Newbie with lots of questions

[Bigcheeze]

Welcome to the obbsession...I get the feeling you will 'Get it' once you're on the Rock. Not everybody does but they are in the rare , scant minority...lol

Dave

we soon come...just not soon enough

[AquaGirl]

Greetings - how fun to plan a trip for 3 weeks, then actually be in the islands for 3 weeks! Our longest trips have been 12 days, but I could definitely spend 3 weeks.

We love STJ for the beautiful beaches, excellent snorkeling, sailboat charters, hiking and staying in a villa with our own pool. Good restaurants too. There is also some sightseeing of historical sites. Plenty to keep us entertained. mixed in with relaxing. Being able to snorkel right from the beaches is a big plus for us. You have so many beautiful beaches to explore there. If you like snorkeling, be sure to take a day trip on "Long Distance" for their mangrove snorkeling experience. It is wonderful.

We spent one trip split between Tortola and Virgin Gorda, with a day trip via ferry to Anegada. We loved both Tortola and Virgin Gorda, and will definitely go back there. Didn't care for Anegada and glad we went just for the day - had lousy snorkeling, lousy food, weird vibe in some places. But that's just us - some people love it.

Virgin Gorda has some stunning beaches with clear water and excellent snorkeling. We visited the Baths when we stayed on VG. We hiked to Devil's Bay early one morning, set up our stuff, including a nice picnic breakfast. Then we went through the Baths and back to Devil's Bay. There is a path of sorts through the rocks. If you get there in the morning, there are almost no people and we had it to ourselves. The Baths are stunning and we enjoyed going through them. I was glad we did it that way, because they get very crowded during the day with the charter trips. There is a restaurant at the top of the hill from the Baths, that looked like a fun place to have lunch after touring the Baths.

We only spent a few days on Tortola, and enjoyed it. Had some great snorkeling there too. Its mountainous and scenic with very steep roads. Virgin Gorda is more flat and dry - scenic in its own way, but different from STJ and VG.

The BVIs have so many small islands, I would have loved to do some day trips for sailing and snorkeling. My husband gets sea sick and his shocker watch stopped working on that trip, so we just snorkeled from the beach. Next trip, we will do more day sail trips.

We usually get AC, mostly because the humidity can get very "sticky", so we run it at night. It seemed hotter in Tortola and VG, so we were happy to have AC at night. We normally go in April/May.

If you go to VG, be sure to go to the Jumbies BBQ and show on Friday night at Leverick. It was a nice dinner and great show.

Have fun researching! I enjoy planning trips and know what you mean about reading forums being addictive.

[sherban]

If you haven't used YouTube yet...here's a few I found while browsing the area using Google Earth....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJycP-bS ... r_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4jP2kGF ... r_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuxNVP3i ... r_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMmnNd7- ... r_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MXd4RTd ... r_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8eYwbDp ... r_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktzd48kA ... r_embedded

[IslandElle]

Sherban! You are just making the obsession worse! I hadn't thought about youtube for videos. Those were great. Thanks!

I have pretty much decided it is going to be STJ for 2 weeks then 1 week either split between Tortola and VG or just one week on VG. We will take a day trip to Jost from STJ since I hear it is a must, and do a day sail to some snorkel spots. That's what I have so far. I have found some pretty good villa/cottage choices for STJ but I think I will make another thread about that, and for VG as well.

Maggy- Are you taking the ferry over from STJ when you guys head to VG on your trip in April? I was reading your posts last night and they were very helpful so thanks!

Pianogrl, msgcolleen - We are pretty close to both of you I think. We live in Frisco! Nice to see some other Dallas people here.

Bigcheeze - I am pretty sure we will "get it" once we get there. (I feel like I all ready am a little) I keep telling hubby that this may be an option for retirement vs Hawaii.

Ok, a couple new questions.

1. I know some of you send a box down ahead of time or take a cooler. It is just the 2 of us and we can travel light so not sure about a box ahead of time. We do like to cook at home and I think we will be doing this a fair amount. Do most of you bring food from the states that you cant get there, or is it just cheaper here? I guess my real question is what is the benefit of doing this vs buying what you need once you get there?

