A few weeks ago we took the trip of the lifetime and sailed the British Virgin Islands {BVI}. I cannot more highly recommend this trip! I have two highlights saved on my Instagram stories @laurenlefevre, if you want to see “live” video + additional footage from this amazing trip. I am hoping this blog post will be a resource to many of you on how to plan, what to pack, what to wear and where to visit in BVI. We spent 7 days/nights there, and I feel like we barely scratched the surface on all there is to see and experience!
Swim suit top | Swim suit bottom | Headband | Earrings {20% off with LAUREN20}
We booked our three-cabin {plus captain’s quarters} sailing catamaran through TMM Charters. Our good friend, Travis, has his captain’s license and captained our boat. If you don’t know a captain personally, you can hire one. Chefs are also available for hire, but we opted out of it, and cooked a few meals on our own ,and then ate off the boat for the others. I personally liked the mix of dining both on and off the boat.
Our boat was the Painted Falcon, and we woke up to this stunning rainbow our first morning in Tortolla.
We spent the first night in Tortolla, BVI, on the dock {standard procedure with TMM Charters}, and then sailed to Norman Island the next day. We enjoyed lunch with an amazing view at Pirate’s Bight. Best Pina Colada I have ever had!! We then snorkled “the Caves,” ate a steak dinner on the boat and then took our dingy to Willy T’s for after-dinner cocktails and a jump off the infamous “ship!”
swimsuit | sunglasses | coverup, 10% off with LAUREN10 | headband, 10% off with LAUREN10 | necklace, 20% off with LAUREN20 | waterproof bangles
This Aloha waterproof hip bag was one of the very best things I packed for the trip. I used it in place of a purse and literally wore it every single day. It’s very important to have a waterproof bag, since you often get wet {or even soaked} on dingy rides from your catamaran to land. I was able to carry my passport, money, phone and lipgloss safely in this cute, hands-free bag. If you purchase one thing for your sailing trip, make this bag it!
Day 3 we sailed to Virgin Gorda Island, and lunched at Saba Rock. We paddle-boarded, fished and hung out on the beach at Bitter End Yacht Club. Bitter End had just re-opened two weeks before our visit {it was re-built after the hurricane} and is BEAUTIFUL! There were only two “bungalows” open when we toured the hotel, but I highly recommend checking this out as a place to stay once more opens!
swimsuit | sunglasses | necklace, 20% off with LAUREN20 | waterproof bangles
Day 4 was our longest sail, to the furtherest BVI, Anegada. Anegada is much more remote and undeveloped than I envisioned, but was one of my favorite stops on our trip! We rented scooters from L&M’s … that drove more like motorcycles! Highly recommend, but not for children! It was such a fun way to tour the island.
We ate lunch at Tipsy, a must-stop on the island. The Bush-Wackers are awesome! Turns out Ann, the owner of Tipsy, has a son who plays football at FSU, which made for a super fun connection for Mike. The beach in front of Tipsy is breathtaking, and a great place to sun and walk. It feels like you are on the island from “Castaway.” The shells were incredible, too!
Anegada is known for its fresh lobster. Upon arrival to the island in the morning, you pick a restaurant and order your lobster to be prepared for you for dinner! There are about five restaurant options on the island. We ate a sunset dinner at Lobster Trap and it was wonderful.
My must-have Aloha waterproof bags {tote & hip-bag} and comfy slides. Highly recommend all of these for any tropical/beach vacation!
We spent the night off-shore Anegada, and us gals enjoyed the most incredible massages the next morning at the Anegada Beach Club,while the guys went out on a guided fishing excursion. HIGHLY recommend booking a spa appointment, and then relaxing by the pool. I had an early morning massage, followed by the most delish blueberry-coconut pancakes and a mimosa poolside. We did not stay at the Anegada Beach Club since we slept on the boat, but it sure seemed like an amazing place to stay!
swimsuit | coverup, 10% off with LAUREN10 | headband, 10% off with LAUREN10 | necklace, 20% off with LAUREN20 | waterproof bangles
swimsuit | cover-up | flip-flops
Day 5 we sailed from Anegada to Scrubb Island, where we stayed on-land for one night. The Scrubb Island Resort {owned by Marriott} is INCREDIBLE. Highly recommend booking at least one night here on a sailing trip. Day 4 or 5 is ideal to break up the trip. By day 5, we were all ready for a good shower, a plush bed and the ability to do some laundry! Our luxe suite included a washer and dryer, and we ran loads the entire stay! If you visit Scrubb, be sure to ask for one of the resort’s “off road vehicles” to drive you to the private beach on the other side of the island. There is a wonderful bar, lounge chairs and a beach volleyball court! We stayed out here all morning, and it was heavenly. I also recommend the buffet breakfast at the resort.
Wore this cute skort set to dinner at Scrubb Island. It comes in three colors and the fit is fab!
two piece set | flip flops | belt | bangles | necklace, 20% off with LAUREN20
bikini top | bikini bottom | bangles
This is the beautiful “private” beach at Scrubb Island. This high-waisted bikini was one of my favorite swimmies from the trip…and is under $50!
Day 6 we left Scrubb mid-day and sailed to Jost Van Dyke Island, home of the infamous Soggy Dollar! A slice of heaven and a must-visit while in the BVI. You can call and send people drinks for their visit, and some kind friends did just that for us. So fun finding your name on one of the poster boards!
