Blog / British Virgin Islands

Are you ready to elevate your Spring Break style game? Introducing the brand new Sophia Dress and our best-selling Bananakeet Dress in ALL NEW PRINTS -discover the Palm Print, ZigZag, Fan Print and more!!

Sophia Dress: Effortless Elegance

The Sophia Dress is the epitome of effortless elegance. Its flattering silhouette and lightweight linen fabric make it ideal for beachside strolls or brunch with friends. Available in vibrant new prints inspired by tropical blooms and ocean hues, the Sophia Dress adds a touch of sophistication to your Spring Break look.

Pair it with strappy sandals and a wide-brimmed hat for a chic daytime ensemble, or dress it up with statement earrings and wedges for a night out on the town. However you style it, the Sophia Dress is sure to turn heads wherever you go.

Bananakeet Dress: Island Vibes

If you're dreaming of palm trees swaying in the breeze and crystal-clear waters, the Bananakeet Dress is your go-to choice. Made from breezy linen and featuring playful new prints, this dress exudes laid-back island vibes perfect for your Spring Break getaway.

Whether you're exploring local markets, lounging by the pool, or sipping cocktails at sunset, the Bananakeet Dress keeps you cool and stylish all day long. Its versatile design transitions seamlessly from day to night, making it a suitcase essential for any tropical escape.

Why Choose Linen?

Both the Sophia Dress and Bananakeet Dress are crafted from high-quality linen, a fabric known for its breathability and timeless appeal. Linen keeps you comfortable in warm weather by allowing airflow and wicking away moisture, ensuring you stay cool and fresh under the sun.

Linen also adds a touch of luxury to your Spring Break wardrobe. Its natural texture and relaxed drape give off a casual-chic vibe that's perfect as a beach coverup or a night out!

Shop Now and Embrace Spring Break Style

Ready to dive into Spring Break fashion with the Sophia Dress and Bananakeet Dress? Visit our website to explore the latest prints and get ready to make a splash on your vacation!

SHOP DRESSES NOW

An update to our most popular blog post ever. Our 2022 BVI Travel Guide is here! 

The British Virgin Islands are…. Known as the some of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean, and really the World.  Known for great sailing the islands close proximity is a boaters paradise.  

First time visiting?….  The sailing is excellent.  The BVI also offers great snorkeling, surfing and board sports, like wing foiling and kite surfing.  Or just relax on one of our beautiful beaches.  Grab a cold beer or a rum drink and find a coconut tree.

Casual & easy going…. The BVI vibe is casual and easy going. Shorts and T-shirts rule and linen is a great option to dress up a bit. Shop our HIHO linen styles online here. You may need a light sweater in the winter when nighttime temps drop below 80 degrees! 

Surf or SUP…. Tortola and some of the outer islands feature some of the Caribbean best waves for surfing.  Cane Garden Bay is a World class point break!  If you like to SUP then there are plenty of wonderful spots- our favourites include Little Jost Van Dyke and the South side of Beef Island.  Wing foiling is the new hot Watersport and we offer lots of windy and flat water venues to choose from. Our UPF50 Shirts are perfect for all day sun protection, shop here online. 

Honeymooners…. Nothing better than spending a week in a small private villa or aboard your own yacht.  There are lots of private anchorages and plenty of deserted islands you can call your own.  Check out the tiny beach on the North West corner of Fallen Jerusalem, which is a stone’s throw from the tip of Virgin Gorda.

Best Island Cocktail…. Check out a Painkiller at Hendo’s Hideout on White Bay, Jost Van Dyke.  Or mix your own rum punch- 1 part lime and OJ; 2-parts combined white and dark rum; 3/4 part of simple syrup; generous dash of Angostura bitters.  Shake and enjoy.  If you let this sit overnight it tastes even better!

Best Sunset vantage…. Watch the sun go down from the beach bar at the Anegada Reef Hotel.  It’s priceless!

A perfect day is…. Sail down the Sur Francis Drake Channel and across to Sandy Spit.  Rig you Wingfoil gear and island hop down to White Bay (with your yacht following you…).  Have a Painkiller at Hendo’s Hideout.  Stay for dinner, or Scott back up to Great Harbour and eat at Foxy’s.

