Virgin Gorda trip report and photos
Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 1:04 pm
I have more pictures from the trip here:
http://maggy1960.smugmug.com/Vacation/B ... 61_8ThcxgZ
For the sixth time Christer and I went to Virgin Gorda. This island is the one that is closest to my heart and was the very first island we visited in the Caribbean (if you exclude Bermuda, which I'm not really sure of counts as Caribbean). Well, we usually go the same time of the year when we travel there. That is of course, if any Icelandic volcano doesn't have an eruption.
We always stay at Guavaberry Spring bay vacation homes and we just love it. To us it couldn't be more perfect. They are basic but very nice wooden houses with one bedroom (or two) and a kitchen and a lovely deck with a more or less gorgeous view over Sir Frances Drake’s channel. You can see Tortola, the Dogs, Great Camanoe, Scrub, Ginger island and you can see St John.
When you are visiting the same time of the year, means that you get to meet a lot of people who does the same. Over the years we have met some great friends and this year we were a group of 9-11 people that did a lot of fun things together. We also travelled with my brother and his girlfriend this year, so it was great to show the how beautiful the Virgin islands can be. They loved it. And we stayed in separate houses, so we could get together when we wanted and be on our own also. It worked out perfectly. We shared one rental car though.
Our house this year was Cedar house and we really like it. Wonderful views from the deck. All houses have names after flowers, plants or trees. Here are a couple of pictures from the house.
View from the house
Spring bay was our base, which is to me one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It’s just on the other side of the Bath’s but not the crowds. We also went to Savannah Bay, Mahoe Bay, the Baths (early before anyone else was there), Devils Bay and other beaches as well. We had one lunch at Saba Rock, which is a great little place and makes a perfect excursion from Guavaberry. You drive over Gorda Peak with gorgeous views.
Spring Bay
The Baths
Valley Trunk Bay
Savannah Bay lookout. Never seen it so calm.
Savannah Bay
Me at Saba Rock
Brown Pelican
North sound
One day the whole group went with Dive BVI (which to me is the absolutely best dive operation I have ever experienced) on a combined snorkeling and diving trip to Norman islands. First we visited The Indians, then lunch at WillyT and then another stop at Spyglass wall. I was the only one diving, so I got a private divemaster. The conditions were just great and we saw lots of nice stuff. I saw turtle, nurse shark, eagle ray, lionfish, indigo hamlet, spotted drum and more. Everyone was really pleased with the day and the guys we went with and we agreed that we had to do that again next year.
The four of us also went on an afternoon snorkeling/dive trip to the Dogs at a site called Bronco Billy. It was so much fun watching my brother and his girlfriend enjoying the snorkeling.
From WillyT
Redband Parrotfish
Indigo Hamlet
Good visibility at the Indians
Smooth trunkfish
I had met this wonderful lady named Joan Soncini on TTOL (Traveltalk online) and we have had contact for many years, but never managed to get together. We had plans last year to do that, but the volcano put an end to that. She is a writer/photographer/PhD and has written a lovely book about Virgin Gorda called “An intimate Portrait”. Anyway, she owns a villa with her Italian husband on Mahoe Bay and we were invited to them for lunch. It was a really nice day. We started with snorkeling Mahoe Bay, which by the way is one of the best places to snorkel in VG and we found a turtle. It was my brother and gf first turtle and it was just great to hang out with that fellow for a long time. After that we went up to her villa, had a swim in the pool and got a glass of wine, which we enjoyed up in her gazebo. The view from there is to die for. And then we had lunch and talked for a couple of hours. Christer also played tennis with her husband a couple of days later. We have got new friends and we might see them again next year. She also invited me and the girls in the SOTB group to come over in November (as it happened that they planned to be there at that time too).
Turtle:
From the villa
Mahoe Bay
Well, every good trip comes to an end and so did this. I have never in my life appreciated a vacation more than this one. We only had 11 nights on VG, 10 days, which might be a little too short, but the weather was just perfect and I know all about having bad weather. The only bad thing was that we had box jellies the last two days in Spring bay (and other beaches as well) due to it was very windy the last days. Several people got stunged (not anyone we know) but the ambulance came and got one person from the Baths.
On the way home (outbound too) we stayed one night in Newark. We stay at Marriot Newark hotel right in the airport and I can really recommend this hotel. It was very good, nice rooms with comfy beds, very soundproof and a great restaurant. Very close to the airport. Free wifi in the first floor (lobby, bar, restaurants etc).
