Paradise Perspectives

A Holistic Wellness Journey in the British Virgin Islands with Rogelle Edmondson

The Traveling Island Girl/Rogelle Edmondson Season 2 Episode 3

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Join us on a virtual trip to the soul-stirring British Virgin Islands, as BVI native Rogelle Edmondson unfolds her remarkable transformation from a law practitioner to a holistic wellness guide. Together, we explore not only the island's hidden treasures but also the intimate pathways of personal change and self-discovery. Rogelle's story is one of embracing her life’s work with grace and courage. This episode promises to be a window into the heart of island living, offering a local roadmap to secluded beaches, holistic retreats, and the vibrant BVI culture.

From snorkeling in pristine waters to finding serenity in secluded beaches, Rogelle offers her personal recommendations for experiencing the BVI's nature. The conversation takes a turn towards the environmentally conscious traveler, spotlighting the importance of reef-safe products and our shared responsibility in preserving the region's natural beauty. This episode is not just a travel guide; it's an invitation to understand the delicate balance between exploring and protecting paradise.

Follow Rogelle on Instagram at Holistic Mama, find out more about her Tarot Reading at The Sacred Wisdom and her beachfront vacation rentals at The Green Leaf Oasis

If you want to be a part of the Island Girl Awakening Tribe and be the first to listen to the new podcast of the same name, subscribe to the newsletter now. 

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Paradise Perspectives, a podcast about Caribbean travel from the locals perspective. Get ready for some authentic Caribbean travel tips, recommendations and more from the people who live where you vacation, straight from Paradise. I'm your host and island friend, raizal the Traveling Island Girl. Hey you, and thank you so much for being here. I'm so excited that you were able to make some time to spend with me again to discover a little bit more about the Caribbean, and this time, I promise this episode is going to be super interesting one. Well, all my episodes are interesting, aren't they? But we're about to take another exciting trip to the Caribbean, and this time it is to the British Virgin Islands, and that makes me excited, because it has been a while since I last was there, and that reminds me it's about damn time that I start making plans to return.

Speaker 1:

Well, today we're going to do exactly that, but we are going to do it virtually, and to help us navigate all of the islands in the BVI, the British Virgin Islands, is BVI native herself and my personal friend, raizal Atmanson. Her story, by the way, is a very interesting one. She went from studying and practicing law to now. Well, actually, you know what I'm going to. Let her tell you her story, because, of course, after all, it's her story to tell, right? So here she is.

Speaker 1:

Take a listen. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I have the beautiful Raizal in front of me right now, or at least on my screen For those of you who are listening. Thank you so much for tuning in to Paradise Perspectives today, and I have something really special planned today because I'm having a conversation with my good friend, raizal there in the BVI. So we're going to talk a little bit about the BVI, but also a little bit about everything that Raizal actually does, which is super interesting. Do you want to listen to this episode until the very, very end? Raizal, thank you so much for making the time to be on the show today, because I know you and I couldn't really agree on a date and, of course, you're a new mother, so I can only imagine that there's only like a little window every day that you get the time to actually do this. So thank you so very much for being here.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much. I'm so happy to be here. I'm delighted and hopefully we can get some good juicy tips for everybody, all your listeners who are out there listening today.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, I can't wait. I cannot wait because it's been a while since I've been on your lovely island of Tortola and I explored a little bit of the BVI and the USVI, for that matter but I fell in love with certain areas of Tortola and other parts of the BVI in general. So I cannot wait to kind of like revisit those places, which I'm sure they're going to come up in our conversation today. But before we dive into you know, the BVI's and how you can share, or what kind of recommendations and insider tips you're going to share with us today, I want to first talk a little bit about you, because I find your life so very interesting. We first started following each other on Instagram and at that time you still have MyRakedLeaves as an account name, right? Yes, tell me a little bit about that. Myrakedleaves. Why MyRakedLeaves?

Speaker 2:

So I had a passion for writing at the time. So I started this blog so that I could share. I guess I was going through my own personal development era, you know, like wanting to be better. I was really into like personal finances and just like overall, like personal, like just wanting to become the better version of myself. So I dived really deep into a lot of like the self-help books and personal development books and I thought, you know, I'd love to share like the experiences I'm having right now on a platform and hopefully it could be helpful to someone who is perhaps going through a similar journey. So I started the blog MyRakedLeaves and it was supposed to be like falling leaves that fall on the floor and I kind of like rake them up. So that's like all my gems and wisdom that I kind of just raked up and I'm just like putting it out there for everybody, yeah, for everybody to just to see.

Speaker 2:

And so rake is actually the acronym for my full name, Rizelle Anakay Edmonton. So I really wanted to incorporate something that had my name in it. So I came up. First I was toying with the idea of my new leaves and then I was like I really wanted to put my personal touch on it and so I said MyRakedLeaves. So I had the blog going and I mentioned that I kind of stepped away from the blog because I found that I wasn't really enjoying the process of writing an article every week and posting it up. Like that process just felt very heavy and just like my own personal journey, just knowing that anything that feels heavy, anything that you don't necessarily enjoy, is probably not in alignment. And it's a funny story, because are we allowed to go into woo-woo stuff on this podcast?

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, you're kidding me, I am woo-woo away because I am so in awe with everything that you're doing and I'm actually finding, I'm going through my personal development right now. And it has been an amazing journey so far.

Speaker 1:

So I am totally into that I'm actually even and you're hearing this, you're the first person. I'm actually saying this out loud too, but I'm actually thinking of starting a podcast about that, about that transformation, about that personal journey. So that's coming next, as if I don't have enough of my plate already. But what I love is your journey has been so, so interesting, because you started with MyRakedLeaves, you know, and, but before that you were a lawyer.

Speaker 2:

Yes, so I'm actually from a lawyer you went into health and wellness.

Speaker 1:

I mean, I need to know more about this too. So please go all woo-woo on us. I hope the listener is also into the woo-woo stuff right now. I hope so. I hope so.

