Peter Island

I'm a huge Hawaii fan but my last trip to the Hawaiian islands was less enjoyable. It's a long haul from Alabama, plus the islands are becoming super populated. For our honeymoon, my wife and I wanted to try something less crowded but still tropical and luxurious. We both lead active lifestyles but the thought of a Sandals or similar experience (with meals and activities included) did not appeal to us. Initially, when we stumbled upon the Peter Island website, we were worried that it might be a similar experience. However, after conducting hours of research and reading reviews, we decided to book our honeymoon and brave the unknown. We arrived in Tortola on October 5, 2009. After entering the airport terminal, we were warmly greeted by a representative from Peter Island. They offered us a drink (I chose a Caribe beer) and asked if they could answer any questions for us. I politely informed them that I was ready to head to Peter Island. They collected our luggage and drove us a short distance to our boat that was awaiting on the docks. The boat ride from Tortola to Peter Island was incredible! The captain offered us the beverage of our choice (once again, I chose Caribe) and we arrived at Peter Island about a half hour later. Staff from the hotel politely greeted us in a golf cart at the boat dock and drove us to our room. The room was incredible! We had a beautiful view of the ocean from our back patio and the boat dock from our front door. The bathroom was stocked with wonderful shampoo, conditioner, body wash and other products. After a long day of travel, I took a relaxing shower and dressed for dinner. There are two restaurants on the island. Tradewinds is located beside the lobby and is the most formal of the two. Pants and a collared shirt are required. I brought a sport coat but never wore it since nobody else was. Deadman's is located on the beach and shorts/nice shirt is acceptable attire. The ambiance of Deadman's reminded me of Mama's Fish House on Maui! The food in both restaurants was incredible! The menu selection varied from day-to-day and there were always plenty choices. The sea bass, grouper and Mahi Mahi were my favorite dinner entrees. I also had gumbo one night that was delicious! I would not recommend the Tempura-style red snapper.....it was fair but that's a dish better prepared in regions with a greater Oriental influence (i.e. Hawaii). Breakfast was great! My wife loved the eggs benedict. I enjoyed the omelet, pancakes and waffles. Lunch was served daily at Deadman's and I was in love with the Mahi Mahi sandwich! It was topped with avocado and was delicious! One thing to be aware of while visiting Peter Island is that the pace of everything is extremely laid-back. Expect every meal to be a least a one hour affair.