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Being that I just returned from St. Thomas and received much of my information going into the trip from this message board, I thought I'd throw in my two cents to clear up some things that I was confused about and to reinforce some other points that are brought up often.
The first thing I'd like to address is the weather, or at least the May weather. May is the rainiest month outside of Hurricane season. This makes it the worst month to travel to the VI. The reason being that while Hurricane season can often bring two or three days of rains of 5+ inches, the other days are pretty mild and relatively pleasant weatherwise. May brings with it a history of consistent rain or rain threat. This leads to days of lengthy periods of rain or at the very least, threatening clouds and overcast skies. Now, that being said, it's still better weather than you'll likely find anywhere else outside of a desert. Of the 8 days we were there, 2 were overcast for the entire day (the last two days). The days that weren't overcast had very short (5-15 minute) periods of rain once or twice a day. All-in-all, very pleasant weather. Another key thing to know is that while it may rain in one location of the island most of the day, another part of the island, sometimes less than a mile away, will often be virtually cloudless for the entire day. It all depends on the wind direction and where you are in relation to the mountains For instance, we were at Magen's Bay early one day and it was raining pretty consistenty every 20 minutes or so and was mostly cloudy for the one hour we spent there. We overheard someone saying that they had just called over to Sapphire beach and the weather there was just gorgeous. We immediately changed beaches, and spent the remainder of the day enjoying perfect weather less than a mile away.
The travel situation on the island is very important to understand. First, rent a car. This should not even be a question. It's not expensive and worth EVERY PENNY. There is no bus. None. It's not even an option, so don't stand somewhere waiting for it. Second, the taxi service is not worth it. The only "taxis" on the island are pickup trucks or 10+ passenger vans (some of which have been recalled by the manufacturers shoreside). The trucks usher in anyone they can fit and go to the destination closest to them. If you are going out of your way or just happen to be on a taxi that is dropping several groups off in odd locations on the way to your destination, it could take you HOURS to go a mile. Plus, the taxis charge a per person/trip price. So 6 People going from your hotel to Duffy's could cost $72. Again, rent a car. The left side driving thing is not that hard after awhile. The only difficult part are some of the hills and trying not to bottom out. Other than the fact that there are no signs anywhere and you need a very good sense of direction and a good map, it's not that hard to get around. Lastly, driving on St. John is much worse than St. Thomas. Less tourist traffic, but many more commercial vehicles, donkeys, goats and other street terrors to menace a picturesque trip. Also, watch out for Route 108. It leads to nowhere, literally.
Take advantage of the Public Beach policy. As is mentioned on this site, all beaches on the VI are public. Therefore, you can go to the same beach as someone paying $400/night. Parking is not that tough and pretty much all amenities are available to you, albeit at a price. Knowing this, you can really save some money by staying at a more reasonable location that's not directly on a beach. The view from the off beach resorts are far better anyway. Also, check out Secret Harbor. Not talked about, gorgeous, basically deserted.
A few other tips & things:
- Wear 45 sunblock. The sun is like a fire at a circus down there... intense.
- Try the restaurants. Unbelievable seafood. I Recommend Agave, Banana Tree and Herve.
- The Green House is overrated. Worst service on the island.
- Shop around. Jewelry, booze & other gifts vary tremendously in price from place to place. Stay away from Havensite and the cruise ship area.
- Iguanas are friendly and are hams for the camera. Just watch out for the ones that fall out of the trees, seriously.
- If you're staying in Charlotte Amalie, try breakfast at Delly Deck. Great food, great staff and just plain great.
- The locals are very friendly if you are friendly. Leave your stateside indifference at home and be friendly, everyone else is.
Finally, we had a wonderful time in the VI. I can't wait to go back and enjoy some of the same things as well as some new things. I'd like to thank everyone down there who made our vacation so pleasant.
Thanks for the pointers!!! I leave in less than 4 weeks!!
Thanks Danny! I chuckled at your comment about no road signs. 🙂
As not to confuse people - there are buses (public buses and safari $1 buses) but they are not the easiest to figure out and are not reliable and pretty much only go to commericial areas and neighboring residential areas so not to attractions or beaches.
--Islander
Are there street signs or other navigational aides at the intersections of major thoroughfares? If not, is there a reference source that uses relevant landmarks.? (eg "the Kmart at Road X and Y)
Hello DSJ,
There are street signs; stop, yield, speed limit, school zone ect. There are street lights and cross walks. Roads have numbers and the numbers are on signs as well and they correspond to maps.
--Islander
Thanks, Islander, for the reality check. I took "Danny"s original post too literally. BTW This forum is a great resource. I appreciate your insights.
