Unwinding in St Thomas

St Thomas has it all. If you enjoy doing nothing but relaxing on the beach, it's perfect. There are beautiful beaches and crystal clear water. If you like to explore the area and experience the culture, it's perfect. There are plenty of excursions within St Thomas and the other Virgin Islands are only a short boat trip away. With Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, KFC, KMart and all the big hotel chains, you can tell it's part of America. But there are many other parts of St Thomas with a definite Caribbean feel and flair.

With 3 weeks on the island, we had time for relaxing days reading on the beach and time to tour St Thomas, St John, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Water Island (by bike) and the mangroves on St Thomas by kayak. Our favorite day was when we rented a Boston Whaler powerboat, swam to a secluded beach and snorkelled with a sea turtle. I'd also recommend going to the Baths at Virgin Gorda. They are breathtaking and definitely worth the trip.

Quick Tips:

June was a great time to go. Most hotels and excursions were cheaper because it was the off-peak season. It was hot (around 80F) but that's only a few degrees warmer than the winter. It's also much less busy.

During the summer, there are usually 1-3 cruise ships docked in Charlotte Amalie but there are a couple of days a week where there are none. On those days, many shops are also closed. The island is much busier when the cruise ships are in. Even the beaches clear off at around 4pm when everyone heads back to the ships. During the winter, there can be up to 12 ships in the harbour.

Best Way To Get Around:

There are always taxis waiting in town. Fares are usually a fixed price per person depending where you are going (ie. each from Charlotte Amalie to the Marriott, Marriott to Red Hook, etc). Most of the taxis are big vans and the taxi driver may pick up more people on the way if they are going to the same destination or one nearby.

We rented a car for a week. This gave us a great opportunity to explore the island on our own. Driving in St Thomas is quite an experience though. You have to drive on the left but most of the cars are designed to drive on the right. So it's a bit tricky. The roads are very windy and hilly. Our car had no power and there were times we wondered if it could make it up the hill. Also, use your horn before going around a tight bend to let the oncoming traffic know you are there. Locals tend to zoom all over the roads as if they are in the Monaco Grand Prix.

Only ten minutes from Charlotte Amalie, the Marriott's Frenchman's Reef hotel is set upon a hill on the Southern tip of the island overlooking the harbour on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. Steps lead from the hotel and guest rooms to the beach and the Marriott's Morningstar Beach Resort. The Morningstar Resort consists of several small buildings of guest rooms right on the beach. Guests have access to all facilities at both resorts including 4 restaurants, 4 bars, 2 shops, tennis courts, spa, gym and a private beach. There are 2 connected pools at Frenchman's Reef with a swim up bar and waterfall. There's another pool by the beach at the Morningstar resort. The waves can be rough on the beach so stick to the pool if you're not a good swimmer.

We used Marriott Rewards points for 2 weeks (130,000 pts/week) and paid $145/night for the 3rd week. As a bonus, our "garden view" room in the "seacliff building" had a great water view too. The room was really big for a Marriott room with a huge King sized bed. It had all the standard amenities - cable TV, telephone, bathroom with shower/bath, a/c, desk, in-room safe and comfy chair. In addition every room has a private patio (or balcony), fridge and separate ice maker (very handy).

The grounds of the hotel are beautifully bathed in lush greens, hibiscus and Flamboyant trees with vibrantly colored flowers. There are many iguanas sunning themselves along the path to the beach. Don't be afraid of them. They are friendly and let you get pretty close to them. The hotel's gardener gives a talk on the iguanas for nature-loving guests every Tuesday.

A water taxi leaves every hour from the Marriott's dock to downtown Charlotte Amalie. The fare ($5 each one way) and journey time are probably equivalent to that of a normal taxi cab but it's a nicer, more scenic and relaxing journey. Only drawback - the steps from the dock to the hotel are long and steep.

If you are looking for a meal in town, the concierge desk has a book of menus from all types of restaurants. Also, don't be afraid to ask the concierge or bell hops for their favorites.

The tour desk is located on the same level as the pool. Here you can book all kinds of tours and excursions in St Thomas and the neighboring Virgin Islands. Snorkelling, sunset cruises, helicopter tours and submarine tours are also available. They can also help you book a powerboat for the day. I highly recommend this (see separate Powerboat Activity section).

The friendly and helpful staff at the Marriott added to the Caribbean feel and atmosphere. We also enjoyed having the local newspaper delivered daily. We really loved this hotel for its location, comfort and services. It's much more than the standard Marriott hotel. Just be prepared for a lot of stairs.

