Useful information on the British Virgin Islands

bvi info

restaurants

Good restaurants exist all over the BVI. Just remember, some of the best food comes out of the most modest looking venues. Don't let the sandy floor and the loose chickens fool you. Although at the local bakery it gets a bit much when the chickens fly up and take the bread out of your hand! Click Here for an impressive list of eateries throughtout the islands. Here are some restuarant locations maps for: Tortola, Jost Van Dyke ,and in Road Town proper.

Our favorite restaurants are as follows: Bear in mind that we live on a yacht, and really do not eat out that much, and all of our guests say after going out for dinner that the food was better on the yacht. Spaghetti Junction/Bat Cave. Now located at Baughers Bay after the Village Cay location burnt down, don't let the name fool you, excellent food and the Bat Cave is the happening spot after dinner.

Sugar Mill on the north shore. Our favorite with atmosphere! Located in, you guessed it, an old sugar mill, the menu changes nightly. I have also heard very good things about Coco Plums in Apple Bay as well. C and F in Roadtown, is always the place for ribs. Not fancy atmosphere (think plastic tablecloths and plastic flowers on the tables) and you will need a cab to find it, as it is in the back street. Le Cabanon is on waterfront drive in Roadtown combines French and Caribbean (!) very successfully and it is our late night hang out, usually going long after everywhere else has shut down. For Pub fare in Roadtown with great atmosphere try Pussers on Waterfront Drive by the ferry dock. The history that is on the walls will keep you entertained for hours. A great place for breakfast/brunch to watch all the boats and people coming and going before you depart on Yacht Promenade is the restaurant at Village Cay Marina, right on the dock, just do not expect fast service! On the East End of the island Eclipse and the Tamarind Club both do a fantastic job. If you are plannning on having dinner out while you are down here on charter at one of the high end restaurants, Brandywine Bay, Sugar Mill, Peter Island, Little Dix, and Biras, don't forget to bring a collared shirt and slacks for the men.

holidays

As anywhere else, we have many, more than we even know the meaning of. Public offices and many other things close on holidays or reduce their hours. However, food shopping, gas, marinas, restaurants, ferries, and other essential tourist services are often open, at least for part of the day.

Currently Recognised Public Holidays
1. New Years Day First Day of the year
2. H. Lavity Stoutt's Birthday First Monday in March
3. Commonwealth Day Second Monday in March
4. Good Friday March / April (varies)
5. Easter Monday April (varies)
6. Whit Monday May / June (varies)
7. Sovereign's Day June (varies)
8. Territory Day 1st July
9. August Monday First Monday in August
10. August Tuesday Tuesday following first Monday in August
11. August Wednesday Wednesday following first Monday in August
12. St Ursula's Day 21st October
13. Christmas Day 25th December
14. Boxing Day 26th December

lost luggage

Even though it's usually temporary, it seems more common on Caribbean flights, especially those with layovers. Make sure your carry-on bag contains your necessities, including a bathing suit, change of clothes, sunglasses, an outrageous flowered shirt, etc. If you are flying into St. Thomas and hopping the ferry to Tortola, you may want to think about doing strictly carryon, so you don't have to worry about a delayed piece of checked baggage behind you on a different ferry and taxi. Most of the time, there's no problem, so if you need to check luggage, do it.

currency

The currency is the US dollar; VISA or MC are readily accepted, however there is often a 3-5% surcharge. ATM's are available in more populated areas of Tortola or Virgin Gorda, but all cards may not work. Cash is king. Another word about credit cards... if you don't travel out of the country much, you may want to notify your CC company before you leave for the BVI. This will avoid possible approval problems.

bvi charts, maps

Go to our our map page for some great links to various maps, charts and pictures of the British Virgin Islands

taxes, tipping

When departing the BVI by plane there is a $20.00 per person departure tax. If you are departing by ferry over to St. Thomas then it is only a $5.00 fee. Why the difference? I don't know! Tipping is customary and expected in the BVI. In fact, when I go up north I often feel guilty for not carrying a stack of ones and tipping every person who is even nice to me! A confusing, and perhaps unfortunate occurrence seen on restaurant bills is when a service charge/gratuity is put on a line item called tax. The problem is that there is NO food tax in the BVI. Many visitors accept this practice, while others ask management about this before leaving any additional tip. Ask you server for clarification, sometimes this tax/gratuity, never makes it to the server. Tip taxi drivers appropriately.

