We removed our
shoes to get that first feel of the sand beneath our toes. Cool below, yet warmed by the sun, soft yet
grainy, the senses offered that Proustian moment of remembering every other
time we have walked on a beach. And the
best part – we virtually did not put our shoes back on for a week while we
immersed ourselves in sun, sea, and sand.
This took place
after a long-ago jump off a sailboat in the British Virgin Islands to swim to
the shore with only a few dollars tucked in my swimsuit. Where would that wet cash be used? I spent them at the only place they belonged:
The Soggy Dollar Bar in Jost Van Dyke, B.V.I. After my second Painkiller (the signature
drink of this establishment), I asked the couple to my left if they were
staying at the small hotel affiliated with the bar, called Sandcastle. They were, and with a place so remote and
unspoiled, I wondered what their visit was like. What they described matched my dreams of the
perfect vacation.
I have always longed for a trip where there were literally no decisions to be made. With the company of very few others in the interest of maximum peace and quiet, I imagined I would find such a place my heart’s delight, allowing me the greatest possibility for serenity and deep thought. I found that at Sandcastle Hotel on Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands. It’s a hotel, for sure, in that there were rooms (only 6) and meals to be had (with 12 others at most), but more important, it provides a haven of island life at its slowest and most beautiful. The senses are stimulated in all ways: vistas for the eyes, lapping waves for the ears, and the scent of the ocean only interrupted by the scent of warm coffee each morning on our private beach. As for decisions, we occasionally had to choose between hammock and lounge chair, and our meal choices were few but tempting and took only a moment’s thought. So I found the place that could make my vacation dreams of utter tranquility come true.
Jost Van Dyke is
a small island in the chain of British Virgin Islands, a chain better known for
Tortola and Virgin Gorda. People come
from all around the world, more by boat than by air, though there is an airport
in Roadtown, Tortola. We flew to St.
Thomas, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
You then take a taxi to a dock with a choice of getting on either a
local ferry to Tortola and then another to Jost Van Dyke, or the simpler
option, which is to take a private water taxi from St. Thomas to Jost. That’s a pricy option, for sure, but a time
saver that allowed us to be in New York City at 6 a.m. and on the beach at
Sandcastle by 1:30 p.m.! We are happy
with the service at Dolphin Taxi, should you choose to indulge that option, and
I recommend it.
Our days started
with Clay swimming in the quiet White Bay followed by a little stand-up paddle boarding,
while I sipped coffee and watched from the shore. This is my very favorite time of day at White
Bay, before the day-trippers arrive and we have the beach quite literally all
to ourselves. A chance to check in with
civilization briefly is offered by wi-fi near the bar, but I was just as happy
to turn off for the better part of each day.
A tasty breakfast is served by the friendly folks at Sandcastle, and
then we parked ourselves under a palm tree with our various books, podcasts,
Kindles, and a bottle of cold water from the refrigerator in our room.
Around 11 a.m.
the tourists begin to arrive, either off of a small cruise ship and delivered
by dinghy, or on smaller private sailboats and yachts. It is great people-watching from
approximately 11 a.m.-4 p.m., especially knowing that we have the beach all to
ourselves again for the late afternoon cocktail hour and sunset. Since most of the day-trippers come for that
famous Soggy Dollar Bar, we sit a ways down the beach in front of our little
cottage and only occasionally feel imposed upon by the revelry. I can hardly deny
them their fun when this is precisely how I found this paradise in the first
place. If it gets too busy on the beach, we simply go back to the area marked
“Sandcastle Hotel: For Guests Only” and we get a portion of the beach all to
ourselves!
The hotel has 4
octagonal cottages with ceiling fans, each with an outdoor shower leading to a
private bathroom, and there are 2 air-conditioned, more traditional hotel
rooms. We prefer the former since they
are closer to the beach and provide the atmosphere that is part of the reason
we come, but the hotel rooms are quite nice.
Outside of our beachside cottage are a hammock, lounge chairs, and
Adirondack chairs on a small deck. The rooms are not fancy but they are
sufficient to the task. We have met friendly people each time we are there, and
with only 6 accommodations, that’s easy to do. As we have now arrived three times at the
same time of year , we have begun to know the same folks traveling
down annually, and the very friendly staff considers us “regulars.”
We had dinner
most nights at Sandcastle, but there are options down the beach or in
town. You don’t come to Jost Van Dyke
for the food, but we had a few memorable meals.
After dinner, there is amazing stargazing, then our quiet nights were spent
in our cottage watching movies we downloaded before leaving home. There is virtually no nightlife in Jost,
though a favored bar called Foxy’s offers live music on some nights. Our big jaunt for the week was a taxi ride to
the other side of the island to Abe’s where we were only one of two couples
enjoying the fresh lobster and generous platter of barbecue ribs.
This is a trip
to think small. You only need a couple of bathing suits, shorts, t-shirts, and
flip-flops. Any thoughts of even one nice
outfit are unnecessary – leave it home. Plenty of sunscreen and some mosquito
repellent (okay, nothing’s perfect!), shampoo, and your toothbrush are all
you need. There is a gift shop at Soggy
Dollar if you forget anything, but by week’s end you will realize how little of
life’s usual trappings you really need to enjoy yourself.
Upon departing there
was a big decision to be made. I was out
of practice, having been blissfully pronouncement-free for an entire week, so
this was not easy: if you don’t book your next visit to Sandcastle while you’re
there, and they only allow you to do that upon departing, you’ll lose your room
for same time next year. Decisions,
decisions – will it be a week’s stay again next year or longer?
White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, throughout the day
