History Find Hotels in the U.S. Virgin Islands: St John, St Thomas, and St Croix, with complete unbiased reviews!
Hotels.com
Simple island Weddings | Simple, Fun, Stress-Free St Thomas weddings can be simple and affordable. Stress-free Virgin Islands weddings are our specialty. We'll do the work - you have the fun. History: The U.S. Virgin Islands is an unincorporated organized territory of the United States of America. It was formerly known as the Danish West Indies. Together with the British Virgin Islands, to the northeast, the territory forms the Virgin Islands archipelago. The islands natural resources are sun, sand, sea, and surf. History: During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848. Location: St John is in an important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal. Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deep water harbors in the Caribbean. By plane: Flights are into either St. Croix or St. Thomas.St. John does not have an airport, but is easily accessible via St. Thomas. Many flights connect through San Juan, Puerto Rico, but direct flights from the continental U.S. involve less hassle and flying time. Direct flights into St. Thomas can be found from Miami, New York-JFK and Boston on American Airlines, Atlanta on Delta Airlines, Newark on Continental Airlines, Ft. Lauderdale on Spirit Airlines, Charlotte, Philadelphia, and New York-La Guardia(weekly) on U.S. Airways, Washington-Dulles and Chicago-O'Hare on United Airlines, and Detroit(weekly) on Northwest Airlines. Direct flights into St. Croix can be found from Miami on American Airlines, Charlotte on U.S. Airways (weekly, seasonal), and Atlanta (twice weekly) on Delta Airlines. St. Croix can also be easily reached from the mainland via St. Thomas by flying Cape Air (which flies between the St. Thomas and St. Croix airports) or Seaborne Airlines (which flies seaplanes between Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas and Christiansted, St. Croix). By boat: Ferries run between all three US Virgin Islands, as well as to and from the British Virgin Islands and, on a seasonal basis, Puerto Rico. Get around: Getting around any of the Virgin Islands is fairly easy. All of the islands have bus service and/or a regulated taxi service. Upon docking at Cruz Bay, taxis, rental cars, and scooters are available. With plenty to explore on all the islands, car rental agencies are recommended. From the lush rain forest to the quaint Christiansted, driving the St Croix island is both scenic and a visual pleasure.Stick to the left-hand side and with a good handful of sharp curves, take your time navigating the roads. Remember that you're on "island time." Generally car rental rates will be comparable to the mainland U.S. (about $500 per week or $80 per day). If you make advanced reservations, the rates are generally lower. Take out the insurance if you plan to go four wheeling up the steep mountain roads. Throughout St. Thomas, there are colored directional signs to major destinations.Unlike other US territories, traffic on the Virgin Islands moves on the left. To add to the confusion, unlike most other places where traffic moves on the left, most cars in the Virgin Islands are left-hand drive as they are usually imported from the US mainland. Large and numerous potholes, unmarked one-way streets, very narrow two-ways streets, and a high incidence of drunk driving accounts for the relatively high accident rate among American drivers on the Virgin Islands. As such, one should always pay extra attention when driving and watch out for drivers who drive on the wrong side of the road. It is rare for islanders to stop at "Stop" signs. Most drivers will slow down and if the turn is "blind", they will honk the horn to warn other possible traffic. Because the elevation changes, transmission and brakes are in need of regular repair and maintenance. There is a rudimentary highway numbering system. Roads are marked with circular signs.Numbers beginning with 1 and 2 are used on St. John, with 3 and 4 on St. Thomas and 5 to 7 on St. Croix. Roads are not very well marked -- some are not marked at all -- and designations can be confusing. Some roads simply dead-end, or end at an unmarked intersection. Signage can suddenly disappear without warning. For example, heading south on Route 40 into Charlotte Amalie, signage is nowhere to be found as you are shuttled onto one-way streets. It is not uncommon to come to a junction where one must turn to stay on the current road. Locals are more likely to know the names of the roads. Upon landing at the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas, one could rent a taxi or take buses to Charlotte Amalie, or to Red Hook, either of which have ferry service to Cruz Bay, St. John. You can "bargain" for most things on the islands, but the taxi and bus rates are regulated. Taxi rates are published by the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission. If you are interested in saving $8, you can walk 3/4 of a mile to Vetern's Drive and catch a safari bus that will take you into town for $1 or $2 dollars if you have minimal luggage. Taxi rates are charged per person one way. For example, a one way trip from Charlotte Amalie to Magens Bay is $10, round trip for four people will cost $80. If you plan on visiting multiple destinations, renting a car might be more economical. By boat: Sailboat rentals at Red Hook will allow you to get around by water. If you plan to sail to the British Virgin Islands, a passport is required as of 2007. Although passports are not required for American citizens to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA) has made the documentation requirements must stricter. On St. John, get the best idea of the island by chartering a boat for a full day. By doing this not only will one get a wonderful day of snorkeling in, but also see the island from a local's perspective. Try St John Yacht Charters at 340-998-9898. There is a ferry boat that transports cars between Red Hook, St. Thomas and Cruz Bay, St. John. The dock is separate from the passenger ferries. The sign is really small, so if you can't find the dock, ask the workers by the passenger ferries. St. Croix is home