Our tour started from Red Hook on the island's east coast. Early in the morning, we boarded our boat, the Limnos IV, part of Limnos Charters' fleet. The trip to Virgin Gorda took about an hour. We were met by a couple of safari buses, which took us to the island's most spectacular natural attraction, The Baths. To reach the Baths, we took a short path downhill past small boulders, cactus and shrubs. Gigantic granite boulders, created by ancient volcanos, form grottos, tunnels and arches. We followed our guide through the rocks, caves and tidal wading pools. At some points, ladders and ropes provide help climbing over some of the steeper and slippery rocks. At the end of the passage is a beautiful beach with fine white sand surrounded by huge boulders. We stopped for a refreshing swim in the tranquil clear blue water. The entire area was really busy with tourists from daysails and excursions. At the Top of the Baths, there is a restaurant, bar, pool and tourist shop perched on the hill with panoramic views of the British Virgin Islands.

After the Baths, our boat anchored near the Caves on Norman Island for a snorkel break. We saw loads of tropical fish including parrotfish, barracuda and a nurse shark.

There are many companies running tours of the BVIs from St Thomas. The prices are all comparable so it was hard to decide which tour to take. Each company goes to the Baths but use different snorkelling spots around the BVI. They also use different lunch restaurants for lunch (ours was served on the boat). We booked the tour through the Adventure Center tour desk at the Marriott. The suggested Limnos Charters because it was the only boat that provided shade from the sun. The boat had 2 decks, 2 heads (bathrooms), fresh water showers (essential after snorkelling) and provided snorkel equipment. Lunch was served as a buffet deli bar with fresh fruit, Goldfish crackers, pretzels and cookies. An open bar served wine, beer, spirits, rum punch and soft drinks throughout the journey.

Remember, you'll need your passport or birth certificate to travel to the BVI.

For this tour, we had to take the early morning ferry to Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands. After clearing Customs and Immigrations, we met our guide and hopped onto the safari bus with the other couple on the tour.

The first stop was in Road Town, Tortola's capital, for breakfast at a café and stroll around the shops and market stalls. We stopped for a meander through the JR O'Neill Botanical Gardens, which houses a variety of tropical flowers, plants and trees indigenous to the Caribbean islands.

Our tour took us all around the island stopping at various points for pictures and panoramic views of the Virgin Islands, including Guana Island, Beef Island, Virgin Gorda and Jost van Dyke. We visited a lookout point upon a restaurant and shop at the highest point on the island but were disappointed that it was too cloudy and rainy to see much.

Our guide pointed out the infamous Bomba Shack, made of driftwood and materials washed up on the beach. There is a monthly Full Moon Party held here where tourists and locals dance on the beach to live reggae music while drinking the lethal Bomba Punch.

Our last stop before heading back to catch the ferry was to Long Beach. We had lunch at a restaurant on the beach then went for a swim. We snorkelled around a shipwreck, where many tropical fish now make their home. Closer to the beach, a small stingray swam beside us. While snorkelling, I even found 2 one-dollar bills on the ocean floor.

This tour was good but a little boring compared to some of the other island tour (of St John, St Thomas). Our guide didn't talk to us much about the island and there wasn't too much to see. It was interesting to see the differences between the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands though. The BVIs tend to be much less built up and touristy.

Breakfast, lunch, snorkel equipment, Botanical Gardens admission and ferry tickets are all included in the price of the tour.

Almost two thirds of St John is preserved as a US National Park. The unspoilt beauty of this island makes it easily the most picturesque of the Virgin Islands.

After a 20 minute boat trip to Cruz Bay, St John, we travelled by a safari bus around the island making frequent photo stops and taking in fantastic views of the US and British Virgin Islands. Our guide stopped along the road several times to talk about the plants and animals of St John. He snapped off a bay leaf and explained its many uses. He pointed out a Machineel Tree that drips with a stinging sap in the rain. He showed us a termite mound surrounding an old tree.

We wandered around the ruins of the 18th century Annaberg Sugar Plantation overlooking the blue and turquoise waters of Leinster Bay. A local demonstrated bread making in the old plantation's ovens. The caretaker explained the various plants growing in the plantation's gardens - sugar cane, lime trees, banana trees, flamboyant trees.

We stopped atop Bordeaux Mountain to admire the view over the island and buy a few souvenirs.

The highlight of the tour was the stop at Trunk Bay. A tiny island lies just off the beach and creates a great place to snorkel. Underwater signs that identify coral reef life mark a snorkelling trail beside the island. We spent about 2 hours snorkelling and swimming and ended up with bad sunburns on our backs. If you plan on snorkelling for a while, use waterproof sunscreen and wear a t-shirt in the water. The beach facilities include restrooms, showers, snack bar, souvenir shop, changing facilities and equipment rentals. Be careful of the psycho seagulls dive-bombing to steal your food as you return from the snack bar. Don't forget to bring your camera (and an underwater camera) and swimsuit.

