Peter Island Resort

British Virgin Islands

In terms of vacations, there’s getting away from it all, and really getting away from it all. Some vacationers might consider a crowded bar in Miami to be the best thing in splendid isolation: others would not.

If you’re a real peace and quiet enthusiast, you might like to consider having a whole island to yourself. That’s maybe a slight exaggeration: the vacation you’re about to read about doesn’t involved being abandoned on a tropical island like Robinson Crusoe or Tom Hanks. You won’t really be alone – but it will certainly feel like it.

Peter Island Resort is a resort that really is an island – it occupies its own lush tropical outcrop in the British Virgin Islands group. The resort is the only thing on the island – apart, of course, from palm trees, beautiful sandy beaches, hammocks, cocktails and all the paraphernalia you might need to make paradise truly paradisiacal. But if you like solitude, this is the place to be. The resort makes a great deal of the things it doesn’t have. There are no cars or public streets. Children, while not banned outright, are not really encouraged - the resort does not offer a children’s program, so adults can enjoy the serene atmosphere without cute but noisy kids charging about all over the place. Rather more controversially, there is not a single TV on the island. The Peter Island’s Resort’s management believe themselves to be catering for a clientele that does not wish to be bothered by news of the outside world.

All these things give the resort a kind of timeless quality. The hours pass slowly in the sunshine, and it’s very easy to lose track of the time of day. But why should that be a problem? There’s no point getting away from the hustle and bustle of modern urban life if you can’t escape the accompany slavery to schedules and timetables.

Because if archaeologists ever rediscover the Garden of Eden it will look like this. There are thirty-two Ocean View rooms which over look immaculately manicured gardens. If one room isn’t quite enough for you to spread out in, you can hire a junior suite or even a private villa. There are only four of these, looking out on to the Peter Island Resort marina. But if you want the ultimate in vacation relaxation, sipping cocktails while you watch the yachts below gently slip their moorings and make their way out into Sir Francis Drake Channel, this is the option to go for.

There are a wide variety of activities on offer, too. If you simply feel like a change of scene, the resort offers transport services to more remote beaches on the island. Or you can take a nature walk – guided or unguided – through the island’s forests. You can even take off with a couple of complimentary mountain bikes. There are also hobie boards and sailboats for you to borrow at no extra cost. You can play tennis, or a range of other sports, or make use of the on-site gym facilities.

Some of the optional activities – for which you have to pay a surcharge – are also worth investigating, especially if you want to travel a little further afield. If you want to take a journey out into the deep blue of the ocean, the resort runs guided fishing trips and scuba diving expeditions using specialist instructors and skippers.

If, on the other hand, you’d like to explore a little more dry land, there are regular trips to nearby St, Thomas, and several other islands in the British Virgin Islands group. St Thomas is a great spot if you feel like a round of golf or possibly some shopping. The opportunities for retail therapy are very limited on Peter Island itself, and, although you can pick up essentials, acquiring anything more exotic or luxurious means taking a trip someplace.

Dining on Peter Island is something of an experience. The resort’s Tradewinds restaurant serves excellent gourmet food and wine. A certain degree of formality is expected: although ties are not de rigueur it is expected that gentlemen will wear slacks and respectable shirts, and that ladies will also don smart casual wear for dinner. If dressing for dinner – in however relaxed a style – is not your idea of a good time, the informal Dead Man’s Beach Restaurant will cater for you in a fun, easygoing atmosphere.

‘Go easy’ in fact, might be the two words that best summarize how you should enjoy yourself on the beautiful tropical retreat that is Peter Island. Melt into the timeless atmosphere and relax completely – on your return you’ll really know you’ve had a vacation.