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Three Reasons To Visit The US Virgin Islands (Besides The Obvious)

February 5, 2009 at 3:01 PM | by egw | 4 Comments

A tropical vacation ain't exactly a hard sell this time of year. (You think it will really hit 20 degrees in New York today? Break out the sunscreen!) But the U.S. Virgin Islands' new website, VisitUSVI.com, gave us three more reasons to go Caribbean:

We've never gone diving and they'll take us as we are. A new diving promotion USVI operators are rolling out takes aim at newbies like us, from the middle-school-aged to the novice spouse. We don't have any prices yet, but we hear the new daylong packages include training in the morning to get you in the water, seeing the sights, by the afternoon.

Carnival in St. Thomas is the new Carnival anywhere else. It's later (kicks off April 29 with a local food festival) and guaranteed to be less crowded. St. John and St. Croix have their own carnivals (held around the 4th of July and just after Christmas, respectively); when we cornered USVI Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty, she shrewdly refused to say which was her favorite. Guess we'll have to figure it out ourselves.

If we can only get 20 of our friends to go, we can get a sweet deal. The Department of Tourism just launched a group rewards promotion where large groups get a $50 credit per person that can be used on the islands. And the only thing better than getting out of the rest of winter would be taking all our nearest and dearest with us.

Related Stories:
· In Case Anyone Has Any Money Left, The US Virgin Islands Are On Sale [Jaunted]
· Obamacation in the Virgin Islands [Jaunted]

[Photo: *Hiro]

4 Comments

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Return to » Three Reasons To Visit The US Virgin Islands (Besides The Obvious)

  1. travelingbob

    Jaunted Member

    Us Virgin Islands

    Traveling Bob here. Frequest visitor to Caribbean, particulary US Virgin Islands so I know the real story. Be careful on St. Thomas, St. Croix and now--believe it or not, St. John. The rapes the robberies, the reduction in tourism by over 30%, the economic crisis in islands has created a rather unpleasant environment for crime. St. John is a mess. Over developed, overpriced with tatoo parlors, gambling clubs, flagrant street drugs....and a few murders last 3 years....villa robberies skyrocketing too. If on st john--go to a well protected location and stay put after10PM. St. Croix is trying hardest of the islands and is my favorite...but not at night whatsoever particulary Frederiksted. St. Thomnas is St. Thomas...a cruise ship vistor disaster. You haven't lived until you are in downtown Charlotte Amalie when there are 8 cruise ships arriving and 25,000 people get off and hit streets. Roads congested, dirty streets, poor taxi attitudes, and host of other socio ecomonic factors that simply turn me off completely... Again...the governement, the police, tourism departments, the educational system, family values and the tourist dependant people have to change their collective "island time" mentality and turn the islands into a first class destination of polite, clean, courtious islands... Go to St. Lucia---now THEY know how to do it. Why bother until the Virgin islands governemnt and police get its act together.
    February 5, 2009 at 3:49 PM
    #Permalink

  1. letstraveldworld

    Jaunted Member

    Three Best Island in the Caribbean!

    Harbour Island is one of the famous tourist destination in the world. It is the ideal vacation destination for pink sand beaches enthusiasts. The island also offers a unique diving experience with undoubtedly luxurious resorts. This Island is one of the Out Islands of the Bahamas.

    BEEF ISLAND: One of Virgin Island's Finest! Beef Island is an island in the British Virgin Islands that is located to the east of Tortola, and the two islands are connected by the Queen Elizabeth Bridge. Beef Island is the site of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (IATA code EIS), the main commercial airport that serves Tortola and the rest of the British Virgin Islands.

    Trinidad: Caribbeans' Place of Pleasure Adventure is a normal thing in this place, from hiking through rain forests on the trail of hidden waterfalls and exploring deep caves, to cycling through verdant countryside, turtle watching and kayaking past wildlife filled forests. These are just few of the list that Trinidad actually offers.

    A traveling guide for tourist vacation and destinations around the world.

    Tourist Destination Blog
    February 6, 2009 at 2:55 AM
    #Permalink

  1. dzot

    Jaunted Member

    St. John is fine

    "St. John is a mess. Over developed, overpriced with tatoo parlors, gambling clubs," This is wrong. St. John is 90% a national park with only two areas that could be considered considered moderately developed, and that development is tightly controlled. There are no casinos or gambling clubs. Use caution after dark and you'll be fine. I think travelingbob has confused St. John and St. Croix. He is absolutely right about St. Thomas. It's a disaster. The only reason to be on St. Thomas is to catch the ferry to St. John.
    February 7, 2009 at 11:54 AM
    #Permalink

  1. jp42

    Jaunted Member

    dving...

    While diving the same day as training sounds great one need only spend 10 minutes on a site like Scuba Diving News (http://www.cdnn.info/) to understand that more training is better...just a thought...
    February 8, 2009 at 11:17 PM
    #Permalink

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