Summer Success: Jamaican coffee!

This summer, coffee giant Starbucks says one of its biggest successes came from the sunny island of Jamaica.  Its popular summer campaign featured Jamaican coffee in a bid to bring discerning coffee drinkers into their stores.

The retail chain bought a record 110 barrels of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee this summer, which is more than twice as much as previous purchases.  Starbucks sold it in select stores across the United States under the name “Starbucks Reserve Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee”.   All the coffee sold out.

Those of us familiar with this mild and flavorful coffee are not surprised.  The beans are grown on small plantations in Jamaica’s stunning Blue Mountains, and are highly prized for their lack of bitterness.   The Blue Mountains are among the highest peaks in the Caribbean.  The cool climate, excellent drainage, and moist, rich soil make it perfect for growing coffee beans.  Over the past generation, Jamaican coffee has built an international reputation for excellence, and that has made it one of the most prized, and one of the most expensive, coffees in the world.   Blue Mountain coffee is also used to make the popular Tia Maria coffee liqueur.

Traditionally, nearly all of Jamaica’s coffee exports go to Japan.  However, the global recession has slowed Japan’s demand for coffee, and that has opened up room for new buyers, such as Starbucks.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is a globally protected label, which means that only coffee beans from the Jamaica’s Blue Mountains can carry this label.  This means only coffee beans harvested from the parishes of Saint Andrew, Saint Mary, Portland and Saint Thomas may carry the trademark of Blue Mountain coffee.

Of course, the very best way to experience the pleasures of Jamaican coffee is to come and drink it in Jamaica.   Beautiful Jamaica rental properties are available, so on your next family getaway, you can wake up to the rich scent of Jamaican coffee, brewed in the lush mountains all around.  Check out the Tryall Villas in Jamaica, and start planning the perfect taste experience on your next Caribbean vacation.

Shopping on St. John

There are plenty of reasons to plan an exciting St. John villa rental on this gorgeous island in USVI.  From its natural beauty, its stunning beaches, and its relaxed pace, it’s easy to see why St. John is such a perfect vacation destination. Here’s another good reason; shopping!

The U.S. Virgin Islands are a shopping mecca, because of the incredible savings, and the fantastic shopping.  Because USVI is outside the US Customs Zone, the government here can set its own tariffs.  This means savings of up to 50 per cent on some goods.  As well, there is no sales tax and no luxury tax anywhere in the U.S. Virgin Islands.  As well, you can buy up to $1,200 of goods duty free, which is twice the amount allowed from any other Caribbean island.

There is no customs duty on many items for sale in St. John, including jewelry, liquor, leather goods, cameras, watches and perfume.  Cruz Bay in St. John is the best place to shop, with lots of one of a kind boutiques right along the pretty waterfront.  Check out Mongoose Junction for hand-blown glass and clothing, and make sure to visit Best of Both Worlds, which sells unique home décor and art works created by island artists.  Mongoose Junction is an outdoor shopping center with the feel of a tropical garden.  There are lots of other wonderful stores here including Royal Caribbean Jewelers, Nest and Bajo el Sol Art Gallery. There are also lots of nice restaurants right here if you plan on a full day of shopping.

There’s another lovely collection of shops at Wharfside Village, including a store called Dreams and Dragonflies, which sells locally made jewelry. So if you enjoy great shopping and incredible deals, all in a beautiful tropical setting, then start planning your next shopping trip and stay in one of the gorgeous St. John vacation rentals right here in USVI.

Celebrate a Full Moon Party in Tortola

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!

North Sound open water swim, Virgin Gorda

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!

Virgin Gorda Half Marathon on Saturday, May 12

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!

Underwater Photography in the Virgin Islands

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.

New Flights to Jamaica

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.

Caribbean Arts and Crafts Festival in the British Virgin Islands

For art lovers and shoppers alike, there was recently a great event in the British Virgin Islands this March.  On March 9th, Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester was on hand on Tortola to officially open the 8th annual Caribbean Arts and Crafts Festival.

The annual art show is hosted by the Caribbean Artisan Network, and was held this year at Tortola’s Trellis Bay Village.

On display and for sale were works by local artists and crafts people from all around the region. From copper works to colorful paintings, from jewelry to straw baskets, all the lovely local crafts of the Caribbean islands were on display, hand made by artists from all over the region. The theme of this year’s festival was using natural resources to preserve the cultural identity and heritage of the islands.

On March 9th, the Duke of Gloucester opened the festival, and there was also a local wine tasting.  On the 10th and 11th, artisan displays opened at 10am and there was a free Farmer’s Market on the grounds. There were also demonstrations by local craftsmen, and live entertainment well into the evening.

There were also awards handed out for most creative display, best traditional craft, most innovative new craft, and best young artisan.

March 12th was officially designated as Virgin Island Culture Day, and there were presentations on how to bake with cassava.  On March 13th, the artisan displays moved to the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor, and on the 14th, displays were set up in Noel Lloyd Positive Action Park in Road Town on Tortola.  On March 15th, the crafts were on display at the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda.

There are many wonderful Tortola villas and great choices for a villa Virgin Gorda.  So, if you love art and the unique beauty of local crafts, consider booking British Virgin Island holidays on either island for next year’s March Break, so you can be in the very heart of the Caribbean cultural scene.

No Mobile Phones on Tortola Beaches, Please!

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.

Revitalizing Tortola’s Craft Market

Exciting news in Tortola, as the government has announced a new project to revitalize the Crafts Alive craft market in the heart of Road Town.

The minister of communications and works, Mark Vanterpool, met with local artisans and vendors this week and announced the plans for the development. Work on revitalizing the Crafts Alive Market will begin in May, and will be finished by the fall.  The plan is to build five new buildings to accommodate spaces for nearly 40 new vendors in the market.

The plan for the market revitalization comes along with development of the cruise ship port, but will certainly be appealing for all visitors to Tortola.   Over the next three years, Tortola will be working on expanding its cruise ship pier right in Road Town.  This will involve widening and extending the cruise ship pier, as well as improving the area around the pier, which includes the Crafts Alive craft market.  The Disney Cruise Line is taking part in the development of the pier, as the island of Tortola is a popular stop for its cruise ship passengers.

Of course, the very best way to experience all the pleasures of the British Virgin Islands is to book one of our lovely Tortola villas, and live like a local on your own tropical island.  Then, you can pop by Tortola’s craft market right on the Road Town harbor front on a day when the cruise ships are not in town and you can shop with fewer crowds.

Make sure also to stop by the Sunny Caribbee Spice Company on Main Street to pick up some Caribbean spices.