duty free shopping

Do not confuse the concept of a duty-free port with your duty-free exemption or allowance. Most countries permit you to take a duty-free exemption, which means you don't have to pay any U.S. Import tax bringing back goods worth up to a certain amount. That figure is $800 for the BVI and $1200 for the USVI. A duty-free port like the USVI is another story. Certain goods imported to these islands are not subject to import tax duty, and therefore, can be sold at a discount. (Theoretically, they have never truly entered the country.) Because of BVI import tax laws, there are no duty-free bargains, as in the USVI. For those who care, St. Thomas is duty free heaven, but be forewarned that prices are not always better than what you can find in the US, regardless of duties. There are other restrictions, depending on the type of products.

travel insurance

this can actually be a very good idea for certain people. It can cover weather, illness (of anyone in your family, even if they're not going with you), business relationships, default of the airlines, and more. Click Here to go to Promenade Cruises preferred supplier, Travel Protection Services. Note that the timing of your purchase can be important. The sooner you buy a policy after the purchase of your flight, charter, etc., the better coverage you get, especially with regard to pre-existing conditions. Generally, buy your policy within 7 days of booking your vacation.

electrical current

The electrical current is the same as in the US, 110 volts, 60 cycle AC.

drinking water

The water is quite safe in the BVI, using a very effective reverse osmosis (salt water conversion). If a hotel, villa, or restaurant is not on this town water then they probably use their own cistern. Cistern water is usually quite safe, but if you have doubts, bottled water is widely available. Promenade has a large reversis osmosis system on board, and additionally, we have an extra chilled, purified water fountain in the cockpit.

climate

Averages run something like this 84 degree water temperature, 84 degree daytime air temperature, 2 inch monthly rainfall (Jan-Apr), 3.3 inch monthly rainfall (May-Jul), 4.9 inch monthly rainfall (Aug-Dec).Lying just over 1000 miles from the equator, the British Virgin Islands enjoy a balmy, sub-tropical climate, plied by variable trade winds. Temperatures rarely drop below 77 degrees in the winter or rise above 90 degrees in the summer, with the average temperature normalizing at around 84 degrees, with slight variations between seasons. Tropical weather found between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn is different from other patterns on the globe; therefore, our seasons do not have the sharp changes in climatic conditions as weather found in other areas. Seasons in the BVI fall into a harmonious balance with us wearing a sweatshirt maybe 4 times a year, usually around January. There is a deviation of only two hours of daylight between the June, or summer half of the year, and December, the winter half. Sunrise from the autumn equinox through the spring equinox normally occurs at approximately 6:00 am, with sunset at approximately 5:50 pm. During the spring to autumn equinox, the daylight hours lengthen a bit bringing summer sunrises at approximately 5:00 am, with sunsets at around 7:00 pm. Rainfall in the BVI averages at 40 inches per year with 60% - 70% falling during the months of April through October. The BVI has two high tides and two low tides each day with a tidal range of 12 to 18 inches. The height of the tide partly depends on the atmospheric pressure. The higher the pressure - the lower the water level and conversely, the lower the pressure the higher the water level. It must be remembered that the British Virgin Islands are the dividing line between the Atlantic Ocean, on the northern side, and the Caribbean Sea on the southern. This gives our islands an exciting and stable weather pattern that is most favourable for vacationing. The Trade Winds in this part of the world push North Atlantic water westward, forming the North Equatorial Current. From the equator, 0 degrees to 30 degrees N, the winds are influenced by the spin of the earth and are bent from the north to the south. This is called the Coriolis Effect. These winds affect the currents, which run through the BVI and other West Indies islands and then turn northwards. Warm waters from the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico join this water and these currents to form the Gulf Stream, which moves along the western side of the Atlantic. These two conditions, the Easterly Trades and the Coriolis effect, produce the excellent wind conditions that make the BVI the sailing capital of the Western Hemisphere.

