Suggestions for first-timers to BVI

[marlinmike]

Actually I thought: "ask were the locals eat" was a good suggestion since this was covering many islands, now if you asked where to eat in the Magic Kingdom well that's another story.

[maytrix]

Originally Posted by onefastdaddy

I'll be honest. That's a really flippant remark and no help at all. Is that how you meant it? Was my question of wanting to know where locals eat for less than a yacht club offensive?

How is that a flippant remark?

Locals aren't eating at the most expensive places all the time, so finding out where they frequent makes sense.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by onefastdaddy

I'll be honest. That's a really flippant remark and no help at all. Is that how you meant it? Was my question of wanting to know where locals eat for less than a yacht club offensive?

What's not so helpful? It was not meant flippantly.

Really, if you eat at Leverick bay Resort, it will cost you. If you go to Spanish Town, not so much. Recall, if you will, that the entirety of the BVIs are a TOURIST destination.

What is so surprising about pricing in that environment?

Wherever we go on vacation, we find places to buy groceries, eat frugally and splurge occasionally.

What's so hard?

[zboss]

Using the "find out where the locals eat" doesn't really work very well - at least in the BVI. This is because the "locals" don't pay the same as visitors when they choose to eat at a touristy place, even through they will tell you this is not so if you ask. Off the beaten path, it gets a little more even.

IN reality, there are few restaurant bargains in the BVI because of the sky high prices of importing foods. There are a few good places that do not charge an arm and a leg for an egg sandwich and lunches are usually pretty reasonable but dinner will empty your pockets. You are better off eating lunch in a place that does both a brisk lunch and dinner... if you go to a place for dinner that doesn't do a lot of lunch they charge higher prices and vice versa.

On JVD - Corsairs is a very reasonable place to eat and they have great food, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The lunches at Soggy Dollar are not unreasonable.

Regardless of price you need to be asking yourself the pertinent question: Do you want to eat great food or do you want to eat cheap food? You can do both if you cook on the boat most of the time and be choosey where you eat out. There is nothing like grilling out on your own boat while watching the sun go down behind the hills.

[brownoarsman]

The local places I've been to in the BVI are basically fish fries. Don't know if you actually want to eat there!

[Zanshin]

Odd - I posted a long response earlier but it seems to have disappeared!

The BVI are expensive, the same supermarkets that charterers provision at are used by the locals for groceries. All of the bars and restaurants in easy reach of boats are more expensive than those which are not, but not by a great amount. One is paying for the ease of access, the views and island ambience. The Caribbean islands in the south are generally cheaper, but are more difficult sailing with less facilities ashore than the BVI. The BVI is not a budget destination, but one can mitigate the cash hemorrhaging by using happy hour specials. For example, at Saba Rock the painkillers and some other rum drink are $3.50 during happy hour (4PM to 6PM), while the Presidente Beers I like to quaff are a steady $5.50 per bottle and contain significantly less alcohol. Many of the beach bars and restaurants have happy hour specials for drinks and food.

Dinner will be more expensive than in the USA (and Europe, as well) in restaurants. If you have a rental car then you could reach some restaurants that are a bit cheaper and frequented by locals and ex-pats, but it will still be pricey.

I like islands like Dominica where there's very little tourism and all the restaurants are for (rich) locals and cruisers alike and prices are more in line with what expects in the Caribbean. But there are only 2 really tenable anchorages on the island; and the BVI offers at least 40 that I can think of, with half of those having restaurants and/or bars ashore.

Posted while at anchor, just off Saba Rock in the North Sound of Virgin Gorda in the BVI.