Have you been to St. Thomas USVI?

Question

My boyfriend and I are going in May, and although I have been doing lots of internet research, I would love to hear from other travelers )or even any locals who might come across this!!) on the "can't miss" things to do . best restaurants? beaches? daytime activities? I like to avoid the "tourist traps" when possible to get a real feel for the place. Any great hiking trails? Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks!

Answer 1

1. Stay away from Coki beach on "cruise ship days"

2. Use one taxi driver for the whole week.  He will give you a great rate and tell the places to avoid and places to go.  Our took us to the St thomas animal shelter just cuz I said I missed my dog.

3. Take the ferry over to Water Island for the day for the bike excursion.  The ferry leaves from Crown point marina.  Its something completely different from St Thomas!

4. take the ferry over to St John for the day.  Go from either Charlotte Amalie or from Red Hook

Hope this helps

Answer 2

I went there in 2002 while stationd aboard the USS George Washington..I stayed four days at the Point Pleasant Resort. It was kinda expensive, but totallly worth it. The had a package when I went called "Dive and Stay' where they threw in a couple of scuba diving trips. It doesn't matter if you aren't certified, they had a class for beginners before we went out.

We went in June, and it was during some sort of festival, which was a lot of fun and a lot of great food. The shopping there is really cheap too.

Answer 3

Spend all the time you can outside, it's pretty dry but almost always sunny. :) oh and try visiting some other islands like St. Croix they're suprisingly different from each other in terms of culture.

Answer 4

i've been many times - one of my fav vacation spots. snorkeling is a must as the water is so clear you can see forever - underwater camera is a great idea. you can also take day trips to some of the smaller islands which have coral reefs. also the shopping is great downtown, so take some extra for that and have it shipped back - great watches, china, etc. there are plenty of smaller, local restaurants with incredible seafood so find those. it's at some of these places where you can find some locals to point you in the right direction of fun night spots with local musicians and dancing. hope you have a great time!!

Answer 5

I'm a local from St.Croix.  St.Thomas has lots to do many places to eat great beaches etc.. Avoiding tourist traps is not easy.

You can go scuba diving, visit the little cays and go hiking on them, etc... If you in

St. Thomas you gotta visit St.Croix. So you can see and understand the VI culture better by food, architecture, lifetstyle, museums, events etc...

e-mail me for more info

Answer 6

Get drunk with the locals at happy hour at the Greenhouse Bar, great drink and appetizer specials.  Especially nice after spending lots of $$$ watch or jewelry shopping.

Do NOT wander too far in Charlotte Amelia, there are very dangerous areas out there...the whole island really.

Rent a jeep on St. John's to go snorkling at Trunk Bay.  Take the ferry over and rent the equipment on St. John, very cool.

Try to find a private snorkling trip (ask the hotel) that will take you to the Baths as well as the "Soggy Dollar Bar" on Jost Van d**e.  If I only had one hour left on earth, I would be at the Soggy.

Answer 7

I've been there, but only to the main drag, where all the tourists traps are.  St. Thomas is a beautiful place.  Just stay away from Charlotte Amalie at night.  It gets seedy and dangerous.

Answer 8

Have you seen the sites vinow.com and caribbeanonline.com?  They have some good info.

St. Thomas is a big cruise destination, so there will be ships [sometimes LOTS of ships] there on most weekdays, so you might want to take that into account when you plan your outings.

If you want a really nice, deserted beach [well, nearly so] take the ferry over to St. John, then hike the Linde Point trail in the National Park down to Salamon Bay Beach and/or Honeymoon Bay Beach [there's also a Honeymoon Beach on Water Island].  No facilities and almost no people.  You can then either hike back up the trail to Cruz Bay or hike further down the beach to Caneel Bay, a very ritzy resort, where you can get a cab back to Cruz Bay.  Check the National Park Service website for info, or just do a search on "Linde Point Trail".  There are other hiking trails there, too, including one with a guide, I believe.

Have fun!!

Answer 9

Here's my top ten list of things you absolutely must do when you visit:

1. Stroll through and shop in historic downtown Charlotte Amalie.

2. Visit the Coral World Marine Park

http://www.coralworldvi.com/

3. Take a trip on the Paradise Point Sky Ride

http://www.paradisepointtramway.com/

4. Swim in Magens Bay

5. Take a ferry from Red Hook and visit St. John. While you're there check out the National Park, the Annaberg Plantation ruins and one of the historic nature trails.

6. Check out The Greenhouse on a Friday Night. All the locals come out for calypso and soca music.

7. If you don't mind spending a little extra, take a seaplane over to St. Croix.

http://www.seaborneairlines.com

8. If St. Croix is too expensive, take a ferry to the British Virgin Islands.

http://www.tortolafastferry.com/

9. Check out the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort for minigolf, bumper boats and video games.

10. Visit the world famous Mountain Top for a great view and a banana daiquiri.

http://greathouse-mountaintop.com

Oh, and check out http://www.usvitourism.vi/ for our official tourism site.