US Virgin Islands

The US Virgin Islands are a getaway destination that is close by and also gives the full Caribbean vacation experience. The three islands are St. John, St. Croix, and St. Thomas. For your trip, you can chose one of these islands or plan to visit all three during your stay. There are convenient ferries available to bring you from one island to the other. For your dining experience, you are able to visit restaurants that offer classic, “tourist” foods; however, you are also able to dine on authentic foods from the islander’s culture.

All three islands offer several popular beaches and sightseeing locations. On St. John, the most popular spots are the Virgin Islands National Park, Trunk Bay and Caneel Bay, and the Annaberg Plantation – previously a sugar plantation that has been partially restored and offers educational information on sugar production throughout the 18^th and 19^th century.

The Westin St. John Resort and Villas is a popular hotel available for your trip to the island. Located on St John’s Great Cruz Bay, it is also nearby Virgin Island’s National Park. Rooms range from their garden view $285/night, or their pool side view at $335/night.

St. Thomas also offers several “must see” spots, such as Megan’s Bay and Main Street. The cobblestone shopping area offers duty-free shopping for tourists. Some specialties are diamonds, perfumes, and knock-off designer products (pocket books, wallets, etc.). Another big stop there, for any golfers at least, is the Mahogany Run Golf Course. It is a par 70 course and features holes 13, 14, and 15 which have been nicknamed the “Devil’s Triangle”.

One popular, upscale place to stay in St. Thomas is the Ritz-Carlton. The brightly colored hotel has private balconies, or terraces for their guests. This is located very close to the Mahogany Run Golf Course and offers its own tennis courts and restaurants. They have a Mediterranean-style spa and stunning 125 foot infinity pool. Ocean front rooms start at $445/night and non-ocean front rooms at $369/night.

On the island of St. Croix there are also tons of cool things to see. The Cruzan Rum Distillery will show you the distillery and bottling process AND mix popular drinks made with their product.           You may also want to check out the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. You are able to enjoy the beach and ocean during the day and may also be lucky enough to see some leatherback sea turtles.

On the list of top hotels in the US Virgin Islands, the Buccaneer resort on St. Croix is number three.
While the hotel has been noted to lack extravagant amenities, people have praised the laid-back feeling they got during their stay. This hotel has a Kid’s Camp and a golf course available to its guests. Rooms range from $258/night for Great House Ocean View rooms, and up to $668/night for Luxury Beachside Doubloons Plus rooms.

-Kathryn Milligan