Best Shopping…  The BVI are not really known for great shopping, but check out the Beach House Boutique at Rosewood Little Dix Resort on Virgin Gorda. It has the best collection of casual and elegant island apparel and gifts. Treat yourself to a sumptuous meal at the Sugar Mill restaurant, which is located a stone’s throw from the boutique.  

Secret Spot…. Stay at one of Long Bay Beach Resorts new beach front rooms. Take long walks down the powdery sand beach and enjoy their Thai curry’s for a quiet and romantic meal.

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) are located to the East of Puerto Rico.  Collectively there are over 60 islands, cays and rocks that comprise the territory which is still a part of Great Britain.  Year round weather is very agreeable with temperature ranging from the mid-70's in the Winter to low-90's in the Summer.  English is the official language and the currency is the US Dollar. The best way to get here is to fly to St Thomas (in the US Virgin Islands) and come across by ferry. We hope you visit soon!

 Shop our BVI gear for your next visit here.

Nestled in the corner of Road Town is HOUSE, an oasis of good taste and design. 

Owned and run by Fran Samuels who has lived in the British Virgin Islands for 27-years, HOUSE sells interior décor, gift items and our HIHO line of clothing.  Adding clothing to the mix was a good move says Fran. And HIHO’s linen collection is perfect for life in the islands.  “Linen is such a perfect fabrication for the Caribbean,” she says.  “And the HIHO collection sells so well.”  

HOUSE also sells our wovens and knits, and all our men’s linen shirts.  “The best sellers are the bananakeet and Ginnie shift dress, and the men’s shirts. Visit the website here for HOUSE. 

About HIHO:

Inspired by life in the Caribbean HIHO makes casual & comfortable clothing including linen shirts and sweaters, beach dresses, shorts, pants and soft cotton tees.

Our HIHO clothing is based on the tropical lifestyle we love so much, and is influenced by our pristine environment and island life. Our clothing is soft, designed to be functional, colorful and comfortable in a chic island way. The casual, cool and elegant designs and our original prints are the hallmark of the HIHO brand. Shop here

The Bitter End, our favourite BVI sailing destination and resort, was levelled by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The new Bitter End just opened and we wanted to report that it is awesome in every way.  Really a shadow of the former resort, the new property features a couple docks that can handle practically any size yacht (the J-Boat Ranger was alongside when were there this week), a restaurant, two bars and some shopping.  There are also two waterfront rooms and some great lounge spaces.  

The new resort has kept the best of the old Bitter End, plus some really cool upgrades.  We loved the new architecture and nautical decor- it’s in-keeping with the former resort and you’ll really love it if you are a sailor.  Standouts from our trip were the food, and the personal attention from the chef.  

We also loved seeing former Bitter End employees back on the job!  Our waitress was a friend from years ago and she served us tasty food and delicious drinks.  We’re not sure what plans the resort has but there is plenty of room for expansion, which we look forward to.

We’ve enjoyed running events for as long as we can remember (in fact our brand name originated from the eponymous inter-island windsurfing race and adventure). This year’s Painkiller Cup race on January 16th was a great example of why we love events, and what makes them great. In a very “off” year we thought we’d struggle to get competitors to commit but were pleasantly surprised to have 33-racers on the starting line at Sandy Cay. 

To accommodate the smaller number of racers, the course was designed downwind to White Bay on Jost Van Dyke, where the finish was off @hendoshideoutbvi. The course was about 45-50-minutes long for better racers, and around 90-120 minutes for the less experienced.

The weather was gorgeous with plenty of sun, light wind and small waves pushing everyone down towards White Bay. What made the event great were all of our friends and family racing together. We were additionally happy to get many compliments afterwards to say how much fun the event was.  Things are very quiet in the BVI right now and the Painkiller Cup gave a shot of fun and excitement to Hendo’s Hideout and beautiful White Bay!

Check out our limited edition 2021 Painkiller Cup suntek shirts online! They come in blue and white for both men and women and have built in UPF50 protection. Click here to shop.

