Celebrate a Full Moon Party in Tortola

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Sea Monkey

If you are planning a perfect getaway to a relaxing BVI holiday, there is one event that you absolutely have to include on your holiday to-do list.

Once a month, on the night of the full moon, the best party on in the British Virgin Islands takes place in a shack on the beach in Cappoon’s Bay in West End.  Specifically, the party happens at Bomba’s Shack, which is kind of an island landmark.

The legendary Bomba built his shack on the beach back in the late 1970s.  He didn’t have a lot of cash, so the hangout is a true “shack”; made out of driftwood, broken surfboards and whatever else he could find lying around on the beach.  Bomba’s Shack quickly grew into a popular spot to hang out, especially for local surfers.  Bomba hosts a few surfing competitions every year.

The Full Moon party in Tortola started back in 1989, and it has taken place on every full moon since then.  It’s a night of dancing and limin’ (a local expression for just hanging out).  It’s a great party, and an excellent way to welcome in the full moon, but you should leave the kids at home.

The full moon party is just one of the great and memorable things you can do when you book one of the best Tortola villas here in the British Virgin Islands.   Don’t worry if you’ve missed it!  Just like the full moon, another great party at Bomba’s Shack is just a few weeks away!

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North Sound open water swim, Virgin Gorda

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Coral Carib

Sunday, June 3, sees the Swim the Sound event benefiting VISAR (Virgin Island Search and Rescue), with 2-mile and 3-mile events beginning at Saba Rock and ending at the Leverick Bay Beach. VISAR will sponsor a water sports fun day after the race for all participants and observers. For more info, go to swimthesound.com
Don’t forget to check out your Virgin Gorda vacation rental home opportunities if you want to participate in the swim.
See you there!

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Virgin Gorda Half Marathon on Saturday, May 12

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Coral Carib

The first Half Marathon to be staged on Virgin Gorda—dubbed ‘Round and Round’ Virgin Gorda—which also includes a 6 Mile Challenge and Run/Walk, will kick off at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. Come enjoy and support the runners!

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Underwater Photography in the Virgin Islands

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Sea Monkey

The University of Miami has just handed out its 2012 amateur photography award for underwater photography, and the winning snapshot was taken here in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Photographer Ximena Olds took the winning photograph of a tiny sea slug. Its iridescent orange and blue body contrasts beautifully with the bright green of the sea grass it sits upon. Its tiny face appears to be looking right at the camera.

The goal of the contest is to get people to see the ocean through new eyes, and this photo certainly does the trick.

It also suggests an excellent vacation plan.  The U.S. Virgin Islands are an excellent place for snorkeling, so why not plan to stay at one of the excellent St. John vacation rentals, and make sure to pack an underwater camera?

The best news is that now there are all kinds of quality underwater cameras that are cheap and easy to use.  Ranging in price from about $100 to $400, these digital underwater cameras are as easy to use and maintain as your everyday camera.

Head to Trunk Bay and snorkel or scuba around the world famous underwater trail which makes part of the Virgin Islands National Park, and take lots of photos around the protected and colorful coral reefs. There are also excellent places to snorkel around Leinster Bay and Haulover Bay in St.  John.

Come on down the U.S. Virgin Islands, pick among the many St. John vacation rentals, grab a digital underwater camera, and see if maybe you can snap a prize winning photo of while you and your family are playing under the waves.

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New Flights to Jamaica

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Sea Monkey

In honor of Jamaica celebrating its 50th anniversary of Independence in 2012, JetBlue Airways has announced new daily non-stop flights from Fort Lauderdale to Kingston twice a day, starting April 30th until the end of October.

South Florida is home to a huge Jamaican expatriate population, and both JetBlue and the Jamaican government are doing their best to encourage them to make a visit back home something during the 50th anniversary. The flights run two times every day from Fort Lauderdale’s Hollywood International Airport to Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.  One flight leaves first thing in the morning. The other leaves late afternoon.