We also went out to Foxy’s that night for drinks and dancing!
swimsuit | coverup | sunglasses | necklace, 20% off with LAUREN20
PACKING LIST ::
Passport
Sunscreen :: This Beautycounter sheer one is my everyday favorite for face. This Larkly brush-on is a must for touching up throughout the day.
ALOHA Day Tripper Bag :: Waterproof and essential for s\day-trips to islands. Doubles as an airplane carry-on.
ALOHA Mini Hip Pack :: I used this as my “purse” the entire trip and wore it every-single-day of the trip. Love that it’s hands-free and waterproof.
Non- Drowsy Dramamine and Motion Sickness Patches. {I ordered these on Amazon.} I got sea-sick the first day of sailing and learned that I cannot read while sailing. Each morning, I took a dramamine and also kept a patch behind both ears the entire trip.
Prescription Meds
First Aid Supplies – Benadryl, bandaids, Neosporin, Advil, etc
Melatonin :: I had a hard time falling asleep on the boat several nights and was happy this had been packed!
Bug Spray
Sunglasses with strap so you don’t lose them. I ordered these cheap + waterproof straps on Amazon.
Hat :: I brought a straw hat + a ball cap. I never wore the straw hat! I recommend a comfortable baseball cap for keeping sun out of your face. The straw hat was a pain to pack/travel with and then was never worn!
Shoes that will stay on your feet while walking or swimming in water. I ordered this pair from Amazon and wore them snorkeling.
Cute flip flops :: I packed two pairs of flip-flops/slides, and that was it, besides my water shoes! You truly don’t need any other pairs. This pair from Amazon were cute with dresses/skirts for dinner and I loved these slides since they are cute, yet not-slippery and very stable.
Light Rain Jacket :: For when it might rain and for wet dingy rides to shore!
Sweatshirt/Light Jacket :: For chilly evenings on the boat.
Quick Dry Beach Towel :: My friend packed these Amazon towels and they were so great, we all used them! I am ordering my own set to keep on our boat this summer!
Toiletries including soap, shampoo/conditioner, and shower gel, etc. :: The boat’s don’t come with these items like a hotel would.
Ear Plugs
Yeti/Corkcicle. I packed this style for making drinks/hydrating on the boat each day.
Doggie Poop Bags :: Gross but you need these to throw away toilet paper, since it cannot be flushed down the boat toilet.
Travel Laundry Detergent :: For washing smelly clothes on the boat. If you stay at Scrub Island or another resort with a washer/dryer, it will feel like heaven to wash your clothes!
Travel Fabreze Spray :: To touch up stinky clothes!
Inflatable noodles/raft :: I ordered these from Amazon, and they were so easy to pack, and great to float on off the catamaran.
Small air freshener for bathroom
Over the door hook and or suction cup hook :: Most boats don’t have any hooks for towels!
As far as clothes go, less is truly more and I cannot stress to you how casual everything is. I packed 10 suits {one for each day + 3 extra. I wore 8 of them.} Sarong style coverups were my favorite for this trip. {This set from Amazon is great, two for $10 and wash well.} I packed four dresses, but only wore two. I packed one pair of denim cut-off {this pair} and that was perfect. I was happy I packed a sweatshirt and also a comfy lounge set for mornings/evenings on the boat. You truly do not need any other shoes besides flip-flops and water shoes. I wore sneakers for traveling but never needed them while in the islands. I wore these favorite joggers for traveling, since it was winter back home…otherwise I would have traveled in shorts or a comfy dress. All that to say, here is exactly what I recommend packing for a 7-day sailing trip :: 8-9 swimsuits {unless you want to be washing them}, 4-5 cover-ups, one pair shorts, 1-2 pairs of flip-flips, water shoes, 2-3 sundresses {depending on how many dinners “out” you plan to do, but you can truly wear a swimsuit/coverup just about everywhere!}, one lounge set/cozy outfit.
A few other notes ::
It is super important to pack in a duffle bag that you can carry-on the plane and personally carry! {Admittedly, my sweet hubby carried mine through the airport, because although I fit everything in a duffle, it was HEAVY!} You have to water taxi/ferry to your boat and you won’t want a roller bag. It’s also difficult to store a roller bag on the boat. If I can fit a week’s worth of clothes and accessories in a duffle, so can you! These space saver bags from Amazon helped me a lot!
If you don’t have a chef on board {we did not}, I recommend purchasing any meat you want to cook here in the US, deep freezing and then checking it in a cooler. Meat is super expensive and not great quality in BVI. We traveled with steaks, ground beef for a taco night and then pre-made crab-cakes. We also brought deli meat/cheese and Costco charcuterie boards, which we also froze before travel. Just be aware that fridge space is limited on the boat. We ate three dinners on the boat, and the rest off the boat, which was a good mix.
We used Dolphin Water Taxi to travel from St. John {where we flew into from Atlanta} to Tortolla, where we picked up our sailboat. Dolphin was great. It’s pricey {approx. $190/person per way}, but they handle customs, etc. and worth the price!
Hoping many of you can make a similar trip happen at some point! It’s truly a bucket-list trip!
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