HIHO started in 1979 as inter-island windsurfing race through the Virgin Islands. In the 1980’s it was known as the Hook In & Hold On, and was sponsored by Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey.  A youthful Andy Morrell took first place in the 1986 edition, and then went on to buy the event.  With the name shortened to HIHO and a fun sun graphic logo the event was re-started in 1983 and endured for another 20-years.  Famous for a week of great windsurf racing, a yacht flotilla and legendary parties, the HIHO race was one of the biggest water sports events on the Caribbean.  And the sun graphic logo shirts evolved into today’s HIHO brand of island inspired apparel.

It’s a funny thing about visiting the Caribbean but tourists like to leave some proof they were there.  The great bars of the Caribbean are adorned with license plates, business cards, intimate apparel and visitor photos.  Graffiti too, as in writing your name, some summary of the experience and the date.  Stickers, though, are by far the most popular.  At HIHO we are happily on this bandwagon and leave our mark at our favorite bars & watering holes.  Our great friends at Sticker Mule help us by making it easy to source stickers, which we tastefully affix here and there.

In a country comprised of so many islands, it not surprising that there are a number of floating businesses. Here are some of our favorites that should be on your radar for your next visit! 

Ocean Spa – Jost Van Dyke, BVI

Floating on the translucent water at the top of White Bay on Jost Van Dyke is the Ocean Spa.  Made entirely from material collected after hurricane Irma, the Ocean Spa offers all kinds of massages.  You can swim, dinghy or paddle over to the Ocean Spa and enjoy a relaxing massage as you sway ever so slightly with the rhythm of the sea.  More info at www.oceanspabvi.com

Willy-T – Norman Island, BVI

The mother of all floating bars, and one of the fun and wildest party destinations in the Caribbean, the famed Willy-T is bigger and better than ever.  A must-visit stop for any BVI charter and a destination for day charter boats and island residents the Willy T is relocating to their usual spot in The Bight, Norman Island.  The bar serves great drinks plus all kinds of shots.  Here’s a tip- the fidd on the Willy-T isn’t bad either.

Pizza Pi – Christmas Cove, USVI

The originator of the food boat revolution, Pizza Pi offers New York Style pizza served off of a sailboat moored in beautiful Christmas Cove on St James island, off St Thomas.  Featuring a full pizza kitchen in the back of the boat, Pizza Pi customers can order ahead and collect their meal by coming alongside or having it handed through a large window at the back of the boat.   A super-cool restaurant, and great pizza too! 

Our interest in collecting charts & maps must have started when we were young and sailing boats up and down the Caribbean.  Pouring over the chart we were using as we made our to or from Antigua or down to Puerto Rico we always fascinated over the islands we were passing.  Even though we were sailing in our backyard it was always interesting to see exactly where were or learn the name of the point, rock or islet we were passing.  (Confession- we still pour over charts, though they are now digital and you can zoom in and out electronically…)  Now we collect all the charts we can get our hands on.  Of course we favor ones from the Caribbean and we have a cool collection of UK, US and French charts with some dating back to the 1960’s.  We started framing them and hanging them in our stores.  We take sections of torn charts and frame them too.  The attached photo shows one wall in our store.

On Sunday we clambered about an IC-24 for the inaugural ABI Regatta in St Thomas.  It was a fun race featuring a run down the South side of St Thomas followed by a couple windward-leeward courses off the beach at Frenchman’s Bay.   We were the envy of the fleet in our matching HIHO suntek jerseys.  Our winning speed also turned heads!  The fleet comprised 10 identical IC-24 sailboats manned by teams of friends and families.  We were sailing with friends against our friends- what could be better.  A group of kids from the clubs junior sailing program beat us to the first mark but we sailed a great downwind run to lead at the buoy off Green Cay.  We succumbed to course misinterpretation on the dogleg reach to the next buoy of the beach and slipped to 4^th but managed to get back to 3^rd by the downwind finish.   We aced the first windward-leeward course and settled for a 4^th in the next which put us in end overall.  By Noon we were anchoring off the beach and swimming ashore to ABI beach bar for drinks, lunch and a casual awards ceremony.