The United States Virgin Islands consist of St Thomas, 32 square miles, St John, home to the Virgin Island National Park and St Croix 84 square miles. The Islands were discovered in 1493 by Christopher Columbus, and ultimately owned by Denmark. They were known as Danish West Indies. The Virgin Islands have a long history of slavery, sugar cane, and even pirates. In 1917 they were purchased by the United States for 25 million dollars and are a United States Territory. Currently if you are a U.S. citizen a passport is not required for entry.

The citizens of St Thomas comprises many different cultures including American, Caribbean, Danish, French, Asian and African. English is spoken throughout the islands. The Native Islanders also speak a blended language Patois pronounced PA-twah (Danish, Spanish, English, Portuguese and African). Spanish is also spoken. These cultural influences can be found in the shops, markets and restaurants. The currency for the islands is the U.S dollar. Make sure you have cash on hand as well as your credit or debit cards. ATM machines are available.

The main airport in St Thomas is Cyril E. King Airport (STT). Currently the only requirement for visiting USVI is to have a negative COVID-19 test result 5 days or less prior to travel. As soon as you exit the plane the staff is waiting armed with thermometers and paperwork checking passengers for entry. It is organized and efficient. Once we passed through the doors of the terminal, we immediately felt relaxed and ready to enjoy our holiday. We were celebrating a milestone anniversary so it worked out perfectly.

Upon arrival we rented a vehicle to get around the island. This is your best option. If you’re confident driving on the left side of the road. The steering wheel is still on the left, same as stateside, but you have to physically drive on the left side of the road. If we felt unsure at an intersection we just followed the cars in front of us. It made it much easier. After a short while you get accustomed and it becomes a habit.

In September 2017 the USVI experienced two horrific Category 5 hurricanes, Irma and Maria. They ripped through the islands and left a path of destruction, leaving many of the homes and resorts inhabitable. There is still construction and work to be done. Some resorts have not recovered and will remain closed. However, the end is in sight and once complete the islands will be beautiful.

We stayed 5 nights, but could have easily stayed longer. Since this was our first flight during Covid-19 we didn’t want to chance staying away too long. We were so glad we took the trip.

Under normal circumstances St Thomas is a stop over for many cruise lines. They normally dock in the harbour of Charlotte Amalie (the capital city). There are dozens of shops and eateries to cater to the cruise passengers. None of this was happening during our visit. We may have had a different experience had the cruise ships been in port.

We booked our stay at Margaritaville ( A Wyndham timeshare). We had a studio room, with a kitchenette. It had a lovely private balcony and seating area with views of the Caribbean. There was shuttle service available for the guests, vehicles are not permitted past the lobby parking lots. If you decide to walk back to your room be prepared for the steps. We mostly went down the stairs and shuttled up. Unless we wanted to burn some extra calories after dinner. The concierge desk at Margaritaville was very helpful and assisted us with restaurant information, transportation to St. John as well as providing us with a list of eateries that offer discounts to guests of Margaritaville.

There are multiple pamphlets in the rooms advising guests to keep their curtains and lights off in the evening to protect the turtle population. There was no cleaning service during our stay and if you required additional towels they will deliver them to your room. The staff is very friendly and courteous. They share a genuine appreciation for the property. We were lucky enough one afternoon and serenaded by our shuttle driver. Click here for the short video.

Margaritaville, was a lovely resort. It had 2 pools, one near the beach and an infinity pool up the hill that overlooked the Caribbean Sea. They both had bars and the main pool had food available. The infinity pool only had drinks. But you could bring your own meal. At the time the main restaurant was open and for breakfast they had a coffee shop that served egg sandwiches and baked items. We did go to a grocery store and picked up snacks, breakfast items and alcohol.

***Perfect Connection - Frozen fresh fruit cocktails - Coki Beach***

The resort was not crowded and there was always room at the pool. No matter what time of day we always found a perfect spot with a view. We definitely felt like we were in a resort and not a hotel on the beach. You could easily stay at Margaritaville without ever leaving. There is a beach at the resort, and you could swim. But a short walk up the street is Coki beach, a public beach, with spectacular views, crystal blue water, soft white sand, much more swimmable. At Coki beach there are about 9 local vendors that rent chairs, serve food and sell items. They have the BEST fresh fruit colada stand on the island. Perfection Connection They’re a little pricey but we didn’t care. As long as we’re paying a local vendor and my tourist dollars are going to the owner and the staff we were fine with paying a little more. I love purchasing handmade jewelry and items from local vendors. If it’s an item I will wear and is helping out the local community….it’s priceless. Just chatting with the locals and learning their stories are fascinating. We also tipped often. There was an incident where I gave a gentleman $10 thinking I would get chairs, we were talking and he was telling me something about the color of the chairs. I said “How much?” He said “$5 each”. I thought Ok. Somehow my message was miscommunicated. Found out later there were three chair vendors and they rented them according to color. I saw him run off and snicker as he took my money. Meanwhile my husband and the bartender were just watching me with that questionable look on their faces. I say live and learn. I guess he thought it was funny and got one over on me. He had such a nice smile and was obviously cleaning up the beach. I didn't care. Since the island had been hit by the hurricanes and then a pandemic, it has not been easy for the locals to make ends meat. Overall the local community is friendly and safe, just be aware and use common sense. It is a foreign land and anytime you travel abroad it is important to keep your instincts in check.

