Kim’s Idiot-Proof Packing Guide for
Indigo Point!
(along with some other stuff you might be
wondering about)
Where in the hell is Indigo Point anyway?
Indigo Point is on the Southern tip of
Great Camanoe, one of the British Virgin Islands (commonly
known as the BVI). Great Camanoe is just to the Northeast of
Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands. It is
easiest to fly into Beef Island, which is connected to Tortola
and just across the channel from Camanoe. It is about a 10
minute boat ride from the airport at Beef Island to Camanoe.
Camanoe is strictly a residential island; there are no stores
or restaurants on the island, and it is necessary to get into a
boat and travel to another island anytime we want to buy food
or supplies.
How do we get around?
There are two boats kept docked at Indigo
Point: one is a big rubber "inflatable," good for
short trips around Camanoe and to near-by islands. There is a
bigger power boat that will get us across the channel to more
exotic destinations. There is a car on Tortola for trips into
town, but with many people we may also need a taxi.
What is there to do?
Indigo Point is right on the water, and
it is just a short walk down to the beach. There is also a pool
at the house. The beach changes with the seasons: sometimes it
is a beautiful sand beach, and other times it is rocky and full
of shells. Whatever the state of the beach, we can still lounge
and swim from it. We can also build bonfires in the evening.
There is a beautiful sand beach about a 10 minute boat ride
away that remains year round. For the adventurous, there are
nearby places to rent small sailboats, windsurfers, and
sea kayaks. There is good snorkeling right off Indigo Point,
and many other great snorkel spots all around the island. We
may also want to take a more extensive snorkel trip in the big
boat—these trips can be combined with visits to really
cool beach bars around the BVI! And of course there are the
beach bars near Camanoe: Marina Cay, Donovan’s Reef, and
De Loose Mongoose. They are all within a 10 minute boat ride;
we can camp out and drink, eat, and swim to our heart’s
content.
In town, there is some OK shopping for T
shirts and beach stuff, but Tortola is not known for its
shopping so don’t expect to buy much. We may want to
visit some of the beaches on Tortola, combined with lunch at a
cool spot. The views from the Tortola mountain tops are really
amazing so it’s probably worth planning on at least one
day to tour the island.
Weather
The weather is usually about 85-90
degrees and very humid. The house is not air-conditioned, but
that’s usually not a problem because it sits on a point
and it is breezy and very pleasant. However, it can be very hot
inland, especially when we go into town.
July through November is hurricane
season, but it can rain any time of year. Rain showers usually
last a short time and it rarely rains the whole day.
Dress
Plan to pack the same kind of clothes you
would wear to the beach at home. Light-weight, loose-fitting
clothes are best. Jeans are usually too hot, and they take a
long time to dry if they get wet (read on for more about
getting wet…). Dress is very casual everywhere. (Did we
say VERY CASUAL?) We will probably spend most of our time in
bathing suits. T-shirts and shorts will get us into all but the
very fanciest of restaurants. In that case men will need slacks
and a polo shirt. Women will be fine with a sundress or
lightweight pants. There aren’t many fancy restaurants on
Tortola, and there are plenty to choose from if we stay casual
(lots of beach bars).
Here’s what you need for clothes:
° Bathing suits (the more the better)
° Light-weight shorts
° Loose fitting T-shirts or tank-tops
° Sundress for women—optional
(This is the dressiest item you will need, and it’s
totally acceptable to pair it with Tevas or other casual
sandals!)
° Light-weight
sweater—optional. It can get windy in the evenings,
especially on the water.
° Light-weight pants—optional.
You might want these in the evening, particularly in the winter
months. Jeans will usually be too hot, even in the winter.
° Teva sandals, flip-flops, or
waterproof boat shoes—essential! They will get wet!
° Sneakers or sturdier shoes if you
want to hike the island —optional. If you don’t
intend to hike, you will only need sandals, and you can
probably hike in the sandals anyway. But it can be jungle-like
in some spots and if you want to do a lot of walking you might
want sneakers to protect your feet from the weeds.
