Description

Some may be aware that Norman Island, one of over 50 idyllic islands that constitute the archipelago of the British Virgin Islands, was supposedly the location that Robert Louis Stevenson based Treasure Island on. Today's visitors might not stumble across swashbuckling pirates or half‑concealed troves of treasure, but they will find a highly prized booty of soft sand and gentle, teal waters. The islands were annexed by the British in 1672. Two hundred years later, they were incorporated into the British colony of the Leeward Islands. The governor of the Leewards continued to run the Virgin Islands until 1960, at which point direct responsibility was assumed by an administrator (later restyled governor) appointed from London. The 1967 constitution then gave the islands internal self‑government. Since then, the British Virgin Islands have been quite successful at tackling drug trafficking and drug use, forming a party for the 1995 election called the Concerned Citizens' Movement. It seems as if islanders are keen to preserve their home as a 'paradise'. Nevertheless, for those that seek a little legal fun, Jost Van Dyke is the party island, where holidaymakers and locals can shake their bodies to calypso and gulp down tasty cocktails. Paradise does come at a cost. Overall, the British Virgin Islands are quite an expensive destination. But, for some, this is the necessary price of saving a Caribbean gem from over‑commercialization. If this is the intention, the British Virgin Islands are, for now, a resounding success.