Samantha Brown's Places to Love

-I'm taking a journey that is unlike any I've ever gone on, a journey that will connect me to people and place... but most of all freedom.

It will stretch my abilities and allow me to explore what for me is a totally foreign world, a world where community and solitude create the ultimate opportunity for wanderlust.

I'm sailing around the British Virgin Islands.

I'm Samantha Brown, and I've traveled all over this world.

And I'm always looking to find the destinations, the experiences, and, most importantly, the people who make us feel like we're really a part of a place.

That's why I have a love of travel and why these are my places to love.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" is made possible by... -We believe watching the world go by isn't enough.

That's why we climb... ...pedal... and journey beyond the beaten path... on storied rivers...

with a goal of making sure that every mile traveled turns into another memory.

You can find out more at amawaterways.com.

-To travel is to live, and at AAA, we've been passionate about travel for over 100 years.

That's why we created AAA Vacations, member travel experiences around the world.

Learn more at AAA.com/LiveTV.

-All the untamed beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, experienced on a journey by rail.

Rocky Mountaineer -- proud sponsor of "Places to Love."

-Hi, there!

Captain Lisa?

-Yeah.

Sam.

-Hey!

-Welcome on board.

-Thank you very much!

I love maps.

-It's a nautical chart.

Come on.

-[ Laughs ] It's not a map.

It's a nautical chart.

Okay.

-It's a nautical chart.

-I'm learning.

Okay.

-I'm Captain Lisa Roland, and I'm a charter captain here in the British Virgin Islands, and I'm lucky enough to be able to take people on holiday through this beautiful island paradise.

-How many Virgin Islands are there?

-So, there's over 60 islands in the BVI.

-Wow.

How many are we visiting?

-I think we'll be visiting about seven.

-Nice.

That's a good amount.

Four days.

That's a lot to cover.

-We're starting out here at Scrub Island before we head to the south side of Virgin Gorda.

All the way up around here to Anegada... before coming down here to Tortola.

That's gonna bring us to Jost Van Dyke, through the Thatch Island Pass and down to Pelican Island where the famous snorkel site at the Indians is.

And then returning back up to Scrub.

-Wow.

That sounds like an amazing adventure.

You want to show me the ropes?

-Absolutely.

-The BVIs is a truly unique destination, as I'll be visiting islands and having experiences that are only accessible by boat.

Am I giving you the all clear, Lisa?

-All clear.

-All clear!

Okay, Captain Lisa.

I am at your service.

Does that make me a first mate?

-I think you're still a swab, but we'll see how you do over the next couple of days.

-Sounds wonderful.

I'm a swab, okay.

[ Both laugh ] I have never done anything like this.

-Really?

-I've done, like, a -- I'd done, like, a sunset sail.

-Yeah, for sure.

-You know, two hours, you have a drink, you come back.

But in terms of this journey that we're taking -- on a sailboat, really feeling the water... -Mm-hmm.

-...and the wind.

-It's such a freeing feeling, and I think kind of the feeling of knowing you're somewhat insignificant and, well, very insignificant in the grand scheme of the ocean, but being able to try to harness that power and use all of the skills in your toolbox to ensure the safety and enjoyment -- I love being able to share that with people.

-Have you been sailing your whole life?

-I was about 8 when I started.

And then my family got into it.

My dad and I, we are both big sailors, so it was a great family activity for all of us.

-Yes.

Ooh.

Oh, my god.

-Nice catch.

-I have very, very good reflexes.

No, I'm serious.

-I was just gonna say.

-That's the only thing I have going for me.

-That's working towards your promotion.

-Now am I a first mate?

-Yeah, I'll give it to you.

-Because a swab wouldn't have done that.

-No, no, no, no.

[ Both laugh ] -All right.

So, I'm here to help.

I know I brought in the ropes.

I'm s-- The lines.

-The lines.

-Do you need me to do anything with them while I'm at it?

-Um, well, we could always coil some up.

-Okay.

-We want to make sure that our lines are always nice and neat on deck 'cause spaghetti's only good in the kitchen.

[ Both laugh ] So, you want to have your nice, neat coil, and when we lay it on the deck, we always want to have the working end up so that when the line pays out it's not getting all tangled up.

So, our first stop is gonna be at Virgin Gorda.

