With her towering sails and at 105ft long and 40ft wide, Cuan Law is the largest trimaran in the world!  Her home is in the British Virgin Islands and she comes fully crewed with captain, chef, 2 stewards, engineer and 2 dive masters. Cuan Law accommodates up to 20 guests in her 10 spacious staterooms. All staterooms can be configured as either two twin beds or one queen bed, and each features a private bathroom and individual air conditioning. The extensive aft deck, top deck with hammocks, and air conditioned saloon offer great space to enjoy the picturesque views around the BVI, socialise and relax.

Cuan Law is perfect for a group of divers and if there are non-divers in your party who just want to swim or snorkel or laze on deck and read a book, then that’s absolutely fine.  Cuan Law has a huge saloon area where guests can relax and help themselves to snacks, tea, coffee, beer and other drinks.

Everything is included aboard Cuan Law and the food is a gastronomic delight.  Here is one of chef’s sample menus

Lunch: Selection of Cold Cuts and Cured Meats served with a freshly baked Grape and Fennel Bread, Roasted Pumpkin Soup, Garden Salad with assorted dressings, 3 Bean Salad, Cheese platter, Fresh Fruit and Cookies
Appetizer: Crab Cakes w/ Sweet Chili Sauce
Dinner: Chicken Breast Stuffed w/ Artichoke hearts, Pesto and Swiss Cheese Drizzled w/ Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, Whipped Sweet Potato, Sautéed Red Peppers and Haricot Verts
Dessert: Sticky Date Pudding Cake w/ Local Rum Sauce

The staterooms aboard Cuan Law are spacious and the beds comfortable.  Staterooms can be Queen or twin and all have their own private en suite.

The BVI is the sailing capital of the world and you can explore life below and above the waves.  A sailing holiday is the best way to see the BVI and if you are a diver too, you will have the best of both worlds aboard Cuan Law – sailing and diving!  Aboard Cuan Law you will have 3 dives per day included in the cost, provided you are a certified diver.

If you would like the opportunity of meeting this little fellow below, call BVI Holidays and we will be delighted to assist with organising your next holiday to the British Virgin Islands and aboard Cuan Law.

The BVI is very different to other Caribbean islands and does not offer row upon row of large All Inclusive hotels teeming with holidaymakers.

There is one hotel in the BVI that offers an All Inclusive option and that is the Sugar Mill hotel on Tortola.  The Sugar Mill is a boutique hotel with only 24 rooms.  The food is amazing – a real culinary delight.  When the new owners took over a few years ago, they completely refurbished the hotel while retaining the original character and charm of the 400 year old sugar mill.  They put their own stamp on the Sugar Mill and part of this was to offer not only bed and breakfast but All Inclusive as well.

The All Inclusive package includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and occasionally afternoon tea at either of the two restaurants – the Sugar Mill restaurant and Tramonti on the beach.  There are no supplements to pay, with lobster and fillet mignon regularly appearing on the menu and included in the cost. There are no buffet meals.  Everything is served to you at your table.  All food is freshly cooked and imaginative.

Also included are exotic cocktails for example, Yellow Birds, Pina Coladas, Painkillers etc., wines from the Sugar Mill’s House and Sommelier’s Choice list. Famous brand spirits like Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Jack Daniels, Tanqueray etc..  House champagne and fine Prosecco are also included.  If you are on the beach, all you have to do is raise your flag and your waiter or waitress will be straight over to take your order – all included in the cost.

Your in-roon fridge will be stocked with, not only water, but your favourite beers, wines and soft drinks too.

Also included are two tours one is the “Sugar Mill Around Tortola” tour.  Sit back and enjoy a day’s guided tour around Tortola in one of the Sugar Mill’s picturesque open back Safari taxis or private SUV’s. Visit beautiful Soper’s Hole and on to the capital of the BVI – Road Town, for shopping. Then you will head through the vibrant East End to one of Tortola’s magnificent hidden beaches for a champagne picnic lunch prepared by the Sugar Mill’s chefs. There is time afterwards for a swim or relaxing on the sand. Then you will head back over the spectacular Ridge Road with superb views over Tortola and neighbouring British Virgin Islands, towards Cane Garden Bay where you can admire the beach and it’s colourful bars or maybe visit the glass works or the Callwood Rum Distillery.

