Leaving our Grand Ocean Suite seems quite impossible. Ivory couches in the living room are too comfortable, the huge outdoor shower overlooks wildflower carpeted mountains, and a plunge pool in our private deck is cool blue perfection. The fridge is stocked with champagne, soda and snacks; the flat screen TV offers 100 channels, windows frame turquoise seas, cotton candy clouds, and a sapphire sky. Welcome to one of Travel and Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels in the world.

But morning hunger pangs finally propel us out to breakfast. Clouds of pale yellow butterflies and chirping bananaquits escort us to the Hilltop Restaurant, where we dine alfresco, overlooking yachts in the placid harbor.

“Good morning! I recommend our fresh seared tuna and poached eggs,” smiles LaVern Matthews, who has served Biras Creek Resort guests for 34 years. “Chef George’s hollandaise sauce is delicious. And while you’re waiting, please enjoy our buffet.”

Who can resist a buffet overflowing with fresh mango, papaya, cantaloupe, honeydew, yogurt, pastries, fruit juices, and wake me up coffee?

The breakfast menu also entices guests with the Resort’s To Do List: Scuba diving. Snorkeling. Jeep tours. Sailing. Pool aerobics. Garden tours. Barbecue lunch on the private beach. Kayaks, hobie cats, and Boston Whalers for island hopping. Day trips to The Baths.  

How much can we pack into our short BVI getaway?

“I’m happy to bring you a newspaper if you’d like,” offers LaVern.

“No thanks, LaVern,” I reply. “I’d rather admire the view.”

The outside world is forgotten already.

Garden of Eden Tour

After breakfast, we run into Nathaniel James, one of Biras Creek’s gardeners extraordinaire, who offers us a tour. Walking up the unpaved road we’re stopped by a fierce looking three-foot black and brown iguana.

“He just looks scary,” Nathaniel laughs. “They’re vegetarians and live on red Hibiscus flowers.” He holds out a flower and the beast gingerly accepts a snack.

 Leading us to a hilltop vantage point, Nathaniel gestures grandly.

“On my right, the Caribbean Sea. On my left, the Atlantic Ocean,” he announces.  I half expect him to part the two Seas, a la Moses. Instead, he leads us to a sea grape tree.

“From this tree, we make wine, a lovely drink. And aloe vera, we use it on sunburn and mosquito bites. Sage, attracts fish into traps. The coconut palm is delicious for coconut milk and pastries. And the calabash fruit makes a delicious snack. Plus a plate for your dinner!”

James takes delight in telling us the name of every plant, tree and flower, and then describing its special purpose. Continuing our Garden of Eden tour, he points out white spider lilies, purple bougainvillaea, and pink frangipani trees. Moist ocean breezes rustle palm fronds, hummingbirds dart around our heads, and butterflies flirts along the undulating path. Ambling through a marvelous garden cared for by a devoted nature lover- a perfect morning.

Day trip to The Baths

After a tasty lunch of fresh mahi-mahi sandwiches and iced tea, we’re ready for adventure. Today’s outing to The Baths, a legendary area of Virgin Gorda, sounds intriguing.

“Part of the magic is not knowing what The Baths is…. or are,” grins Brian Webberman, a Biras Creek guest assistant. “So I won’t spoil your surprise.  You’ll love it, I promise.”

We hop aboard the resort’s boat for a thrilling ride to picturesque Spanish town. A taxi navigates Virgin Gorda’s steep hills overlooking shimmering water and  inviting beaches. Soon he drops us at The Baths, a British Virgin Islands National Park. White frothy waves crash around enormous boulders rising out of the green glassy Caribbean. Families splash in the shallow warm water.

We snorkel among parrotfish and angelfish, then flop onto towels for a snooze. My husband Warren flakes out under a mangrove tree. My sun blasted brain toys with the water’s color: Is it cobalt? Sapphire? Azure? Aquamarine? Emerald? This is your brain when it’s too relaxed.

“Mrs. Lieb, I hope you’ll join us for a challenging hike on Devil’s Bay Trail,” says Jerzy Zdrojkowski, another Biras Creek guest assistant. Jerzy sets off at a brisk pace as we follow him into a deep cave, up a narrow ladder, down into sun-dappled pools of seawater, tripping over mangrove roots, sliding through narrow cracks in the massive boulders. One moment we’re crawling on hands and knees like crazy kids; next second we’re leaping from rock to rock like frogs. Inside this world of monster rocks, we feel like no one will ever find us again…. until a group of tourists from Italy, Germany and France join us for hide and seek on this not so secret Trail

“And now,” Jerzy announces, “Your reward.”

Swimming in calm Devil’s Bay is the perfect cool down from our boulder workout. Surely the most perfect bath any human could desire. And worth the exhilarating scramble.

Recharge and celebrate

Back at Biras Creek, Manju Banthia and her staff have been busy all day rejuvenating guests at The Spa. “You’re just in time for your facial, Mrs. Lieb, and for your pedicure, Mr. Lieb.”

The Spa offers a myriad of stress relieving treatments, like hot stone massage, Aloe wrap, Island salt glow, Thai massage, and a pedicure called “Walking on a Cloud.”

Our treatments are so blissful, we can barely make it to dinner. But we’ve got a date with new friends for cocktails.

We walk the fragrant trail as the sky kaleidoscopes into magic rosy plum. At The Hilltop Restaurant, our new friends are already joking with Bartender Clinton Farrington.

Mr. Farrington, known as Clinton since he started at Biras in 1979, serves his signature cocktail, “Mango Maniac”, a wicked concoction of rum, triple sec, mango nectar, and grenadine. As Clinton talks about his band, “Latitude Stars,” hundreds of stars glitter like diamonds in the early evening sky on cue.

We sip our delicious cocktails while perusing Chef George’s enticing dinner menu: roast corn soup, wild forest mushroom gnocchi, carpaccio of beef are tonight’s appetizers. Entrees are duck breast, grilled swordfish, rack of lamb and snapper Thai curry.

During dinner, the orchestra of crickets, frogs and waves swooshing into the harbor entertain us.

Our hearts fly away in the sweet Caribbean wind.

      

c2008 Sharon Spence Lieb and Warren Lieb

          

If You Go

Biras Creek Resort was named one of Travel and Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels for 2008.

The Resort is on 140 acres of Virgin Gorda, the third largest of the British Virgin Islands.

Only reachable by boat or helicopter, Biras Creek’s 31 luxury suites are set amidst the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sound, and the Caribbean. Guests enjoy swimming, sailing, snorkeling, Spa treatments, hiking, biking, bird watching and Boston whalers for island hopping. A member of the Relais & Chateaux hotel group, Biras Creek is known for its  friendly service, fine wines and gourmet cuisine. Biras is owned by Victor International, a US based award winning real estate, resort development and management company known for creating unique living environments in ecological harmony with the land.

Information: www.biras.com or 284-494-3555.