This is one of my favorite islands in the BVI.

There's such dramatic landscape on The Baths beach.

-So, I've been to the Caribbean, Jahnai, many, many, many times, many different islands, and I'm gonna be really honest with you -- they all kind of look the same... -Yes.

-...except Virgin Gorda.

-Gorda, yes.

What we say here, it's like God sprinkled some boulders on our island.

-[ Laughs ] -Yeah, so if you look around... -This is a sprinkling of boulders?

-Yeah.

-I'm Jahnai Caul, and I'm the environmental officer here in Virgin Gorda, where one of my rules is to ensure sustainability in our environment.

-What's the name of the beach we're on now?

-This is the Spring Bay beach, and it's one of our national parks here in Virgin Gorda.

-So totally protected?

-Yes, total protected area for the environment.

-I love Virgin Gorda.

I was born here.

From a little boy who used to come to the beaches every week, jump off of the rocks, and this is what I live for here in the BVI.

-About a year and a half ago, this whole region suffered devastating hurricanes.

How did Virgin Gorda fare?

-Well, Virgin Gorda was hit just like everyone else.

We were faced with two catastrophic hurricanes.

Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

That was back in 2017.

And our buildings were destroyed, our homes, our schools.

And even our beautiful beach and our environment was severely damaged, as well.

So we created a campaign.

It's called the Seeds of Love campaign, where one of our missions is to replant and help restore environment, you know, back to the way it once was.

-That's what I'm here to do.

I'm here to help replant some... -Yes, we have to do some planting today.

-So I'm gonna -- Instead of just swimming out in the bay here, you're gonna give me a shovel.

-Yes, we're gonna get into ground, and we're gonna get our hands dirty.

-I love it.

Lead the way, Jahnai.

-All right.

Let's go.

[ Both laugh ] -We're planting coconut trees.

-Coconuts, yeah.

-I love it.

This is the perfect place for a coconut tree.

-One of our goals for the Seeds of Love is to increase resiliency, you know, to make our islands more resilient to future storms.

-Do you know -- One of my first summer jobs was working as a landscaper.

-Yeah, I can totally see.

-Oh, you're gonna be impressed with my moves.

And Seeds of Love was founded after the hurricanes?

-After the hurricanes, yes, in efforts to help the repopulation of our plants that was lost during the storm.

-So looking around, I mean, it seems pretty vibrant right now.

-Yes.

-Was it very different after the storms?

-It was very different.

When you looked out, you couldn't see no green.

It was totally brown.

So, that came the birth of the Seeds of Love, and that is why we are here today.

We are planting some coconuts, and coconuts is one of the major things that was lost during the storms.

Like, the snap.

-Are coconut trees the only thing you plant?

-Actually, no.

We are focusing on white cedars because white cedar also gives us some environmental protection.

It protects against windbreaks.

We're also focusing on mangroves.

-Well, I think any traveler would love to be a part of giving back to a place... -Yes, yes.

-...especially that we've all taken from.

We've taken, you know, the waters.

We've taken the food.

And we want to bring back a little bit of the joy that's been given to us.

-Yes, yes.

-And this is a perfect way to do it.

I think that's pretty deep, right?

-Yeah, that's good.

-Here we go.

-And what I like to say -- I like to say, "When we're planting trees, we're gonna plant it with a lot of love."

-Okay.

-Because when we give our plants love, they love us back, and they give us fruit.

-Well, that felt good.

Thank you so much.

-Oh, definitely.

Yes.

And thank you.

Thank you for being a part of our Seeds of Love activity, and we hope to see you again to come and see your trees in a few year, and hopefully we can have some fresh coconut on the beach.

-I never thought of that.

I can come back and visit my trees!

-Exactly, and that is what we're doing.

-Thank you.

Thank you.

-Yes.

Hug.

[ Laughs ] -Mwah!

Spring Bay is a part of the national forest of the BVIs, and a part of that are the famous Baths.

To get to The Baths is an amazing trail through a boulder-strewn path.

You think the path is dramatic?

You haven't seen anything yet.

This is no doubt one of the most extraordinary beaches in the world.

I mean, you are completely surrounded by massive boulders, and they're even sort of resting on top of one another.

And then they come together to form little tunnels and passageways, and it just keeps going and going.

