Bermuda Babymoon

Greetings! I have been slacking on this blog since March for a few big reasons including being inundated at work, buying a house and yes, preparing for the arrival of our baby boy this October!

Overdue for some relaxation, Jason and I managed to squeeze in a three-night babymoon in Bermuda in mid-June, during which we also celebrated my birthday.

Bermuda offers beautiful beaches!

We chose Bermuda because it’s a short two-hour flight from Boston (JetBlue points covered it). Also, because we held our wedding at the Fairmont Battery Wharf in Boston, we are now “friends and family” and were able to get a discounted rate at the Fairmont Southampton. At the airport, we split a shuttle with two other couples, paying $30 per couple, to the hotel, which was about 40 minutes away. The ride was scenic and passed quickly.

Fairmont Southampton, Bermuda

Our harbor-view room was ready when we arrived. Although I was disappointed that our wedding coordinator at the Fairmont Battery Wharf in Boston did not upgrade us, as I had requested twice since we were celebrating a babymoon and a birthday, our room was bright and spacious. The Fairmont Southampton is huge, offering 600 rooms, eight on-site restaurants and a golf course. The grounds were spectacular.

Our room

Harbor View

We changed into our bathing suits and hopped on the Fairmont’s shuttle bus (four-minute ride) down to the hotel’s private beach.

In addition to two restaurants, the beach offered plenty of chairs and umbrellas. The entry into the water was slightly rocky but the beach was gorgeous and the water was clear. We ate lunch twice at the Cabana Bar and Grill and once at the Ocean Club – food was tasty and service was great.

Fairmont's Beach

Enjoying a mocktail at the Ocean Club

On Monday, we took a cab to nearby Church Bay (incredible views) for snorkeling, which we enjoyed but the snorkeling at the Fairmont was also ok. Snorkeling (from what we experienced) on Bermuda is so/so, especially if you are used to snorkeling in certain spots in the Caribbean. The view from the top of the cliff at Church Bay was spectacular and we had a great time collecting colorful sea glass that washed up on the shore there. Because there was very little shade at Church Bay, we stayed long enough for two snorkels before heading back to the much-needed umbrellas (aka shade!) at the Fairmont.

On Tuesday, we enjoyed a long walk/hike along the beach, passing by the stunning pink-sand, Horseshoe Bay and swimming in a few other quiet and private coves along the way. It was hot and there was little shade. Bring water, sunscreen and a hat! We actually quit the walk early, as I felt worried about overheating while pregnant.

Horseshoe Bay - spectacular!

We enjoyed exploring these beaches.

The Fairmont Southampton offers a complimentary ferry service to its sister hotel located in Hamilton, Bermuda’s capitol. We ate dinner at Portofino Restaurant, splitting an eggplant appetizer, a pizza and some over-priced focaccia bread but the food was very tasty. After dinner, walked along Front Street, although most of the shops were closed. We were surprised by the modern feel of Hamilton and the expensive shops that lined the street, definitely different than most islands we visit. Because the ferry was no longer running after dinner, we took the public bus back to the hotel - $5 for both us, cheap and easy!

From the ferry

Front Street

On Wednesday morning, we ate breakfast overlooking the pool area, looked very comfortable. The Fairmont's restaurants were pricey but we enjoyed all of our meals - it's hard to complain about prices when the food is so tasty! We ate breakfast a la carte at Windows on the Sound and once at On the Go in the Jasmine Lounge. On our last night, we ate the most amazing piece of cheesecake EVER at Jasmine, just delicious. Another honorable mention is the chicken tikka wrap at the Cabana Bar & Grill, so tasty.

If we were to stay longer than three nights on Bermuda, we would have wanted some transportation to see the rest of the island. There are no car rentals on the island, only moped rentals, and with my pregnancy, renting a moped was out of the question.

