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Awesome weather, scenery; desert-semidesert some places, lush tropical rainforest other places within a short drive, good beaches, decent coral reefs, interesting old Danish architecture and sometimes pushy locals trying to get you to ride in there cabs or buy stuff. (I came in on a cruise ship)
We went to St. Thomas 4 years ago and it was awesome! If we had had the time we would have loved to go to St. John as I hear wonderful things about it and if we ever go back that's were we'll go. The ocean was spectacular and there were a lot of fun things to do (although just lying on the beach not doing anything was fun too ) We stayed at the Marriot in St. Thomas and I would highly recommend it. You need to be careful where you stay. You don't want to stay right in town. The resort on the beach are best. Personally if I was going back I would not go to St. Croix as I've heard the crime is rising and it just doesn't look as "pretty" If you're gonna travel that far and spend the money you want the best right! I've heard St. John called the "jewel" of the virgin islands. I've also heard the British VI are very nice.
I've been to two of the three---St. Thomas and St. Croix--each quite different-
St. Thomas--Quite heavily populated---twisting, narrow mountain roads (driving is done on the LEFT !), lots of very pretty mountain-top views out in many directions (you can see St. John as well as many of the British Virgins quite easily). Lots of little "neighborhoods" on little bays, separated by rugged peninsulas.
Charlotte Amalie can get quite busy--huge cruise-ship trade. It's a good-size town, with a few mansions, small, cozy cottages, as well as "the projects", all on a small scale.
"Tourist" areas can get hectic.
The forest is not really thick Jungle, more a tangled scrub, and one gets the impression this "dry" quality is not from lack of rain, but from very porous soil (?)
St. Croix--not so rugged- flatter, roads generally straighter, much more "rural" feel---some field crops. Much smaller population. Lots of old ruined Danish sugar-mill structures add to interest. Small area of hills and rainforest on west end. Two small and roughly equally size towns, Frederiksted and Christiansted. Old Danish architecture.
People are generally quite polite and more "chatty" than in the modern US mainland. However, there can be an air of "curtness" sometimes in the tourist areas. Can I suggest a theory?
The US Virgins are quite poor by mainland standards. And I think it's just the simple fact that you mix a relatively poor society with a HUGE influx of---should we say, "boisterous" tourists (?)--and I just don't think that's a "healthy" mix. It happens to be the best they can do, and the economy needs the income. But not everyone is cut out to be a "smiling ambassador" to a never-ending parade of loud, partying visitors 7 days a week. I'm amazed there isn't MORE friction, simply due to that sort of "mix". Just my opinion, and I've always had a good time everywhere--but I'm always polite, too. Lets face it, is EVERYONE who goes to Las Vegas ALWAYS on good behavior?---same answer everywhere that has a "tourist" economy. You get a few "bad eggs" and a few "grumpy locals" Remember, this is their home, and you are "company".
I liked the USVI very much--would go back if the opportunity came up...
my husband and i actually got married on st. thomas overlooking magen's bay and loved the USVI so much, we bought a condo on st. croix! yes, st. thomas is more touristy and be careful of ALOT of traffic if a cruise ship comes in! i personally like the red hook area (that is also where the ferry is for st. john). st. croix is the largest of the 3 islands and they have alot more "nature" like a rainforest (you can take horseback rides thru it) and there are 2 main towns, frederickstead and christiansted. christiansted is more tourist-oriented and i love the boardwalk & restaurants there. in fredericksted, you have a huge pier and some great restaurants. you also have alot of scuba diving on st. croix as well as the nationally protected buck island. i personally like st. croix better. and in regards to crime that someone mentioned, you have crime everywhere! only reason you may hear more about it is because they're small islands as opposed to big cities. i'm on a message board for the usvi and on there someone actually did a comparison based on people ratios and all and it is still alot safer than some big cities. if crime does happen to a tourist, it's usually because they were doing something not-so-smart (like walking at 3am in an alley or something- there are cabs everywhere!!). hope this helps! and if you want more pics- i believe in my profile there's a link to my personal website that has pics from our trips to both islands.
Having lived on St. Croix for about 1 1/2 years, I'd have to say the SCUBA is about the only thing I truly enjoyed. KeyBroker, I would bet you are on the same forum I am.
Having been the victim of an armed robbery at 8:30 at night on the North Shore in a fairly densely populated area and an area very popular with tourists, I would tell you to take your molly-tail home by 9:30 or so.
St. John? A different story, a different world. All 4 USVI islands (including Water Island) have a very different feel to them. Bear in mind that the islands are experiencing a huge exponential growth as people try to find paradise under the U.S. flag.
Be careful no matter where you go. Just keep your head up and your eyes open, don't leave your stuff unattended, and don't put yourself in a bad situation. I would give those same rules to anyone coming to my home state. Needless to say, living there full time and visiting are two entirely opposite concepts. That we made it as long as we did is a testament to tenacity. I'll go back to visit, and I have many, many friends there....but live there? Not a chance.
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