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Here are some facts which you should be familiar with before you leave on
your long awaited vacation in the BVI.
1. If you are renting a vehicle be sure to carry a valid credit card with at
least $1000 limit left on the card. This is required as a pre-authorization.
Should you damage the vehicle this will serve as a guarantee to the rental
agency, of the deductible portion of the repair cost.
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.
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.
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 23 years, but many agencies
require 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.
2. Serendipity House has individual
incoming telephone numbers for our Upper Villa, Lower Villa and Studio
apartment. These are provided to you for friends and family upon confirmed
booking. To make local calls simply dial the 7 digit local number. You may
make long distance calls from any residential phone using a Visa, Master
Card or American Express Credit Card. For these calls dial 111 and follow
the prompts. Do not rely on domestic phone cards such as AT&T, MCI or
Bell Canada (not acceptable anywhere in the BVI). Some pay phones accept
AT&T and MCI but you may have to drive around the islands to find them.
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 Should you be delayed on any portion of your journey to or from the BVI
and this delay is caused by an airline, and you wish to notify the person
meeting you on arrival, then you should ask at the boarding desk to allow
you to make a long distance phone call to notify that person of your delayed
arrival. This is common courtesy and saves your pickup, anxious moments,
when you are not on the originally scheduled plane.
5.***Since most travellers to the BVI come via commercial airline and
connecting flights are involved, there is the constant problem of luggage
going astray. Sometimes it takes several days for luggage to catch up.
Because of this, it is advisable that you pack a change of casual clothes,
underwear, bathing suits and other daily necessities ie. medications etc,
in your carry on luggage.
6. Most foods, you wish for, are available in the local supermarkets but
the prices may seem higher than you are used to paying. It is advisable that
you avoid bringing in perishable foods since should they go astray as in 5
above, you may lose them through spoilage. A duty on imported food items(
not always applied) is based on the BVI retail value of the item which you
are importing. But remember, there is also a moral obligation to support the
economy of the host country, which offers you, its hospitality.
7 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.
8 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..
9 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..
10. 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.
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