Rum Therapy Tropical Travel Guide Archives

April 10, 2013September 25, 2019

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke

There are a few beaches that we’ve come across in our travels that simply take our breath away and White Bay, Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands is definitely one of them.

With powder soft white sand and turquoise blue, clear water set off by lush foliage, it is truly a tropical paradise.

In addition to its incredible beauty, White Bay is home to some of the best beach bars around, such as One Love Bar & Grill, Gertrude’s, Soggy Dollar, and Ivan’s Stress Free Bar. (See more about Jost Van Dyke Beach Bars here: Bar Hopping On Jost Van Dyke)

Separated in the middle by a rocky outcropping, it’s well worth the hike to go from one end to the other checking out the people, the scenery and ALL of the bars! (be sure to wear shoes or sandals when crossing the outcropping. There is a cement stairway over the top of it, but there are some sharp rocks to navigate on Ivan’s side)

Getting there: Get to White Bay via boat, taxi over from Great Harbour, or rent a jeep from Great Harbour (the adventurous, non-inebriated, very fit or frugal individuals can walk over the hill from Great Harbour. We hiked it once…)

Beach: beautiful white sand with gradual access. Great for swimming in the quieter areas (watch for boats – White Bay can get very busy with boats, especially in the afternoon), snorkel by the rocks on the east end.

Recommended for: well, anyone that loves a beautiful beach…

Tip: because of the popularity of the beach bars on White Bay (especially Soggy Dollar), it can get very busy in the afternoon. If you like a party, you’ll love to be there at the busy time. If you’d rather experience White Bay when it’s quieter, consider visiting in the early morning, or later in the evening when the day crowds have gone home. Here are a just a few pictures taken during some of the quieter moments…

And top off a perfect beach day with a perfect sunset…

Other Jost Van Dyke posts you might be interested in:

Rum Therapy On Jost Van Dyke

Barhopping On Jost Van Dyke

Ivan’s Stress Free Bar

Foxy’s Tamarind Bar

The Soggy Dollar Bar

White Bay Villas and Seaside Cottages

To see more posts on this and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

April 7, 2013April 27, 2021

Rambutan Villa, Virgin Gorda

We were given the opportunity to stay at the lovely Rambutan Villa during a recent visit to Virgin Gorda. Rambutan Villa is located directly on the beach on Nail Bay.
Rambutan is a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom Thai and Balinese inspired villa surrounded by lush tropical foliage.
Rambutan Villa is just steps away from Nail Bay and offers a secluded beach experience as well as a private pool just outside the living room door.
The backyard is perfect for a quiet tropical escape but also provides an excellent space for entertaining a larger crowd with an outdoor grill and dining area.
Nail Bay is great for snorkeling and excellent for early morning and evening walks. Just steps from the villa, it’s easy to spend time with your toes in the sand.

Rambutan has a full service gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and breakfast bar and opens up to the dining room and living area with a flat screen TV.
There are four large sized bedrooms, two of them Master Suites with their own bathrooms. Two of the bedrooms are located in their own separate casita, offering exceptional space for up to four couples or a family. Rambutan sleeps 8.
And after a day of exploring Virgin Gorda, including some of the prettiest beaches in the Caribbean, North Sound, and some very scenic bars including Hog Heaven, when you stay at Rambutan Villa, you get to come home to sit on the back deck with a cocktail in hand and enjoy your own quiet and spectacular tropical sunset…
Recommended for: families or up to four couples, anyone looking for quiet, comfortable accommodations with a pool located directly on a beach.

The owners of Rambutan Villa also own the stunning Villa LaVida next door. Both are available for weekly rental. If you are interested in finding out more about renting these Virgin Gorda oceanfront properties, email them at [email protected] or
[email protected]
VRBO Listing

Follow them on Facebook here:
Rambutan Villa
Villa LaVida

Other posts you might be interested in:
Rum Therapy On Virgin Gorda
Rum Therapy Sailing in the British Virgin Islands (Part 2) Virgin Gorda

April 5, 2013April 23, 2021

Hog Heaven, Virgin Gorda

There are bars with a view and then there are bars with a VIEW! Hog Heaven is a Bar & Grill sitting high atop Virgin Gorda with an absolutely beautiful view of the entire North Sound.

From your perch in the sky, you can see Leverick Bay, Bitter End Yacht Club, Saba Rock Resort, Necker Island and The Sandbox on Prickly Pear Island.
On clear days, you can even make out a faint strip of Anegada in the distance.

To see more posts on Virgin Gorda and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Necker Island in the distance

Hog Heaven is a small, unassuming building on top of the hill on Nail Bay Road overlooking North Sound. It’s owned by Blondie, who apparently is also a pig farmer/ship captain on Virgin Gorda.

One of the rum drinks on the menu was a Blondie Special and we ordered that and a rum punch and took a seat to drink in the view.

Blondie Special and Rum Punch

Hog Heaven is known for its BBQ, so we decided to order a plate, as well as a bowl of Conch Chowder. Both were delicious and very reasonably priced.

Want some Rum with a View (and some delicious BBQ)? This is the place to get it on Virgin Gorda!

