Your Feel Great Adventure
Travel To US Virgin Islands
This page contains information about the US Virgin Islands of St. John, St. Croix and St. Thomas. Most of the information on this page is from brochures that I picked up at the airport in St. Thomas. I haven't personally been to St. Croix or St. Thomas (except to the airport on St. Thomas) or to everyplace on St. John. So I am not recommending anything I haven't experienced. I'm just providing this information for you to read with a critical eye. I acquired most of it when we were in St. John, May 2010.
Here are a couple of general brochures or booklets that have information covering all three islands. Under each island section below, there is more information specific to each island.
St. John
Travel to St. John, USVI --- May 2010
Our last day on the beach, we got this video. We call it Our St. John beach video. This is Cinnamon Beach early in the day before the crowds got there.
Here is a pretty good map of St. John. The best map we found when we were there was provided by the place we stayed and was put together by the Parks Service. I highly suggest you get one of those when you arrive. It is very detailed and highly accurate. It will come in handy especially if you plan to rent a car.
I'm going to give you some of our impressions while I go along here, not just hand you brochures like I have for St. Croix and St. Thomas on this page. Your experiences may vary.
We rented a Jeep Wrangler while we were there. That turned out to be a good idea. You need a vehicle to get to most beaches unless your resort is actually sitting on one and you just want to stay there. Our vehicle was poorly maintained (it needed maintenance) and the tires were questionable. We never had a flat but we sure worried about it. We rented from Delbert's Rental. If we went back, we would probably do more research and go elsewhere.
There is only one gas station on the island. So, when you pick up your vehicle, fill up with gas right away in Cruz Bay. Even though this is the US Virgin Islands, they drive on the left. We didn't have a problem adapting since the vehicles had the driver on the left. We were able to drive from one end of the island to the other and we investigated all paved roads (and some not paved by accident).
Here is tour called Tropic Tours. We didn't take it but it looks kind of fun. They have a booth at the airport in St. Thomas.
As far as places to stay, let me prepare you. One way St. John is described is that they are laid back. This can be good if you are looking for no pressure and to just relax. This cannot be good if you are a clean freak and you don't like bugs or animals. The people are very nice but they don't worry about hygiene or cleanliness like many of us might back home.
We found a reasonably priced place to stay on the website Vacation Rental By Owner. If you go this route, make sure you check out the people thoroughly. Anyone can post information here and I would not be surprised if scams are common.
If you want a more formal place to say, here is a brochure of the St. John Westin. I would have loved to have stayed here. But the price is quite high (more than I wanted to spend).
In between, there is Century Hill Estates. I'm sure there are more, but that's all the brochures I have.
Here is the St. John Guidebook for 2010. You will probably find more hotels and resorts in it. For additional general information about St. John, check out St. Thomas - St. John This Week May 2010, Your Guide To America's Paradise.
We rented a cottage in Coral Bay. Cruz Bay has many places to stay and more food choices but is more touristy.
As far as food goes, we ate at Skinny Legs, Donkey Diner and Island Blues. Donkey Diner claims to have the best breakfast on the island. That's true but, honestly, it's not that hard to be the best when you compare it to the other options. Skinny Legs is overpriced and the food is not really that good. Island Blues had good food but it's kind of expensive. The best meals we had were when we bought our own at the market and made sandwiches. When eating out, I was concerned about the cleanliness of the preparation but, in order to eat it, I had to try to not think about it.
Also, if you are following the advice on this website, eating healthy is just not possible. I had problems with digesting the food all week. When I had a salad at Island Blues, there was not much green and it was way overpriced. So just be prepared to not eat well.
Here are a few other perceptions.
The locals were very nice and seemed to reciprocate smiles and waves. I think they truly enjoy living there and they seem to like the tourists.
There are wild donkeys and goats that just roam around and eat the natural vegetation. That's kind of unique.
The heat and humidity are oppressive, especially if you are from an area with cold winters. Make sure you get a place with air conditioning, if you think you need it.
The island is mostly a national park, so no building is allowed on the majority of the island. Consequently, it is quieter and less touristy than, say, St.Thomas.
Overall, we had an okay time. We rested, read a lot and went to the beach and got sunburned. This trip was on our bucket list. We've been wanting to do it for several years. We even thought about buying a cottage at one time. However, the prices were higher than we expected mostly because of the national park. But the views were absolutely beautiful. There are lots of beaches to choose from.
Final Recommendation: I would recommend St. John USVI.
St. Croix
Here is some information that I picked up at the airport in St. Thomas. There doesn't seem to be much about St. Croix compared to St. John and, especially, to St. Thomas. I have two brochures for hotels/resorts. If I was going back to USVI I would definitely check out St. Croix. The fact that there is not much info might indicate that it is quieter with fewer people.
DIVI Carina Bay Resort Brochure --- DIVI Website
Hotel Caravelle Brochure --- Hotel Caravelle Website
St. Thomas
By far, the majority of the information that I have relates to St. Thomas. St. Thomas is the largest of the three islands and the most developed. If you want a lot of activity and enjoy being a tourist, St. Thomas is the place.
Since I have not stayed on St. Thomas, I can only give you the information and let you decide. So I have divided the information into three categories, general information, places to stay and activities.
General Information
Here is a general guide about St. Thomas and St. John. It is called St. Thomas - St. John This Week May 2010, Your Guide To America's Paradise.
Places To Stay
Best Western - Emerald Beach Resort
Best Western - Carib Beach Resort
Island View Guest House
The Green Iguana Hotel
bolongo Bay Beach Resort
Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Marriott
Windward Passage Hotel
Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort & Spa (See below for more information about activities at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort.)
Secret Harbour Beach Resort
Scott Hotel
The Island Beachcomber Hotel
Activities
Catamaran sailing, swimming and snorkeling at Heavenly Days. It looks like this sailing adventure also takes you to St. John.
St. Thomas Two Hour Ocean Racing with ondeck Performance Sailing.
Miniature golf, bumper boats, arcade . . . great for kids:
Winner's Miniature Golf & Amusements at Wyndham Sugar Bay Hotel
Guided kayak, hike and snorkel . . . Eco-Adventure at St. Thomas' Mangrove Lagoon & Cas Cay Sanctuary with Virgin Islands Ecotours.
Helmet Dive at Coral World Ocean Park with Sea Trek.
Spectacular ride with breathtaking views on St. Thomas Skyride.
Golfing at Mahogany Run Golf Course.
Spa experience at Journeys Spa at Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort.
Family fun at Coral World Ocean Park, including Sea Lion Splash.
As you can see, St. Thomas has a lot more choices and activities than the other two. As always make sure you research any activity thoroughly for safety and security before giving anyone money. The owners of this site are not responsible for any problems. This information is posted for reference only and does not imply any recommendation.