Danny
You should be COMMENDED for you accurate and timely comments. As others have said it does need some transalation. Weather... May is rainy, but this is an exceptionlly rainy year, by any standards...Some May's are dry...
Rent a car...EXCELLENT advice...I would never consider trying to enjoy the island without my own method of transportation...
GLad you enjoyed your stay...Who knows what will happen....
I think I will take rain in the VI over the rain we have been getting in Michigan - almost 8" this month already and another possible inch today. A few showers every now and then like in the VI sound like heaven right now.
Hey Danny,
Thanks for the info. I'm headed to STT next week. Where did you find your "good map"? I'm on a quest to obtain as detailed a map as possible BEFORE I arrive on STT. I'm going to be checking out various sites, businesses, etc. for a possible move there, and want to plot a course.
Would appreciate your advice.
Ansley
The map situation is a little dicey pre-trip. I don't think it make a whole lot of sense to try and "plot a course", as you say, before you go as there aren't that many tools to help you out until you get there and are able to familiarize yourself with the area. The map on the vinow.com site is a good way to know key places like Red Hook, Magen's Bay, Coki Beach and other landmarks. Once you get there, you'll want to stop by the visitor's center in the airport to pick up one of a couple of travel guides that have pull out maps. Given that there are literally only a handful of "major" roads on STT, you won't have too much trouble getting from place to place as long as you know that you want to go N, E, S or W. Just drive til you hit water.
As for the road signs, I guess I was a little hasty in suggesting that there aren't ANY signs. It's not like you're driving around some lawless country where it's kill or be killed. There are speed limit signs (that no one follows, least of all the dump trucks and "taxis") and all other signs that you'd find in a normal city setting. What I was referring to are the signs from highway to highway. For instance, in Charlotte Amalie there is no sign to get you from Route 30 to Route 35. 35 begins somewhere in downtown Charlotte Amalie, but after 8 days, I still don't know where it is. Also, you can drive a long time on a road only to realize that you've changed routes without even knowing it. There are often signs letting you know that the new routes are coming up, but it's definitely a good idea to get a sense or how far things are away from eachother (in miles) so that you can expect the change in route before it comes. Lastly, directions from place to place are not as intuitive as the people giving them make them out to be. There are rarely signs on the highway that direct you towards the resort or beach you wish to go to. You really need to understand the map before you try and figure out how to get to one of these destinations, especially if the resort is not on a particular beach.
So the mantra for navigating STT should be:
Sunrise=East, Sunset=West, Downpour=Enjoy Some Cruzan Until it Subsides. 9-)
Hello Ansley
Copy & paste this to your browser to pull up the best island map of St. Thomas:
http://www.usvi-on-line.com/st/stmap.shtml
This same map is usually given to you when you rent a car (if they have it at the time).
TBoyd
www.harmonysuite.com
I don't know why you would bother with the road signs anyway...you may know what they are on the map (because you have one in your hand), but no one else does. Not even those that live there. I learned while living there that giving directions to somewhere involves a lot of landmarks (as in "go to Four Corners, turn left, follow down hill till you get to the burned out car, turn left, watch the pothole, and after the third driveway, turn right." God forbid if that burned out car ever got moved, because you'd have no way of differentiating your place to turn from any other!)
I'm glad you had a great time!
There is a small pocket map that is the best. You can get one at the airport and I believe that rental companies pass that one out. It shows the different 'tourist' routes or the ones that are the best to find your way. Maybe you didn't understand or no one explained to you, but a lot of time was put into putting in the Tommy Starfish direction signs. They are colored diferently for the direction in which you are heading, as well as they tell you where you are going. ie Magens Bay, Red Hook, etc. Now, on the pocket map and others, mostly those in the informational magazines, these signs are represented by color, of the route you are taking. So you look for the sign, then the map and you will know which road you are on and then just read the sign to see which way you are heading. I think I may have made it complicated, but it's easy when you have map in hand and see your first Tommy Starfish sign as you leave the airport!
Ronnie
Thanks Danny, T-Boyd, Ronnie, etc. for the map advice. T-Boyd, I found the map you directed me to, had another attorney in my office shrink it, cut & paste it, save it who knows where on my computer, and finally print it. I need a magnifying glass to read it, but it's a start!!! Now I can perpetuate my self-imposed delusion that I can "plot my course" next week as I'm winding my way through the streets of St. Thomas. So excited.
I'll pick up a better map at the airport and/or car rental place, and attempt to figure out what Ronnie said about Tommy Starfish. I love challenges!
Thanks again,
Ansley