to a celebrated week-long culinary festival held each April called the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience. The Festival includes wine seminars, dinners with celebrity chefs (Kevin Rathbun, Rocco DiSpirito, Robbin Haas, Gerry Klaskala, Richard Reddington are just a few who joined the fun). The main event, A Taste of St. Croix, showcases foods from more than 50 of the islands restaurants. For a listing of restaurants on the island see www.GoToStCroix.com. Great local food can be found at Harvey's(stew goat), Singh's (roti) and Norma at the Domino Club in the rain forest always has something cooking. For fine dining, try Tutto Bene, Bacchus, Savant and The Galleon. Rumrunners, located on the waterfront at Hotel Caravelle is perfect for casual, fun dining. They do a great blend of local and traditional American dishes and flavors. If you want to catch what you eat, go fishing with Carl Holley. His boat, Mokojumbie, ties up on the docks near Rumrunners. he, in fact, supplies many restaurants with fresh fish daily. Drink: On Saint John, dollar drinks are available across the street from the National park office, next to the ice cream shop. On St. Thomas, There are several drinking establishments in Red Hook, on the East End, including, Caribbean Saloon, Duffy's Love Shack, Fat Boy's, Molly Malone's, Island Time Pizza, and XO Bistro. On St. Croix, Cruzan Rum is made at a distillery that you can tour. Be sure to do the tour and participate in the tasting after! Cruzan Rum is available just about everywhere, but there are certain flavors (ie Clipper) that are not sold in the USA, so take a bottle back with you. In the seaside town of Christiansted is the Brew Pub which makes several good beers. When at local places or events, always ask if there is a local drink. Be wary of the home recipes (ie Mama Wanna) - they are STRONG! Learn: * University of the Virgin Islands UVI is a small but respectable school founded in 1962. It is compromised of two main campuses, in St. Thomas and St. Croix. Its mascot is the UVI Buccaneer. It is a corresponding member of the NCAA and competes against NCAA II and III along with the Intercollegiate Sports Organization League in Puerto Rico. To learn about history and culture, visit St. Croix's historic landmarks. St. Croix is home to two forts (one in each waterfront town) and numerous historic buildings. Tours are available at Government House in Christiansted. Whim Great House and the Laweatz Museum offer tours. There is even a self guided island tour called the Heritage Tour, maps are available at various places. To learn about food and agriculture, come to St. Croix during the annual Ag Fair. You can also visit the VI Sustainable farm (call in advance) and South gate Farms (both organic). Work: As a US territory, Americans can come here and work with no special visa. Foreigners must go through the rigorous process of obtaining a US work permit. The economy is quite seasonal, based mostly around cruise ship calls, which taper off from May through September and peak in December and January. The surrounding woods and brush areas are often populated with wildlife. Virgin Island National Park has 140 species of birds, 302 species of fish, 7 species of amphibians, 22 species of mammals and 740 species of plants. The only mammal native to St. John is the bat, and the six species are important pollinators of native plants. The island also has many other species of animals that are not native, including deer, goats, sheep, donkeys, cats, dogs, mongoose and pigs. St. John has more than 35 places to dine, ranging from chic and expensive restaurants to funky beach side food stands. After dark the island comes alive with hotel and villa guests seeking out one of the island's cozy and romantic restaurants. The best cheeseburger in this paradise can be found at Skinny Legs in Coral Bay. Great food, excellent harbor side venue, and an excellent place for a cold beer after a busy day of snorkeling, an absolute must, even if only visiting the island for a day (or even part of a day). Vie's Snack Shack, East End, St. John (3 hills past Haulover). Vie's Snack Shack is a roadside snack bar with picnic tables, where you can find the best garlic chicken in the world!!! Vie also sells johnny cakes, conch fritters, and the likes, but the garlic fried chicken is unbelievable! If you are out on the East End of the Island, Vie is a must-try. Just hope you're not scared of a few chicken at your feet! Drink: * Woody's Seafood Saloon. Woody's happy hour is daily, 3PM-6PM. Happy hour is nearing when you hear music from The Blues Brothers, and ends when the theme song from the TV show Rawhide is finished playing. * The Tap Room - St. John Brewers. St. John's first and only brewpub, serves locally created draft beer including their own Virgin Islands Pale Ale and Island Summer. A cool place to meet locals in an air conditioned bar or outdoor patio. Located at Mongoose Junction. * Round House, East End, St. John (First Hill past Haulover on East End).The Round House is a private villa perfect for nature lovers. It houses 2-4 comfortably. Overlooking Haulover Bay, the location and solitude of this villa are its best attributes. A stay in this house would best be described as sheer tranquility. It doesn't have the fanciest interior compared to some of the more expensive villas on the island, but it is literally a nature lover's dream accommodation. The house provides a 360 degree view of its amazing location through screened walls. It also has an amazing deck that wraps around the house and overlooks beautiful Round Bay. The bathroom is modeled after a sugar mill ruin. If you stay here you are sure to find peace and serenity, though you might never want to leave! * Take a day sail to the British Virgin Islands - Virgin Gorda, Tortola, and Jost Van Dyke - with snorkeling stops along the way. Be sure you have appropriate travel documents to enter the British islands and to return to the United States. 
Please share your favorite beach photo, or beach blog with us!Almost everyone has been to the beach, see and share photos, and blogs from beaches in the Virgin Islands, and around the world! history/ return to homepage |
