TLG

STAYING WEEK OF THANKSGIVING ;

RECCOMMENDATIONS;

FOOD
FERRY TO "BATHS" AND ST. JOHNS
RENTAL CAR AT ST. JOHNS
ENTERTAINMENT

THANKS

DeborahB

http://www.usvi-on-line.com/usviforum.html

Please go to the above link for answers to your questions and more. You can also search this board.

Also, did you know that writing in all caps is considered shouting? And, its St. John, not St. Johns. St. Johns is a different island than St. John. Good luck

DonnaKe

Be careful! St Thomas not the safest place.

DeborahB

DonnaKe could you provide something to back up your statement rather than making a generalization? I go twice a year for the past couple of years and have never felt unsafe.
And by the way, this topic has been discussed numerous time on this board and I think you'll find St. Thomas is very safe. Use common sense...

Diana

Had to chuckle when I saw DonnaKe's comment re STT and then read this from another of her posts.

"San Juan is GREAT for singles. It has gangs like New York has gangs and you wouldnt hesitate to go there."

DonnaKe

Alright, I'll qualify then. I've been there many times. In my personal opinion the place is a hole. There are many abandoned cars on the side of the road and the island to me has lost its charm. Yes there are places that are nice but if you want to compare this island to St. John or Nevis or even Puerto Rico its FAR inferior (again in my opinion but I would like to hear if someone disagrees). I also am basing my point on the fact that not only have I been there and had items stolen from me, but based on the fact that when I was in Virgin Gorda I spoke to the captain of my catamaran (who was 65 years old and a native of Virgin Gorda) who told me countless stories of the trouble HE has had going there in the last five years. Some of the stories where that he knows of people being kidnapped for ransom and many random shootings. He sees that the drug trade has infiltrated the island and he says HE will never go back due to the fact he is scared for his life. So to answer your concerns DebraB thats what I base my statement on. To reply to you Diana, I was referring to someone's concern that THEY heard there were gangs in PR. I wanted TLG to just "be careful" I didnt think it was a problem to give someone forewarning.

beachplum

Good dining in all price ranges island wide. Where are you staying as proximity might be a factor as well as budget.

Public ferry is available to Virgin Gorda and taxi to the Baths or you can do one of the several group charters. New Horizons, Limos, Pirate's Penny, etc. They make a lunch stop if not provided on board and an additional snorkeling stop on the way back to STT

St. John ferry from Charlotte Amalie (longer 45 minute ride, $7pp) waterfront or Red Hook (15 minute ride, $3 pp and goes hourly.) Car ferry from Red Hook

Also check www.vinow.com for info

As to safety, there are areas where tourists do not usually venture where one might encounter some crime. Drugs seem to be the cause of much of the crime just like anywhere else. The "random shootings and kidnappings" is not an accurate picture of a lovely island and great islanders. Just use common sense, lock your valuables and I doubt many would compare it to Nevis or even St. Barth's but then few islands can compare to them. BTW, there has been a very active campaign to "clean up" and remove the junk autos - but one has to remember that on an island there is little room for a "junk yard" and those parts can be invaluable when you wait for days for parts to arrive from stateside.
Enjoy!

vacationlover

We just returned from a wonderful vacation in St. Thomas. We took our two young children with us and felt very safe. We stayed at Bolongo Bay - fabulous place to stay with children (or without!) and used the same common sense we use at home and never encountered any problems. We traveled throughout the Island - visited all of the beaches and also took the Ferry over to St. John and explored there as well. I'm always very concerned with my kids safety but never really worried. Of course, we stayed on the resort at night - we were too pooped from all of the snorkeling, sunning and swimming with the kids to do too much other than dinner and a drink or too, but we highly recommend the Bolongo Bay Resort and St. Thomas/St. John.