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2022 Updated BVI Travel Guide

An update to our most popular blog post ever. Our 2022 BVI Travel Guide is here! 

 

The British Virgin Islands are…. Known as the some of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean, and really the World.  Known for great sailing the islands close proximity is a boaters paradise.  

First time visiting?….  The sailing is excellent.  The BVI also offers great snorkeling, surfing and board sports, like wing foiling and kite surfing.  Or just relax on one of our beautiful beaches.  Grab a cold beer or a rum drink and find a coconut tree.

Casual & easy going…. The BVI vibe is casual and easy going. Shorts and T-shirts rule and linen is a great option to dress up a bit. Shop our HIHO linen styles online here. You may need a light sweater in the winter when nighttime temps drop below 80 degrees! 

 

 

Surf or SUP…. Tortola and some of the outer islands feature some of the Caribbean best waves for surfing.  Cane Garden Bay is a World class point break!  If you like to SUP then there are plenty of wonderful spots- our favourites include Little Jost Van Dyke and the South side of Beef Island.  Wing foiling is the new hot Watersport and we offer lots of windy and flat water venues to choose from. Our UPF50 Shirts are perfect for all day sun protection, shop here online. 

 

Honeymooners…. Nothing better than spending a week in a small private villa or aboard your own yacht.  There are lots of private anchorages and plenty of deserted islands you can call your own.  Check out the tiny beach on the North West corner of Fallen Jerusalem, which is a stone’s throw from the tip of Virgin Gorda.

 

Best Island Cocktail…. Check out a Painkiller at Hendo’s Hideout on White Bay, Jost Van Dyke.  Or mix your own rum punch- 1 part lime and OJ; 2-parts combined white and dark rum; 3/4 part of simple syrup; generous dash of Angostura bitters.  Shake and enjoy.  If you let this sit overnight it tastes even better!

Best Sunset vantage…. Watch the sun go down from the beach bar at the Anegada Reef Hotel.  It’s priceless!

A perfect day is…. Sail down the Sur Francis Drake Channel and across to Sandy Spit.  Rig you Wingfoil gear and island hop down to White Bay (with your yacht following you…).  Have a Painkiller at Hendo’s Hideout.  Stay for dinner, or Scott back up to Great Harbour and eat at Foxy’s.

Best Shopping…  The BVI are not really known for great shopping, but check out the Beach House Boutique at Rosewood Little Dix Resort on Virgin Gorda. It has the best collection of casual and elegant island apparel and gifts. Treat yourself to a sumptuous meal at the Sugar Mill restaurant, which is located a stone’s throw from the boutique.  

Secret Spot…. Stay at one of Long Bay Beach Resorts new beach front rooms. Take long walks down the powdery sand beach and enjoy their Thai curry’s for a quiet and romantic meal.

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) are located to the East of Puerto Rico.  Collectively there are over 60 islands, cays and rocks that comprise the territory which is still a part of Great Britain.  Year round weather is very agreeable with temperature ranging from the mid-70's in the Winter to low-90's in the Summer.  English is the official language and the currency is the US Dollar. The best way to get here is to fly to St Thomas (in the US Virgin Islands) and come across by ferry. We hope you visit soon!

 Shop our BVI gear for your next visit here.

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Featured HIHO Account- HOUSE in Tortola

Nestled in the corner of Road Town is HOUSE, an oasis of good taste and design. 

Owned and run by Fran Samuels who has lived in the British Virgin Islands for 27-years, HOUSE sells interior décor, gift items and our HIHO line of clothing.  Adding clothing to the mix was a good move says Fran. And HIHO’s linen collection is perfect for life in the islands.  “Linen is such a perfect fabrication for the Caribbean,” she says.  “And the HIHO collection sells so well.”  

 

HOUSE also sells our wovens and knits, and all our men’s linen shirts.  “The best sellers are the bananakeet and Ginnie shift dress, and the men’s shirts. Visit the website here for HOUSE. 

About HIHO:

Inspired by life in the Caribbean HIHO makes casual & comfortable clothing including linen shirts and sweaters, beach dresses, shorts, pants and soft cotton tees.

Our HIHO clothing is based on the tropical lifestyle we love so much, and is influenced by our pristine environment and island life. Our clothing is soft, designed to be functional, colorful and comfortable in a chic island way. The casual, cool and elegant designs and our original prints are the hallmark of the HIHO brand. Shop here

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Bitter End: A New Beginning

The Bitter End, our favourite BVI sailing destination and resort, was levelled by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The new Bitter End just opened and we wanted to report that it is awesome in every way.  Really a shadow of the former resort, the new property features a couple docks that can handle practically any size yacht (the J-Boat Ranger was alongside when were there this week), a restaurant, two bars and some shopping.  There are also two waterfront rooms and some great lounge spaces.  

The new resort has kept the best of the old Bitter End, plus some really cool upgrades.  We loved the new architecture and nautical decor- it’s in-keeping with the former resort and you’ll really love it if you are a sailor.  Standouts from our trip were the food, and the personal attention from the chef.  

