Tortola, British Virgin Islands - Trip Report April 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007 at 03:42PM
Trip Report - Tortola, BVI
4/24 to 4/28/07
4/24 to 4/28/07
I spent 4 nights at Sebastian's on the Beach, Little Apple Bay, Tortola (just down the hill from Long Bay Resort). We stayed in one of the seaside villas, which was lovely, and just a short walk up a small hill from the 
"main resort" area. The beach at Sebastian's is a surfing beach, very small and not too safe for swimming, not your typical calm Caribbean waters, no pool onsite. Our room had a beautiful view of Jost van Dyke and the shoreline, with a rocky coast below our balcony where you could hear the waves crashing and watch pelicans nosediving, no beach outside the villas.
"main resort" area. The beach at Sebastian's is a surfing beach, very small and not too safe for swimming, not your typical calm Caribbean waters, no pool onsite. Our room had a beautiful view of Jost van Dyke and the shoreline, with a rocky coast below our balcony where you could hear the waves crashing and watch pelicans nosediving, no beach outside the villas.Transportation: We flew USAir non-stop flights from PHL and took the ferry service over to Tortola. Ferries run fairly regularly from St. Thomas to Tortola (about an hour ferry ride). Sebastian's was located closer to the West End ferry dock on Tortola - Road Town is the other ferry dock on the island. Cost is $50 roundtrip per person. I would highly recommend renting a car for a stay on Tortola, the cab fares really do add up. Roads are hilly and winding on the island, but not crowded. (One important note if you don't plan to rent a car - there is no public bus system; as with most Caribbean island taxis, be sure to discuss taxi fares before heading on your way in the cab. If possible get the name/cell phone of a driver and contact him for your services.)
Returning via ferry to St. Thomas, it is highly advisable to take an early ferry to avoid any hold-ups at the airport. We took the 10:30AM ferry back to St. Thomas for our 3PM flight ... lines were horrendous at STT, so we're glad we did. Ferry service is available to visit Jost van Dyke (we did), Virgin Gorda and Anegada from Tortola. Credit cards are accepted for the STT/Tortola ferries, but only cash for Tortola/Jost van Dyke.
Quite a few people we met had chartered catamarans/boats to island hop at their leisure (most with captains, some sailed themselves, air conditioned, comfortable). That's a great way to experience BVI, especially with a group of friends/couples, and I would be happy to help anyone plan that adventure.
Jost van Dyke: We took the 10AM ferry over to JVD from West End and the 5PM ferry back (last ferry back to 
Tortola). Arriving on JVD instantly relaxes you because there is nothing to do but lay on the beach, eat and drink, and enjoy a stress-free day. We opted to take a $5 cab ride rather than walk "to the left" to White Bay, where Soggy Dollar (home of the infamous Painkiller drinks) is located. Beautiful beach with a string of funky little beach bars and shops ... a short walk over a little rocky terrain will bring you to Ivan's Stress Free Bar (where Kenny Chesney filmed "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem" music video). Ivan's is on the honor system, if Ivan doesn't feel like standing behind the bar, you mix your own drinks and leave your $$. Ivan's also has some basic campsites to rent for a steal if you're into that. We then headed over to the infamous Foxy's via cab before walking to the ferry for our trip home. JVD's population is only about 200 ... just about all the Soggy Dollar workers were with us on the 5PM ferry back to Tortola. (FYI - you are able to run a tab at Soggy Dollar but only with a Visa or MasterCard.)
Tortola). Arriving on JVD instantly relaxes you because there is nothing to do but lay on the beach, eat and drink, and enjoy a stress-free day. We opted to take a $5 cab ride rather than walk "to the left" to White Bay, where Soggy Dollar (home of the infamous Painkiller drinks) is located. Beautiful beach with a string of funky little beach bars and shops ... a short walk over a little rocky terrain will bring you to Ivan's Stress Free Bar (where Kenny Chesney filmed "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem" music video). Ivan's is on the honor system, if Ivan doesn't feel like standing behind the bar, you mix your own drinks and leave your $$. Ivan's also has some basic campsites to rent for a steal if you're into that. We then headed over to the infamous Foxy's via cab before walking to the ferry for our trip home. JVD's population is only about 200 ... just about all the Soggy Dollar workers were with us on the 5PM ferry back to Tortola. (FYI - you are able to run a tab at Soggy Dollar but only with a Visa or MasterCard.)We didn't visit Virgin Gorda this time around, but I had been there previously ... The Baths and Devil's Bay are so beautiful .. truly a little slice of paradise.