The other tour which the Sugar Mill includes on their All Inclusive package is “A Day on the Water”.  You will be taken on an outer island tour and this is exclusively for Sugar Mill guests. The itinerary varies, but typically visiting Norman Island (the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island) for some of the BVIs’ best snorkelling at the Caves and the Bight, or Jost Van Dyke by way of Steel Point, Sandy Cay and Sandy Spit where you will stop for another swim or maybe just another cold beer. Passing Foxy’s and Great Harbour you will round off your trip at stunning White Bay and the world famous Soggy Dollar Bar. Swim ashore for their (in)famous Painkillers.  Or you may visit Virgin Gorda, checking out the famous Baths finishing up with snorkelling and swimming at Monkey Point, Guana Island –  another excellent snorkelling spot in the BVI.

Or – in place of a tour, you are welcome to have a Sugar Mill Signature Massage or Swedish massage for two at The Sugar Mill Spa.

The Sugar Mill on Tortola in the BVI is different to any other all inclusive hotel.  It’s not large and sprawling with multiple restaurants and several swimming pools.  It’s not impersonal where staff don’t remember your name. The Sugar Mill is different.  The staff at the Sugar Mill WILL remember your name, they WILL remember your likes and dislikes, they WILL greet you with a cheery “good morning” and they WILL mean it!  It is their privilege to serve you, their guest, and make your stay special and memorable.  You will arrive as a guest and leave as their friend.

Call BVI Holidays to arrange your magical holiday in the BVI at the Sugar Mill Hotel on Tortola.

The British Virgin Islands is home to many beautiful villas – some luxurious, some quirky, some beachfront, most with pool, some without pool but next to a stunning white sand beach.

One of these is the Beach House on Cane Garden Bay, Tortola.  The Beach House offers simple but comfortable accommodation with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, spacious lounge/kitchen and in an enviable location right on the beach.  This is when a swimming pool is not so important when you have the largest “swimming pool” in the world right on your doorstep….the Caribbean Sea!

Virgin Gorda has many beautiful and unusual villas.  One of these is Baraka Point which was named after a Swahili expression which means “hurry, hurry has no blessings”. Baraka Point is a 6 suite villa with pool in a stunning location on Virgin Gorda.  The villa comes with a private chef and the food is superb.  A real gastronomic experience.

Another amazing villa on Virgin Gorda is Blue Lagoon at Mahoe Bay.  This is a beautiful 3 bedroom villa with pool and jacuzzi close to the stunning white sand beach and it even has a putting green.  Blue Rush Water sports at nearby Leverick Bay will deliver kayaks or paddle boards for your enjoyment.  There are many villas located at Leverick Bay all with stunning views and a short drive from the Baths and other fabulous beaches on Virgin Gorda.

Somewhere very different, secluded and a real hideway retreat, is North Beach Villa on Guana Island.  North Beach Villa has two bedrooms and comes with golf cart, plunge pool and all meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea are included so you don’t have to lift a finger in the kitchen.  This is all courtesy of Guana Island’s amazing culinary team.

Sunset House on Tortola is a truly special 5 bedroom villa with pool overlooking Long Bay beach.  This is perfect for a family or group of friends.  It’s reasonably priced and comes with private chef and housekeeper (not live-in).  Breakfast is included and if you wish to have superb meals cooked for you, your wish is their command (food (apart from breakfast) is additional).  You will be looked after as if you are royalty!

The BVI has many very different types of villas to offer and all with varying costs.  Come, visit the British Virgin Islands and enjoy the freedom of a villa holiday.  You will not be disappointed.