So the adventure never ends.

The best is when the boulders come together to create rooms to swim through.

It's been a great day, but tomorrow is my longest sail -- a journey that is 3 1/2 hours to Anegada.

On our approach to this small island, Lisa has put me in charge of securing the sailboat to a mooring ball.

-So, a mooring ball is a buoy floating on the surface attached to an anchor.

And you're gonna reach down.

You're gonna scoop up that eye and then thread this bow line through.

And then I'll come up, and I'll give you a hand finishing off the knot.

-Your eyes can hardly believe the spectacular beauty of the water around this island, and there's a reason.

-Anegada... -Yeah?

-...is the only living island in the BVIs.

We're actually made out of coral and limestone.

-That's why people love to come here.

-Of course.

It feels like you're on your own private island.

You got your own private water to swim in.

-And especially to see what you're bringing me to see.

-Correct.

-Kelly takes people out to get an up-close look at paradise within paradise.

We can actually go in this little inlet?

-Yes.

-Whoa!

Unbelievable.

There must be -- what would you say -- thousands of them?

-Yeah, if not a million and one.

-Where did all these conch shells come from?

-They all came from local fishermen throughout generations and in history.

-And how many years has this been going on?

-It's been going on over five generations now.

-Okay.

-The oldest conch shell that was found on the island itself was carbon-dated to be about 100-plus years old.

The oldest one that was found on Anegada itself was actually carbon-dated to be about 400-plus years old.

-My goodness.

-Yes.

-And so you actually fish for conch, as well?

-Yes.

Yes, I do.

All right.

-Bye!

-You free dive.

-Okay.

-Go down maybe about 15 to 20 feet of water, and once you find one, you'll be able to bring it back up on board.

And once your boat's loaded, you come right here and clean them all out.

-You know those restaurants where you go to the tank and you can choose your own lobster?

I feel like I'm in, like, a huge version of that.

I just said, "Hey, you know, I'd like to have some fresh conch ceviche," and Kelly just dove in.

He's gonna go get a few and then make it right here on the boat.

Pretty cool.

Whoa!

[ Chuckling ] Wow!

Nice!

Whoo!

-What we want to do is detach it from the shell here.

You want to give it a try and pull it out?

-I don't think so.

[ Chuckles ] Sorry.

-Touch right here and... -Okay.

[ Chuckles ] -Aah!

-[ Gasps ] -[ Laughs ] Sorry.

-Sorry.

I have -- You know the fight-or-flight reseck?

Reflex?

I'm totally flight.

-Yeah.

It's cool.

-I'm surprised I didn't punch you in the face.

-It's cool.

I still got my nose.

It's okay.

[ Both laugh ] -Is it ready?

-Yes, it is.

Go ahead and take a dip.

I'll be right in for one myself.

Mm-hmm.

Yummy yum.

-Oh, my gosh.

So good.

-Mm-hmm.

-So good.

-Mm-hmm.

[ Laughs ] -One last thing -- to make a wish and add my own conch shell to conch island.

-Opa!

Hey.

-Nice!

[ Laughs ] Whoa!

Oh, my God!

Oh, gee-- Whoa!

[ Laughing ] This...was not my wish.

Wow!

[ Laughs ] Incoming.

Oh, my goodness.

This is how they torture people in James Bond movies.

How many more you got in there, Sam?

-A lot.

-You've got a lot.

Okay.

Ohh!

How long have you been doing this?

-For 20 years.

-20 years.

Okay.

[ Shrieks ] Oh, my gosh!

And so people come into this restaurant.

They order them in advance.

-That's right.

-Whoo!

You are amazing!

-That's right.

-Amazing.

-That's the way to go.

-Yes.

-I'm Claudius Sam, one of the chef here in Anegada, with the most beautiful scenery in my background.

-So this is the prep?

-That's right.

-How many of these you got going tonight, sold?

-27.

-27.

Right.

This is one of those meals, though, that people expect to have in the British Virgin Islands.

Right?

-Yep.

-People have traveled all over the world to have this.

-Just to get an Anegada lobster.

-Nice.

Are there more lobsters here around this island than other islands?

-Yeah.

-You're known for this.

-Yep, yep.

-Why is that?

-I believe because of the reef.

-Okay.

