CARIBBEAN - BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS : SO PERGECT IT'S ALMOST A CLICHÉ
by Kevin Retief



After three cruises I thought I knew the Caribbean inside out – but believe me, you haven’t even begun to experience what the world's favorite vacation spot is all about until you’ve waved goodbye to that floating hotel and you’re left alone, swinging on a hammock under a star-studded sky, the air scented with frangipani, with nothing to disturb you but the song of the Cocqui frogs, the chirping of crickets, the rustle of palm trees, and the soothing sound of gentle waves lapping the shore.

It is all so perfect it’s almost a cliché, but this is exactly what the British Virgin Islands are all about.

Here you can still find the unspoilt scenery and enviable pace of life that first attracted tourists to the Caribbean. This is the Caribbean we all dream about: an untouched tropical paradise of oddly-shaped islands with quaint names like Prickly Pear Island, Dead Chest and Fallen Jerusalem, deserted beaches fringed with palm trees, latticed bungalows with lizards scurrying across ceilings behind purring fans, and salty breezes wafting through bougainvillea-covered trellises.

The magic of these verdant islands, named after Saint Ursula and her virgin companions, is evident as the plane drops to Beef Island, the most popular point of entry, after a 30-minute flight from Puerto Rico. The sea is the ultimate turquoise; the scenery lush; no skyscrapers in sight. The airport itself is a refreshingly rustic affair.

A short hop across the Queen Elizabeth Bridge, Tortola, or "land of turtle doves", is the largest of the British Virgin Islands. The capital, Road Town, with its yacht-filled harbour, offers a gentle transition from the harried civilization back home to the laid-back lifestyle of the islands – try the local cuisine, spices combined with indigenous fruits, vegetables and seafood, in bright, pastel-painted restaurants, shop for silk-screened fabrics and watercolours by Tortolan artists.

I did not think it was possible, but I found an even greater peace at the Sugar Mill Hotel in the north-west of the island. Set in tropical gardens along the ruins of a 17th-century sugar plantation, the Sugar Mill Hotel has the rustic charm of a Caribbean home (check-in is at the bar) but with the elegance and attentive service of a five-star resort. Private villas overlook the sea and neighbouring islands, and the critically-acclaimed restaurant offers an exquisite menu blending Caribbean ingredients and Californian cuisine (the telling sign of Californian owners and loving overseers, Jeff and Jinx Morgan).

For those hankering after bigger resort-type hotels, there is the Peter Island Resort.

Reached by the resort’s own 55-foot luxury yacht, the private island has one of the world’s most romantic beaches. Nestled along Deadman’s Bay, named after the skeletons of an abandoned pirate party, the beach-front rooms are decorated in stylish Caribbean charm – hibiscus blooms scattered across the dresser – with all modern conveniences. There are plenty of opportunities for watersports, hiking and cycling the wild secluded trails around the island, still very much the primitive garden that Columbus first sighted during his second voyage to the New World.

As elsewhere in the British Virgin Islands, there is little evidence of the mass tourist market that has become the scourge of so many other fair-weather destinations. So there is plenty of room to pursue the things visitors really want to do in the Caribbean: watersports, sun bathing and drinking rum! Charter boats are easy to find – various companies offer everything from trawlers to crewed yachts, for a day or a week or even more. It's the perfect way to explore the islands, the rich coral reefs, and of course the William Thornton II floating bar anchored permanently not far from Peter Island.

There are hundreds of cocktails with rum in them, and delicious variations are served all over the islands, but none were as welcome as the light pink versions Winifred met us with as we climbed off the rickety ferry at Drake’s Anchorage Resort Inn.

The resort is on Mosquito Island, just another hop away from the third largest of the British Virgin Islands, Virgin Gorda, or "fat virgin". With accommodation for only 28 guests, Drake’s Anchorage Resort Inn really is the complete escape. Live entertainment is watching a hummingbird sip nectar from a nearby hibiscus, the spider crawling across the shower curtain, and the snake winding lazily around the veranda boards (no worry, there is nothing poisonous on the island). There is nothing more stressful to do than having to decide which size of flipper fits best, or what to have that night at the water’s edge restaurant, renowned among the boating visitors for its West Indian and Continental cuisine.

There is, of course, much more to the British Virgin Islands than pampering yourself with good food, relaxing in the sun and walking along the beach counting the pink conch shells.

The British Virgin Islands' vivid culture – evident in its language, architecture, herbal and culinary arts, religion, and in art, music and dance – has been forged out of a long and colourful history. Those who live here insist that the secret of a society still intact, and for the low crime rate (in some places non-existent), is the strong role of the church in the community. Some even say that the perfect state of affairs is due to the fact that the children go to Sunday School.

Here on the British Virgin Islands ..... it might well be that simple !


Photo: courtesy British Virgin Islands
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