Call BVI Holidays for more information and suggestions to suit your budget and….to assist in arranging your dream holiday in the sun.

Everyone who has heard about the BVI tends to know about Tortola and Virgin Gorda and to be honest….not much else. There are approximately 60 islands that make up the British Virgin Islands and the majority of them are uninhabited, although almost all have stunning white sand beaches.  Just over 12 of the islands in the BVI offer accommodation and one of these is Guana Island. Guana Island is an 850 acre island and has only 16 rooms and 2 villas.  The beaches are white sand and the snorkelling is amazing.

Like the other British Virgin Islands, Guana Island has an enviable history.  They accepted their first guests nearly a century ago and since then, Guana has been a welcoming retreat for families and couples, writers, actors and musicians, and global leaders in business and politics.  Over the decades, Guana Island has provided the locations for notable productions including the 1958 classic film Virgin Island starring Sidney Poitier and John Cassavetes.  The “Queen’s Terrace,” named in honour of the Queen Mother for her visit to Guana on March 19, 1964, is where guests still gather to admire the spectacular view.  This photo is a copy of an original taken from Guana Island’s own website.

The terrain on Guana Island offers dozens of hiking trails, and you can also have a tour of their orchard and sample a freshly made cup of Jamal’s soursop tea or sip coconut water straight from the coconut that Jamal has lopped off the tree for you.  The Guana flock of pink flamingos is elegant and beautiful to see or you can say a quick hello to the Guana donkeys too!  All this is the exclusive domain of a handful of guests for the duration of their stay. There is no public bar, marina, or any other commercial facility on Guana Island.  Guana’s understated elegance and absolute privacy (only registered guests are permitted) have made it a hideaway retreat.

At Guana Island you will be so well looked after, you will not want to leave!

This chair could be yours!  Call BVI Holidays to book your stay on Guana Island, from 1 night…..to as many as you like.  Guana – your original private island hideaway in the sun.

So many couples have been forced to cancel or postpone their wonderful wedding plans due to the Coronavirus.  If you have been affected by this and have been unable to rebook the place of your choice because so many other couples are doing exactly the same thing, why not change tack completely and consider getting married in the beautiful BVI?  Make your plans for later this year or  next year.

It’s very easy to do and the procedure is simple…apply for the licence on the first working day after you arrive in BVI – it only takes 3 days to process. You can be married by a local reverend or the Registrar. You will need two witnesses – if necessary the staff wherever you are staying will be pleased to oblige. The cost for the licence is $220.00 and the cost for the Registrar to marry you in the British Virgin Islands is $220.00. If the Registrar has to travel by ferry to an island other than Tortola, the cost of the ferry will be added.  From Tortola to Virgin Gorda it is $40.00 return and to Anegada $55.00 return.  All of these costs are subject to change.  If you wish to marry in Church, the regulations and criteria are different so please contact BVI Holidays for further information on this.  You can access all the information you need from our Weddings page.

You could not get married in a more romantic or idyllic setting and you can invite all of your friends and family or….have a simple wedding just for you two.

Getting married in the BVI is not like marrying on one of the larger Caribbean islands – yours would be the only wedding that day and you would be looked after and made to feel very special, not part of a production line.

There are many magical places to get married in the BVI one being the Sugar Mill hotel on Tortola which is a boutique hotel in a stunning location.  Another is Rosewood Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda set on one of the best beaches you will ever see or for something a little different, you may like to get married on a yacht – the possibilities are endless.

Choose the beautiful British Virgin Islands for your special wedding day and make those fabulous memories.  British Virgin Islands Holidays look forward to your call and to helping you plan the most wonderful day of your entire life and the wedding of your dreams.

If you are lucky enough to have sailed in the BVI, you will know that you have probably sailed in the best location on the planet!  The BVI is known as the Sailing Capital of the World and for good reason.  You are always in sight of land, so navigation is easy and you have countless beautiful anchorages to snorkel, swim and dive.  If you haven’t sailed in the BVI yet, then you have a real treat in store.  Perhaps you are saving the best for last!

