It is also the people that make Virgin Gorda special.  The people that greet you in the street even though they don't know you.  The pride in their island that is so obvious whether they have lived here all their lives or come from other Caribbean islands or further afield. 

The idea for this book came about because we wanted to portray what we had experienced and seen.  We did not want another travel book that focused on the geographical highlights and stereotypical local sights.  In such a spectacular place and with such special people, we would never be able to avoid images of great beauty, but equally we knew that the Caribbean was about far, far more than jet-ski beaches, limbo dancers and curiously dressed Rasta people.  What we wanted was a personal journey through what stands out most about the place we love; the people, the colors, the shapes, the landscapes, the skies and seas, and something which for us is indivisible from all else and which gives us a point of access to the culture - the food and drink. 

We knew that the famous German photographer Michael Wissing would be our perfect partner and so it has proved to be.  Michael wanted to reach into the soul of the Caribbean, as expressed through the sights and people of this tiny island.  He wanted to show reality away from the banal and the clichés.  The result is a collection of photographs which touches upon so many aspects of this extraordinary paradise. 

To me, the photographs in this book reflect not only what I see around me, but also what I feel.  When I land at Virgin Gorda's sandy airstrip, I see the same smiling faces greeting me as a returning friend.  I ask myself where else in the world would I get that same feeling and I know once again that I have arrived somewhere very special.  I truly hope that these images will help show why. 

Regine Hodeige