I plan on going on vacation to the Virgin Islands this september..any tips?

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stella39

We have the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands. Which ones? I will tell you about the USVI.

The first thing I do want to mention is it's still hurricane season. Maybe the worst month to travel in the Caribbean due to tropical storms, where you can have travel delays and possibly alot of rain in a period of a couple of days. Some restaurants do close during this time because it is considered low season.

Okay, now on to the questions. The Virgin Islands (all) can be expensive depending what you plan to do, eat and hotel. There is affordable places to go, eat and sleep. That's where the research comes in.

One way to save some $$ is to rent a house/villa for the family and eat some meals in. Like breakfast and pack a lunch if you plan on hitting the beach. Have your "happy hour" and some snacks before you go out to dinner. Liquor is not expensive in the islands.

Here are a couple of links to check out for lodging.
http://www.vrbo.com
http://www.homeaway.com

Is the food good? We really like the island food and I would say that it is delicious. Caribbean Lobsters,couch fritters,caribbean pates,johnny cakes,Virgin island tarts (coconut, guava, other fruits). Let's put it this way, I have never had a bad meal in the Virgin islands.

We have never encountered any crime and we have been to the islands many times, but we follow the same rules as we do at home. We don't flash money, jewelry, clothes, cameras or anything expensive. We stay under the radar, don't wander down dark streets with no one around. We don't leave any thing of valuable in our rented car therefore we leave it unlocked.

The islands are not big but I would rent a car to get around and really see the islands. Taxis can add up to be very expensive. You do drive on left but the speed limit is like 20.

Our favorite island is St John and we usually rent a house/villa. We like the extra room. On St Thomas we recently stayed at Secret Harbour Beach Resort and we absolutely loved it. They are condo type accommodations and the beach was wonderful. We are snorkelers and it was a snorkels delight. They have a dive shop and a great restaurant. You are very close to Red Hook, which is a plus, good restaurants and the ferry to St John (20 minute ride)

http://www.secretharbourvi.com/

The nice part about this area is you can ferry over to the BVI for the day on your own or take a excursion.

Charlotte Amalie (St. Thomas) has duty free shopping. Liquor and jewelry you will find good buys.

You can also take the ferry over to Water Island and St Croix.

There is alot to do in the Virgin islands. When we first starting going there, we went for 5 days,and every year we kept adding days on to the trip. Can't get enough, it's like an obsession, can't stop thinking about it. I guess for us it's our "soul island"

Have a great time but be sure to take out travel insurance that covers weather just in case if you travel in September.

Enjoy)

wizard

watch out for hurricanes

John D

Have a plan "B" as you'll be right in the middle of Hurricane Season on a small island in Hurricane Row.

Hector S

I'll do my best to answer all your questions.

"Are things expensive there?"

For the most part yes. We import everything so expect to pay 20-30% more for food items and household goods. What's inexpensive here is duty free items like liquor and jewelry.

"Is the food good?"
Do you like seafood? Then you'll be in heaven here. We've got more fish and shellfish than you can shake a stick at. Fresh fish is among the cheapest item at local restaurants because it comes practically from the sea to your table.

"Is crime and issue there?"
Yes, but crime is an issue most everywhere. Follow the same rules you would traveling anywhere unfamiliar to you: travel with groups, always catch a taxi (if you insist on walking see my first suggestion), and don't wear a lot of flash that attracts attention to yourself.

"Best place to stay?"
Now this is a loaded question. There are lots of great places to stay. Visit http://www.virgin-islands-hotels.com for the VI Hotel Association website.

"Is the islands big?"
Not especially:
1. St. Croix (84 square miles)
2. St. Thomas (32 square miles)
3. St. John (21 square miles)
4. Water Island (491,548 acres)

Keep in mind that September is around the tail end of hurricane season. Hope you have a good trip!

Ryan D

i have a tip... "do the doo" out there

Sky

my FAVORITE place in the world! i want to move there eventually. assuming you're talking about the usvi, its not that expensive. the food is amazing if you like to try new things. crime isn't that bad, but of course its worse than on the mainland, like nearly every caribbean island. as logn as you don't lead yourself into a bad situation, such as looking for drugs or getting into fights etc, then youll be fine. i could tell you the size but it depends where you are going. st. thomas is the biggest and most commercialized, while st. john's is basically just a national park but absolutely beautiful. then there's also st. croix. have fun =)

lamae

I'm Jealous! I've been the V.I. twice and would LOVE to go back! It's gorgeous!

Some things are more expensive depending on which island you are on- due to transit of goods.

We did not find crime an issue, but still, don't act crazy- protect yourself and your money/stuff.

Where to stay? That depends on your budget. In September, you should be able to find some great deals on packages since it's the off season. Check some travel sites, or just look up vacation packages, Virgin Islands, September on Google and see what comes up!

If you've never visited the islands before, just rememebr, EVERYTHING runs on "Island time, Mon!" and is later than you'd think. 2:00 does not mean 2:00 unless its a cruise ship departing!

Bon Voyage!