Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
you for $10; it's valid for 3 months. Because of the volume of tourism to Tortola, you
should reserve a car in advance, especially in winter.
Remember:
Drive on the left. Roads are pretty well paved, but they're often nar-
row, winding, and poorly lit, and they have few, if any, lines. Driving at night can be
tricky. It's a good idea to take a taxi to that difficult-to-find beach, restaurant, or bar.
6
TORTOLA
American Express
The
local representative is
Travel Plan, Ltd.,
located at
Waterfront Drive (
&
284/
494-4000
), in Road Town.
Banks
Local bank
branches include the
Bank
of Nova Scotia
(Scotia
Bank), Wickham's Cay I
(
&
284/494-2526
), and
First Caribbean National
Bank,
Wickham's Cay I
(
&
284/494-2171
), both in
Road Town. There's also a
branch of
FirstBank
on
Wickham's Cay I, in Road
Town (
&
284/494-2662
).
Each has its own ATM.
Bookstores
The best
bookstore is the
National
Educational Services Book-
store,
Wickham's Cay I, in
Road Town (
&
284/
494-3921
).
Business Hours
Most
offices are open Monday to
Friday 9am to 5pm. Gov-
ernment offices are open
Monday to Friday 8:30am
to 4:30pm. Shops are gen-
erally open Monday to Fri-
day 9am to 5pm and
Saturday 9am to 1pm.
Dentists
For dental
emergencies, contact
Den-
tal Surgery
(
&
284/494-
3274
), which is in Road
Town behind the police sta-
tion, off Waterfront Drive.
Drugstores
The best
pharmacy is
Medicure
Pharmacy,
Hodge Building,
near Road Town Round-
about, Road Town
(
&
284/494-6189
).
Emergencies
Call
&
999.
If you have a medi-
cal emergency, call
Peebles
Hospital,
Porter Road,
Road Town, Tortola
(
&
284/494-3497
). Your
hotel can also put you in
touch with the local medi-
cal staff.
Hospitals
In Road Town,
you can go to
Peebles Hos-
pital,
Porter Road (
&
284/
494-3497
), which has X-ray
and laboratory facilities.
Internet Access
If
there's no Web access at
your hotel, try
Data Pro,
Road Town (
&
284/494-
6633
), and
Copyright Sys-
tems,
Palmgrove House,
behind First Caribbean
International Bank
(
&
284/494-5030
).
Laundry
One of the best
places is
Freeman's Laun-
dry & Dry Cleaning,
Purcell
Estate, Road Town
(
&
284/494-2285
).
Police
The main police
headquarters is on Water-
front Drive near the ferry
dock on Sir Olva Georges
Plaza (
&
284/494-2945
).
Where to Stay
Many of the island's hotels are small, informal, family-run guesthouses offering only
the most basic amenities. Other lodgings are more elaborate, boasting a full range of
resort-related facilities. None of them, however, is as big, splashy, and all-encompass-
ing as the mega-resorts in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and many of the island's repeat visi-
tors seem to like that just fine. Remember that all of Tortola's beaches are on the
northern shore, so guests staying elsewhere (at Road Town, for example) will have to
drive or take a taxi to reach them.
Note:
All rates given within this chapter are subject to a 10% service charge and a
7% government tax. Rates are usually discounted significantly in summer. The term
“MAP” stands for “Modified American Plan”; this means that the hotel provides
breakfast and dinner (or lunch, if you prefer) for an extra charge.
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