Winter Season. December through March. While North America and most of Europe are locked in the icy grip of winter, the BVI enjoys airy trade winds and plentiful sunshine. Located at a latitude of 18 degrees north and a longitude of 65 degrees west, our islands are subject to easterly trade winds named for the direction from which they begin. These winds are called trades, because originally they brought clipper ships filled with goods from Europe and Africa to the BVI and other areas of the Caribbean. In the winter our stable weather pattern is broken when depressions move across the southern United States and exit on the Eastern Florida coast into the Northern Atlantic. These depressions do not normally enter the Caribbean directly, but have a trailing cold front that reaches as far east as the BVI and occasionally, well beyond. When strong high pressure centres are located in the North Atlantic, they cause what sailors call the Christmas Winds and windy gusts can reach over 30 knots. Later, winter and spring winds will then ease back into trade winds with an ESE or SE direction and blow between 15 and 20 knots with seasonal gusts.

Spring Season. April through June. From the middle of April through the remainder of the year, the winter trade winds begin to moderate and we experience a slow increase in daytime temperatures. Daytime highs range from 90 degrees, with night time temperatures varying only ten degrees lower at approximately 80F with a 20 percent chance of brief showers. At this time, these islands take on a fresh green lushness that announces the arrival of a new season. Spring represents an excellent time for snorkelling and diving as the wave action is greatly reduced from the Christmas Winds occurring in winter.

Summer Season. July through September. During the summer, daytime temperatures usually range between 80 degrees f and 95 degrees f. The nights are typically cooler with temperature ranging usually in the low 80s F. July to December is the wet season when the territory gets most of its average monthly rainfall of 4 inches. Summer winds move in an ESE direction at approximately 10 -12 knots. It is from these gentle breezes during the non-winter seasons, that the Sir Francis Drake Channel gets its nickname of The Bathtub, meaning gentle winds for sailors.

Autumn Season. September through November. September is among the warmest of months when the day temperatures can rage in the 90s F dropping to 75 to 80 degrees f at night. Winds during this season will average 10 to 20 knots, from an easterly direction, providing excellent sailing conditions and cool night ventilation. Short localized rain showers may pass over but they rarely last for more than 30 minutes. Tropical Weather Conditions. Although the official hurricane season starts on 1 June and ends 30 November, hurricanes are rare and are most likely to occur from early August to the end of September and mid October. If a hurricane is to occur, it is generally during this season.

clothing

When it come to clothing, everyone overpacks. The BVI is very casual, especially amongst the boating community. Bathing suits, T-shirts, shorts, a pair of water shoes and one pair of sandals get you through most of your days. Beware of the midday sun. It literally has four times the burning power than the hours before and after! Bring one pair of light slacks and shirt ONLY if you are planning on eating out at a fancy restaurant. Namely, Biras, Little Dix, Peter Island Resort and the Sugar Mill. A hat and sunglasses are considered important gear, especially out on the water. You should understand that local folks do not appreciate people strolling through town in their bathing suits. Casual is fine, exposed is not. BVI folks are not too concerned with discreet body exposure on yachts or quiet beaches, but they definitely do NOT appreciate revealing clothing or swim suits worn in public places. All, and I do mean ALL, our charter guests tell us that they overpacked the first time. A note on suntan lotions: Please bring only PABA free and none of the bronzers or tanning oil. Paba and bronzers stain our deck and cushions, and oil just makes the boat way too slippery!

snorkeling

If you don't own snorkeling gear, consider buying your own gear before you come. A good fitting mask is critically important if you want to enjoy snorkeling. For some insight, you can check this site for a nice summary of the issues. Pay a little more, and buy a silicone (vs. rubber) mask. Face shape, mustaches, and nose size should all be accurately accommodated. There is also an interesting range in snorkel types. Again, I think it's worth a few bucks more to buy a higher quality snorkel with a silicone mouthpiece and a purge valve. I particularily like the dry snorkels. However, I cannot overemphasize the value having a perfectly fitted mask, Promenade carries dozens of masks on here, but there is nothing like the comfort of your own well fitting mask, snorkel and fins.I really would not bother with carrying down heavy SCUBA gear though, unless you are an avid diver who cannot live without his own. Again, the yacht has plenty of every different size. We do recommend, if you are a small woman who gets cold easily, that you bring along a wetsuit, it will make the world of difference to your happiness. We have a few on board, but not too many.

Many of the tips on this page came from Angelina Cat's website. His site is an excellent resource for the BVI.