We also loved seeing former Bitter End employees back on the job!  Our waitress was a friend from years ago and she served us tasty food and delicious drinks.  We’re not sure what plans the resort has but there is plenty of room for expansion, which we look forward to.

 

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Caribbean Christmas

A Christmas in the Caribbean is a wonderful contrarian experience.  While it’s not cold and the usual Santa Claus outfit might be traded for red shorts and a T-shirt, there is still plenty of spirit.

Traditionally guavaberry wine is made.
Guavaberries are small tart berries, akin to a boysenberry, that blossom in the cooler months of the year.  Guvaberry wine isn’t actually “wine”.  The berries are stuffed in a bottle with rum and added spices, and ferment for a year.  It's traditionally served to carollers who serenade your home on Christmas Eve.  
 
On Christmas Day, we open our presents in the morning and then hit the beach to surf or windsurf, and then return home in time for an evening meal, which you would recognise with turkey, ham and all the fixings.  Fir Christmas trees have been imported to the islands for years but the traditional Caribbean tree is a dried century plant.  The English islands in the Caribbean also celebrate Boxing Day as a holiday on December 26th.  This is probably the wisest holiday fo the year!
HIHO has the best gifts for everyone on your list! Shop our UPF50 Suntek Shirts, fabulous linen shirts and dresses, new accessories and more. Visit our website here.
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The 2021 Painkiller Cup: Good Family Fun

The 2021 Painkiller Cup: Good Family Fun

We’ve enjoyed running events for as long as we can remember (in fact our brand name originated from the eponymous inter-island windsurfing race and adventure). This year’s Painkiller Cup race on January 16th was a great example of why we love events, and what makes them great. In a very “off” year we thought we’d struggle to get competitors to commit but were pleasantly surprised to have 33-racers on the starting line at Sandy Cay. 

To accommodate the smaller number of racers, the course was designed downwind to White Bay on Jost Van Dyke, where the finish was off @hendoshideoutbvi. The course was about 45-50-minutes long for better racers, and around 90-120 minutes for the less experienced.

The weather was gorgeous with plenty of sun, light wind and small waves pushing everyone down towards White Bay. What made the event great were all of our friends and family racing together. We were additionally happy to get many compliments afterwards to say how much fun the event was.  Things are very quiet in the BVI right now and the Painkiller Cup gave a shot of fun and excitement to Hendo’s Hideout and beautiful White Bay!

Check out our limited edition 2021 Painkiller Cup suntek shirts online! They come in blue and white for both men and women and have built in UPF50 protection. Click here to shop.

  

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HIHO: What’s in a name.

HIHO: What’s in a name.

HIHO started in 1979 as inter-island windsurfing race through the Virgin Islands. In the 1980’s it was known as the Hook In & Hold On, and was sponsored by Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey.  A youthful Andy Morrell took first place in the 1986 edition, and then went on to buy the event.  With the name shortened to HIHO and a fun sun graphic logo the event was re-started in 1983 and endured for another 20-years.  Famous for a week of great windsurf racing, a yacht flotilla and legendary parties, the HIHO race was one of the biggest water sports events on the Caribbean.  And the sun graphic logo shirts evolved into today’s HIHO brand of island inspired apparel.

        

 

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Leaving Your Mark

It’s a funny thing about visiting the Caribbean but tourists like to leave some proof they were there.  The great bars of the Caribbean are adorned with license plates, business cards, intimate apparel and visitor photos.  Graffiti too, as in writing your name, some summary of the experience and the date.  Stickers, though, are by far the most popular.  At HIHO we are happily on this bandwagon and leave our mark at our favorite bars & watering holes.  Our great friends at Sticker Mule help us by making it easy to source stickers, which we tastefully affix here and there.

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Island Guide: Anegada

Island Guide: Anegada

Anegada differs from the rest of the Virgin Islands in many ways.  It's topography is defined by it's limestone geography and it's surrounded by one of the largest contiguous reefs in the World.  Spared by the wrath of last year's hurricane's, Anegada is having it's day in the sun.  Here's an insider guide to the island:
How to get there:  There are two ferries from Tortola - Anegada Express that runs daily from Trellis Bay. And a ferry that runs Mon/Wed/Fri from Road Town.  Both are $35 one way, and $50 round trip.  Or fly with VI Airlink flies but it usually requires a booking of 3 people or more  and it's $99 return.  Or charter a plane for $500.
 
Tour the island:  you can cruise around on scooters, but the roads are not great.  We recommend Kelly's Land and Sea Tours.  Call Kelly on 284 544-9661. He'll show you the island and the waters around it from a local point of view. Great Trip Adviser reviews!
 
Famous for Flamingos:  Anegada has a large pink flamingo pollution that survived the recent storms.  You can observe them in the large salt ponds and sometimes in the sea at the East end of the island.  Did you know that Flamingo's get their color from the tiny shimp they eat?  
 
Watersports:  Fishing, kite surfing and SUPing are all great on Anegada.  Experts ride the big waves on the West end of the island when the surf is up!  Check out the Tommy Gaunt kite surf school at the Anegada Beach Club.  
 