If you’ve booked one of the luxury Caribbean vacation villas here in Jamaica, don’t worry; the island is easy to get to. Aside from Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, there are also international flights into Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, and into the new Ian Fleming International Airport in Ocho Rios (yes, named after the author of the famous James Bond books).

If you’ve organized one of the stunning villas at the Tryall Club Jamaica, the Montego Bay airport is probably your best bet.  Ocho Rios is the next closest airport, and Kingston is the furthest away.

However, don’t let distance get in the way of an affordable flight.  There are express buses from city to city, and if you’ve organized a lovely Jamaica villa, you’ll probably want a rental car for your holiday.  There are several big name car rental companies offering competitive rates right at Norman Manley Airport, including Avis, Budget, National and Thrifty.

So with new flights to Jamaica being added all the time, and plenty to celebrate in this remarkable anniversary year, don’t you think it’s time you started planning your trip to the perfect Jamaica villa near a sunny beach, a beautiful golf course, and the biggest party in the Caribbean this year.

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No Mobile Phones on Tortola Beaches, Please!

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Sea Monkey

Here’s a new trend in travelling that is trying to help increase the relaxation and decrease the noise! A number of beaches across the Caribbean, including here on Tortola, have just gone cell phone free, imposing a ban on mobile phones.  The idea is catching on in several islands, with bans in place on some beaches in Antigua, Grenada, and St. Lucia as well.

Signs have been posted and beach goers are being reminded.  Here on Tortola, if you’re heading to the Elite Island Beach, remember to leave that mobile phone at home. It’s a sad fact, but beaches across the Caribbean have been reporting an increasing number of people bringing laptops, iPads, mobile phones and tablets right to the water side.

It’s true that we live in a mobile society now, and you can take your work with you anywhere. However, a vacation to Tortola is all about hearing the sounds of the waves and the gentle breezes, not the trill of someone else’s ring tone. The same ban on cellphones is also starting to take hold on some cruise ships, and even in vacation destinations in the U.S., which are blocking radio signals that feed Wi-Fi and mobile phone networks.

There are places all over Tortola to access the internet, but isn’t the point of a Caribbean vacation villa to relax and get away with it all?  Of course, your U.S. cell phone will work in your BVI Tortola villa rental so you can stay in touch with home, but when it’s time to head for the beach?  Leave it behind and feel free to play in the waves and the silence of a gorgeous day on any one of our breathtaking Tortola beaches.

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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Montserrat

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Sea Monkey

Everyone knows that Dublin, New York and Chicago throw great St. Patrick’s Day parties, but this year, the place to be to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint is the beautiful Caribbean island of Montserrat.

Since Montserrat is the only country outside of Ireland to recognize St. Patrick’s Day as a public holiday, why not book an exquisite villa rental in Montserrat and get your Irish on, in an unusually sunny way.  With St. Patrick’s Day falling in March, it offers up the perfect chance to blend a little Irish history with lots of fun and a gorgeous tropical vacation, all at the same time.

This year, the festivities for St. Patrick’s Week in Montserrat will take place from March 9th to the 19th. The party lasts for a whole week, blending in a strong dose of the island’s Irish history with a fascinating mix of its African roots as well.

The village of Salem is at the heart of the party, hosting nature hikes, a Freedom Run from Cudjoe Head to Salem Park, and a fun calypso competition for the kids.  There will also be a reconstructed Slave Village in Salem, where there will be stalls offering local delicacies, and traditional games.  There will also be lots of music and dancing.

This year, the St. Patrick’s Week celebrations will also include an artisan show on Montserrat Day, where local craftsmen and women will sell their handmade arts and foods.  There will also be a competition for the best goat water stew, which is the island specialty.

Montserrat’s Irish traditions date back to the 17th century, when large number of Irish immigrants came to the island, fleeing the persecution of Catholics on nearby islands.  Since that time, the island’s locals have kept up their Irish traditions, adapting them to their new Caribbean home.

For a truly unique and memorable St. Patrick’s Day celebration, and Montserrat Holiday plan a stay at a Montserrat villa and take part in a week-long celebration on this other Emerald Isle.