2. This is kind of a silly question I am sure but wanted to double check. I know a car is a must on STJ but what about VG?

[Lovermont]

2. This is kind of a silly question I am sure but wanted to double check. I know a car is a must on STJ but what about VG?

I'll let the "cooler people" respond to question number one. Regarding VG and car rental... If my memory serves me, it's even more critical that you rent a car on VG. I don't remember any public transportation. The driving is pretty straight forward though; I wouldn't worry too much about driving there. I know when we went two years ago, our car was included in our lodging deal at Mango Bay Resort.

Have fun with your plans. As you can see, we all enjoy the vicarious planning!

Lovermont

[IslandElle]

2. This is kind of a silly question I am sure but wanted to double check. I know a car is a must on STJ but what about VG?

I'll let the "cooler people" respond to question number one. Regarding VG and car rental... If my memory serves me, it's even more critical that you rent a car on VG. I don't remember any public transportation. The driving is pretty straight forward though; I wouldn't worry too much about driving there. I know when we went two years ago, our car was included in our lodging deal at Mango Bay Resort.

Have fun with your plans. As you can see, we all enjoy the vicarious planning!

Lovermont

Thanks! That is really the answer I needed. I am looking at Mango Bay and noticed they included a car, so bonus! Do I need to worry about driving on STJ? I cant imagine it is worse that some European countries but I have no clue! lol I know it is steep, but besides that?

[Lovermont]

Do I need to worry about driving on STJ? I cant imagine it is worse that some European countries but I have no clue! lol I know it is steep, but besides that?

Funny you should ask. My DH and I were just talking about this the other day. So much is made of driving on STJ. Quite frankly, I'm more nervous about driving in Boston or another major city (what with living in rural VT.) Yes, you drive on the left on STJ, which would be made a bit easier if it were actually a right-hand drive car you were driving. But the thing is, there's never an opportunity to go very fast. It's steep, and windy, and there are a lot of minor roads that are full of potholes. All of this just makes you drive slower. I bet the fastest you ever go is about 30 mph. And there aren't a lot of turning decision to be made, because, well, there aren't that many roads. If you've driven in Europe (and especially the British Isles) you should have no problem.

Lovermont

[Bigcheeze]

"Driving a little while on the wrong side of the road"

Do you have Kenny Chesney's "Be as you are" CD and 'Lucky Old Sun"?

If not you should

[Pianogrl]

Hi Island Elle.....we're practically neighbors! We're in Plano. So close.
We usually cook in the villa most nights we're on island. On one trip we bought what we needed at Starfish Market & Dolphin Market...(for breakfast & dinner; most lunches we ate out). In May of this year we had some Omaha steaks that had been frozen & all we did was take them out of the freezer the morning we left, packed them in our checked bag & they were still frozen when we got to the villa late that afternoon. Worked out great...bought some greens for salads at Josephine's over in Coral Bay...wonderful!
We also did some take out from Candie's (BBQ ribs..amazing!!!, BBQ chicken, etc.) Ate out a few times but mostly in the villa at night.
So I know from Dallas you can put some frozen stuff in your bag & it will be in great shape when you get to STJ on the same day.

[sherban]

1. I know some of you send a box down ahead of time or take a cooler. It is just the 2 of us and we can travel light so not sure about a box ahead of time. We do like to cook at home and I think we will be doing this a fair amount. Do most of you bring food from the states that you cant get there, or is it just cheaper here? I guess my real question is what is the benefit of doing this vs buying what you need once you get there?

We bought a bunch of frozen meat (filets, burgers, precooked bacon) from Omaha Sreaks that we kept frozen solid then threw it in a soft sided cooler with a shouler strap and checked it on the plane...there are varied opinions on the quality of steaks available on island...we just didn't want to hassle with shopping for quality meats so we took our own and bought everything else local.