Sunset drinks & dinner:  Watch the sun sink below the horizon at Cow Wreck Beach Bar on the very West end of the island and you'll feel like you are at the end of the Earth.  Anegada is famous for lobster and nobody does it better then the team at the Anegada Reef Hotel.  Owner and chef Lawrence Wheatley serves a great nightly bar-b-q, and offers comfortable rooms too.
Where to stay:  Anegada Beach Club is a barefoot water sports orientated eco resort that blends into the Anegada landscape along the softest most beautiful stretch of beach in the BVI. The resort comprises of 9 luxury tents, 16 main hotel rooms, restaurant and dipping pool, beach bar, and kite surfing/water sports facility.  Rates start at $225 for a hotel room but splurge on a 1-bedroom beach tent for $340.  BVI hotel tax and 10% service charge are not included in these rates.

About HIHO:

Inspired by life in the Caribbean HIHO makes casual & comfortable clothing including linen shirts and sweaters, beach dresses, shorts, pants and soft cotton tees.

Our HIHO clothing is based on the tropical lifestyle we love so much, and is influenced by our pristine environment and island life. Our clothing is soft, designed to be functional, colorful and comfortable in a chic island way. The casual, cool and elegant designs and our original prints are the hallmark of the HIHO brand.

Take a look at our exclusive Anegade Suntek Shirts with SPF 50 protection to take with you on your next visit to the islands!

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What to Pack for the Islands

What to Pack for the Islands

You can travel with as little or as much as you like when you head down to the islands. For the most part the weather is reliably warm and it’s almost always sunny. Here are our suggestions for often overlooked items: Light sweater - Believe it or not, it gets cool at night, even in the hotter months of the year.
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People Power

People Power

We scooted down to Antigua to see our friends paddle into English Harbour finishing the 3,000 mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 30 days, 2 hours and 12 minutes. Team Antigua raced spectacularly, finishing 2nd and, along with the teams in 1st and 3rd, breaking the record to row across the Atlantic.

The welcome was boisterous. Boats big and small ventured offshore to meet the boys as they approached Antigua. When they were five miles upwind of the finish more than a dozen boats and one guy on a paddle board surrounded them. The cliffs were lined with hundreds of people while the entrance to English Harbour was choked with craft of all kind. At the finish line a might cheer arose as horns blared. the team fired off red flares waving to the spectators around them. Then, as they slowly rowed to the finish dock the yachts in the bay let loose their horns creating a cacophony of cheering, booming horns. Antiguan flags were everywhere.

The team reached the dock and were enveloped by a sea of cheering Antiguan's waving flags and dancing. A half dozen drones buzzed above everything. The spectacle was quite moving, and made all the more poignant when team leader Eli Fuller pulled up to the microphone after a host of government officials had taken their credit for the epic journey. Eli said that the most wonderful thing was the support from his island which followed the race hour by hour. He was right! Kids discussed the race in school, parents bought hundreds of our HIHO Team Antigua Suntek Shirts and the media posted daily news updates.

The team representing one of the smallest nations on the planet and they raced their hearts out and almost won. And, in case you wondered, we supplied them HIHO suntek SPF 50 shirts which they wore every day protecting them from the UV Rays.

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HIHO Style: Charts & Maps

HIHO Style: Charts & Maps

Our interest in collecting charts & maps must have started when we were young and sailing boats up and down the Caribbean.  Pouring over the chart we were using as we made our to or from Antigua or down to Puerto Rico we always fascinated over the islands we were passing.  Even though we were sailing in our backyard it was always interesting to see exactly where were or learn the name of the point, rock or islet we were passing.  (Confession- we still pour over charts, though they are now digital and you can zoom in and out electronically…)  Now we collect all the charts we can get our hands on.  Of course we favor ones from the Caribbean and we have a cool collection of UK, US and French charts with some dating back to the 1960’s.  We started framing them and hanging them in our stores.  We take sections of torn charts and frame them too.  The attached photo shows one wall in our store.

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Nothing Beats Sailing With Friends

On Sunday we clambered about an IC-24 for the inaugural ABI Regatta in St Thomas.  It was a fun race featuring a run down the South side of St Thomas followed by a couple windward-leeward courses off the beach at Frenchman’s Bay.   We were the envy of the fleet in our matching HIHO suntek jerseys.  Our winning speed also turned heads!  The fleet comprised 10 identical IC-24 sailboats manned by teams of friends and families.  We were sailing with friends against our friends- what could be better.  A group of kids from the clubs junior sailing program beat us to the first mark but we sailed a great downwind run to lead at the buoy off Green Cay.  We succumbed to course misinterpretation on the dogleg reach to the next buoy of the beach and slipped to 4th but managed to get back to 3rd by the downwind finish.   We aced the first windward-leeward course and settled for a 4th in the next which put us in end overall.  By Noon we were anchoring off the beach and swimming ashore to ABI beach bar for drinks, lunch and a casual awards ceremony.

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