Information

PLEASE READ THIS PAGE BEFORE LEAVING

Here are some facts which you should be familiar with before you leave on your long awaited vacation in the BVI.

1. (a) If you are renting a vehicle be sure to bring your driver's license from your home state or province. You will need it to verify that you are indeed a licensed driver and entitles you to a BVI permit. These are $10 each and in cash or traveller's cheques only.

(b)    If you have a credit card which entitles you to car rental insurance, be sure to bring it along. Some credit cards do not cover insurance on jeeps so check with your credit card issuer, to be sure what it does cover. The youngest age to drive a rental vehicle is 25 years. Some auto insurance companies offer insurance coverage on rental vehicles, within or outside your country or residences, but do not cover jeeps. Please check with your insurance provider to verify this coverage in your policy.

(c)    Most rental vehicles are the standard North American left hand drive, but we do drive on the left hand side of the road in the BVI as they do in England. This may cause difficulty at night when oncoming lights tend to direct to the right and thus reflect in the eyes of the driver, much the same as undimmed lights.

2.  We are sorry, but none of out units have telephone service. There is good cell coverage throughout the island so you might want to set up roaming on your cell phone before you leave home. This can get expensive so another alternative is to visit the local cell companies once you are here and purchase a local SIM card, which we especially recommend for longer visits. We do have a phone in our service area where you are welcome to make local calls, but you cannot rely on receiving calls there.
 
3  The only government service taxes that you will find in the BVI are on accommodations and car rentals. They are 7% and 5% respectively. Any other extra charges, which you may encounter, are, service charges,  independently applied by the merchant with whom you are dealing.

4   Credit cards are acceptable at most restaurants and some retail business, however you may find certain businesses will add on 5% to the final price, when you do use a credit card. This is not an acceptable practice to  some credit card companies but, at the time, it's easier to go along with the flow and accept it.

5    Although crime in the BVI is minimal, it is still a good idea to lock your accommodations and cars and avoid leaving money or valuables unattended. Petty thievery happens wherever you go..

6    Swim wear and partial attire may be acceptable on the beaches but is frowned upon in shops and restaurants and urban centers. Partial and full nudity in public is a no no, and against the law in the BVI, so if you must, find a secluded spot and do your thing there..

7   We provide many basics including coffee, sugar, creamer etc. as part of your stay. We are also happy to offer a provisioning service. Just supply us with a list and we will have your items ready for you for the cost of the groceries plus a $10.00 delivery fee.

Contact Details:

Mail: Northcoast, Box 3069   Road Town, Tortola  British Virgin Islands 
Tel/Fax:  (284) 499 1999
E-mail: serhouse@surfbvi.com