My wife and I (early fifties) stayed at Coconut Point the middle of March for a week. We have been to MANY Caribbean islands and have a pretty good idea what we are talking about.

The first thing I would like to talk about is driving on Tortola. The roads are narrow, straight up and down and people drive like maniacs. I am a very good driver and have driven on every island we have visited with no problem. By the time we got to the rental office I wondered if maybe I could not handle driving on Tortola. After a day of driving here it was easy. We reserved a car through AVIS because they are a major company. When we got to the airport they weren’t there and we were told they are not at the airport but are in Roadtown. We took a taxi into town to the Avis office ($20). Our car was not ready and the woman at Avis said we could have a small midsize for a lot more money. If you are going to drive here rent a jeep or SUV. We saw the cars from Densil Clyne and when we go back will rent from him.

Coconut point was very nice. We had the bougainvillea with two bedrooms, two baths on the ground floor. Another reviewer said it was dirty. We did not find it any dirtier than most places in the Caribbean. The tile floors were stained and the bedroom smelled musty but mostly we loved this place. It was so well setup with the stuff you need to for housekeeping for a week I was amazed.
The down side would have to be the roosters that crow at exactly 4:15 every morning for an hour unless they get confused and then it’s 2:00. We have never found mosquitoes to be a problem on other islands; they are here.

The food in Tortola is not very good no matter what anyone says. We cooked breakfast in the room because that was the one meal that was definitely not worth the money. Two exceptions were the Palms Delight which was two minutes to the west and on the beach. They are not a rip-off and the honey stung chicken is great. The other should defiantly not be missed is the Bananakeet with it’s magnificent view and the best food we had on the island. Pussers in Sopers hole was pretty good but the service was worse than island time.

We loved it here; it’s beautiful, quiet and still not too developed. But go soon, it’s not going to last. The cable TV and cruise ships will ruin this place.

My wife and I are going back to Coconut Point for our third stay this May for her birthday. Coconut Point is everything we need! Situated in a lovely little village of Carrot Bay with Mr. Dawson's laundry next to the Sub Post Office and just down the road from the Low Budget Superette!! :) Orchid is perfect for us as a LARGE efficiency unit. This upper floor unit has a great covered porch with incredible views of Jost Van Dyke and a gorgeous turpentine tree in front to give shade from the late afternoon sun while doing nothing but complementing the view!! Uschi has become a friend as well as Jazzy and makes you feel very welcomed. Just don't tell anyone about our little secret though...

Atlanta suburbs that enjoy the Caribbean.

I love to research message boards and trip reports before I travel and always try to leave a little something when I return. Here goes.

We flew early out of Hartsfield, 6:30 A.M. to be exact (way too early), on our all-day odyssey to Tortola. Atlanta to Miami, Miami to San Juan, and then San Juan to Tortola. I will never do that again! I will pay the extra money and fly direct to San Juan. Although, IMHO American Airlines is better than Delta, I just wish they had a direct flight, ATL to SJU.

Customs in Tortola is a breeze. We had rented a car from Denzil Clyne in West End. Brian was waiting for us, and we were off. A word about Denzil Clyne. Very good company, great cars, and prompt.

We stayed at Coconut Point in Carrot Bay. We rented the Orchid, which was the studio. The apartment was clean, spacious, and had everything you could possibly want for a great vacation, including books to read! We met Uschi, the manager, at Sebastians, and she took us straight away to our apartment. We enjoyed Orchid. It was quiet and peaceful; right on the ocean. The A/C worked wonderfully, although some days we didn’t need it. The water pressure was great in the shower, and there were plenty of towels and soaps. There was a coffee pot, blender, two refrigerators, and plenty of space. There was cable TV and a few chairs for lounging. French doors that led to a great porch. Just wish they’d trim that tree in front. It blocks a good bit of the view.

Staying in Carrot Bay was great too. We were close to Long Bay Beach Resort where we ate breakfast a few times. Also, Sebastians was great. We had dinner there twice and it was wonderful. Palms Delight was a great restaurant too right down the road. Oh and Bomba’s Shack is within walking distance. Interesting place.

The beaches we enjoyed most were Long Bay, Smugglers, and Brewers Bay. Long Bay was deserted most of the time. Just simply a beautiful beach, with lively waves, where you could walk and walk. Smugglers Cove was tough to get to, but once you got there it was heavenly. There were a couple of people selling food and drinks there, very nice. Brewers Bay had great snorkeling. We went there quite a few times and snorkeled all day. There’s a great beach bar with wonderful cheeseburgers and pina coladas. The beach was usually deserted. Felt like a Survivor.

Cane Garden Bay was okay, but there was trash in the water. It was sad. We tried to find Lambert Beach, but after wasting a couple of hours on the Ridge Road, never could find it. Oh well, next visit.

One thing we loved about Tortola was the rural-ness (is that a word?) of it. It’s still unspoiled. The water is so clean and the people are sweet. I hope it stays that way. Limin’ is truly what we did. We never locked our car, never felt unsafe, and loved the chickens and chicks running around everywhere. Can’t wait to go back!

My friend Cheryl and I stayed at Coconut Point last year in June an liked it so much we are staying there again this year. You have everthing you need in these apartments for a great price. The pool is really only a dipping pool but just over the hill is Cane Garden Bay which makes a pool seem silly! You are with in walking distance of the Sugar Mill, Bombas surf shack and Sebastian's on the beach. Also you have agreat view of Jost Van Dyke.