Sir Richard Branson’s exclusive Caribbean retreat offers more than luxury lodgings – but they’re a good place to start
The sun has just risen on what promises to be another glorious day on Necker Island, and we opt for an early-morning game of padel before the temperature soars.
We hop into golf buggies to descend the narrow, tropical tree-lined tracks until we reach the racket sports area and are met by tennis coach Kristin Wiley, who rigorously puts us through our paces.
We soon attract a small audience: a pair of ring-tailed lemurs. They appear behind the glass to one side of the court, bobbing their heads from left to right like the crowd at Wimbledon’s Centre Court. They are joined by an enormous tortoise the size of a coffee table, who slowly rustles through the undergrowth around us. We smile in amazement while Kristin exclaims: “It never gets old!”
Such is the charm of Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson’s privately owned paradise in the British Virgin Islands. Wonderment is found at every turn, from the wildlife to the dreamy views, Balinese-style architecture and extraordinary plant life.
I’m here with a small fam trip group including the winners of Virgin Atlantic Sky High Club’s Race to Necker incentive, which was launched at last year’s Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards, with this five-night trip of a lifetime as the star prize.
Signature Virgin service
Our journey to Necker has all the trademarks of a Bond movie, from the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class flight to a private jet connection to Virgin Gorda, culminating in a speedboat ride across the sun-kissed waters to Necker Island’s Red Dock. We are then ferried up to the Great House for a glass of champagne. As we are greeted by general manager James Basson and his staff, a tortoise and an iguana mingle at our feet as part of the welcoming committee.
Staff are gracious and always willing to assist, but there is no fawning here. Besson says: “Guests are coming to Richard’s home. He wants everybody to have an extremely luxurious experience, but it’s a very relaxed environment. It’s quite spiritual – the offering is unlike any other.” Guest services co-ordinator Rikkiya Brathwaite echoes this sentiment. “The magic is here. You never know what day it is on Necker – it’s a time warp,” she says.
Necker Island is the flagship of the Virgin Limited Edition collection. Accommodation is set in four main dwellings, sleeping up to 48 guests across 24 rooms, which can be booked for exclusive use or, on select weeks, individually. The Great House, set at the island’s highest point, is the main gathering area and its open-plan layout features an array of creature comforts, spanning a rooftop hot tub, infinity pool, snooker table and countless relaxation areas. Bali Lo, Bali Hi and Temple House make up the remainder of rooms, sharing the island’s distinctive Asian architectural flavour.
Watersports on Necker Island
So how do you fill a day in paradise? For those whose objective is to relax, there is a mix of infinity pools, swim-up bars, hot tubs, white sandy beaches lapped by azure waters and two spa treatment rooms. For those who prefer to keep active, there’s the fully equipped outdoor gym, comprehensive racket sports area, nature trails and guided walking tours. Yoga classes can also be organised at various spots if clients are searching for some tropical zen.
I’m drawn to the watersports centre and its wealth of activities, which include kitesurfing, e-foiling, waterskiing, mono-skiing, wakesurfing, wakeboarding, Hobie Cat sailing, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, seabobbing and snorkelling.
I’m offered a chance to try Sir Richard’s own e-foil board and spend two afternoons attempting, with varying degrees of success, to get to my feet without falling off – with some encouragement from fellow guests when I manage it.
On land, the animal residents of Necker are never too far away. Journeys around the resort are often interrupted as we wait for a giant tortoise to cross the path at its own leisurely pace or are accompanied by a group of cheeky lemurs bouncing alongside the intended route.
Tortoises were introduced to the island in the early 2000s from the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles and, in 2021, 12 hatchlings were born on Necker – the first outside the species’ native homeland.
Given their life expectancy, they should still be strolling across the island in 150 years’ time.
The resident flamingos made their comeback around 2006, having once been hunted to near‑extinction in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Now, the Necker Island colony numbers more than 600. Their dazzling plumage is visible from across the island, a luminous flamboyant pink imbued into their feathers from their diet of shrimp. But they have serious competition from the equally dazzling scarlet ibis, whose crimson wings can be spotted stretching out in the treetops.
Necker Island sustainability
Keen to understand the mechanics of how a private island resort runs, we take a sustainability tour with engineer Marlon Burke. First on the agenda are three wind turbines, a unique feature in the BVI. They provide 40% of the island’s energy requirements, with another 20% coming from a solar farm, which covers three‑quarters of an acre. The remaining 40% is produced by diesel generators – though the property hopes to move away from these in future.
Burke explains that all the island’s sustainability and renewable resource programmes are instigated by Branson, right down to the staff shirts made using recycled ocean plastic. The ultimate aim, he tells us, is carbon neutrality. When pressed on how soon this is achievable, Burke replies with a rueful smile: “Richard wants everything to be done yesterday!”
Indeed, time does seem to pass quickly on Necker, with so much packed into a strikingly petite isle. One of my fellow travellers was enjoying his second stay and confessed that he cried when left the last time – and as we wave goodbye, I can wholly understand why. Necker leaves an indelible impression and the agents and I go home with unforgettable memories – the island has certainly worked its magic.
Book it
Carrier offers seven nights’ all-inclusive from £21,545 per person, based on two adults sharing a Bali Lo suite. Price includes Virgin Atlantic flights, Winair flights from Antigua to Beef Island, transfers and VIP service, based on a September 18 departure.
carrier.co.uk
Virgin Atlantic flies non-stop from Heathrow to Antigua four times a week in high season, running until April 30 and resuming from October 24, with a weekly service with a touchdown in Barbados in the intervening months. Return fares start at £452 in Economy and £2,150 in Upper Class.
virginatlantic.com
Tradewind operates private charter flights from Antigua to Virgin Gorda from $14,000 return, for up to eight passengers.
flytradewind.com
Agents’ views
Gavin Dattani, divisional sales manager, DialAFlight
“My first impression was ‘wow’. Clients should come with an open mind and really embrace that they are being welcomed into Sir Richard Branson’s home – it’s up to them to make it their own. I don’t think there’s anything else like it in the world. Watching the sunset on Turtle Beach was a real highlight – I can honestly say I’ve ticked an item off my bucket list!”
Carl Breton, franchise owner, Travel Counsellors
“The arrival by boat to the Red Dock, seeing the whole island for the first time, was just fantastic. It feels like a home away from home, very relaxed and chilled, but there’s always something to explore. This is by far the best place I’ve ever been to – it really is something special. If you get the right clients here, they will have an amazing time.”
Wendy Letton, senior business consultant, Reed & Mackay Travel
“This was so different from anywhere I’ve been before. Everything feels very natural. The staff are so welcoming and enthusiastic and make the whole experience very relaxing. The kayak filled with sushi at lunchtime was a real highlight, and the sustainability practices are very interesting.”
Necker in numbers
74: Size of the island acre
1,230: Solar panels across the island
140: Number of animal species
0: Mosquitoes – Necker’s conservation staff keep the island mosquito-free
46: Weight in stone of Brutus, one of the resident giant tortoises
PICTURES: Virgin Limited Edition; Virgin Limited Edition/Adamslamaphoto@gmail.com, Paul McLaughlin; Virgin Limited Edition/Adamslamaphoto@gmail.com, Jack Brockway