On our last day, I was slightly disappointed that we asked the front desk to extend our check out by two hours and were told that the hotel was full...this hotel is huge, I doubt all 600 rooms were in use on a Wednesday. Other than that, we greatly enjoyed our stay, due to an amazing staff, beautiful grounds (the golf course look spectacular) and comfortable room.

One last note - the cost of a cab from the Fairmont to the airport is $45.  We split the ride with another couple, which was actually cheaper than the shuttle. 

To learn more about Bermuda, click here. Thanks for reading!

Sunset over the harbor

Tranquility - A Day Trip from Virgin Gorda to Anegada

On a recent trip to Virgin Gorda, an island in the British Virgin Islands, we decided to day trip to Anegada. Nicknamed the Drowned Land, Anegada is the only coral island in the Virgin Islands' volcanic chain. Surrounded by coral reefs, Anegada is home to the Horse Shoe Reef, the fourth largest barrier reef in the world, which has been known to cause ship wrecks and makes sailing to Anegada difficult.

Anegada is the ultimate tranquil paradise. Only 200 people live on this 15-square mile island, and with the exception of some wandering cattle, donkeys, sheep and goats, and Caribbean flamingos, you will pretty much feel like you're away - far away!

I hemmed and hawed for weeks prior to the vacation about whether to take the public ferry to Anegada or cruise over on an organized catamaran trip with DiveBVI or Double D Charters. Because we wanted to leave early and spend as much time as possible on Anegada, we chose the ferry.  Waking up before 7am on vacation was difficult, but we took the 7:10am ferry on Wednesday.  To view the inter-island ferry schedule, click here.

Less than an hour later, we arrived on Anegada.  We had rented a jeep in advance from Dean Wheatley with D.W. Jeep Rentals (call 284-495-9677 or email dwjeep@hotmail.com to book).  Dean, who is very friendly, met us at the ferry dock and got us in our Jeep very quickly. 

First stop, the Anegada Reef Hotel for breakfast!  Located near the ferry dock, we sat at a picnic table by the water and enjoyed friendly service and coconut rum pancakes (yum!) and bacon.  As you can see below, the view from our table was not too shabby!

After breakfast, we drove toward Cow Wreck Beach, stopping along the way to check out the long stretches of white-sand beaches.  The beaches are great for walking, and we pretty much had the beach all to ourselves, the water such a beautiful color!

At Cow Wreck Beach, we grabbed a few chairs near the beach bar and hopped in the water to snorkel.  We saw a variety of fish, conch shells and coral, not spectacular snorkeling but still a lot of fun.  After our snorkel, we grabbed a hammock and drank a Red Stripe, what a great place to relax!

Around 11:30am, we drove to the northern side of the island, to Loblolly Beach, home of the Big Bamboo restaurant and some excellent snorkeling.  The ride there was long and bumpy (dirt roads!) but we detoured here and there, trying to sight some of Caribbean flamingos that inhabit the salt ponds - no luck, but we did see some from afar while on the paved dirt road earlier. 

As soon as we arrived at Loblolly, the skies darkened and the rain started!  Boooo!  

We took shelter at the beach bar, chatting with the friendly bartenders and enjoying some painkillers and Red Stripes, and later tasted the fabulous grilled Anedaga lobster - absolutely delicious!  Spoiled by Maine lobsters, we were skeptical of this lobster but enjoyed every bite, as well as some delicious sides from Big Bamboo.  I only wish I had photos of the meal.  

Finally the rain stopped.  The skies were still dark, but after a long walk on the beach where I found several sand dollars, we jumped in for a snorkel and were very happy we did!  Even without the sun, the visibility was great, water was very clear.  We saw loads of fish, some interesting coral formations and three large turtles - just beautiful! 

After our swim, we realized we needed to head back to the dock to catch the 5:10pm ferry back to Virgin Gorda.  Dropping our jeep off at the dock was easy. A great day, even with the rain!  If you've been to Anegada, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

To read my trip report on Virgin Gorda, click here.  If you enjoy my blog, don't forget to follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or scroll up to sign up for my emails.  Thanks for reading and I'll leave you with one more picture...ahhhhh.