There are many restaurants and bars accessible from the water in the BVI, so you can drop anchor or pick up a mooring ball and dinghy into the beach or tie up to a dinghy dock.  Quito’s Gazebo in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola is right on the beach and is a fun place to be.  The food is good and on a week-end, Quito Rymer plays and sings with his band – dancing barefoot in t-shirt and shorts is definitely acceptable.  Another fabulous beach restaurant is the Anegada Reef Hotel on Anegada.  You haven’t lived until you’ve tried their lobster!

Whichever mode of sailing you prefer, the BVI has it all!  Chose from monohulls, catamarans, power boats or, if you don’t sail yourself – by-the-cabin charters.  This is a great and inexpensive way to see the British Virgin Islands while someone else does all the hard work.  All of your food and some drinks are included too.  If you would prefer to have your own yacht with a skipper, this can also be arranged. Anything is possible in the beautiful BVI.

One of the benefits of having a motor yacht, is that you can have breakfast at Nanny Cay marina on Tortola, lunch at Norman Island and dinner at Leverick Bay on Virgin Gorda.

Perhaps you don’t sail but would like to learn?  BVI Holidays works with one of the best sailing schools there is.  Go from novice to Day Skipper in 6 days and receive your certification.  You will then be able to skipper your own boat.

You can also have time ashore as well as time aboard.  BVI Holidays offers you the choice of apartments, villas with pools and luxurious hotels.

There is no better place to sail than the British Virgin Islands but don’t just take my word for it.  Call BVI Holidays to find out more and to book your sailing holiday in the beautiful BVI.

We have been waiting for this for more than three years – the reopening of Long Bay Resort on Tortola.

Fronting a spectacular white sand beach, Long Bay Resort (formerly known as Long Bay and Long Bay Beach Club) has for many years been one of the leading hotels on Tortola.  The hotel was destroyed in September 2017 by Hurricane Irma and the following year was bought by a couple from California.

It’s been a painstaking process but the hotel is now getting ready to reopen with six rooms and a few other facilities including their wonderful 1748 restaurant.

Long Bay Resort will also be offering water sports in the form of kayaking, paddleboarding, surfing and fishing excursions.

If you would like to have a relaxing beachside massage listening to the sound of the gentle lapping waves, this can be arranged.  Yoga classes are also on offer and if you are a diver, just talk to the hotel concierge and he or she will be happy to arrange this for you.

Long Bay Resort is a short drive from Road Town, the capital of the British Virgin Islands, so it is perfectly located not just for leisure travellers but for business travellers too.  Imagine coming back to this (see above) after a hard day at the office, after all, everyone deserves a bit of relaxation time.  Long Bay Resort offers you the facility to get online if necessary – the wifi is free, so you can work from your air conditioned room with a view, or travel the short journey to your office in Road Town.

Call BVI Holidays for more information on Long Bay Resort and to book your stay at this amazing hotel on the beach on Tortola.

There is still a large number of the population who are unaware of where the British Virgin Islands are located and what BVI actually stands for.  Well of course – BVI stands for British Virgin Islands which is a British overseas terrirtory.

The BVI is located 60 miles east of Puerto Rico in the northern Caribbean and comprises around 60 islands and cays, most of which are uninhabited.  There are approximately 15 islands with accommodation, some are private but most of these offer wonderful hotels, villas and apartments to visitors.

Tortola is the main island in the BVI offering a good choice of accommodation – Sebastian’s on the Beach is a great boutique hotel in a fabulous location and between November and March, you can surf right off the beach at Sebastian’s.  Another great option on Tortola and only a few minutes’ stroll from beautiful Smuggler’s Cove beach is Ariana Villa.  This luxurious villa with pool has four bedrooms and is ideal for a family with teens or a group of friends.

Virgin Gorda is only half an hour on the ferry from Tortola and the ferries are frequent.  The beaches are stunning and the accommodation is varied and wide ranging in cost from small and inexpensive to 5 star luxury at Rosewood Little Dix Bay.  This world class hotel offers butler service, gourmet restaurants and beautiful rooms.  The villas on Virgin Gorda are spectacular and range in cost from Guavaberry Spring Bay which starts at £680.00 per person for 7 nights to the totally incredible Baraka Point and Oil Nut Bay.

Anegada is the most northern of the British Virgin Islands and sparsely populated with almost deserted beaches which stretch for miles.  Enjoy freshly caught lobster cooked on the barbecue at the Anegads Reef Hotel or wander over to the deserted beach close to Four Diamonds Park Villas.  On Anegada you will live in t-shirts, shorts and no shoes – well…perhaps flip flops occasionally.

Guana Island is another great choice and you can spend as little as one night but of course, I would recommend that you stay for much longer.  This is truly heaven on earth – secluded, serene and tranquil – this is Guana Island.  All your food is included and wine with lunch and dinner.  Guana has loads of marked out hiking and walking trails for their guests to enjoy the flora and fauna that is so abundant on Guana Island.  You will not want to leave.

This is only a small example of the types of properties that are available to book in the beautiful British Virgin Islands and….I haven’t even mentioned the sailing.  The BVI is the sailing capital of the world and sailors return to this multiple island paradise again and again, simply because the islands are close together, they can enjoy spectacular scenery and you are always in sight of land, so…very easy navigation.  It’s a great place to learn to sail too!

Come – visit the beautiful BVI – in my opinion….the most wonderful place on our planet.

We were all delighted to see the back of 2020 and welcome in 2021 with the vaccine being administered and light at the end of the very long and dark tunnel we have been living in for the past 10 months.

Travel abroad is once again a possibility and there is no better place on earth than the beautiful BVI.  Right at this moment, we Brits are unable to travel to the BVI due to this new and very contagious strain of COVID-19 and also due to most of the UK being placed into Tier 4.  We can however, plan for later in the year and of course for 2022.  It’s not too early and it’s important to have something in our diaries to look forward to, and to plan for, otherwise we are in danger of going stir crazy!

Here are a few suggestions of places to go in the BVI for the well deserved break we all crave right now.

The Sugar Mill Hotel on Tortola – a beautiful boutique hotel situated right next to the ocean offering fabulous food and the options of bed and breakfast or all inclusive.

Or….if you fancy a villa for you and your friends or family – Sunset House on Tortola is a fabulous choice.  This 5 bedroom villa with pool overlooks Long Bay beach and comes complete with chef and housekeeper (not live in).  It’s a short drive from Road Town, the capital of the British Virgin Islands and the views are spectacular.

On Virgin Gorda which is a short trip on the ferry from Tortola, there is also a choice of villas or hotels and one of these is none other than Rosewood Little Dix Bay – a 5 star luxury resort hotel offering butler service and a variety of things to do.  The beach at Rosewood Little Dix Bay is just stunning and it is perfectly located for exploring Virgin Gorda.

If a villa is what you would prefer Beachcomber at Mahoe Bay is your dream come true.  Set in beautiful tropical gardens, Beachcomber is quiet, peaceful but only a few minutes drive from fabulous restaurants and bars on Virgin Gorda.  Wouldn’t you just like to be here…..

The most northern island in the BVI is Anegada.  Easily reached by either ferry or a short scenic flight that takes less than 15 minutes.  Anegada is like the Robinson Crusoe island that you may have read about as a child.  Again, you can choose from villa accommodation – the Big Bamboo Cottages are right next to a stunning white sand beach and offer either one or two bedrooms.  If you like living in t-shirts, shorts and swim suits your whole holiday, then this is for you.

If you prefer hotel accommodation on Anegada either the Anegada Reef Hotel or Anegada Beach Club would be perfect choices.  They are at different sides of the island so you could spend a few nights at both.  This could be your view from your Palapa Retreat at Anegada Beach Club.

