Welcome to paradise, otherwise known as the British Virgin
Islands.
We're at the luxurious Villa Aja Trunk Bay.
I'm here with my entire family.
Hiii!
they are so excited because we're going to enjoy everything
the British Virgin Islands has to offer.
But first - MUSIC
Sharon, thank you so much for joining me this morning.
Yes, it is a pleasure to be here.
And I'm so thrilled to be here.
My family is so excited.
When I said BVI, they said WHAT!
Yes, and it's a great place for
families.
It is, so tell me Sharon what is it about the
British Virgin Islands that draws thousands of vacationers
every single year?
Well, I think it's the beauty of the
destination as well.
And, of course, the friendliness of the
people.
We, I like to think, have some of the friendliest
people in the Caribbean.
It's a collection of islands.
It's 60 islands.
We like to say, islands, islets, rocks, and
keys.
Some of them are so tiny that it's just a beach that's
there.
But what's really nice about the BVI is that all of our
islands are very very close together, and the color of the
waters.
That's what fascinates me more than anything else.
The different shades of blues, and
the shades of green.
I have never done island hopping so
describe that to me.
It must be amazing!
Yes, it is.
Our islands are so close together that it's
actually so much fun.
There's always line of sight you can
always see an island.
No matter where you are in the BVI.
So, for example, you can start out
in Tortola, and that's our main island.
Take the ferry, hop on over to Virgin Gorda.
Visit the famous bats.
Those are our sea fed caves.
Have lunch, you know, on one of the other beaches, or
one of our island restaurants.
Pop back on the ferry, or maybe do something a little different
and charter a powerboat.
And the powerboat can take you from
Virgin Gorda direct to Aspen Dyke or Mosquito Island.
Lots of different choices in the BVI.
That must be a memory of a lifetime.
Indeed it is.
And even on one of the islands if you visit Necker
the kids and the families have an opportunity to take a
look at the flamingos.
We even have lemurs in the BVI.
So, it's quite an adventure and something different that you
maybe don't expect to find in the BVI.
So tell me more about the Summer Freedom Promotion
that's launching here at BVI.
So, we have a very fun promotion that's running, where kids stay
free.
Some hotels include meals, some include free toys.
So it's starts on June one and runs
through the end of October.
So it's fun, not only for the
children, but then the adults can also play.
Exactly.
And the good thing about it is that
there are activities for the adults and activities for the
kids.
Some of the hotels include kids programs.
So the parents can go off and do their scuba
diving.
You know, while the kids do storytelling, etc. at the
different properties.
Best time to come to the BVI, well I'm a
little bit partial, I would like to see that ALL YEAR.
All year round is a wonderful time to
come to the BVI.
Good answer!
The weather is great, great all year.
And there are activities all around.
We run the gamut from regattas to festival and
carnival events.
Music events, we even have fashion shows in
the summer.
So it's a great time all year to come to the BVI.
We even have a major food event in
November, BVI Food Fest, where we have a host of food
activities, taste of Virgin Gorda.
We have a barefoot dinner that's held on a beach.
It's barefoot and black tie.
And of course we tend to do our bar
crawls as well for the adults.
And speaking of food, because everybody out there knows that
Olga loves to eat.
So what are some of the popular dishes here?
Popular dishes, we like to say is fish and fungi, and that's
wonderful.
There's also Johnnycakes, which is what would
be similar to hushpuppies.
And of course, fishing abounds in
the BVI, so there's lots of fresh fish.
And we do it up really nice and ethnic and local
where we season the fish.
We wrap in foil and we roast it
over a fire.
And once you have that, it's, you don't wanna have
fish any other way.
And let's not forget the smiley lobster.
Ummmm, Langosta.
Langosta.
And we're famous in the BVI for our
Anegada lobster, which is quite different from the Maine
lobster.
It's sweet, it's succulent, so it's, we enjoy our
lobster.
Well, I've taught my girls very well and their number
one dish is lobster.
Lobster.
So we're gonna try that here.
Wonderful.
Now, we're staying right here.
This is the Villa Aja, IT'S GORGEOUS!
Tell me about this villa and others that
you offer as well.
Yes, Villa Aja is one of our premier villas
in the British Virgin Islands and this one is on the island of
Tortola.
We're getting to be very popular as a villa
destination.
And our villas run the gamut, from very simple,
laid back BVI rustic, as I like to call it, to the very high end
and luxurious villas that come with butlers, yoga pavilions,
pizza ovens.
So there's something in the villa side of a
vacation for everyone.
Something I wanna know too Sharon, is that
it's so spacious, the kitchen is gorgeous.
If you love to cook, there it is.
It has so many rooms.
An entire family can come and then you wake up in the
morning and you have a cup of Cuban coffee staring out to
this!
Yes, and you have the most gorgeous view.
What I really like about the villas at the
BVI, it's very open living.
So most of the views are predicated
so that you take advantage of the water.
Take advantage of the views, and be able to sit on the
patios and relax, enjoy the sunrises and the sunsets.
A lot of our visitors, they come as
visitors but they leave as friends.
So that means that you'll be back to BVI.
And I did want to note that as well.
Everybody here is so nice.
So, Sharon, for our viewers out
there, who I know are basically saying, OK we want more
information.