Speaker 2:

I hope so. I hope so. So I am on the other end I finally have the term for it because I didn't understand what it is was happening at the time. But I'm on the other end of what they term as a Kundalini awakening. So it's almost like it's an awakening into the reality of what the world actually is and you know what my place in the world should be and just like navigating that and just noticing that you know the things that I thought the world was wasn't really true, and just kind of like taking off the sparkle glasses or the colored lenses and kind of actually seeing everything for what they are, for what it is. So I'm on the other end of that and I started stepping into my I guess it would say gifts. So clairvoyancy I do the tarot Clarevoyancy there's clair and clairaudience and claircognizance.

Speaker 2:

So, interesting thing, the reason why I diverted from the blog was because I got a psychic reading. I met a psychic and she did a reading and she kind of said that my strengths are not in writing a thousand word essay and sharing that. My strengths is with art, so pictures. Like I'm a visual learner, so I learned that I'm a visual person. So the fact that I was sitting and writing a thousand words every week and it felt heavy and excruciating was because it just was not in alignment with my actual gifts. So I said, okay, how can I still show up online in a way that feels in alignment with no understanding my personal gifts? And so during my travels, I did a lot of holistic healing therapy trainings.

Speaker 2:

So I did some trainings in Reiki, I did yoga, I did breath work, meditation, also did some sound therapy, and then I did a certification in holistic and naturopathic therapy. So these were things that I was interested in because I used to be a lawyer, as I said. So, going back to 2016, I started my career. I was a corporate and finance lawyer here in the British Virgin Islands and I didn't love it. I didn't love it 100%, but I didn't not love it.

Speaker 1:

They just start because you had to, and you had to pick something, because I always feel like, at a time when we have to choose a profession, we are way too young to actually pick something that we're going to stick with until the end, and not everybody gets to pick something that they actually truly love. So what was the reason why you picked to become a lawyer?

Speaker 2:

instead of everything else out there. I mean, that was exactly it. I remember I had toyed between a few professions. I was quite young. I was like I wanted to be a hairdresser and then I wanted to be a singer, or I wanted to be a nurse, and then everyone was just going to be like hmm, and I was like oh, I'm going to be a lawyer and everyone around me just seems so happy, like, ooh, that's interesting.

Speaker 2:

And I'm like, okay, I think that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to do law. And then in the back of my mind, I'm thinking like a law degree isn't necessarily the worst degree you could potentially have.

Speaker 2:

Like there's law in everything that we do, and so it is a useful degree. So I thought if I'm going to go to university I would do something that's useful, that I can get the knowledge necessary to segue into something else if something did come up on my patch. So I just started as a lawyer. I started very young as well. I finished law school at 23. So I started my first real career at a very young age, when I don't even know myself. And it's just through going through that motion of like showing up for work and like having to be an adult for the first time in my life, it kind of just hit me like is this what I really want to do? Do I really want to sit and work for 40 years of my life and like my life just passes me by. And so I just like started toying with the idea of taking a break. I was like I'll just take a sabbatical. So this is five years later. Right, I've progressed into my career.

Speaker 2:

I'm at my fifth year in my career and I'm just like I think I can take a break. I can just take a break and then I'll see if there's something else that I can get into, and then I'll come back. And I said you know I really love health and wellness. You know that it's been a passion for mine personally because I had like a fitness journey where I lost almost like 50 pounds and I was like really into the gym life. So like I had a passion for health and wellness and I'm like you know what. I'm going to explore health and wellness a little deeper while I'm on my break. There's only supposed to be a year and I said I'll go traveling. So I decided, oh, I'm going to go to Costa Rica. So you know, the first trip that I take from being a lawyer here in the Virgin Islands was Costa Rica. And I got there and I lived in community at Punta Mona I don't know if you've heard about Punta Mona.

Speaker 2:

Yeah definitely yeah. So I live in like a conscious community in Punta Mona and I feel like that was the catalyst of my awakening, just like being surrounded around people who are just like stewards of the earth and just like seeing how differently they think to me, who has been technically institutionalized, you know, for all of her life and I'm out here with the, you know the jungle, people walking barefoot and you know enjoying, like you know, being a steward of the land and understanding how you know the human earth relationship works and how it should look, and just like realizing that I wanted to start adopting some of those principles and lifestyles into my own life. So that was like the beginning of me, you know, wanting to learn about holistic living and holistic healing, because I'd always toyed of the idea, you know, holistic mind, body, soul. But I was kind of like one foot in, one foot out, and then that experience was like you know what I'm going to go all in and see where this takes me, because I have an interest like a genuine interest In like seeing where this goes. And so that's when I did the reiki training and then after that I did the yoga and the breath work and I just kept like learning other modalities, just kept going, yeah.

Speaker 2:

And then I I'm sitting with my rick leaves and I still have the block as I've still been playing for the pain, for the URL and you know all of that stuff and I haven't posted anything in two years and the thing keeps reminding me. Hey, you haven't posted. And I'm like, why am I still paying for this blog? Like I don't understand. So I go in and I'm about to cancel the subscription. I'm just like, hmm, Maybe I could just start like a my wellness business, my wellness practice. You know, like I really think that there's something here, so maybe I can see if there's something else out there that I'm ready to step into as a new identity. So I feel like my rick leaves was like the little girl who was a bit confused, wasn't really sure like what her passion is, what her path is, trying to do, the personal development stuff and, like you know, recognizing that there's more beyond even personal development, right, they, there's so much more than than what meets the eye. So now I'm like, okay, I need to Step into something that reflects who I am right now. And so I'm like I'm a mom. I feel like that's a big part of my identity now, like I can't not Take that on as as as an identity, like that's a big part of me right now.

Speaker 2:

And I remember one time I wanted to film because I have a YouTube channel for my tarot. So I remember I wanted to film Something for that channel and I didn't have childcare, I didn't have anybody to like watch baby for me and I'm not really a hundred percent into the whole daycare Kind of thing. So I have friends and family that I would kind of lean on, but on this specific day, like everyone you know had their own things going on and I'm like, okay, I need to actually create a life where my baby is a part of my identity, like I can't put him Aside when I want to show up to the world, because he's a part of what's happening in my life now. And so I'm thinking, okay, I'm really, I really want to push the holistic healing therapies because I wanted to start a business. So I said a little a business. I don't want to say little, let's, let's speak, speak life into the project, speak life into the project I started.