If sailing is what you like to do, you can either spend your entire holiday on a yacht or a combination of shore and sail – it’s up to you.  Just tell me what you would like to do and I will provide you with the holiday of your dreams.  You can choose from monohulls, catamarans, power boats or, if you want to leave the hard work to someone else and share a yacht, BVI Holidays offers By-The-Cabin charters.  There is something for everyone at BVI Holidays.

Pull yourself out of these doldrums that 2020 created and call BVI Holidays to start planning your 2021 or 2022 holiday.  We would love to hear from you.

Happy New Year!

Answer – lots!  Although the BVI has wonderful, stunning, amazing beaches in abundance, not everyone wants to lie on the beach all day.

There are so many things to do in the BVI and although a lot of them are on the water, not all are.  You can soar high above Tortola and enjoy the spectacular views with the Original Virgin Canopy Company.  This is similar to zip-lining but safer and quieter and you can actually enjoy the views!

The J.R. O’Neal Botanic Gardens in Road Town, the capital of the British Virgin Islands is a must.  The gardens are a cool and peaceful refuge located in the centre of Road Town. The four-acre gardens include a lush array of indigenous and exotic tropical plants. A pergola walk, lily pond, waterfall, tropical bird houses, and miniature rain forests are just a few of the garden’s attractions. The gardens are considered by many to be among the finest in the Caribbean.  The avenue of royal palms which leads to the fountain makes a captivating entrance for visitors, whilst paths disappear into corners of the garden lined with colourful blossoms draped over shady pergolas.  The Botanic Gardens truly are a cooling and relaxing green oasis.

No trip to Tortola would be complete without a visit to the Callwood Rum Distillery at Cane Garden Bay, a sugarcane plantation and distillery whose history of rum-making dates back some 400 years.  The boiler is smouldering, the smell of sugarcane alchemy pungent in the air and just steps across the road from the beach.  There’s a reason, after all, why they call it Cane Garden Bay.  Here, in an old stone building in Tortola, is one of the most precious corners of the history of rum in the Caribbean, a fundament of the British Virgin Islands’ cultural heritage.  They make 25 gallons of rum per day, using the pure cane juice they grow right there on the plantation in the British Virgin Islands.

The Callwood Rum Distillery just might be the oldest working rum distillery in the Caribbean.

How about booking a lovely day out on the water with Celtic Power Boats.  What Captain Patrick doesn’t know about getting around the BVI on the water, isn’t worth knowing!  You will be in for a real treat and Captain Patrick will take you to places that even some of the locals don’t know exist!  He might even introduce you to some new friends….like this little chap for instance…

The diving in the BVI is second to none with literally hundreds of amazing and wondrous dive sites.  You can go wreck diving or reef diving and there are dives for all levels of divers.

Alice in Wonderland

Situated just outside of Ginger Island, this site is ideal for intermediate divers.

The coral sightings are incredible and the main reason why this dive site stands out from the crowd.  Alice in Wonderland is an amazing dive.

Wreck Alley

Located just off of Cooper Island, this site certainly lives up to its name. The name Wreck Alley, came to be after four separate wrecks occurred there, the most recent being in 2009.  All four of these wrecked ships can be explored during your Wreck Alley dive, and don’t be surprised if you spot a large garden eel and green moray eel population down there. This dive is also a unique opportunity to see what a sunken ship looks like when broken in half.

Another popular pastime in the BVI is fishing – Fly Fishing, Deep Sea Fishing, Bone Fishing.  Experienced guides are available to show you where all the best spots are and there are so many to choose from around the BVI.

In addition to all of this, you can go sailing, kiteboarding, flyboarding, windsurfing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding,play tennis and much more too.  The BVI really is a one stop destination for almost everyone.  I say “almost” because if you are into casinos, nightclubs and fast-food chain places, then the BVI is not for you!

Consider the British Virgin Islands for your next holiday.  Call BVI Holidays for suggestions – we are always happy to assist.  These could be yours……