Tortola, BVI - Prospect Reef & Long Bay

[Jersey]

Has anyone been to either Prospect Reef Resort or Long Bay Beach Resort recently? One of my time share traders is offering EXTREMELY cheap rates. Almost too good to be true, & that has me wondering.... A couple girlfriends & I are contemplating a week escape & between the price & using frequent flier miles for air, it could be a good lost-cost solution! We are interested in safe & clean, doesn't have to be the Four Seasons.

My ?? -
- is it safe for women travelling alone? Or any less safe then most places. We are all accomplished travelers, but I'd rather ask the question anyway.
- are there things for the non-divers to do? I will be the only one diving.
- how is the diving - close to shore/3 hr boat ride, shore diving, marine life, deep/shallow, wrecks, etc?
- anyone familiar with the onsite dive operators?
- is a car rental required?
- what are the good vs. bad times of yr?
- prices for food & beverages?

The plan is to get away for some relaxation, I'd do a couple morning dives each day, my friends would sleep in, get together in the afternoon for beach or other activities, spa visits, ya know girl things!

I did a search in this forum & found some had been there, but nothing more recent... Thanks!

 

[zboss]

My family has had our vacation house in the BVI for twenty years, and even though a lot has changed (LOTS)... it's still one of the cleanest, safest, accessible, and beautiful desitnations in the islands.

Prospect Reef is really nice - by no means on par with Peter Island or The Bitter End, but still a great place to go. To be honest - I am not sure if they actually have a beach... the water is really rough on that part of the island (sometimes) and the long-shore drift basically pulls the sand away - leaving rock. The entrance to their little harbor can sometimes be hairy to get even a small boat through - don't ask me how they do that with their huge Cat (which you can charter for the day BTW)... we got our racing/training sailboat from them (a colgate), they have a good sailing school.

The islands generally are very safe - don't do anything you wouldn't do at home (get drunk at a bar with strange locals and tell your girlfriends that you'll be fine walking alone down the beach at 3 in the morning - for example). It can also get kind of wierd [even for other locals] towards 2-3 in the morning when the down-island kids (people from other countries down the leewards working in the BVI) get off work and are bored and everyone is drunk and stoned.

With that SAID! The islands are extremely safe - our house is litterally on the beach and we leave our doors and windows open all day and night. The people are very nice and the police/customs follow the letter of the law (which is good and bad - don't do less but don't do more)

There are TONS of activities for non-divers to do... Tortola is a great place to rent a jeep and look around, the beaches are awesome, the water warm and friendly, you can go horse-back riding (sort of - different story there , site-seeing at ruins, hike the small rain forest, there is a small town with some fun stores, and you can go island hopping super fast and very cheap... (maybe even rent your own boat to do so) go to St. John or St. Thomas for a day, do to Virgin Gorda or Normal island on a booze-cruise... etc...

I have a close relationship with Keith at Blue Water Divers, however - Prospect has some dive staff relationships of their own. In general - all the dive operators are great, and do a lot to preserve the reef health. Boat rides to dive sites are usually less than 35 minutes. You can shore dive... but depending on the time of the year with the swells up - this could me a problem.

Food can be expensive but the booze is cheaper than the mixers...

I have lots of additional info!

 

[AquaRock]

The wreck of the rhone is a great dive, it is a little deep, i think i hit 90 at bottom, but lots of shallow dives to enjoy, your wife can even snorkel while you dive at some sites such as cora garden. prospect reef has an on site dive operator that i have used they are very good if you can actually get them to go. As far as non diving activities they have the best beaches in the caribbean there. other than that not much activity. the beach at prospect is not exactly a beach, its a manmade ocean pool kinda, but its not that bad. MANY off island trips to be had, such as Virgin Gorda and the baths. anyway ive been there several times if you have further questions feel free to e-mail i will be happy to help. AquaRock TdownAu@hotmail.com

 

[Cherry]

Jersey when are you going to be there? I havent been but will be there throughout December. We will be diving with UBS. Happy to buy you , or any Scuba boarder a Bushwacker ( will find out what that is when we get there )

Cherry

cherry@shawbiz.ca

 

[Jersey]

Thanks all for the great info. I'm really lookin forward to getting away, if I can get my friends to agree to dates & send me $$.

Cherry - I would love to get away for a week in Dec! Don't know if I want to know what's in a Bushwacker, I'm pretty much a simple one glass of white wine kind of girl I'm envious - how are you getting away for a whole month & where will you be staying?

AquaRock - what are the baths? I have info on island hoppin' from one client who just got back from a week on St. Thomas, so we had a long talk on restaurants, beaches, islands.

I love to have as much info as possible prior to departure, dives booked, t's crossed, i's dotted - I am a somewhat of a control freak in that manner.

Jersey

 

[Fly N Dive]

the baths are giant round volcanic rock, they are all piled together and make many small coves and caves. a very cool place to go. As i hear it there is one rock where there is a hole through the middle and you can swim through it. have a great time if you go!!!

 

[AquaRock]

The Baths are a group of rocks.....really big rocks that form tunnels along a beach on virgin gorda. its only about a 30 min ferry ride from tortola its a do not miss place to go. St thomas and st john are also short ferry trips away they both have good shopping, or so my wife says. If you do go to the baths dont back out half way through the paths there is a beach on the far end called devils bay, it is incredible a bowl shaped beach and when the surf is high its really amazing. anyway have a good time!!!! AquaRock

 

[Cherry]

Jersey we rented a place above Long Bay on Beef Island ( thats near the airport, there are two long bays one on the west end) Its called Mermaid Villa. We got a great deal on it courtesy of Under Water Boat services, the outfit we are diving with thanks to Scuba Board recommendations. If you or any Scuba Boarders are in BVI in December the Bar is open

Cherry