The first time my family and I experienced Nail Bay was in July-August 2007. We took another family plus a girl friend of my 15 year old daughter, and found a wonderful place to come back to.

At first, we weren’t sure what to expect on the 1 ½-hour ferry ride from St. Thomas to Virgin Gorda, but it turned out to be a great experience. The smooth water, a great view of the different islands and a nice transition from the hustle and bustle of St. Thomas lead us to the peacefulness of Virgin Gorda. The customs officer at Virgin Gorda joked that we could only come in if we ate at the restaurant where he was a chef, and we knew we were away from the stuffy bureaucrats.

Our mini safari car rental (a very island-perfect small pickup with two open-air bench seats and a canvas awning over the top) was great fun to maneuver on the hilly bumpy roads. As this American drove along, an oncoming vehicle excitingly emerged around a bend on OUR side of the infamous road to Nail Bay and reminded me (oops) that I am to drive on the LEFT side. Upon arrival at Nail Bay, Kasha and the other Nail Bay staff members made us feel right at home with their wonderful humor and welcoming attitude.

Robin, my 11 year old daughter, and her counterpart Samuel (from our co-traveling family) enjoyed gathering coconuts from the low-slanted trees at the beach. The rest of our group enjoyed snorkeling along the beautiful coral reefs off the Nail Bay beach. Later in the week, we climbed Gorda Peak and found many large hermit crabs along the trail. When we arrived at the top of Gorda Peak, the wooden lookout tower raised us above the tree tops for a breathtaking 360 degree panorama view of the entire island plus the adjacent islands.

At Nail Bay, we were pleased to stay at the villa named Mystic Water, which easily accommodated 10 of us. The landscaping was amazing, viewable during the outdoor shower that was topped by a giant palm leaf overhead. Outdoor showers had sufficient privacy but allowed one to take in the scenery even while getting clean. The villa itself, like most I toured while there, were great showrooms of themed décor that offered awesome ceiling fans and tastefully unique light fixtures. We loved having early morning discussions with our friends while sitting out on the patio and basking in the incredible surroundings.

(Smaller house at Mystic Water)

The people of Nail Bay and Virgin Gorda were among my favorite memories. Everyone was extremely cordial, and seemed to like you to greet them and appreciate them before asking for what you might need. My wife felt very safe and secure even when someone would stop us when we were walking to ask if we wanted a ride. Rather than feeling like they were trying to drum up business, she felt like they were sincerely offering a service! Likewise as we explored the island in our mini-safari truck, we would offer elderly people rides especially if they were carrying groceries or bags. That kind of safe and open way of one human openly and earnestly giving a ride to another felt refreshingly like it was from another time and place.

Overall, we enjoyed the cordial people, the incredible views and the historic Sugar Mill ruins (SueAnn from Santa Fe aptly said, “If only these old stones could talk, what stories could they tell”). We also enjoyed hanging out and meeting people at the Nail Bay restaurant, interacting with the awesome staff of Nail Bay including Ajit George, and just taking in the relaxing laid-back pace – these were a few of our favorite things that we will look forward to on some future return trip.

Bob W., wife Karen and daughters Kim and Robin, ages 15 and 11

Dallas, Texas, USA