Speaker 2:

I started my wellness practice. It's called live well, holistic and I just thought to myself I'm. I'm really into this holistic living and I'm a mom and I view this lifestyle as the new medicine. You know, like we are indoctrinated to think that medicine can only be pharmaceuticals, but medicine can be the breath, medicine can be nature. Medicine could be singing, it could be dancing, because I was like alternative approach to, to, or modern the Idea of what health really is or what medicine is. So I'm thinking, you know, I'm gonna do like holistic mama medicine. I was sitting right there because I'm in my living room, I was sitting right there on the couch and it just like literally came to me like holistic mama medicine and Usually when I'm gonna change a URL or I'm toying with the idea of it, I can I sit on it or I do the search to see if anybody else has the you are, has the, the handle. Let's see if the URL exactly.

Speaker 2:

I usually do all of that stuff before actually like do a big change. And this time I just typed it in, I was like holistic mama medicine and boom, it just changed. I was like, wow, this is supposed to be my new identity.

Speaker 1:

Like this is who I'm gonna if I wasn't a calling that I don't know what is it was like a moment of a calling.

Speaker 1:

It's just amazing. You know what is so beautiful. Rochelle is that, and it's through your Instagram and, having followed you for a while now since you know you had my raked leaves and now you Transformed into holistic mama medicine I've been following it and I've seen the growth. There was a moment where you kind of like disappeared for a while. You came back. You had a child. You know it's like we were following each other before because of travel. Both of us were like Really obsessed even with traveling the world or in my case, the Caribbean.

Speaker 1:

And then from then, it was so beautiful to see you Transform into what you're doing now and your pictures on the healthy eating and healthy lifestyle Things that you can do, and it was just so beautiful. And then, of course, when you started the sacred I think it's called the sacred wisdom tarot, and when I saw that I was like immediately a book the session with you and I have not regretted it. So it's like thank you so much for all of those gifts that you are sharing now with us. Now I must ask my next question. It's gonna go a little bit more into the BVI. How has?

Speaker 1:

Because, coming from the Caribbean and being kind of like going through this transformation, like I said before myself, I've noticed that a lot of this and you said you didn't want to go to woo woo and we say the word woo woo because a lot of times when you start talking about things like this, people start rolling their eyes and I'll take it seriously, or it's not for them, or they're just not ready. But I feel like in the Caribbean especially, we get a lot of backlash for that. If there's a lot of people that are just not open to the idea, who probably will never be open to the idea. So how did you go and how did you actually Handle probable criticism that came your way from you, know you were a lawyer.

Speaker 1:

What the hell are you thinking, starting this holistic Adventure? How did that go for you in the BVI?

Speaker 2:

Right, right, that's a really good question and it's it's still like a process, it's still an ongoing process. I can start with my own immediate family unit, like they have been supported to the point where they understand, and I feel like it's been like a, a test for me, or more like a process of just educating people. I feel like I was a bit hesitant in, you know, starting to share this side of my life and then I just realized, like, as I was sharing it to pockets of people, so, starting with my immediate family, then friends and close, close acquaintances, you know, just sharing with these little pockets of people. On the first instance, you know, people are actually interested, you know, to some degree, on like it's not something that they would necessarily, you know, want to do themselves, but they like to sit and listen to the stories that I share and the ideas that I'm sharing with this holistic practice. And, you know, going into that, you know the woo-woo side of things. So there is pockets of people, of course, because we're a heavenly Christian society. So there is pockets of people who probably wouldn't even want to consider it, and that's fine.

Speaker 2:

I think religion is a beautiful thing. I have nothing against anybody who, you know, recognizes a higher consciousness, as you know, their divine creator. Because I mean, essentially, I believe the same thing. I believe in God, and so I have nothing against religion. I have nothing against people who, you know, want to prioritize Christianity as their primary organized religion. So if it's not for them, it's not for them. But I read. What I realize is that the right people will find me and they will find what I'm sharing to be valuable, and so that's all I'm going with. So, right now, like my practice is very small, like I've probably had one or two clients, you being one of them, right. So like it's not something that's grown immensely because I, literally I just started pushing it in December last year, although I've been reading Tarot on my travels. So on my travels, I was doing Tarot and that was a hit, because in Costa Rica, like people were loving it.

Speaker 2:

I was able to make a living right, I was able to make a living like reading Tarot cards and I just could not believe it like on my travels, but yeah so. But what's holding me right now is, you know, the smart investments that I made while I was a lawyer, so I mean this kind of segues. I guess I might be jumping the gun, but like I invested into beachfront rental condos that I share on Airbnb, so right now you know, like that's like my main bread and butter, but the, you know, eventually I know that this practice will grow and so I'm just looking at it from like an international perspective.

Speaker 1:

She's only leaving that little. And of course she's leaving that little part which is such a juicy part, especially for Paradise perspective. She leaves it up until the end of the introduction of herself. You, friend beachfront condos, can we go back to that for a second?

Speaker 1:

please, because that is so interesting and I'm like, very interesting. So what do you mean to tell me? I can go to Turtola, I can stay in one of your beachfront condos and I can get a little bit of practice with you, I can get my cards read and I can get some yoga or a Reiki while I'm there. That is your gold mine right there, rojelle. I think that is exactly what you need to go going, and I love if you could kind of like incorporate all of that. You're on the beach. The beach is such a soothing place, so I'm feeling like hell. Yes for this. This is amazing. Okay, so for everybody, for you that is listening right now. I thank you so much for listening, of course, but also, this is our opportunity, right, we can actually now go to Turtola and we can have all of these wellness and health experiences while we're there. That is really good, which, if you can kind of like add all of those beautiful salads that you've been posting on.

Speaker 1:

Instagram lately that are always like such a big, positive you might be onto something. I think that's exactly what you need to start doing. It's like that is the holistic practice right there. Get them to stay a little longer. I love the idea, love it.

