BVI Travel Tips

How do I get to the BVI?

The easiest and most direct route is to Fly to San Juan, Puerto Rico and take a commuter flight right into Beef Island on Tortola. Cape Air or Liat offer commuting flights however you can also fly American all the way to Beef Island. From the airport you can taxi over to Nanny Cay.

www.aa.com
www.capeair.com
www.liat.com

Or…

You may choose to Fly to St. Thomas and take the ferry ride across to Road Town or the West End and taxi to Nanny Cay. Please note that if you take this route you should arrive in St. Thomas by 2:00 pm so you will have enough time to catch the ferry as they have limited departure times.

For Ferry schedules visit these sites:

www.nativesonbvi.com
www.smithsferry.com

Taxis can easily be found at the airports and ferry docks. Please note that there are official taxi rates and you should inquire of the rate beforehand as taxis fares can be expensive and are not metered. If you will be chartering with us please contact us to arrange transportation and we will have a taxi waiting for you when you arrive or depart.

What do I pack?

Extra swimwear is always a good idea.
Water or reef shoes are recommended.

On the boat you really don’t need more than your swimsuits, a cover-up, shorts, t-shirts & sunscreen.

* Just remember you can tan wearing sunscreen and without it you may receive severe sunburns. You have the tropical sun, balmy tropical breezes, and reflection from the water working against you when you are not protected with sunscreen and why ruin a great vacation with a painful and potentially dangerous sunburn.

If you are going ashore and want to enjoy the casual resorts, hotels and restaurants:
Swimwear, shorts and a t-shirt are usually fine during the day, however ladies remember your cover-up and men your t-shirt if you are going to sit down and enjoy breakfast or lunch. In the evening a nice pair of shorts and t-shirt will do.

However when it comes to the upscale resorts and restaurants with dress codes:
(Examples: Biras Creek, Peter Island, Tradewinds, Little Dix & Guana Island)

During the day you can get away with what you would wear to the casual resorts. However, in the evening you should dress “business casual” as we call it, ladies may wear a light dress or a top with slacks and men should wear slacks with a collared shirt. Add a nice pair of shoes and you are ready to go. No need for jacket and tie or heels.

What do I do for money?

Just remember cash or credit. No personal checks are accepted anywhere and major credit cards are honored at the larger BVI restaurants. Traveler’s checks are the way to go with a credit card or two for back up. There are a few ATM machines in the more populated areas.

What about snorkeling equipment?

If you really enjoy snorkeling you may want to bring your own gear. There are so many great snorkeling sites in the BVI that you may want to consider buying or renting from a dive shop rather than going with the cheap snorkeling sets. This way you know you are getting the right equipment with the right fit and you have nothing to worry about except which site your going to hit first.

*Blue Water Divers does offer both new and rental equipment at Nanny Cay.

Where do I get provisions?

You have a few options for provisioning the boat. You can allow the charter company to provision the boat for you from a pre-selected plan or pre-selected shopping list you have completed. The plans usually offer full provisioning or three meals a day for the duration of the trip or some sort of split provisioning which allows you to have lunch, dinner or both ashore. They can also shop for specific items you choose from a shopping list and have it on board ready to go.

Or…

You can provision the boat yourself by fully stocking up at Nanny Cay or stocking as you go using the local markets. You will find major items available in Road Town, Sopers Hole, Maya Cove and East End in Tortola and provisioning available at Yacht Harbour and Leverick Bay in Virgin Gorda.