Where can they go?
They go to BVItourism.com and for our special summer rates,
they can go to BVItourism.com/summer.
Alright, so I had fun doing this
interview but I think the interview is officially over.
Definitely.
So now it's time to?
Island hop.
LET'S GO!
MUSIC So you've met my family,
you've met my BFF, Sharon Flax-Mars, and she
has given us a really difficult assignment.
We are excited because we're gonna go island
hopping with MarineMax Vacations.
(MUSIC) We got about a 30 minute trip to Peter Island
on this beauty, complete with 4 staterooms and lux cabin.
I might just have to take the
wheel when we're on the open water.
We'll see.
I've gotta great team.
I'm sure you do.
So far I've been very impressed.
Great.
We'd like to offer you our ginger lemonade.
Wow, this is really good.
Oh wow!
Oooh that's good!
We've arrived at Peter Island Resort & Spa, BVI's
largest private island.
While pirates used to play here, now
the world's elite stay here.
(music) Luxury abounds here, but before we explore, we need to
taste the world famous coconut french toast, prepared by the
one and only Jean Kelly.
That french toast is just awesome.
We make the french toast from our
own homemade bread, right here at Peter Island.
I love people, I enjoy them and I do whatever
they ask of me.
And, I do enjoy my job.
With our tummies full, we checked out some of the
resort's spectacular offerings, including 5 beautiful beaches.
Little Dead Man's Beach, Honeymoon Beach, White Bay, and
Dead Man's Beach, which supposedly is named after some
pirates who washed up along shore centuries ago.
The resort has 55 ocean view rooms and
beachfront suites and 3 luxury villas, including its crown
jewel, Falcon's Nest.
Perched high atop one of the islands
most picturesque bluffs.
This Barcelona style estate
consisting of 3 separate residences, with 6 spacious
suites, 7 baths, media room, elegant dining and great room,
waterfall, grotto, infinity pool and so much more.
Totaling more than 27,500 square feet, with
spectacular views.
We couldn't feel more pampered or indulged.
The next stop on our island hop is Norman Island, due south of
Peter Island.
And it's where we'll find one of the most
breathtaking natural wonders of the world, the caves.
Yes, I am steering this catamaran all by
myself.
It's about 48 feet long, 26 feet wide, 15 feet high, and
the Captain, nowhere to be found.
I'm just kidding, he's right there, look.
(Laughing) But he told me to keep my visual
and I'm keeping my visual and my kids are freaking out!
And my husband, I threw him overboard.
(Laughing).
So here we are at Norman Island.
This beautiful location is privately owned and
uninhabited.
With the exception of 2 restaurants, only
accessible by boat.
We've come to snorkel in the caves which
are at the base of the cliffs.
BVI also has excellent diving with over a hundred sights and
wrecks.
The fun never stops here in the British Virgin Islands.
That was awesome!!
When we come back, we're gonna shop til we
drop, but not before we zip to it island style.
MUSIC Welcome back to the
beautiful British Virgin Islands and Villa Aja, located high
above Trunk Bay Beach on the north side of Tortola, with
views of Guana Island.
It doesn't get more idealic than
this.
What's great is that I love the view.
It's really pretty, so pretty.
It's beautiful.
What a gorgeous view.
This private 5 bedroom villa offers all the comforts of home
with gorgeous vistas, an infinity pool and luxurious
accommodations.
Family fun abounds.
And the secluded Trunk Bay Beach is only 5 minutes
away.
Ohhh paradise.
Now full disclosure.
I am not an adventurer, believe it or not.
But my family is and they just left with my crew.
They're gonna go zip lining, who knows what?
Me, I'm gonna go shopping.
(Music) The family got suited up and learned the ropes at the
original Virgin Canopy Tour.
Safety first before they took flight.
What an amazing adventure for them.
Flying safely through the lush tropical
forest.
(MUSIC) That was awesome!
While they're having fun high above.
My feet are firmly planted at the Tortola
Pier Park.
The gateway to your getaway.
This newly built facility offers shopping,
dining, and entertainment.
There are 54 retail stores to fulfill
all your shopping needs.
From unique BVI stores, like Imperial
ShellCrafters, which is so much more than a shell store.
To Diamonds International, oh my,
look at all that bling!
I wonder if my husband will buy me this
limited edition diamond Hugo watch.
Ummmm, maybe I should have brought him after all.
Oh well.
A girl can't have too many clothes, and Cedar White offers
an array of Caribbean made, Caribbean inspired options.
Tijano Boutique features up and coming designers and artisans.
These things are definitely wearable works of art.
And speaking of art, had to check
out Allamanda Gallery and the work of photographer, Amanda
Baker.
What a trip!
(Music) We had an amazing family vacation.
Truly something for everyone.
No offense to our beautiful studio
and our fantastic crew out there, but what a gorgeous
destination.
I mean come on!
I wonder am I ever going to see my
co-host again?
Olga?
Well Julie I have to admit I'm not sure I'm
ever gonna come back.
Stay right where you are.
I'm gettin on a plane right now.
For more information go to BVItourism.com
or checkout our website thebalancingact.com.
Accommodations at Villa Aja Trunk Bay Tortola provided by
BVI Villa Rental.
Bye bye from paradise.