[jimg20]

We took meat on our last trip and Diana did it again on SOTB. I carried it on for our trip and she checked it inside another bag on her trip. The food was frozen solid both times. Those Polar Bear coolers and techni ice are outstanding. We like the quality and price of our US meat. I was not impressed with what we saw in STJ. We ate in the villa 6 out of 9 nights.

JIM

[Maggy]

Maggy- Are you taking the ferry over from STJ when you guys head to VG on your trip in April? I was reading your posts last night and they were very helpful so thanks!

2. This is kind of a silly question I am sure but wanted to double check. I know a car is a must on STJ but what about VG?

Yes, I hope the ferry is still operating on Sundays, as we plan to switch islands on a Sunday. Should it not be operating, we just take to ferry to Roadtown and then change for the VG-ferry.

I would suggest renting a car on VG. It's cheaper than on STJ. We have paid $350 a week and always rented via Guavaberry (they use Mahogany car rentals). You would like to have the freedom to visit different beaches, restaurants, grocery shopping and touring the islands. Roads are also easier on VG.

You can't go wrong with Guavaberry. Their staff is wonderful and the houses are basic but clean and contain everything you need. Also affordable. We just love it there. No pool but a few minutes walk down to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world (Spring bay).

[PA Girl]

1. I know some of you send a box down ahead of time or take a cooler. It is just the 2 of us and we can travel light so not sure about a box ahead of time. We do like to cook at home and I think we will be doing this a fair amount. Do most of you bring food from the states that you cant get there, or is it just cheaper here? I guess my real question is what is the benefit of doing this vs buying what you need once you get there?

2. This is kind of a silly question I am sure but wanted to double check. I know a car is a must on STJ but what about VG?

1. Part-time cooler person chiming in:

We have taken coolers in the past. Didn't last year and won't this year.

Cost wasn't the reason, we did it for the ease of meal planning and quality. We had two trips that included non-driving grandparents and a young child. While we eat out nearly every lunch and dinner on vacation, I needed to feed the stay at-homers. The leftovers were post-beach snacks for the next day.

It was easier for me to know ahead of time that I had the recipes, seasons and meat for X number of meals. I had my shopping list done ahead of time so could get in and get out of the grocery store as quickly as possible.

So because I hate grocery shopping, meal planning on demand, and the family is basically a bunch of food snots, we have successfully pulled off a number of cooler trips.

2.

I would rent a car on VG. The main roads are in very good coditions and it is easy to get around.

In our experience, taxis on VG take island-time to a whole different level. A lot of the restaurants will send taxis to pick you up and take you home but timing may test your patience.

One night, the taxi was an hour past the the pick up time and we had sat around the parking lot for 45 minutes on the return. From what I have been told, this is common practice.

[jmq]

I would rent a car on VG. The main roads are in very good coditions and it is easy to get around.

In our experience, taxis on VG take island-time to a whole different level. A lot of the restaurants will send taxis to pick you up and take you home but timing may test your patience.

One night, the taxi was an hour past the the pick up time and we had sat around the parking lot for 45 minutes on the return. From what I have been told, this is common practice.

Re the use of taxis on VG, based on PA's experience, dont depend on the restaurants making the arrangements. Arrange your own - Guavaberry recommended Shorn at 284-541-2917. He has a wonderful personality and always right on time, so even if you have a car, you do have the option of not driving if for example you are planning lotsa cocktails or wine with dinner.

[Marcia (Mrs. Pete)]

To answer your question regarding shipping some stuff down in advance, we've done that before. It might not be a bad idea for you, since you are there for an extended period of time.

You can find everything you will need on STJ but, it's nice to ship down your own toiletries/other consumable goods to free up space in your luggage.

On driving in STJ, it only takes a few minutes to adjust to driving on the left (I actually think the transition to right side driving when you return is more difficult). As others have mentioned, some roads are more treacherous than others but it's not that big of a deal unless they are wet. Some of the switchbacks after a rain can be a bit frightening. Be sure the tread on your tires is good before leaving the Jeep rental agency. And, keep a safe distance between you and any car/water truck/cement truck in front of you.