-This is the third-largest barrier reef in the world.

-Mm-hmm.

-Yep.

So... -They're in the reef.

-Yeah.

-My favorite part of this experience is getting lobster guts thrown into my cheek.

-Okay.

[ Laughs ] -So this is great.

-It's a dirty job, but somebody got to do it.

-And you do it well.

-That's right.

-I've got a few ex-boyfriends I'd like you to meet.

-Okay.

[ Both laugh ] [ Indistinct conversations ] [ Sizzling ] -For just about everyone doing a sailing trip around the BVIs, if the island of Anegada is on your itinerary, it automatically becomes lobster night.

That's how synonymous this island is with this meal.

And it's funny because when you pull into this island, it's so quiet and it's so calm, and you're like, "Where is everybody?"

And then you come here to Potters, you're like, "Oh!

That's where everyone is.

They're here, eating lobster."

[ Laughs ] All right.

We are leaving Anegada... en route to Tortola.

-We got a big run today, so to get to the west end of Tortola, we're gonna be about 3 hours sailing.

-Whoa.

Okay.

Well, put me to work.

-Absolutely.

All right.

We're pointed into the wind and ready to deploy our mainsail.

-Nice.

-I'm gonna feed the line, and you can give it to me from the back.

-Not really confident about this.

-Ready?

-I am ready.

-Let's do it!

[ Cranking ] Ready.

Grind, grind, grind, grind!

Nicely done.

Do you mind if I jump in?

-Yeah.

[ Laughs ] See the real person do it.

-All right.

So, now let's get sailing.

-Yeah.

- Oh, Tortola Whoa, how you're blue My, my -Tortola is the largest of the BVIs and one of the most dramatic.

It's got beautiful forested mountains and crescent-shaped beaches, like Cane Garden Bay, tucked into a corner.

All right.

Thanks, Lisa.

-You're welcome.

-Bye.

-Have fun.

-This is a quiet little corner that has a small community of restaurants, shops, and hotels.

- I came back to be with you For a long, long time My name is Quito Rymer.

I'm an artist and a musician right here in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.

-Quito, when people talk about coming to the BVIs, they mention the beaches, they mention the water, but they also specifically talk about those people, that certain person who made them feel like they were welcome, they were part of the family.

And you're one of those people.

Is that something you set out to accomplish by opening up your restaurant here along this beach?

-This island is filled with fun, happy, loving people.

-Mm-hmm.

-And so I decided -- I love to play my guitar, and so I'll build a bar, I'll play my guitar.

I will not get fired because I'm the boss.

-[ Laughs ] Job security.

Very important.

-Yes.

But I also thought that I could contribute something and make a vacation memorable for people that is coming.

-When did you start playing music first?

-My mom was a preacher, so needless to say she didn't want me in a band.

-Did you have to hide your instruments from her?

-My father bought me the guitar, and he said, "You're on your own."

So I had it hidden for like 3 months.

-So, I want to try your roti.

-You should.

-I heard it's really good.

-You should try it.

It's not from BVI... -Sure.

-...but we changed it.

I think it was first started in Trinidad.

It's...of chicken with potatoes and onions and peppers... -Mm-hmm.

-...with a curry sauce.

-So good.

So, so good.

-Good.

I'm glad you like it.

I get calls from people who are coming down for vacation and just want to make sure I still have the roti and the chutney.

[ Laughs ] So I said, "Don't worry.

Come on down.

It's still here."

-And so you and your band are gonna play tonight, right?

-Yes.

I think you'll love it.

It's a lot of reggae music and just fun stuff.

It makes people dance, and it carry a good message, as well.

Hey I'm coming back to the islands Coming back to the sun I got my mind all made up I'm making that Caribbean run I got my mind all made up I'm making that Tortola... [ Cheers and applause ] -Thank you.

Thank you.

-I have roamed the great cathedrals of Europe.

I've transversed ancient walls in China.

I have stopped time in Switzerland.

But what would possibly make me want to dive off a sail boat and swim toward the British Virgin Island of Jost Van Dyke?

I'm gonna have a Painkiller at the Soggy Dollar Bar.

[ Laughter ] [ Indistinct conversations ] The Soggy Dollar gets its name from having no dock, and while most boaters just dingy in, I wanted to make a better entrance, as well as ensure that my dollars were extra soggy.