Island Tour: We went on an island tour one day. From Sebastians, we visited Cane Garden Bay, the mural along
Ridge Road (numerous artist paintings depicting life as it was on BVI), shopping in Road Town (even with cruise ships in port, it was nowhere near as crowded at St. Thomas), Callwood Distillery (600 years old), Sage Mountain/Sky World (one of the highest points on the island, restaurant/bar, and observation deck).
Ridge Road (numerous artist paintings depicting life as it was on BVI), shopping in Road Town (even with cruise ships in port, it was nowhere near as crowded at St. Thomas), Callwood Distillery (600 years old), Sage Mountain/Sky World (one of the highest points on the island, restaurant/bar, and observation deck). Dining: We ate breakfast daily at Sebastian's, which was normal breakfast fare. Lunches included Spaghetti Junction in Road Town, 1728 House at Long Bay Resort, and Soggy Dollar on Jost van Dyke ... no lunch particularly outstanding, but fine. Dinners: Sebastians', Coco Plum, Sugar Mill, and Quito's Gazebo. Sebastian's has daily fresh fish choices, and our Wahoo was very good. Coco Plum is a casual restaurant, a short walk from Sebastian's - the Voodoo ribs and coconut shrimp were awesome. We also walked to Sugar Mill from Sebastians, about a 10 min. walk. Sugar Mill is a little higher priced dining, a beautiful setting in an old sugar mill, and our meal and service were excellent. Our last meal was spent in Cane Garden Bay (about a 20 min. cab ride from Little Apple Bay) at Quito's Gazebo. Quito sings solo 2 nights a week and his reggae band plays on the weekend. Dinner is served from 6:30-9:30PM, and then closes for the show. We had fresh Mahi Mahi and shrimp, very tasty. The place starts to fill up for the show around 9PM, and dinner guests who stay for the entertainment do not have to pay the cover charge. Quito's band was very good. Cane Garden Bay is the site of the BVI Music Festival on Memorial Day Weekend. The beach is very nice, great spot to listen to some music. (FYI - the cost Music Festival tickets is very reasonable ... 3 days of music at $20 per day ... lots of great performers, too.)
Our hotel was right next to Bomba's Shack (everyone knows about Bomba on the island - famous for full moon parties and mushroom tea), but we were always on the go and never stopped in. The one night we planned to, it had rained and the "floor" of the Shack was mud, so we decided to skip it that night.
Long Bay Resort, Tortola: We hiked up the hill from Sebastian's to Long Bay Resort one day (and I 
mean "hill" ...), have lunch, and lay on their beautiful beach one day. Long Bay Resort is more of a "typical" resort moreso than some of the smaller establishments ... more amenities, onsite activities, pool ... the only all-inclusive option on Tortola. It's a beautiful resort, great beach, awesome views, and nice rooms.
mean "hill" ...), have lunch, and lay on their beautiful beach one day. Long Bay Resort is more of a "typical" resort moreso than some of the smaller establishments ... more amenities, onsite activities, pool ... the only all-inclusive option on Tortola. It's a beautiful resort, great beach, awesome views, and nice rooms.Looking for your "I've got to be constantly entertained" destination? BVI is not for you. It is a beautiful, friendly, comfortable destination... no casinos, no high rise hotels, no vendors. The nightlife can be fun, but low-key. The beach, the water, drinking and eating were our main activities!
Pattie Mitchell, ACC
Travel Dreams
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Pattie Mitchell, Travel Dreams
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