Warning to locals

Have you ever traveled to a place only to be railroaded by well meaning locals?

This happened to me early this year on a trip to Virgin Gorda. Upon arriving at our hotel my husband and I asked our host where he would recommend we go for lunch.

"Bitter End," I asked? "Ugh," said he. "Leverick Bay? Biras Creek?" I enquired. "Terrible," he replied.

Well by now I was ready to give up. I understand that not everyone has a great opinion of evey place, but, C'mon! I had heard enough positive praise that I figured one of these would be ok.

Finally he said grudgingly, "Saba Rock, that's a nice place."

Well -- in the end we stayed at the hotel and went out to dinner at a charming place in Spanish Town.

Note to locals: You may want to consider your audience when recommending a place to tourists.

Peter Island's new nest

I have a real soft spot for the Peter Island Resort -- which draws me because of its proximity to Roadtown, its sleepy, laid-back vibe and stunning beauty. Not to mention it routinely makes the Condé Nast gold list.

The 52-room resort is adding new luxury digs to its stable of villas. The six-bedroom, 10,400-square-foot Falcon's Nest Villa is slated to open on April 1.

The villa sits high on the peak of the hill overlooking White Bay Beach. It consists of three separate residences which offer views on a clear day to Norman Island and over to St. Croix in the distance.

The nightly rate for the villa is $8,000.

Lambert: The killer beach?

The folks over at Jaunted are asking people to list 2007's killer beaches. Places in paradise that should come with a warning label or danger sign. Low and behold - Lambert beach made the list.

"This half-moon-shaped strand lures in sun and surf lovers with its easily-accessible yet rarely crowded location. Once suckered in like bees to honey, swimmers find themselves facing a formidable undertow. Ocean currents are stronger than any swimmers we happen to know, so make sure you take a gander at the conditions before splashing in to cool off," writes Jaunted user Pbb.

Well that's one way of getting on the map. Personally I've seen some pretty strong undertow all over the BVI -- notably at Brewer's Bay and Josiah's.

Scrub for sale

The newest development to hit the BVI, Scrub Island, is set to open this fall. And -- let me tell you -- am I excited!

The Mainsail Development Group is developing a boutique, luxury villa resort, spa and marina community on this tiny 230-acre island which is just a five minute ferry ride from the Beef Island Airport and within spitting distance of Marina Cay.

It's looking like a dandy of a project -- and a recent flyover I took proved that there was indeed development on the go.

Here's a short list of what's being planned:

• Donovan's Reef Restaurant/Welcome Center
• 65 Marina Slips (35ft-150ft)
• 24 hour Concierge Services
• Boardwalk/Retail Shops
• Fine dining/2,000 SF of meeting space
• Hilltop Wine/Cigar Bar
• Astronomy Observatory
• 3 secluded beaches
• 8 Lagoon style, fresh water swimming pools
• Swim-up Pool Bar and Grille
• Spa facility with ocean view cabanas
• Fitness Center/Tennis Courts
• Helipads

If you're looking to buy a lot check out the Coldwell Banker site.

According to the BVI Tourism site, "To continue in the tradition of the island’s peaceful nature, Scrub Island will not exceed more than 200 residents or guests at any given time, even after full development. The primary form of transportation on the island will be golf carts."

Going green at Necker Island

Having only swiftly sailed by Richard Branson's Necker Island, I was excited to see Wallpaper's travel dispatch from this oh-so-exclusive getaway.

In a giant leap onto the Eco-friendly bandwagon, Branson plans to make Necker the greenest island in the world, "with an organic garden, solar-powered hot water, bio-treated sewage and its own incinerator."

Branson is also in talks with the BVI government to make the country carbon-neutral.

He is also planning an eco-resort for Moskito Island.

FT does the BVI

The respected U.K. newspaper, the Financial Times, just published a special report on the BVI (subscriber only) that's a must-read for addicts like me.

The report deals mainly with the offshore business dealings of the tiny jursidiction as well as the business of upscale tourism and the island's attempts to balance development with environmental responsibility.