Join me on the back of a motorcycle, traveling through the streets of Koh Kong, Cambodia!
A Sailing Experience: British Virgin Islands
There is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in a boat.
–Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows
I am usually the person who plans all of the details of a trip. I read extensively about the location and build an itinerary. I research the culture, experiences available, and unique areas to visit. This was not one of those trips; and I liked it.
All responsibility was cast aside and I dove headfirst into a travel experience in which I knew the vaguest details of where I would be going, what I would be doing, and who I would be traveling with.
I was truly living my previous post, Taking Chances.
So, what did I know?
My friend’s friend was renting a boat to sail around the British Virgin Islands for a week. There would be a group of us. It was Yacht Week. I should bring my bathing suit, sunscreen, and myself.
I had never been on a sailing vacation or to the British Virgin Islands, so sure, why not? It sounded like a great way to start off the New Year meeting new people, vacationing in a tropical locale, and sailing.
There are many decisions in life that I linger over in order to make sure I am making the best decision possible. Some decisions, however, are very easy, such as traveling anywhere. I bought my flight that night.
This trip was like a blind date or MTV’s Real World; I didn’t know who I was going to meet and spend the week with. I only knew where the plane was taking me. There was an element of excitement in the unknown.
Later, I found out I wasn’t the only person who didn’t know everyone. Mostly everyone else had committed to a trip in which they only knew one or two people. There were nine of us from all over: California, Montreal, New York, D.C, and Boston. Upon first meeting everyone, I knew it was going to be a great trip because everyone was friendly and seemed open to anything.
We arrived in St. Thomas and had time before the other shipmates’ flights landed so we walked along the boardwalk full of shops and restaurants. When everyone arrived we took the Tortola Fast Ferry to SunSail, where our boat was docked.
My friend’s friend, who would be our captain and who had organized the trip, had rented a Catamaran. We decorated the boat with lights, got to know each other better, and danced around on the safety net, a trampoline and sun bathing net in the front of the boat. We had two professional bartenders and two salsa dancers to keep the entertainment going.
Our trip consisted of snorkeling, kite-boarding, and catching fish to eat for dinner. We also had workout sessions on the boat while en route to our daily destinations. We walked around island towns, unique rock structures, and frolicked on beaches.
With wind in our hair, carefree attitudes, and clear blue tropical waters ahead of us, we began our journey sailing to White Bay, Jost Van Dyke. We dropped anchor in front of the Soggy Dollar bar, creator of the “Painkiller.” We went to Foxy’s Tamarind to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a BBQ buffet and danced the night away to live music.
On New Year’s Day I got up, saw it was another beautiful day, dove off the boat and swam ashore to walk along the beach and take in the beauty of where I was.
Later that day, we sailed to the Indians, an archipelago of islets, to snorkel. The Indians is considered one of the most popular dive sites in B.V.I, second to the RMS Rhone shipwreck. We saw sea urchins, brightly colored fish, and interesting coral formations.
After snorkeling we sailed to The Bite, Norman Island, to enjoy the beach. Norman Island served as inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.
In the morning we set sail for Baths National Park, Virgin Gorda. This was one of my favorite days as the Baths are a collection of large boulders along the shore with a path weaving under, over, and in between the rocks, forming secluded areas of sea pools.
You can follow the designated path or take fun detours and walk through cavernous waterways between rocks and test your barefoot climbing skills. I walked through the Baths with my snorkel gear, per our captain’s suggestion, so I could explore the coral reefs at the beach on the other side of the park.
Next we sailed to North Sound to dock and spend the night. We had a nice dinner on Saba Rock and hung out at the Bitter End Yacht Club. We stayed around North Sound, spending the day at a beach on Prickly Pear Island. We saw a wild goat, paddle-boarded, and kite-boarded. We also climbed a palm tree to treat ourselves to fresh coconut water. Climbing the palm tree wasn’t easy and required the assistance of a nice family from Nova Scotia.
We continued our journey, sailing to Scrub Island Resort & Marina to enjoy their infinity pool, hot tub, waterslide, and kayaking. We took a ferry to the nearby Trellis Bay on Beef Island to experience their Full Moon Party. The party was on a beach, had musicians playing calypso music, dancers dressed in colorful costumes on stilts, and wrought iron artworks that were set on fire. The next morning I went for a run with a boatmate around Scrub Island to see what the non-resort side looked like—beautiful and natural.
The trip was in full swing and our captain was full of surprises. Next he took us to one of my other favorite destinations, Sandy Spit. Sandy Spit is an extremely small island with no inhabitants, some shrubbery, and one palm tree. The entire island can be walked within a minute or two.
As evening would soon be approaching, we left Sandy Spit and traveled to Caneel Bay in St. John. We took the ferry back to St. Thomas, and spent the night at Emerald Beach. That evening in St. Thomas we went up a steep and narrow road to get to Mafolie Hotel & Restaurant, which had an amazing view of the bay and great food.
The British Virgin Islands left me with new friends and great memories.
Travels With Alison 