Water Island lies just off Charlotte Amalie Harbour. This tiny unspoilt island is purely residential. A handful of children from the island commute to St Thomas by boat daily for school. Our bike tour started from Havensight where the cruise ships dock. Our tour group was full of families off the Disney Magic cruise ship. We took the 10 minute ferry ride across to Water Island where a bus met us and took us to the top of the island. We climbed a tower and marvelled at the views across the harbour to Charlotte Amalie. We picked out bikes and helmets and set off down the hill with a guide leading and guide trailing the pack. Every once in a while, we'd all stop to let those lagging behind catch up and our guides would point out interesting sights - an old hotel blown away by a hurricane, a Hurricane Hole still used by local boats, the local Squash Club which was an ammunition store for the gun emplacement during WW2. We stopped along the way for pictures and water refills. At one point, half the group took a wrong turn and ended up a bit lost. I was a little embarrassed when I discovered it was my Adrian who led everyone astray. Oops. Towards the end of the tour, we had the choice of continuing on up a more difficult path or heading down to the beach for a swim. I chose the beach while Adrian headed up the hill with the other diehards. Our tour ended at the beautiful Honeymoon Beach. When we arrived, the beach was practically deserted. I waded in the cool shallow waters and watched the kids swim all the way out to the platform and dive off. The small bay had several boats moored but was quiet and peaceful. When the rest of the group finished their bike ride, we all relaxed and tasted some homemade guava juice.

I found this bike tour fairly strenuous. It was a nice change to some of the more touristy excursions and a great way to get a feel for island life.

We decided to explore St. Thomas in a different way, so we went on an eco-tour of the mangrove lagoon. After a brief safety instruction, we got into our two-man kayaks and headed off into the lagoon. There were only 6 of us including the guide so it was a very intimate tour. As we paddled through the lagoon, our guide pointed out the different species of birds, flora and marine life. He explained the importance of the mangroves to the ecology. They act as a nursery to the fish in their roots and birds nesting in their branches. The shallow water is also home to several types of soft corals and jellyfish. Hurricane cove, part of the mangrove lagoon, is still used to shelter boats during tropical storms and hurricanes.

We reached a secluded stretch of sand separating the ocean from the lagoon and beached our kayaks. We snorkelled in the cove and spotted schools of young fish and even a starfish resting on the bottom. I walked along the beach collecting shells. These shells had bright pink dots all over them, which our guide explained was a barnacle similar to that which causes Bermuda's pink sand. The paddle back to the dock was a bit more strenuous going against the winds, but we just enjoyed the bright sunny afternoon and beauty of the mangrove lagoon.

Magen's Beach was ranked as one of the top ten beaches in the Caribbean. From above, the beach looks heart shaped and the water clear and calm. The sand is not as fine as some other beaches in the Caribbean. But the water is cool and refreshing.

Even though the beach is wide and long, it is very busy and crowded while the cruise ships are in. If you stay past about 4pm or go on a Sunday when no cruise ships are in, you'll practically have the whole beach to yourself.

There is an outdoor grill serving quick bites such as burgers and fries. The gift shop on the beach also rents beach chairs and snorkel equipment. Waiters come along the beach to take drink orders and will even serve you while you are cooling down in the water.

I read a travel journal before our trip, which was written by someone who lived on St Thomas. She highly recommended renting a powerboat for the day. It wasn't cheap and we debated about whether we should rent the boat or take the helicopter tour. We chose the powerboat and it turned out to be our favorite day of the entire vacation.

The Marriott tour desk offers 2 types of rentals. Nauti Nymph rents boats from Red Hook. They charge $275 - $355 for a full day and $225 - $305 for a half day. They allow their boats to be taken all over the Virgin Islands. Instead, we rented a Boston Whaler from the Adventure Center at the Marriott docks. However, they have restrictions about how far you can take the boat and it's a smaller, less powerful boat than Nauti Nymph's fleet. But for $185, we became captains for the day. Snorkelling gear was included. The boat had a cooler and a sun shade Bimini top.

We were given a few quick instructions, a safety briefing and a map. We explored the Southern coast of St Thomas and went all around Hassle Island and Water Island. We anchored off the secluded and deserted Frenchman's Beach. We swam to shore and had the beach to ourselves. We ventured further east around Buck Island where several divers were exploring the marine life. For lunch, we moored in the quiet Honeymoon Bay and had a picnic on the boat. That morning, we had stopped at the Marriott's deli/market to buy sandwiches, snacks and drinks. As we ate lunch, we noticed a sea turtle swimming around our boat, popping his head out of the water to check us out. So we put on our gear and snorkelled with him. That was amazing! I think he was as interested in us as we were in him. Now, when I think about our trip to St Thomas, that day, with the boat and the turtle, are the most memorable.