Speaker 2:

All right.

Speaker 1:

I'm already seeing myself there. I haven't even seen the apartments yet, but yes, I will definitely go and we're going to link it.

Speaker 2:

We're going to link the.

Speaker 1:

Airbnb red notes. We're going to link that in the show notes. So for you who is listening and you're thinking, huh, that is super interesting, go to the show notes after this conversation and you're going to find out all about how you can follow Rochelle, how you can get yourself a reading and she does that online, so you don't necessarily have to be in front of her and, of course, also all of the rest of the information that we're going to be talking about is going to be in the show notes. Today.

Speaker 1:

I am so excited for the next part of our conversation, because now we're going to go into BVI as a destination and you are, were you born?

Speaker 2:

and raised there. Yes, yes, I was born and raised in the British Virgin Islands. I was born on Tortola, which is the main island, the biggest island, yeah, Right.

Speaker 1:

So let's talk first and then, for those who have never been and who you know, there's a lot of people who kind of like get the islands kind of like a little confused. And I can imagine, because all the islands are so close together. I mean, there has even been people that saw, you know, that wanted to come to see Martinetta, always thought it was part of the eater, the BVI or the USVI. So you know, probably just because it has like the saint in the name I'm not quite sure, but a lot of people tend to think that and we are not too far from the cluster of islands that is the Virgin Islands. So I can imagine why people get confused when it comes to that. But I want to know, like, what are the islands? Can you name the main islands? That is Because you have so many smaller keys and islands all through the BVI. So if we're going to start now, we're never end, because there's so many.

Speaker 2:

How many are there in total? Actually Do you know, yeah, yeah, so we're about 60, 60 islands, rocks and keys, so it's a little archipelago. It's about 60 miles east of Puerto Rico, just to give you some geography. And if you were to take a flight from Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands, it'll be about 20 minutes. So that's just to show you my geography.

Speaker 1:

Yeah it's really really close by and from San Martin, I think it's more like 30 minutes 30 minutes With a small plane. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so yeah.

Speaker 1:

So now let's name the like the major islands, the ones that you definitely need to explore while they're yeah, so the main island is Tortola.

Speaker 2:

There's four that they would consider the main islands because they're the four largest and they have the most people living on them. So the first one is Tortola, the second one is Anagada and the second largest is Anagada, the third largest is Virgin Gorda and then the fourth largest is Yosvenday. So, yeah, so those are like the four main ones and that's just because they are the most inhabited and they also, so Tortola would be considered like the economic hub. So that's where, like, most of our economy is built on Tortola and Virgin Gorda, anagada, yosvenday. I would say they're. Well, virgin Gorda has now become part of that economic hub just because we've kind of transferred some government you know government businesses over to Virgin Gorda so that people of Virgin Gorda can have easy access and stuff. But, like, still, anagada and Yosvenday are still a bit more like the touristy. They're seen more as like tourism as their main income.

Speaker 2:

The other ones that are notable as well would be islands like Cooper Island. There's Norman Island. There's the one that Richard Branson owns, which is Necker Island, and he now owns Mosquito Island. There's Eustacia Island that Larry Page for Google, he owns that one. Other notable ones would be Salt Island, salt Island, and I'm missing one. That I would say is another. Did I say Cooper? Yeah, I'm just trying to name the ones that have actual ferry access. I think those are the ones that have ferry access. The others you can visit, of course, but you need to have your own vessel.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, right, or do one of those like which is, of course, what we've guys is so, so famous for is the. You know the that you couldn't book a boat with a captain and crew and kind of like cruise the entire Region and see all of these islands, which I've done. I've had the pleasure of doing that once, which is amazing. Definitely recommend it. If you have the opportunity to do so, do it. It is so well worth it and I did see I did get to see on that trip, a lot of the islands that you're talking about now?

Speaker 1:

We did. I think the other one that you're thinking is in Peter's.

Speaker 2:

Scrub island, and not only scrub island, but Peter Island.

Speaker 1:

Peter Island, that's it, that's the one I was trying to remember.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yeah, that one is a predict. The ferry that goes to Peter Island isn't Open to the public right now because the resort itself is still being rebuilt since the hurricane. So if you have your own vessel or, as you did, charter your own vessel, you can sail into Peter Island and enjoy that. But you're right, scrub island and now there's like a. Marina keys back up as well. That just has a little restaurant on it. Oh, and then there's Saber Rock, which is the little islands off of Virginia Gorda.

Speaker 1:

And then there's one more that I want to say the rock, the one that has that resort on it as well, you need a built one, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, saber, rock the resort right the hurricane and 17, so they just I just saw that on Instagram, indeed that they have reopened since. That is so beautiful to see, because last time when I was in your area, it was right after, so I did a lot of things. We're not open yet, and etc. So it's beautiful to see that everything is back up and running. Now we have to talk about the things that Virgin Islands is so, so, so famous for, which is, of course, the baths at For Gorda, and then Yosfandeg is famous for the oh my gosh, oh my gosh, is it white?

Speaker 2:

There's white, is white baby. And then Foxy.

Speaker 1:

Yes those are things that you, I know heavily touristic but definitely worth it. Yeah, I actually. You know it was one of those things that I when they said we're gonna stop those like Around. You know, very touristic. I've seen it all on Instagram. It feels like I've already been there with so many pictures that I've been shared. But when it's you get there, you, you get it. You know you actually get it why it's so famous and we had a grand time. It's like I've really, really enjoyed it. And, of course, you're famous for the painkiller the painkiller.

Speaker 2:

Yes, there's so much.

Speaker 1:

Yes. Experience yeah yeah, yeah, okay. So now I have to pick your brain. As a local who actually lives and was grown, who actually grew up there, I want to pick your brain, like, in your opinion, what would be like, let's say, the top five things that you say Anybody visiting for the first time must do when they're in the first time.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so the hands down. The best way to experience a British Virgin Islands is to do it by boat. So if you have some friends that you can pull together because it's not an expensive trip, it does cost. I can think like a week on a boat might cost you about 10,000 or 15,000, you know, with a crew. So if you could experience it that way a week on a boat so that you can travel to the different islands, like that will be my Top recommendation, if you could do it. Secondly, I really, if you're a snorkeler or if you enjoy underwater Experiences I really love snorkeling at the caves on Norman Island and the really cool thing about Norman Island is that you can make a day out of it because they have pirates, pirates I think it's pirates, bite Pirates the restaurant there, which is pretty good, and then there's the wheelie tea, which is really which, so you can make a day out of it with the wheelie. Yeah, it's classic.

