Hello there,<br><br>I returned from the BVI a couple of days ago. I really enjoyed the beaches, sun, snorkeling and the local islanders. I saw everything I wanted to see except Apple Bay and JVD. Despite the positive reviews about JVD on this forum I didn't get the same response while talking to other tourists on Tortola. So, I put most of my resources into seeing Tortola, Anagada, Virgin Gorda and some of the other smaller islands which included Peter and Norman. I really enjoyed the boat trip on the Patouche II. The crew was really friendly and informative...thanks Fran!!! I thought the local vendors were nice to deal with.<br><br>Anagada is definitely an unique island when compared to the other islands in the chain. Lots of white/pink sandy beaches. I really enjoyed the solitude and privacy on the Anagada beaches. I get tired of having screaming children running up and down the beach sometimes. The lobster was pretty good on the island...It was my first attempt at eating lobster.<br><br>The Baths on Virgin Gorda were really neat. It sort of looked like a Jurrasic Park themepark. Snokeling amongst the large boulders was a real treat.<br><br>However, I found that most of the tourists tended to hang out on the west side of the island. Cane Garden Bay has a nice beach, but I think that Long Beach on Beef Island rivals any beach as top beach on Tortola. The east end may not have the glitter of the west end, but I experienced more of the Caribbean life from locals on the east end. For example, the music from the church on Chapel Hill was nice to hear during the evenings.<br><br>Taxi cab drivers on Tortola??? Well, I don't have a lot of positive comments about them. Rates changed so often that I was getting confused and a bit angry. Apparently, there are established rates (by law), but I found this to be a load of hogwash. Public buses would have been nice, but I don't suppose it's going to happen anytime soon. This is where Bermuda has a big advantage over the BVI - public transportion. However, in fairness, Bermuda is a richer country and can afford public transportion. I was thinking of renting a car, but there are disadvantages to that as well. Luckily, my friend had a vehicle. Advice to newcomers to the BVI - use taxis a little bit, but renting is best if you can share the cost with family or friends. Plus, I guess you would have more freedom by renting a car.<br><br>I would like to go back one day and do some scuba diving next time. Thanks for the help on the forum.<br><br>Cheers,<br><br>Brian[Linked Image]<br><br>