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The Volcanic History of Montserrat

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Sea Monkey

The startling volcanic history of Montserrat is well known.  Back in 1995, the Soufriere Hills volcano erupted, forcing the evacuation of two-thirds of the people living on the island.   The eruption buried the capital city of Plymouth in ash, and made headlines around the world.

Today, the lovely Caribbean island of Montserrat is recovering beautifully.  It is rebuilding a new capital, a new airport and new facility.  Life has returned to normal, but the spectacular Soufriere Hills continues to be monitored closely.

Now, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre and the Montserrat Volcano Observatory have released a new book about the historic eruption, called Island of Fire: The Natural Spectacle of the Soufrière Hills Volcano Montserrat.

The book is a collection of photographs, showing the power and the beauty of one of the most dramatic natural disasters in history.  The photos are breath-taking, and each one has a lengthy caption, describing the science behind the scenery.

The authors who worked on the book say they hope to reveal all the moods and phases of the volcano, and of its impact on the island and its people.

One of the highlights of planning a visit to Montserrat villa rentals is the ability to see the raw power of nature first hand, and from a safe distance.   There are helicopters tours of remains of Plymouth, still covered in ash and abandoned.  There are also several places on the island where visitors can get a clear view of the much weaker eruptions still going on today at the Soufriere Hills volcano.

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Visiting Montserrat – on Your iPhone Now!

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Sea Monkey

Considering your options for Montserrat vacation rentals ?  Don’t worry!  Now there’s an App for that! The Montserrat Tourist Board has announced the development of an app all about Montserrat.

The app is called GoMNI, and it is available right now for your iPhone, iPod or iPad.  It includes an interactive guide to the island that includes descriptions and address of Montserrat’s many restaurants, clubs, bars and even burger joints.  There’s also a map which will show the location of these places relative to your own villa Montserrat.   As well, you can browse a great photo gallery, event listings, ferry schedules and even flight info.  You can also read what other people have said about their own Montserrat vacations via Facebook.

The idea for this app was to make visiting Montserrat as easy and as enjoyable as possible.

So, when you’re choosing your Montserrat villa rentals, it is no problem to also plan out where you want to go for dinner or a night of dancing, which beach you should visit, and you can even check out photos and book that incredible volcano helicopter tour that you’ve been dreaming about forever!

The best part of the app is the interactive map, where you can find exact directions from your own Montserrat beachfront villa to that stunning restaurant that serves the fresh and delicious goat water stew.

GoMNI is available right now on the Apple App Store.  You may want to download it today, and start planning your dream vacation to one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean.

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Why You Should Visit Jamaica in 2012

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Sea Monkey

It’s always a great idea to rent a Jamaica villa and plan the perfect vacation on this incredible Caribbean island, but next year may be the best time ever for Caribbean family vacations in Jamaica.   So why not plan now to visit Jamaica in 2012.

First off, there are the 2012 Summer Olympics.  Sure, they’re in London, but in Beijing in 2008, Jamaica won a record number of Olympic medals, and we’re expecting to out-do that in London in 2012.   You may remember Jamaica’s stand out performance in Beijing.  The incredible sprinter Usain “Lightning” Bolt started off Jamaica’s best ever Olympic performance, with a gold medal in the men’s 100 meter, paving the way for six gold medals, three silver and two bronze.   Bolt and his teammates, including sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser, came home stars.

Bolt will compete again in London, in a uniform designed by Bob and Rita Marley’s daughter, Cedella Marley.  You can certainly expect that in the weeks leading up to the 2012 Summer Olympics, Jamaica will be reaching a fever pitch of excitement, and during the Games, there won’t be a bar or restaurant in the country not showing Jamaica’s world class athletes as they race.

The other reason to plan to rent a villa at the Tryall Club Jamaica in 2012 is that we’re celebrating Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence.   There will be year-long festivities, and you can bet plenty of food, dancing and music, as the entire country puts on a party to celebrate a half a century of being a proud country, making its mark on the world stage.

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