Speaker 1:

I mean like who doesn't know the really tea, the really tea if you don't know right, is this? What is it actually? It's a, it's a boat, but it's a barge, or?

Speaker 2:

It's a, it's a barge. The original one got ruined in Irma and they got a second one, and but they anchored it right off of Norman Island. So it's like right before you go to swim to the caves, right before you get it inland to the restaurant.

Speaker 1:

So I was there actually twice and I didn't know about the snorkeling in the cave.

Speaker 2:

The caves yeah, like lots of people miss that because they go to the bigger sites. So there is, okay, I guess I'm skipping to three. You know, like if you're a diver. There's the wreck of the Roan.

Speaker 2:

There's the wreck of the Roan, which is beautiful, and the Indians, which is like a group of rocks just off, right, right, just off yeah so, like you can go and dive those spots, I have snorkeled the Indians and, oh my god, beautiful, beautiful fish, beautiful Reeves, like lots of people say. You know the reefs aren't I? And I wouldn't admit as well, I don't think our reefs are doing very well and I don't know if that's a Caribbean white thing or if that's just like Tortola. It is actually so. I hear lots of tourists.

Speaker 1:

I think it's a Caribbean white thing, unfortunately.

Speaker 2:

I hear lots of tourists, you know, saying you know the reefs aren't as beautiful and there's not much to see. But I just think they just don't know where the diving sites or the sites that you can see actual fish, where they're still thriving, and Norman Island caves is one of them, and and the wreck of the Roan Indians that's another one and the Indians, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So that was it. That's three. Yeah, yeah, number four I would. I would say like an island drive of tortola in itself, like I actually started doing tours as part of my experience guest experience.

Speaker 1:

With my.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes. So so what I like to do is I like to take them to the show. Yeah, yeah, there's.

Speaker 1:

That's it. I am definitely coming back to tortola, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so I put everybody in my Jeep Wrangler and we go across the. We go across the island from east to west. Takes about two hours and I like to, I like to take it from the from town, go to the eastern end, come up around and then come back around to the western end on the north side, and I just like to show them the hidden beaches, because we have a few hidden beaches where you can do some rock climbing, yeah, and you know, little swim pools, like pools that you can go and, you know, just enjoy the day at the beach, like you mean, like the natural, natural pools. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we don't have any rivers, I don't know, sadly, because I love rivers. It's amazing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, me too, but we have the beach here too, we don't have that right.

Speaker 2:

Right, yeah, you have the beaches. You have the beaches and we have these like little natural pools that Form, you know, just because of the tide coming in over it's years and years. I think that's a nice experience to compare to, you know, like a river experience. So an island drive, you know, from east to west and just showing you the little pockets of the beaches that aren't listed on the trip Advaizer. You know, like these are beaches that you would have to either talk to a local and they will share it with you and say, yes, you need to go and see this space. So I like doing that as well. Like an island tour would be number four, I would say. And then the fifth thing would be I'm torn, like the fifth thing, because I really love an Agada like.

Speaker 2:

That's like one of my favorite islands I don't know if you had the benefit of Going over.

Speaker 1:

I didn't go because it's an Agadas, of course not. It's a little bit of a longer ferry ride.

Speaker 2:

And then the rest of the islands like Virgin Gorda etc.

Speaker 1:

You can get there in like in no time. But I think Yosfandai also is a little longer, just a tad longer.

Speaker 2:

If you take the boat from west, then it's about 20 minutes. It's about 20 minutes.

Speaker 1:

Ah, okay, yeah, it's probably because I was seeing the boat leaving from town.

Speaker 2:

I think if you take a boat from town, it takes another longer to go around.

Speaker 1:

Right, right, right, right. So I um, no, we didn't, but tell me about an Agada. Yeah, so what is so special about it? I wait, is this your number five?

Speaker 2:

Because you said you're in between. I'm torn because I was saying like this you know what? What the hell.

Speaker 1:

Let's go to number six.

Speaker 2:

So you can mention both awesome. Yeah, so I think like number five for me would be an Agada, because it's like an untouched piece of land and Anagata is primarily made up of limestone. So I mean, I feel like you've probably been to Anguela. I would say Anguela would be like a contender. I saw you were loving Anguela on your Instagram.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh.

Speaker 2:

So imagine Anguela, because I think Anguela is quite small. What's their population? Like 300 people.

Speaker 1:

Anguila's actually. Yeah, population-wise they're very small, but they are 35 square miles.

Speaker 2:

Oh, so they're big. They're even bigger than Tortola. Yeah, okay, yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 1:

Well, how big is?

Speaker 2:

Tortola, tortola's 24 square miles.

Speaker 1:

No way. You know that when I was there, I did not experience it that way at all. Once you're in Tortola, it feels much bigger. I've got a swan that's bigger than Simaite and Anguila. Simaite is 37.

Speaker 2:

No, we're so small, but totals were 58 square miles. If you added all the islands together, it's about 15.

Speaker 1:

All the little right right, right Right.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so let's go back to Anguila, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Because that's actually Anguila, and Anguila have a lot of income and because both of them limestone right. So I guess I think yes yes, it's so picturesque.

Speaker 2:

Imagine like torquers, blue waters, amazing seafood If you really love seafood, fresh seafood caught right there from the fishermen. It just reminds me. It's just like a time capsule, like a blast in the past and like, if you enjoy seclusion, serenity, peace and quiet, being really close to nature because everywhere is basically close to the water.

Speaker 2:

Oh my gosh, it's time to be off the land If you enjoy, laid back, almost like romantic, like you're a romantic, I hope it's romantic like myself, like you would love, like Anigara, and it's just so laid back and you can drive. What do you call those little cars? Again, it's not a tuk tuk.