Have you been to Hog Heaven? Tell us about it!

To see more posts on Virgin Gorda and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

April 4, 2013June 5, 2019

Maho Bay, St. John

When it comes to beautiful beaches, St. John, USVI sure has its share. The island is dotted with phenomenal white sand beaches with beautiful clear, turquoise water. Just past some of the most popular and sometimes quite crowded beaches, Trunk and Cinnamon, you come to the overlook of another St. John beauty – Maho Bay.

Overlook of Maho Bay

Access: Limited parking in parking spaces right on the road, close to the beach.

Beach: a nice stretch of soft sand with lined with palm trees and Maho trees. Gentle sandy access, great for swimming. Usually calm surf. Popular with the locals on weekends.

Amenities: A beach pavilion that can be reserved by permit through the Virgin Islands National Park Service.

Recommended for: swimming, some snorkeling, families, photography, anyone wanting a quiet beach with few amenities.

Tip: stop at Trunk Bay for snorkeling or Cinnamon Bay for full amenities, but continue to Maho if you want to escape the crowds and don’t need a lot of amenities.

Find Maho Bay on our St. John Map

To see more posts on St. John and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013, 2014
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

March 28, 2013June 5, 2019

Saltwhistle Bay Beach, Mayreau

A beautiful crescent shaped beach with soft, white sand and incredibly clear, calm water. Saltwhistle Bay Beach is found on the small island of Mayreau in the Grenadine chain. Good anchorage for the boats and yachts that clamor for mooring in the beautiful bay.

Access: Get to Mayreau by boat. Good anchorage (although it’s getting better known by boaters and so it can get busy with boats trying to moor there). We also noticed several larger ships anchored in Saline Bay. From Saline Bay you can hike over the hill through the village of Old Wall and down into Saltwhistle Bay.

Beach: a long crescent of soft white sand beautifully fringed with palm trees. Great for swimming with gentle sandy access and usually calm surf. Shallow for quite a way out. Great walking beach. Separated from the rougher Atlantic side by a small strip of land.

Recommended for: swimming, walking, relaxing and those that don’t need or want a ton of amenities.

Tip: if you have the time, hike up the hill to the village of Old Town. There are several good bars (careful – they serve Sunset Very Strong Rum – good, but potent!), great views and very friendly people.

Other St. Vincent and the Grenadines post that you may be interested in:

Jack’s Bar, Bequia

Coconut Bar, Young Island Resort

Petit Tabac, The Grenadines

Mopion, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Happy Island, an Island and a Bar

copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

March 14, 2013June 5, 2019

Duffy’s Love Shack, St. Thomas

In a parking lot in Red Hook, St. Thomas sits a bar named Duffy’s Love Shack. Pretty much the size of a shack – albeit a nice shack, this little bar’s got itself some character.

Dubbed the coolest parking lot bar in the Caribbean, and with a drink menu that includes Voo Doo You Doo, The Shark Tank, Wacky Pineapple, Thar She Blows, Booty Call and Jaws, we thought we must spend some time at Duffy’s doing a bit of research.

Duffy’s used to be located in an alleyway in Drakes Passage in Charlotte Amalie until a hurricane hurled a 40′ sailboat into the bar in 1995. Duffy’s was later rebuilt in it’s current location in Red Hook.

Bartender putting the finishing touches (a plastic shark) on a Shark Tank – a 64 oz. concoction of 5 rums, 3 tropical liqueurs – ouch!

It was Happy Hour when we arrived and being the cheapskates we are, we opted for the Cruzan Rum drinks that were a buck fifty each and quite tasty with some stiff pours!

Happy Hour Cruzan Rum Drinks

We ordered some Jerk Chicken Quesadillas and the Mountaintop Greens – both dishes were very good.

The conversation was fun and easy with some locals at the bar and the bartenders. Great vibe, good food and tasty drinks – Duffy’s is the only parking lot bar we’ve ever been to in the Caribbean, but we still think it’s gotta be the coolest...

To find out more about Duffy’s, check out their cool website here:
Duffy’s Love Shack

March 13, 2013June 5, 2019

Magens Bay, St. Thomas

Magens Bay is undeniably the best known beach on St. Thomas, and for good reason. With a mile of soft white sand, calm protected surf and tons of amenities, visitors to St. Thomas flock to the area to frolic in the beautiful turquoise water.

Access: There is a large parking lot close to the beach. Taxi service is readily available. Entrance and parking fee paid at the front gate.
Beach: one mile of soft white sand. Great for swimming with gentle sandy access and usually calm surf. Great walking beach.

Amenities: This beach has them all. Lifeguards, beach chair rental, food & beverage, restrooms, gift shop, picnic tables, camping area and more.

Recommended for: swimming, walking, people watching, good beach for children and for those who like busy, active beaches with lots of amenities.

Tip: if you’d like to experience the beauty of Magens Bay at a quieter and less crowded time, arrive earlier in the morning (when we took these pictures) or later in the afternoon after many of the day passengers have departed.

Overlook of beautiful Magens Bay

Click for more information on Magens Bay

copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC