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The art that is BVI was honestly worth any obstacle we faced to be approved for travel. The very nature of the British Virgin Islands should be considered a wonder of the world.
Before the sun could rise, we were on our way to the airport to catch an early flight. It was all we could do to mentally prepare ourselves for the day of travel ahead. We were traveling from Atlanta, GA, to the incredible island of Tortola.
This trip was so monumental because Moyo hadn’t seen his family in over a year prior to our visit. We’d been back and forth on traveling to BVI because of the many travel restrictions in place to protect the citizens living there, which we completely understood.
When we landed in St. Thomas, the scenery took my breath away. The air was fresh, the sun was at the highest point of the sky in winter, and the mountainous terrain was something I could’ve never imagined. From St. Thomas, we boarded a private air charter service called VI Airlink that flew us into Beef Island. As we flew over the British Virgin Islands, my eyes began to overflow with tears. I’ve never seen water so blue anywhere I’d ever been. Each mountain flourished with greenery and seemed to be adrift, in the middle of the vast ocean as if mountains had emerged from underwater.
When we landed, we were taken to get tested for COVID-19 once again, which was a relatively quick process. After completing that, we were given watches that were secured on our wrist to ensure during our five-day mandatory quarantine, we stayed in our designated area. Which, for us, meant we had to be in the best retreat the island had to offer.
Luckily, we found Tracia Smith’s Ocean View Airbnb with the perfect amount of comfort, great accommodations, and the most astonishing view any other retreat could have provided us. The French glass doors leading out to the balcony gave us an everlasting view of Tortola’s beauty.
Ms. Smith was the perfect host, ensuring we had everything we needed during our stay while maintaining mandatory distance due to quarantine.
On Christmas Day, we received an email saying our COVID results came back negative and that we were cleared to remove our tracking devices and mingle about the island, which was the best Christmas gift of all.
Finally cleared, we enjoyed breakfast with Moyo’s family, who currently reside in Tortola. That day we went on to tour the island in its entirety, from the most western to the eastern end.
Through every twist and turn of the mountainous road stood a breathtaking view of the Caribbean Sea, many of the neighboring islands, and a firsthand experience of BVI culture. We wanted to continue experiencing the crystal clear waters of the BVI, so we signed up for an amazing nighttime kayaking excursion with Paradise Water Sports Co in Cane Garden Bay.
The next morning, we set sail for a day trip to Virgin Gorda. This had to be one of our favorite parts of the trip. We hiked the trail to The Baths and swam on the hidden beach. We were even able to book a photoshoot with the extremely talented Theo, who took the photos you see above.
In all, facing the quarantine and COVID 19 testing obstacles was absolutely worth getting to experience the magnificent destination many call home. With the right precautions, we recommend other travelers take the leap of faith and plan to visit such a place.