Virgin Gorda = Peace and Quiet and Amazing Beaches

About Virgin Gorda

Jason and I spent the last week of January relaxing on Virgin Gorda, the third-largest British Virgin Island.  If you love nature, amazing beaches and virtually no crowds, this island is for you.

Virgin Gorda

Virgin Gorda means "Fat Virgin" and received its name from Christopher Columbus, due to the island's shape on the horizon looking like a fat woman lying on her side.  This was the most quiet island we have ever visited, perhaps since it takes some time and effort to get there.  From Boston, we flew to St. Thomas, where we caught the direct ferry to Virgin Gorda, which only runs on Thursdays and Saturdays.  On other days, two ferries are required, connecting through Tortola. The ride from St. Thomas to Virgin Gorda took one hour and 45 minutes, but we enjoyed passing by St. John and Tortola along the way.  Although this is a long day of travel, once you're on the island, it's worth it!

Savannah Bay

I recommend this island to people who truly LOVE nature and are seeking peace and quiet, as there's not much else here.  Restaurants are mediocre (excluding a few places I will mention below), there is no shopping, very little nightlife, not a lot going on.  However, the nature that surrounds you is breathtaking: the views, the beaches, the amazing rock formations, the wildlife, the snorkeling, the whole island smells like a blossoming flower, there are butterflies everywhere. And the locals are among the friendliest I have ever met!

Grand Trunk Bay

Where We Stayed

Our view of Tortola

Conveniently located near the Baths and Virgin Gorda's most beautiful beaches (in my opinion), Guavaberry Spring Bay Vacation Homes could not have been more perfect for us. We rented a studio villa which featured a king-size bed, a full kitchen, a large bathroom and a deck with a perfect view of Tortola. The staff is helpful before the trip and while you're there, they cater to your every need.  There's a small store on the property that functions by honor system and offers just about anything you need and best of all, Guavaberry offers its guests private access to Spring Bay.  

Virgin Gorda's Beaches

The beaches are breathtaking. Our favorites included Spring Bay, Grand Trunk Bay and Savannah Bay. Often, we'd find ourselves completely alone on the beaches - just the way we like it!  Also, we always found shade under thatched umbrellas on the beach or under the beautiful seagrape trees.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

Spring Bay

Spring Bay

Spring Bay

Biras Creek from Saba Rock

Savannah Bay

Pond Bay

Savannah Bay

Food and Drink

Saba Rock

Our best meal was at Coco Maya where we shared the shrimp curry appetizer and both ordered the red snapper entree.  Great service, excellent food, cool vibe.  We had drinks there several times too.  No pictures, sorry! 

We went to Saba Rock for happy hour for $3 drinks, catching a free ferry at Leverick Bay. We enjoyed relaxing on hammocks and then watching the sunset.

We visited Hog Heaven twice, once for dinner and once for drinks and the amazing view.  A local pig farmer supplies the pork and the ribs are amazing!  

We enjoyed drinking and meeting locals and tourists at the Mine Shaft Cafe, but we do not recommend the food.

Island Pot had great (and cheap!) BBQ.  Bring your own drinks, if you like.

Snorkeling

We are avid snorkelers, part of the reason why we chose Virgin Gorda.  Snorkeling was great at the Baths, Devil's Bay and at Spring Bay, along the boulders to the right and the left.  Unfortunately, we had some windy/choppy water days so we didn't see a ton at Savannah Bay, Pond Bay or Mahoe Bay - sad!  Fortunately, we loved the snorkeling at Spring Bay (access from our villa) so we were pretty happy overall! We really enjoyed snorkeling at Loblolly Bay on Anegada but I'll blog about that another time! 