° Light-weight waterproof windbreaker
or shell—optional. You may want this to protect from salt
spray in the boat, because if it’s rough we WILL get wet!
It’s usually hot enough that we don’t care about
getting wet, but if we’re out at night "foul weather
gear" is handy. We can also borrow from my dad.
Please note: sunscreen and boat spray
have a way of sliming everything. I usually don’t regret
bringing that extra T-shirt or pair of shorts. We can also use
the washer and dryer.
Sun Protection
The sun is REALLY intense and you are
likely to get fried. It is much more intense than Philadelphia
in the summertime, so even if you don’t normally use
these items you will definitely want to bring:
° Sunscreen (you can buy it there,
but it’s more expensive and the selection is not very
good)
° Sunglasses ("Croakie"
straps come in handy for water sports)
° Sun hat (preferably a tight-fitting
one that won’t blow off in the boat)
° Beach cover-ups (for girls, these
are really handy when you’re on the water and don’t
want to slime a pair of good shorts)
In the Water
There is a lot to do in the water:
swimming, snorkeling, and just riding around in the motor boat
or sitting on the beach. We can also rent kayaks or
wind-surfers. Here are some things you may find useful for
water-related activities:
° A snorkel mask. My dad has a pretty
wide assortment of snorkel gear for us to borrow, but it can be
a drag if you can’t find a mask that fits. If you wear
prescription glasses it’s also possible to get a
prescription mask. It’s probably not worth it to tote
down fins or other heavy equipment.
° Quick-drying "surf"
shorts.
° Water-proof bag for camera and cash
(We've got plenty of "boat and tote" type bags for
hauling towels and stuff.)
° Teva sandals (again)
° Beach cover-ups (again)
Other Stuff to Bring:
° PASSPORT!!!!!!!! (Don't forget
this—you'll need it. You can also get by with a photo
driver’s license and a birth certificate with a raised
seal.)
° Books (there are a bunch of
paperbacks there if you want to try your luck)
° CDs (there is a good sound
system—guest CDs are welcomed and encouraged)
° Camera and film
° Pharmacy items you can't live
without (you can get most pharmacy items in town if you look
hard enough, but the selection is spotty).
° Games you might want to play
Do Not Bring:
° Very nice
clothes/shoes/jewelry—you won’t need them, and you
will only worry about them in the boat and water.
° Booze—we’ll stock up
when we get there
° Beach towels—there are plenty
there
° Other linens or household stuff.
° A computer to check
e-mail—there is one at Indigo Point.
° Cards—plenty there
° Bug spray—unfortunately we'll
need it, but there is plenty there.
Food
The kitchen is big and there is a gas
grill on the deck. The local grocery is OK, but you will
probably not find everything from home. Claire has a lot of
cook books on hand for the adventurous. There are also several
restaurants and beach bars within a very short boat-ride (did
we mention beach bars?). They cater to tourists, so
unfortunately you can expect East Coast prices.
Accommodations
The house is a modest-sized ranch style
house surrounded by lots of land. There are two bedrooms in the
main house (including Ron and Claire’s), and a guest
house that sleeps two. There are 2 bathrooms in the main house
and 1 in the guest house. The bedrooms have two twin beds,
which can be made up as twins, or pushed together to form a
King. The house comfortably sleeps 6, but we can also camp out
on blow-up mattresses if we need to.
Money
Despite the tourist prices, visiting
Indigo Point can be a very cheap vacation once you get there.
We can eat out or in depending on tastes and budgets and we
don’t have to spend a lot of money having fun and doing
stuff. If you do need extra cash, there are bank machines on
the island which are connected to the major networks (Cirrus
and Plus) and most restaurants and shops take plastic. Be
advised that visiting the bank machines requires a boat trip
and a little advanced planning, so come with enough spending
money to see you through the early stages of the trip. The
currency in the BVI is the U.S. dollar.