Speaker 1:

Oh, the Mamie moaks, yes, moaks, there we go, the moaks yes.

Speaker 2:

You can rent a moak and you can go exploring. There's a beautiful pond over there that you can see flamingos, wow. So you can actually take a tour and they can take you to the flamingos, the reefs, the most beautiful snorkeling, beautiful stingrays. I mean, people are petrified of stingrays but after I had my experience of actually snorkeling with the stingrays, I'm like they're so beautiful, they're so harmless, you know to a certain extent, and they are actually there, not because they're getting fed or anything, they're just lived there.

Speaker 2:

So it's not like one of those excursions where they're yeah, exactly. I don't know how I feel about excursions where they're fed.

Speaker 1:

But yes, yeah, so, oh, that's so beautiful.

Speaker 2:

But can you?

Speaker 1:

actually stay on Anagara.

Speaker 2:

You can, you can. So there's a few hotels there. There's a few hotels. My favorite, one of my favorite, is Anagara Beach Club, but that's because they have those like beach pilappas, so there's like beach tents, like right on the beach front, which I love, that experience.

Speaker 1:

And one of them even has like a bathtub on the on the deck.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so you can like have a bath and watch the sunset and like if you go over there on like a like a new moon or a full moon.

Speaker 2:

So new moon when there's no moon, it's like you can see all the stars because there's like no light pollution or anything like that. It's just beautiful, it's gorgeous. And then if you go on a full moon, you see this massive moon kind of like rising up. It's just like it's just a surreal, magical experience and there's only 180 people that live there and that tells you like how secluded it is. When Barack Obama and Michelle Obama visited, they took a trip to Anagara, so it's like one of those spaces where you you kind of have to go and if you enjoy like water sports, windsurfing, kite surfing, the best winds to get that type of action is found on Anagara, that side of the British Virgin Islands.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, wow, okay, I don't, I don't know about the lesson given and solved. I am so sold and I think for, especially for people like you and I who are now into that more holistic way of thinking and you know the personal growth path and all of that, and I think that is one of the tracks most of all is because you want to go to a place that's secluded, that has that like that, that nature is still a full bloom there, you know, and that it doesn't it's not distorted too much by our footprints as humans.

Speaker 1:

So I think, yeah, that that sounds like that's kind of like my cup of tea. For sure, for sure, all right. So, since you mentioned it before, you mentioned that you have in your Island tour that you offered to your guests.

Speaker 1:

You, you show them a little few of the hidden beaches? I don't know. I don't want to, like, really tell too much because you're going to have to go to Virgin Islands and to Tertula and Boca Tour by yourself with Rosjau to actually see this. So I don't want to, I don't want to tell too much, but I do want you to tell us at least one of your favorite.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so I'll kind of do a cheat, because this isn't this. This isn't like a hidden beach, but it's one of the more secluded beaches and also there's like a hidden beach that you can get to from this beach. I guess it's two in one and it's called Little Bay. It's called Little Bay Wow, so they're like, the road to get into the place is horrible. So if you don't have like a four by four car like you, can't even get like a four wheel drive car.

Speaker 1:

You can't even get there. You're not even getting there. It's impossible.

Speaker 2:

Unless you want to hike it, which you can, but when you step onto this beach, there's always nobody there. Nobody there. The water, like the water, is torquoise blue. If you go there on low tide, you can walk over to like a hidden section where you can rock climb, and there's some caves in there. Wow.

Speaker 2:

It's like a, it's like a movie, it's like a scene from a movie almost, and it's one of the places that I personally like to go to, and it's interesting because I haven't actually been there for a while because, you know, I had the, had the baby and I I tend not to go to that one, to that beach anymore.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, so that's interesting.

Speaker 2:

That is really interesting, yeah, okay.

Speaker 1:

So what is the hidden beach, now that you can get to from this beach?

Speaker 2:

You know, I don't know the name and that's a shame. I should, should, should I know the name. I don't even know. If there's a name I can, I can probably find out and send it to you and you can share it.

Speaker 1:

I'll share it after in the show notes, the name, I mean. It's so hidden that you can't remember the name. That already says a lot.

Speaker 2:

No, not that you can't remember the name, I just don't know if there's a name you see, that's even better.

Speaker 1:

It's that hidden, it's even a thing. So is it more like a little?

Speaker 2:

cove A little sand, like a little sandy cove Please.

Speaker 1:

Like I don't think.

Speaker 2:

I don't even think it's like an actual beach. Never I'm thinking about it.

Speaker 1:

It's not an actual beach, it sounds interesting, like a personal little beach, right, yeah, I love that.

Speaker 2:

I love that.

Speaker 1:

Like here once in Martin we have what we call lovers beach. We call it lovers beach because it's so small that only two people can fit on it. So, yeah, so I think it's probably something like that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, all right.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, okay. So now, going back to what you, of course, we already spoke about, you know the things that the islands are mostly well known for, but there are also a lot of resorts and hotels that are very, very famous, like, for instance, you know, the one on Cooper Island and scrub island. But what is since? You mentioned the Anagata Beach Club? Did you? Because, as a local and I get this all the time people are like which hotel do you like? And I was like, as a local, I don't go around staying in hotels all the time. You know, I have a house here, so I doesn't know what I do, but I did have the opportunity of staying in a few and, I think, just like you. So, other than the Anagata Beach Club and I think if you are going to spend time on one of the other islands, you might have stayed in different places what is there one or two that you can recommend that you say, okay, well, these are definitely hotels that I would recommend.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's such a good question. I'm like going back into my time capsule of places. I stayed Right and remember I stayed in there's a place called Mangal Bay Resort in Mayo Bay in Virgin Gorda that had the cutest little. It's almost like a lighthouse or it's like built like it's like a lookout almost. So you go up some stairs and like it's like a lookout point and like there's a room in there and a kitchen and everything, but like you see this beautiful view of like that bay and then they have some beachfront stays as well.