I am an adventurer and love to explore. Our goal for this trip was to experience the beaches, take a day trip to St. John and do some type of snorkeling, kayak tour. On St Thomas, we visited the Mountain Top purely for the view of the islands. Typically this is a major tourist attraction which caters to the cruise passengers. The drive up was a little treacherous and there are many twists and turns. It’s not a large island but most of the roads are two lanes and the driving limit is 35mph. There’s no escaping the mountainous drives. There is a large gift shop and they are famous for their banana daiquiris. On a normal trip I wouldn’t take part in this type of venture. But under the circumstances we made the journey. Glad we did. There were only a handful of tourists and we were able to take in the incredible views for quite some time. We took our time mapping out the whole island from above. Views of BVI St. John, Magens Bay beach, Charlotte Amalie. Just incredible.

We had packed our bathing suits and that same day drove to Magens Bay Beach. A public beach with a small entrance fee. There were clean restrooms, a bar, a cafe, a gift shop. Rentals were also available for chairs, snorkel gear, paddle boards and kayaks. This beach was nestled in a quiet cove. If you looked out you could almost imagine a pirate ship anchored here, as their secret hideaway. We walked the length of the beach, got a drink and swam in the water. It was not crowded and we easily found a spot comfortably distant from other sunbathers. There were quite a few Pelicans and I had to duck my head, more than once, as they swooped down along the beach and dived into the water with their large beaks to grab a tasty bite. We stayed at Magens Bay beach and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. A quick note, spray lotions are not permitted on the islands at all. They were banned in March, 2020. Be cautious of the sun it is very strong, wear plenty of sunscreen.

***Bikinis on the Beach Bar & Grill - Honeymoon Beach - St John***

The next day we booked the Big Red Barge, from Red Hook, and went over to St. John’s. We took our car, We arranged to return on the last boat, which was 5:30pm to get back to St. Thomas. If you took the passenger ferry their last departure times were much later. I would do this next time and take taxis into Virgin Island National Park. It would have given us more time. Unless you have AT&T wireless service, don't expect your GPS to work. We had to use paper maps and ask for directions to get to our destination. Also, to board your vehicle onto the barge you have to back your car in single file. This was interesting. The Big Red Barge employees were immensely patient with the passengers. They calmly directed our vehicles into place. They really packed us in tight. But once we departed you could get out of your car and enjoy the trip over to St. John. Which was only about 20 minutes.

Once on St. John drove over to the National Park entrance and got a map from the Visitor Center. We got to our first stop, Honeymoon Beach. We parked at the entrance of Caneel Bay and were shuttled over to the beach. The parking was free, the shuttle was a few dollars. Caneel Bay, was a five star resort that was hit hard by hurricane Irma and has not re-opened. Amazingly since that time the sea turtles have returned to the bay. This was the tour we booked with Virgin Island Eco Tours. We kayaked from Honeymoon Beach over to Caneel Bay. The sea turtles have returned there because of the sea grass. It’s their main food source. We were so lucky that morning, not only did we see sea turtles but also sting rays, coral, parrot fish, sea urchins, cowfish, cucumber fish and even an octopus. Our guides were so knowledgeable, and they loved the tour as much as we did. On our return we had the most delicious Mahi fresh fish sandwiches, the drink of the islands (pain killers), and live music. There were lockers available to store our items and restrooms. It was a very laid back and relaxing day. As a matter of fact we never left Honeymoon Beach and ended up spending the whole day there. There were other beaches to see, but we were having such a nice time we decided not to explore further and just enjoy our current location. I’m so glad we did this and did not put pressure on ourselves to see everything. That wasn't the point of the trip or any trip for that matter. Why stress out to see everything when you can truly enjoy the moment? Later that afternoon we caught the last ferry back to Red Hook.

Red Hook is only a few minute drive from Margaritaville. It is a great location for restaurants and shops. You have a choice of food fare and not long wait times. Although reservations are suggested. A short drive from Red Hook is the Secret Harbour Resort. The Sunset Grille is on the beach. Outdoor dining, bar and beautiful views. We found out that there is a chain of restaurants owned by the same corporation. They have multiple locations with different fares. American, Seafood, Sushi and others. If you’re looking for privately owned restaurants there are plenty.

Next time I would spend a couple of nights on St. John. This was our first time and we were in a pandemic. So precautions were taken. I’m so glad we took the chance and went away. We wore our masks, we socially distanced ourselves from others. We also met other Americans, mostly from the mid west. Surprisingly, no one from Jersey.

We had non stop flights and they were fine. Only difference was we had masks and wiped down our seats. Other than that uneventful.

***Remember you saw Lulu Llama here :)***

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6 Days in St Thomas, United States Virgin Islands (USVI)

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