Sunsets
Flowers
From the hotelroom in Newark. SAS and Manhattan.
http://maggy1960.smugmug.com/Vacation/B ... 61_8ThcxgZ
For the sixth time Christer and I went to Virgin Gorda. This island is the one that is closest to my heart and was the very first island we visited in the Caribbean (if you exclude Bermuda, which I'm not really sure of counts as Caribbean). Well, we usually go the same time of the year when we travel there. That is of course, if any Icelandic volcano doesn't have an eruption.
We always stay at Guavaberry Spring bay vacation homes and we just love it. To us it couldn't be more perfect. They are basic but very nice wooden houses with one bedroom (or two) and a kitchen and a lovely deck with a more or less gorgeous view over Sir Frances Drake’s channel. You can see Tortola, the Dogs, Great Camanoe, Scrub, Ginger island and you can see St John.
When you are visiting the same time of the year, means that you get to meet a lot of people who does the same. Over the years we have met some great friends and this year we were a group of 9-11 people that did a lot of fun things together. We also travelled with my brother and his girlfriend this year, so it was great to show the how beautiful the Virgin islands can be. They loved it. And we stayed in separate houses, so we could get together when we wanted and be on our own also. It worked out perfectly. We shared one rental car though.
Our house this year was Cedar house and we really like it. Wonderful views from the deck. All houses have names after flowers, plants or trees. Here are a couple of pictures from the house.
View from the house
Spring bay was our base, which is to me one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It’s just on the other side of the Bath’s but not the crowds. We also went to Savannah Bay, Mahoe Bay, the Baths (early before anyone else was there), Devils Bay and other beaches as well. We had one lunch at Saba Rock, which is a great little place and makes a perfect excursion from Guavaberry. You drive over Gorda Peak with gorgeous views.
Spring Bay
The Baths
Valley Trunk Bay
Savannah Bay lookout. Never seen it so calm.
Savannah Bay
Me at Saba Rock
Brown Pelican
North sound
One day the whole group went with Dive BVI (which to me is the absolutely best dive operation I have ever experienced) on a combined snorkeling and diving trip to Norman islands. First we visited The Indians, then lunch at WillyT and then another stop at Spyglass wall. I was the only one diving, so I got a private divemaster. The conditions were just great and we saw lots of nice stuff. I saw turtle, nurse shark, eagle ray, lionfish, indigo hamlet, spotted drum and more. Everyone was really pleased with the day and the guys we went with and we agreed that we had to do that again next year.
The four of us also went on an afternoon snorkeling/dive trip to the Dogs at a site called Bronco Billy. It was so much fun watching my brother and his girlfriend enjoying the snorkeling.
From WillyT
Redband Parrotfish
Indigo Hamlet
Good visibility at the Indians
Smooth trunkfish
I had met this wonderful lady named Joan Soncini on TTOL (Traveltalk online) and we have had contact for many years, but never managed to get together. We had plans last year to do that, but the volcano put an end to that. She is a writer/photographer/PhD and has written a lovely book about Virgin Gorda called “An intimate Portrait”. Anyway, she owns a villa with her Italian husband on Mahoe Bay and we were invited to them for lunch. It was a really nice day. We started with snorkeling Mahoe Bay, which by the way is one of the best places to snorkel in VG and we found a turtle. It was my brother and gf first turtle and it was just great to hang out with that fellow for a long time. After that we went up to her villa, had a swim in the pool and got a glass of wine, which we enjoyed up in her gazebo. The view from there is to die for. And then we had lunch and talked for a couple of hours. Christer also played tennis with her husband a couple of days later. We have got new friends and we might see them again next year. She also invited me and the girls in the SOTB group to come over in November (as it happened that they planned to be there at that time too).
Turtle:
From the villa
Mahoe Bay
Well, every good trip comes to an end and so did this. I have never in my life appreciated a vacation more than this one. We only had 11 nights on VG, 10 days, which might be a little too short, but the weather was just perfect and I know all about having bad weather. The only bad thing was that we had box jellies the last two days in Spring bay (and other beaches as well) due to it was very windy the last days. Several people got stunged (not anyone we know) but the ambulance came and got one person from the Baths.
On the way home (outbound too) we stayed one night in Newark. We stay at Marriot Newark hotel right in the airport and I can really recommend this hotel. It was very good, nice rooms with comfy beds, very soundproof and a great restaurant. Very close to the airport. Free wifi in the first floor (lobby, bar, restaurants etc).
Sunsets
Flowers
From the hotelroom in Newark. SAS and Manhattan.