The Baths

Conveniently located down the street from Guavaberry, we visited the Baths in the late afternoon, after the cruise day trippers left.  We enjoyed walking through the rocks toward Devil's Bay, where we had a great snorkel.  The rock formations are fabulous!  We also enjoyed a couple painkillers at The Top of the Baths, a restaurant with a great view.  Pina coladas at Mad Dogs, another small eatery near the Baths, were very tasty as well!  We also really liked The Crawl, a walk along boulders and pools of water to the right of Spring Bay.

Thanks for reading!  To learn more about Virgin Gorda, please click here!  If you have been to Virgin Gorda and have a favorite beach, villa, restaurant, secret spot, I'd love to hear about it in the comment section below!

Day Trippin’ from St. John to Norman Island & Jost Van Dyke

While visiting St. John for a week earlier this year, we booked a day out at sea with Captain John of Palm Tree Charters.  Captain John lets you “choose the cruise” so our group opted for some snorkeling and some beach (and bar) hopping in the British Virgin Islands (BVIs).

A day on Captain John’s boat, the Palma Bella, will cost you $575 and $25 BVI/US customs/fees per person, plus gas. To help cut costs, we posted on travel boards ahead of time and found four folks who were eager to split the trip with us. 

We met at the St. John National Park dock at 8:30am.  Captain John provides a large cooler full of ice so we dropped our beverages into the cooler and quickly mixed up some mimosas for the ride.  We also filled out our Customs paperwork ahead of time to ensure the BVI check-in on Tortola was quick and painless.

And off we went!  Captain John cruised along St. John's beautiful North Shore for a tour of some of the island's most beautiful beaches and a look at the area's multi-million dollar villas.  Captain John enjoys telling stories and did a great job narrating this portion of the trip.

We docked in Tortola and Captain John spoke with the proper folks to quickly get us through Customs.  

Leaving Tortola, we headed to Norman Island to snorkel the Indian and the Caves.  There were some high winds which created large waves, but Captain John is an expert and navigated us over to Norman Island without problem.  I am prone to seasickness but felt fine.

Snorkeling the caves of Treasure Point was an experience!  Crystal clear, clam water and lots to see!  The coastline here is rocky and we swam into the caves and explored the rock walls and formations inhabited by cup corals and tropical fish. 

Caption John decided that the seas were too rough to snorkel the Indians, four rocky pinnacles which form abundant coral gardens, a 15-foot tunnel, lots of fish and an underwater cave.  We were disappointed but figured we’d save the Indians for another time!

We pulled into a harbor on Norman Island, the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Treasure Island. In addition to have a history of acting as a hiding spot for Pirate booty, Pirates Bight Bar and Restaurant offers the “best Bushwacker in the BVI.”  

We enjoyed a couple drinks, swam and played games at the bar until it was time to head to Jost Van Dyke, another island in the BVIs for lunch.

We pulled into Long Bay harbor on Jost Van Dyke, docked and headed up to the famous Foxy’s Taboo for lunch.  

While we didn’t see Foxy himself, we grabbed a table and ordered a feast and of course, a couple Painkillers.  The views from this restaurant are spectacular, here are a few pictures.

Next stop…White Bay, home of the famous Soggy Dollar Bar., home of the "original" Painkiller.  There are no docks here so we anchored, put our cash in sealed plastic baggies (to prevent soggy dollars) and swam to shore.  

This strip of beach is absolutely amazing, tropical and dotted with  beach bars such as Ivans and One Love Bar and Grill.  We ordered painkillers, found some chairs on the beach and relaxed, swimming in the bay.

When Captain John said it was time to leave, we were all disappointed!  But we needed to make it back to St. John before customs there closed so we could check back into the US.

What a day out at sea looking at the most beautiful scenery!   If you find yourself on St. John or St. Thomas, I highly recommend a day trip with Captain John (there are other vendors as well but Captain John is awesome) to check out some of these islands and bars. 

We loved the Virgin Islands so much that we just booked a trip to Virgin Gorda, an island in the British Virgin Islands in January.  Will have much to report after that trip!  Thanks for reading!