferry to St. Thomas and St. John. Is it a big deal to go to one or the other? Second, someone has said that Frenchman's does not have air conditioning. How much of a problem is that? And, actually, I have a third question; is having a jeep or 4WD in your package worth it?<BR>Thanks!!!

Jen

Bev, Frenchman's certainly doesn't promote nudism, but it seems to respect guests' choices when they are not offensive to others. I'm certain that if I had ventured off the porch sans top I would have been payed a polite visit and asked to refrain. I think I might've taken my top off on the beach if I'd, say, stayed at one of the more out-of-the-way parts of the beach and probably it would be best to have stayed on the chaise rather than run into the water "shaking my booty", so to speak. We were the only couple going nude on our porch. The porch has a solid railing all around so my husband really had nothing to worry about!<BR>Killian, you're about a mile from the West End ferry. It's closest to the USVI so you can get to St. Thomas or St. John quickly and it's a beautiful trip provided you take a window seat. Not sure there are any seats topside, although there used to be. Seems like the round trip is about $30 per person but I'm not sure. It's not a big deal at all, but bring your passport. If you have no passport, a birth certificate will do. Some get by with a drivers license. Frankly, nowadays a passport is the best policy so I'd advise you to break down and apply for one. The ferries run fairly regularly, about every couple of hours through the day. The St. John ferries go to Cruz Bay and most then go on to Charlotte Amalie. Most ferries go straight from West End to Charlotte Amalie w/o stopping at St. John. There are one or two that go to Red Hook. Check the schedule when you get there. There's acres and acres of free parking at the West End ferry building. Don't let anyone kid you, the price is the same for all the ferry lines.<BR>About the a/c, for us it's not a problem. The temperature ranged between 80 and 82 while we were there, but there's a constant wind and the windows are set up so that it blows right through your bedroom, etc. We liked it as it enabled us to adapt quickly to the island climate and really immerse ourselves. If you were staying on the north part of Tortola, it would be a problem because there's little breeze over there due to the mountains obstructing them. (By the way, I'm talking about Spring. In the Winter it is cooler and I'm not sure what direction the breezes come from.)<BR>About the jeep, it's a matter of taste. Some people like to just chill out at the resort and FC provides a nice beach, a small pool and children's pool, a tennis court, and a super library for those who want to crash. We really like to see the island, however, and to try out all the beaches. A lot of them are deserted. We also do a lot of our own cooking not so much to keep the costs down, but to just not have to leave the beautiful porch and the fantastic view. <BR>Hope I've helped you both!!!! <BR>

Bill

Jennifer, can you tell me about getting around on Tortola? Taxi? 4WD? etc? Is there much to do on the end of the island where Frenchman's is or should I stay in Road Town to be nearer the activity that Tortola might have?? Thanks.

Jen

We opted for a package at Frenchman's that included a 4WD. We probably used it at least 3X/day as we enjoy eating out, taking the ferry to St. Thomas, trips to Road Town for groceries, trips to the Patouche II for a daysail, and especially touring the island and all the bays and beaches of Tortola. <BR>A cab would be my preference if we were more of a mind to just "crash" on our vacation, but the cab ride from the airport was $30 one way so.... <BR>About West End versus Road Town, I would say that the further west you go on Tortola, the better it gets. At least one good resort can be found at virtually any corner of Tortola, but you would not find a collection of good resorts other than west of Road Town. Once you get out near the west end of the island (called West End!) you find the 5 or 6 best resorts. My opinion is that the resorts in Road Town itself, while clean and proper, are simple hotels with a pool with the exception of Ft. Burt and Prospect Reef. <BR>

Postgrad

My friends and I loved Frenchman's. We decided to stay in the BVI for another week, but had to move over to Fort Recovery across the bay. Turned out to be equally fun and enjoyable. Both are great locations.