-How you doing today?

Good?

-Good.

How are you?

-Can't complain.

-You know, I turned 21 like 28 years ago, and I finally made it here.

Thank you.

I'm here.

-All right.

Glad to have you.

We gonna have a Painkiller today?

-Oh, you bet your bottom dollar.

Bet your soggy dollar.

-No problem.

So you know how a Painkiller is made?

-No, I don't.

-We invented Painkillers.

We've been making Painkillers since 1970, okay?

-The Painkiller was invented right here at this bar in 1970?

-Yes, it was.

So, I'm gonna make you a Painkiller... with our Soggy Dollar dark rum.

-Okay.

-Give a nice little pour.

Two-finger pour.

-And those are your fingers, which are much larger than my fingers, so we're going off of those.

-We can probably do 2 1/2.

-I already don't know where my boat is, just looking at all that alcohol.

-This mix is basically pineapple juice, oranges, coconut -- freshly shaken, okay?

-Beautiful.

-Nice consistent pour.

-Yeah, and everyone here is having a Painkiller.

Like, no one asks for a Pinot Grigio or a nice Merlot.

-Nope.

All Painkillers.

-[ Laughs ] -Trust me.

Nutmeg.

You can't go without the nutmeg.

-This is a beautiful step.

You hand-grate nutmeg over the... -Yes, we do.

All right.

So, I put a little scratch.

Nice...consistent.

You get a shaker.

-Yeah.

-And here you go.

-Beautiful.

-How is it?

Happy 21.

-[ Laughs ] -All right.

Enjoy.

-Thank you so much.

How many of these do you make?

-On a really crazy day, we push out close to 2,000 or more Painkillers.

-How many?

-2,000 or more.

-2,000.

-And a soggy dollar?

-Yep.

It's a little wet.

-Yes, it is.

And this is what I normally do with soggy dollars.

I take them, and we hang them right here.

-Ohh!

Nice.

You put them on the clothesline to dry.

-Yes, it is.

-[ Laughs ] -To all the kids out there who think their parents are boring and have no fun, well, your parents are here, you're not, and they are having the time of their lives.

Without you.

-So, we've arrived here at the Indians.

This is personally one of my favorite snorkel sites here in the BVI.

There's rich corals.

-It's gorgeous!

-Right?

It got its name from the early sailors in the BVI after a couple of rum rations.

They actually thought that it looked like the tepees that Indians would stay in or a Native American headdress.

So, when you're ready to jump in... -Mm-hmm.

-...I say let's go for it.

-I'm ready to do it.

-Let's do it.

-Okay.

-I'm lucky enough to have sailed all over the world, but the BVIs always brought me back.

With over 60 islands, every single one of them has its own unique vibe, and the strong spirit of everybody on island is absolutely infectious.

- So put a smile on your face 'Cause everything's safe -I love the space because it's friendly, it's happy, and I enjoy the fact that I can interact with people.

I love their laughter.

I love their chatter.

And I just enjoy their company.

-The whole world come to British Virgin Islands, so I want to ensure that the environment is kept for more generations and generations to come.

-And I can guarantee you that your whole experience would be one-of-a-kind and very unique.

-This is an experience that simply has no equal, one where every minute puts you in a remarkable and ever-wondrous world.

But this journey is about to come to an end, and as the sun begins to set, it's time to head back to home port.

-When you meet people who are passionate yet chill, when you allow yourself to be absorbed by sights and sounds that are totally unfamiliar, when you give it your all and nature gives back, that is when we share a love of travel.

And that's why sailing around the British Virgin Islands will bring you to so many places to love.

For more information about this and other episodes, destination guides, or links to follow me on social media, log on to placestolove.com.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" was made possible by... -We believe watching the world go by isn't enough.

That's why we climb... ...pedal... and journey beyond the beaten path... on storied rivers...

with a goal of making sure that every mile traveled turns into another memory.

You can find out more at amawaterways.com.

-To travel is to live, and at AAA, we've been passionate about travel for over 100 years.

That's why we created AAA Vacations, member travel experiences around the world.

Learn more at AAA.com/LiveTV.

-All the untamed beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, experienced on a journey by rail.

Rocky Mountaineer -- proud sponsor of "Places to Love."