Speaker 2:

This one is on Virgin Gorda, but I'm just going to think about on Tortola. Ah, I know, okay, long Bay Resort. Long Bay Resort, yes, Long Bay Resort. I had the privilege right, I had the privilege of staying there, got it in that, it was right after it was during the pandemic, right, I remember now. So you know, not lots of people were traveling and I remember it was like my birthday and I wanted to do something without like having to go off of Tortola. I just wanted to do something on Tortola. Actually was it my birthday? I don't remember what the occasion was, but it was an occasion and I just called them and I was like, hey, I know that you know it's COVID and like nothing's happening right now. Like do you guys offer like local rates and they go, yeah, yeah, yeah, we do, we do. And they like gave me a rate and I stayed there for two nights. Oh so beautiful. Oh, that beach, long Bay, it's probably one of the most beautiful beaches.

Speaker 1:

Are you talking about? Which Long Bay are you talking about, though?

Speaker 2:

because there's two West End, West End, West End, Long Bay, West End.

Speaker 1:

Is that the one that you can swim at? That's the one closer to the airport, or the Long Bay? That's on the other side?

Speaker 2:

No, no that's Long Bay. That's Long Bay. That's Long Bay East End. The one closer to the airport is Long Bay East End. The one I'm talking about is Long Bay, West End.

Speaker 1:

If you are talking about that Long Bay. I am so in love with that beach.

Speaker 2:

It's not a beach that you could swim at because it's a little rough right? No, Well, it depends.

Speaker 1:

you can play in the waves yeah, you can play in the waves. Yeah, exactly like. Really, we're not talking like one of those. Like it's sandy, yeah, but it's not that kind of like. You know, you just walk in and it's a calm beach? No, it's not, but I think there is the beauty in it. It's rough and it's beautiful. And then you have those pelicans and the sunset. There is one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen Beautiful.

Speaker 2:

It is gorgeous. That is actually where I stay and I'm in love with that beach.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so, but where is this resort though?

Speaker 2:

I'm trying to. So when you came, it probably wasn't up and running because it got heavily damaged during the day.

Speaker 1:

Are you talking about the one that's actually on the beach itself?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so there used to be like there used to be, like some beachfront I guess, houses like right on the beach, but those got destroyed during the hurricane. So what they've done is that they rebuilt them, but they revamped them and they give off this like boho, like the boho travel, you know, kind of aesthetic. And then they have the clubhouse restaurant that's like right next door so you can kind of stay, you stay in the resort and you can just like walk over and have breakfast, lunch or dinner. That is amazing.

Speaker 2:

Right there they have a coffee shop area, a boutique. Now they have a boutique. So I think it's like a one stop shop and if you're driving a car, you know you can easily get over to the other side to like smuggler's coals, which is also another beautiful beach with nice snorkeling and stuff. I actually went to smuggler's.

Speaker 1:

That's actually not too far from there, but we stayed in a. There was a little villa up in the hills so above the resort. Those villains, yeah. So I remember that they were seeing, indeed, that they were gonna redo the damage hotel, that they were gonna kind of like revamp it. I'm glad they did.

Speaker 1:

Wow, yes definitely, I agree with you. That was one of the best places, that I didn't want to leave, not even to go explore the rest. I just wanted to stay on that beach all day. It's beautiful. Okay, so that is long as an L-O-C-H. Long as an L-O-C-H. No, no, I mean the name of the resort.

Speaker 2:

Oh, the name of the resort Long Bay Resort. Oh, it's Long Bay.

Speaker 1:

Resort. Sorry, I heard Long.

Speaker 2:

Bay or something yeah.

Speaker 1:

Long Bay.

Speaker 2:

Resort Long.

Speaker 1:

Bay Resort, Of course yes, all right.

Speaker 1:

So we are getting all of the inside tips here. This is exactly what I wanted. Awesome. And is there anything else that you want to actually share with us when it comes to the BVI's? Anything that? One of the things that I always ask my guests on that podcast is what is the one thing that you would wish the visitors to the BVI's would know that they should avoid doing or do that would come over a little better with locals, because you know it's I always say the locals. We are very hospital people, but we also have our values and our traditions, and there's a lot of ways that you can disrespect all of those if you don't know. So what would be one of the don'ts for the BVI?

Speaker 2:

It's interesting because I feel like we're such a hospitable people. I mean I can't imagine like someone doing something that would kind of like put someone in that kind of space. But I mean, like I would like to take it from an environmental perspective because, as I said, like we are struggling a bit with like the mass tollies on coming especially from the police ships, and one of the things we're struggling with, like really struggling with, is the use of the chemical sunscreen. Oh my gosh, and that running off into the ocean. So they actually had to start taking a tax at the backs. They had to start collecting a tax at the backs because of the use of the sunscreen destroying the actual rock formation and the actual sea life in that space. Because I've learned this recently, you know that sunscreen like traditional sunscreens, because you can get all natural things as well.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2:

But traditional sunscreens have these chemicals and them call forever chemicals and they actually don't leave the planet, like they don't leave your body. If they get into your body they don't leave it, and if they get into the ocean it's gonna be in the ocean forever. So I suspect yeah so I suspect that the use that is causing damage.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's causing damage. So I think I would plead from an environmental perspective, like it's really. It's really took a toll on the bats in particular and the reef life on the bats, because you know it's mass tourism and the people coming from the cruise ships and stuff, and so I would just say, be mindful of the types of chemicals, the types of products that you use, even like mosquito repellent, all those sorts of stuff. Like it might not do much damage for you if you were to go to a bigger country, but because we're so small and like tourism is one of our main pillars, we rely heavily on people coming to see the bats and being in all of the bats. I would say that that's like one thing I would say to be mindful of as a visitor to any Caribbean island, I think.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I agree that is such a good point. Yeah, such a good point, and there's a lot of things.

Speaker 1:

this is something that a lot of people don't think about and it's so, so close to my heart. So thank you for mentioning it, because that is one thing that I stress every single time I get an opportunity. It costs you maybe a little more time to search for an actual you know sunscreen that is reef safe and water safe, and also personal safety, because a lot of people don't know this, but the traditional sunblocks actually has harmful chemicals that it's not so great for your skin either. So if it's not good for nature, it is definitely not good for us humans.

