Hello all:

Just came back from Tortola - 7 days in paradise.....here's my trip report.

Travelling-wise, we cashed in some miles from Delta for our flight to San Juan. From there we flew American Eagle to Beef Island. Usually we liked to fly Cape Air but this time American was cheaper. It was a pretty tight turnaround in San Juan to catch the AA Transfer to Beef, but since it was slow season there wasn't much of a wait for anything. I even had time to down a couple of iced cold Medallas before boarding!!!

After arriving at Beef we tool a taxi (expensive!!!) to Road Town, their Capital, to pick up our rental car at Avis. We thought that they had a counter at the airport but we were mistaken. Only Hertz and National had that convenience. No problem.

For lodging we rented a studio at Serendipity House near Josiah's Bay just north of town. It is a little bit more quiet than their main drag at Cane Garden Bay, but we liked it there. Serendipity was fine, however their place is in need of repair. But basically it got everything we needed - grill, fridge, stove etc....that's cool with us. We did pick up groceries in town before checking in, and found that basic food stuffs were quite well stocked. We were especially delighted to see the SUPER low price on Cruzan Rum ($2.99 for a bottle of 750ml!!!) and cheese. We did bring, as with our tradition, some frozen meats for grilling, and wines (4 bottles total). Customs didn't charge us any duty.

Let's talk beaches. Josiah's was by far our most favorite. Quiet, deep, and long, the relatively sparse crowd suited us perfectly. We usually went to the far end of the beach, having almost total privacy. The waters were turquois blue, however the surf was a bit strong even during the calm, non trade wind season. Might get rough during the winter months. The lone beach bar there assured us of some beachfront conveniences if we need it however, we packed ours anyway.

Smuggler's Cove was our second most favorite. Albeit much shallower than Josiah's, I especially liked its westward orientation which gives us a nice, warm sun as we apporached sunset, keeping us warm. The wind and the surf also was on the stronger side. The view was excellent and the snorkling merely so and so.

We also spent a little time at Brewers but not much to write home about. We liked Cane Garden for all their bars and an AWESOME sunset, but not the the beach itself. A bit shallow, and a bit too crowded for my taste. We preferred Long Bay East at Beef Island instead, again, for its quietness.

We cooked most of our meals in the apartment so we didn't ventured much in terms of dining. One challenge that we gave ourselves was to sample as much conch fritters as possible. Myetts had the best. Conincidentally the BVI Festival was taking place and we had a chance to sample some really good goat roti, conch patties, and Johnny Cakes. The roti was in my opinion the best local dish (well, may be a tie with my conch fritters). They are pancake-wrap with some curried meat in it.

We also made our ways to Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke, all via ferry. On the first trip we wanted to visit the baths. The landscape was very dramatic and both Peg and myself enjoyed the 20 minute walk through the caves immensely. We took almost 200 pictures there with our digital camera.

Then on the last day of our trip we decided to forego another morning of fine sun at Josiah's to make a trip out to Jost Van Dyke. Just thought it would complete the "triple crown." A sleepy little island, JVD had its own special charm. Foxy's was really cool and we had a couple Carib's there before moving on. We then took a cab ride over to White Bay, which in my opinion, was the most beautiful stretch of beach that I had found in this trip. With the backdrop of the quaint little Soggy Dollar Bar (home of the Painkiller) it was the closest to total island relaxation that the both of us could get! Highly recommended!!!

Overall, we thought it was time well-spent at the BVI. It was a lot of fun and offered a diverse range of activities.

I hope this helps.

foodiechan

Thank you for your trip report!! I am in the beginning stages(planning) of a January trip to Tortola/JVD, so I loved hearing about your trip!

I am hoping to stay on Cane Garden Bay. I know it is more crowded, but it is my hope that this trip we can just stay on the beach and relax. We usually pack so much into our trips, that we do not end up with much limin' time!!
And then a few nights at White Bay. I have only been there a couple of times on day trips, but that place has found a awy into my soul!! Imagine being able to just stay there for a few days!
Thanks again...

Nice trip report. Thanks for posting, it brings back many memories of our trip to Tortola. We did the same thing, stayed at a villa and did day trips to VG and JVD. We loved VG so much that we returned for a week last year.

Foodiechan, thanks for an enjoyable and concise report. (Love that "ok, let's talkk beaches&quot I missed seeing the BVI last month- determined to go next time. Thank you for your advice.

Hey folks:

Some pics from the visit. Enjoy!!! Comments are welcome!

http://community.webshots.com/user/foodiechan

foodiechan,
Thanks for sharing the pics, I loved them. Isn't White Bay on Jost simply the best? Looks like you had an awesome time.

Great pictures. Thanks for the report also. Would you consider ever staying on JVD? Owa

I will definitely stay at Jost. The Sand Castle looked great. I still believe that Jost is best enjoyed "salty dog" style - i.e. if you charter a boat and approach there via water.