Please Register / Login to take part in discussions about the Virgin Islands.
Hello All!!
I thought I would put my 2 cents in and tell everyone why my husband and I have been vacationing in USVI for the past 12 years.
Sometime during 1996, we won a free trip at my employers expense. The trip was in Puerto Rico. After booking the flights for a 10 day stay, I realized the rate was over $500 a night at the Westin Rio Mar. Ugh! I quickly searched through my Entertainment Book in the resort section and found Point Pleasant on USVI. I then booked airfare to/from PR to USVI to match the flights I had already booked! We stayed at Point Pleasant for about $95 a night back then using our Entertainment Card.
Since then we have discovered many wonderful things about USVI...
1.) We always stay at the Point Pleasant. We now book the condo we like through the owners via www.vrbo.com. The unit is wonderful and one of the high units on the cliff with the fabulous view of STJ and the BVI's.
2.) We always rent a car and take the car ferry over to STJ for the day. We love going to Skinny Legs for lunch. I have NEVER had a better burger than the ones at Skinny Legs. There is also a woman who sells painted glassware. The wine glasses are gorgeous!
3.) Dining is fabulous in USVI.
Some of our favorites are:
Banana Tree Grille: Chris is the most excellent waiter you will ever meet. He has made many recommendations for dining
elsewhere on the island as well)
Indigo: This was a recommendation from Chris. He told us that on Friday nights for $35 you can get either a
2lb lobster OR a lb lobster and a lb of Prime Rib. We always make sure we stay for 2 Fridays!
Craig and Sally's: The food is divine. I wish they had an outdoor patio though!.
Oceana: The food is great and the "tapas" bar is a lot of fun for people who don't want to eat a full entree!
Mafolie Hotel: The food is Great. The service is Great! The view at sunset is Incredible. VERY ROMANTIC!
Stone Farmhouse: We used to love this place for dinner when they had this brine soaked duck. Unfortunately, we don't like the
menu as much now. We usually go there for drinks before dinner as the building is incredible.
Places to avoid:
Havana Blue: Unless you like squiggle plates (small portions) and snooty waiters, avoid this place. However, the
Happy Hour is pretty good for sunset and the ambiance of the place is very nice.
4.) Activities are wonderful!
Some of our favorites are:
Scubadu Daysail The url is: www.sailvi.com. Captain Joe is FABULOUS. He only takes PRIVATE
parties. This is not a group thing with a bunch of strangers.His Catamaran is
well-kept, His food is wonderful and is his company and expertise are even better. This was one of the best
days of our lives! We went for the Day Sail as well as the Sunset Sail and loved it.
Limnos Charters: This is a powerboat that goes to Baths on Virgin Gorda. It holds about 30 people and is a fun day. It is not a
private charter but is a lot of fun and very reasonably priced.
Pirates Penny: This is a powerboat that goes to the Baths on Virgin Gorda. It holds 12 people and is private if you book it as a
charter. We did so and had a great day.
St. John Day Trip: We love to take the car ferry over and circumnavigate the island with a stop at every beach we can. We usually
lunch at Skinny Legs and make it back to the car ferry for the 5pm back to St. Thomas. Totally laid back day and
since you bring your own car, you don't have to worry about carting all your beach stuff on the people ferry and
having to rent a car on STJ.
Coki Beach Day: This is a great beach by Coral World. It gets a bit crowded on cruise ship days, but you can easily check the
calendar to see when the least amount of ships are in! I remember fondly a native carrying multiple fresh
lobsters (still alive and squirming) and offering them up to be grilled on the beach for $20. It was
incredible eating fresh lobster in your swimsuit while enjoying a bucket of Carib beers!
These are just a few things we have done over the years. We have friends who have joined us every year and our group is getting rather large. We have never felt unsafe in USVI. But... we don't do anything risky. We take the same (if not more) precautions that we would at home!
WE LOVE USVI!!
Hi Marcy,
What a wonderful report. I thought that I knew most places on island already, but now you've given me some more great places to try out. We have a place next door to Point Pleasant and love the area also. I'm surprised that you didn't mention Fungi's. When we are in town we usually stop by for a drink or two (or three).
Molly
I love Fungi's too!! WE love their mahi mahi sandwiches as well as the frosty beverages!
You are right on the money..especially with the food choices. I agree about Blue Havana also, my husband actually left hungry, You have to try Room w/ a View-that's our personal favorite.
Actually leaving in three weeks for the BVI - a little nervous right now for the poor people on the islands with that hurricane going through. They'll be in my prayers tonight.
Kimberlysea,
I also love Room With a View, very pricey though. We took some friends out that were visiting and the cost was over $700 for the four of us. I do have to admit that more than half of the bill was for some expensive wine and cocktails, and we did leave a big tip for excellent service and wonderful food.
Molly
