Just wondering if anyone has ever been to St. Thomas or any of the islands around that area?? I'm going to be traveling there at the end of the month and would just like to know what type of place it is and if there are any tips on how to get around the island quickly and/or safely.
Went there probably 10 years ago and rode out a cat 3 hurricane. Beautiful place, I think we taxied around mostly and the cab drivers were nice. Plenty of reggae and drums playing. I dont remember if it was too dirty or not as I know a lot of Carribean islands are. Not much help. Sorry I was like 13.
If you have the time take the ferry over to St. John. Something like 2/3 of the island is a National Park and once you get over there you can get a taxi to some pretty nice beaches. There's a ferry that leaves from Charlotte Amalie several times a day and I want to say it's $7 per person each way but don't quote me on that. There's also a ferry from Red Hook on the east end of St. Thomas if your over that way.
I've used taxis to get around St. Thomas and haven't had any trouble. Most fares are set ahead of time. I'm cheap when it comes to hotels so I've always stayed near the downtown either in a B&B (link) or at the Holiday Inn (link) so I was within walking distance of a lot of stuff. You'll need a taxi to town if you stay at one of the higher end hotels/resorts but you can see what there is to see in town in a day so it wouldn't be that big a deal.
Magen's Bay is a nice but sometimes busy beach on the north side of the St. Thomas. Many hotels run shuttles there and back so you can avoid the cost of a taxi.
Coolest thing I did when I was down that way was renting a kayak on the beach over on St. John. Hiking around the National Park ranks right up there too if you're into that.
St. Thomas is beautiful. It has mountains and some of the bluest waters you will ever see. The beaches are great, the snorkeling view is fabulous and the food is wonderful. It all depends on what you want.
If you're on a cruise and it's one of the ports of call, shopping there is fun but watch the little kids. They are at the port and follow you everywhere. It all seems so innocent (them asking for money) but if you don't give it to them some have been known to get very hostile. Shopping can be an adventure in itself as I bartered for many things.
Thanks for all the helpful info., this is going to be my first time outside of the lower 48 so me and my soon-to-be wife are looking forward to having a great time. We are going to be flying non-stop from CLT to St. Thomas, I can't do a cruise b/c I get sea-sick just standing on a dock.:laugh: I'm looking forward to going swimming at the beach, and we are going to stock up on patches and pills for motion sickness for the ferry rides to other islands.
One more thing to add about the cabs. If you find one that you like with a friendly driver and reasonable rates, he may be willing to give you his direct number and pre-arrange pickups with you. I did this the last time I was there and used the same cab all week. It pretty much ends up being like a private van service, and was quite convenient as long as my schedule was set ahead of time. Unfortunately I lost his card, but if I remember correctly his name was Robert Owen or similar and he did business as "The Love Cab."
Thanks, I'll definetly keep that in mind while we're down their. The misses just scheduled us for something called snuba(not sure about spelling). She says it's like scuba diving, so I'm kinda looking forward to that.
You will have a blast, maybe you can hop a ride on Cape Air to St. Croix for a day, or Tottolla (A laid back british VI). We let any 135 or 121 pilot jumpseat. There is so much to see and do... and alot of great drinks to be had on the beach... you know the kind with little umbrellas. "The season" is starting to pick up, so expect to pay out the yin yang if you want a super nice place to stay, but don't worry too much about that you will not be spending much time in your room. Not quite sure what a SNUBA is, fill us in when you know. You can also swim with the dolphins if you have time. If you want any good sugestions on good local places to go in St. Croix let me know.
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