Speaker 1:

So take that into consideration every time when you go to the generic sunscreen. Do a little bit more of research and find yourself one that is more natural and that doesn't have the harmful chemicals in it. I think oxybenzone is another one of those chemicals that you should definitely not have in a sunscreen, and you just mentioned.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you shouldn't have it on your skin either. Absolutely not, and you just mentioned in before that you know you're seeing a lot of people are now saying how you know the reef are not looking as pretty. This is definitely a contributing factor. It's all of those cruisers and tourists in general, and even other locals themselves who didn't know better, who are coming in wearing this.

Speaker 1:

you know this harmful stuff on their skin and then going and playing with turtles and then you've infected the turtle with something and that's why it's like a big no-no to not touch the animal, especially if you're wearing sunscreen, and especially do not go in the water with it at all.

Speaker 2:

So thank you for that that is amazing.

Speaker 1:

So before I let you go today, I want you to tell the listener how they can get in touch with you, especially if they're interested in staying at your Airbnb and book a tarot reading with you and do any of the other services that you offer, because you also do yoga, rikey.

Speaker 2:

And now we know also some sound therapy. Sound therapy fantastic.

Speaker 1:

I haven't done that yet, but that's on my list. And you also, of course, do the island tour, which is not for everybody, only the guests that are staying with you.

Speaker 2:

I yeah, for now I just offer it to my guests. Yeah yeah, I do. But I mean, if you stay in touch, I'm sure it'll expand into something.

Speaker 1:

I'm sure by the time yeah, by the time they're ready to come and visit, yeah and it's such a good thing when you and I think it's just one of the reasons why I started offering island tours but I'm cutting back on that. In June I said I'm not doing it anymore because having one podcast now and soon having two podcasts plus a blog, plus social media, plus I'm planning retreats, plus, plus, plus it's really taken a lot of my time. So I unfortunately I'm not gonna go and I'm not gonna continue offering the island tours, but I am so happy that you do, and what I found is that it gives so much more value when you book with a person who actually knows what they're talking about, who knows the island, who lives there and is able to tell you the back stories of all the beautiful things you see along the way. So thank you for doing that. So how can anybody get in touch with you? What is the best way?

Speaker 2:

Yes, okay, so I think the best way would be to follow me on Instagram right now, because the website that I just started recreating isn't up and launched as yet, but once you follow me on Instagram, I have the links or the instructions on how to find me on my other platforms.

Speaker 2:

So my main Instagram platform is Holistic Mama Medicine, and there you can find my tarot page and you can find my wellness practice. And, moving on from that, if you wanted to stay at my Airbnb it's called the Green Leaf Oasis, and I can share the link with Brazil and she can put it in the link below, but the link is also on my Instagram. If you wanted to check out the Airbnb, I also have an Instagram page. I also have an Instagram page for it. It's called the Green Leaf Oasis, so you can follow that Instagram page if you wanted to know more about my Airbnb's and my offers that I offer to my guests. And then, if you wanted to book a tarot it's the Sacred Wisdom Tarot you can follow me there. And then there there's the links to book a reading with me. If you wanted to do that, which I did, and it was very, very informative.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much. I really enjoyed the reading that you did for me and I'm ready to book another one. So when we are ready with this episode, stay on, because I want to discuss that with you. So you, the listener, if you are listening right now and you are interested in visiting the BVIs, then definitely follow. Follow Rochelle at Holistic Mama Medicine, or the Sacred Wisdom Tarot. Or if you are interested in an Airbnb that is right on the beach, then you definitely need to check out the Green Leaf Oasis, which I'm gonna do right now, because, like you, I now, too, just found out that she has Airbnbs. So that's a plus, a major plus for me. Thank you so much for all of the valuable information that you shared today. I am so, so grateful that you were able to come on our podcast, thank you.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much for having me. This was fun and I'm happy that we were able to share with your listeners some stuff about the BVA and what they can get into, so that makes me happy. So thank you.

Speaker 1:

So, my friend, there you have it. The beautiful BVIs awaits, and so is Rochelle, and I hope that she and I have been able to inspire you to take a trip to these islands very, very soon. And now you also have a contact there in her, so make sure to follow up with Rochelle, follow her journey on Instagram. I've added all the links for her her tarot reading business, which you should definitely hire her to do for you. She's amazing. Her Holistic Mama Instagram account and, of course, also the account or the Instagram account for her beach properties, which I don't know about you, but I am definitely. I have already contacted her and I already told her that I'm coming. I secured a couple of dates. I cannot wait to return to Tertola and spend it with her. You know, have her read my cards, but also do some yoga on the beach and some meditation and all that transformational goodness, because that is so, so good for you and we should be doing this at least once a year. Seriously, take care of yourself by doing something like this.

Speaker 1:

All right, so you are also the first one to know and I cannot believe I actually discussed this today. You are the first one to know about my plans to start a second podcast. Yes, that's right. Island Girl Awakening podcast is coming very, very soon to the podcast near you and you too. If you wanna be part of that and if you wanna be part of the conversation about transformation, personal growth, healing, all of that good stuff, and if you wanna know about all the tools that I use to be a better, happier me, then definitely go to the show notes. Click on the link, subscribe to the newsletter Island Girl Awakening and you will know all about the retreat that's coming up.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes, yes, I'm planning a retreat June 4th to the 9th here in my home island, toastie Margin. You do not want to miss that. You definitely wanna be part of that because, after all, it is so, so important to take some time for yourself. So that's it for me. I hope that you have learned quite a lot about the BVIs, about Rochelle's business and how she can be there for you on your journey to the BVI. Whether it is a transformational journey, personal growth journey or whatever kind of journey it is, she is able to help you out with that. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for lending me an ear. I appreciate you more than you could ever know. Paradise Respectus will be back in two weeks, and next time we are making a trip to St Vincent and the Granadines, so don't miss it. I'm Bracelle, the Traveling Island Girl, wishing you happy travels and see you soon in the islands.

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