White sand, crystal clear blue water, great food, rich history and tons of outdoor activities is what you will find in St. John and St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. I had the opportunity to visit St. John and St. Thomas and I was completely blown away!
The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) is a group of islands in the Caribbean that is an insular area of the United States located 40 miles east of Puerto Rico. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.
Have you ever been on vacation and when you return back home, you are more tired than you were when you left? Well, that will not happen if you go to the USVI! This is the destination vacation where you go on to relax so that you are refreshed and ready for anything that comes your way when you get back home.
With the average temperature ranging from 77°F in the winter to 83°F in the summer, you can’t go wrong year-around. As an added bonus, for Americans who don’t have a passport – you don’t need one to visit the Unites States Virgin Islands.
Below is our guide to St. John and St. Thomas, the luxe way!
St. John
Fast Fact: Two-thirds of St. John is a national park.
Stay
Mare Blu Villa
Perched on top of a hilltop on Rendezvous Bay this villa has breathtaking views of the south shore. If you have a large group of friends and/family, this villa would be perfect for you. Mare Blu sleeps 12 people and includes a 48-foot infinity pool, majestic vista bay views from every room, indoor and outdoor kitchen, a covered veranda. The house is fully equipped with all of the latest gadgets and electronics, just in case you wanted to sneak in some tech time. Do you want to live the luxe way? Work with Drew Kerr at stjohnconciergeservice.com to arrange for your stay, private chef and housekeeping.
http://www.beautiful-places.com/
Sea Shore Allure
This villa is perfect for a couple or family getaway. The villa is condo style, but there hasn’t been any skimping on design. By far this was the most beautifully designed villa that I had the opportunity to experience. As soon as you walk through the door, you feel at home. The villa features spa-like amenities, private balconies with ocean views, full gourmet kitchens, luxurious bathrooms, spacious master bedroom, outdoor blue Havana pool with spa jets with surround sound, poolside tiki bar, private pebble beach and terrace, concierge and high speed wifi.
Eat
Extra Virgin Bistro
Looking for Italian food on the island? This farm-to-table style Italian restaurant has a great blend of casual indoor/outdoor dining.
http://www.extravirginbistro.com/
Tap Room
The Tap Room is essentially what it is, a tap room style pub for St. John Brewers. Go to Tap Room for some great bar food and a strong drinks. Pro tip: It’s perfect for pre-gaming.
The Terrace
My mouth is still watering thinking about the amazing French-inspired food at The Terrace! What an experience. The Terrace restaurant sits on top of a hill, facing Cruz Bay. If you are a martini fan, make sure you try the Dirty Diana. My favorite food items: Baked Oyster Rockefeller, The Terrace’s Classic Baked Macaroni & Cheese with lobster, and the Pan Roasted Wahoo with Mussels & Clams. The perfect time to go here is right before sunset.
https://www.theterracestjohn.com/
The Longboard
This surf-inspired bar will have you feeling like you can do any extreme surfing trick. This laid-back, bright and airy restaurant/bar has an array of healthy options such as poke, fresh tacos and quinoa bowls.
https://www.thelongboardstjohn.com/
Our Market Smoothies
Words can’t explain how good the smoothies were at Our Market Smoothies. The smoothies are hands down the best I’ve ever had, no lie. It’s perfect in the morning or evening or late-night as you can also get your smoothie spiked. Adult beverage, please!
http://www.ourmarketsmoothies.com/
Play
Sunset Sail by Trevor’s Activity Center
Imagine having a strong Painkiller cocktail in hand, the sun is setting and you are stretched out on a very large bean bag with a large fruit board at your fingertips. Sounds nice, right? Well, that’s what you will experience on the sunset sail.
Mongoose Junction
Mongoose Junction is a beautifully designed shopping center that has various stores and restaurants. It’s the perfect place to visit as soon as you get off of the ferry in St. John as it is located only a few steps from the dock.
http://www.mongoosejunctionstjohn.com/
Dog House Pub
Looking to dance and listen to the latest music, then Dog House Pub is the perfect bar. This indoor/outdoor bar has all the feels of a beach bar, but with a mix of city flare. Pro-tip: Go in the evening.
Trunk Bay Beach
This beach is legendary. Trunk Bay is the most visited and most photographed beach in the Unites States Virgin Islands. It’s also voted as one of the top ten beaches in the world, according to Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. When you think of a Caribbean beach, this is the beach you are thinking about. It has everything from crystal clear blue water, tiny fish swimming around your legs, white sand and even a little island that you can swim to and hang out with your friends. You cannot visit St. John without taking some time to take in Trunk Bay.
Traveling between St. John and St. Thomas
St. Thomas Boat Rental
Perfect for half or full day island hopping.
http://stthomasboatrental.com/
Virgin Islands Ferry
St. Thomas
Stay
Palms at Morningstar
This villa is for the city boy or girl who still wants all the gadgets while on vacation. This is a state-of-the-art villa with all the fixings. This two-bedroom property sleeps 6 people and features an infinity pool, 50-inch flat-screen cable TV, Bose Sound System inside and out; gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances (Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer, Viking gas range, Miele dishwasher), wine cellar cooler, and a poolside Viking stainless steel gas grill.
http://www.beautiful-places.com/
Eat
Glady’s Café
Glady’s is where you go if you want a good mix of Caribbean and American food. Known for their hot sauce, this restaurant is a favorite for locals and tourist. Make sure to try the kalaloo, conch fritters, spicy wings and the jerk chicken platter.
Grande Cru
Had a long day of shopping? Need to grab some good food with a great view? Then Grande Cru is the perfect place. Located in Yacht Haven Grande, this restaurant has an extensive menu of seafood and fancy cocktails.
Play
Frenchtown Brewing
The Frenchtown Brewing Company is situated in the Frenchtown area of St. Thomas which was settled by immigrants from the French Caribbean island of St. Barthelemy in the late 1800’s through mid-1900’s. Take a tour of their facility and sample some of their beer. My favorite is the Frenchie Farmhouse Saison.
https://frenchtownbrewing.com/
Yacht Haven Grande
This is the ultimate luxe shopping destination in St. Thomas. Here you will find multi-million-dollar yachts and some of your favorite luxe stores such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton.
http://www.igy-yachthavengrande.com/
Downtown Charlotte Amalie
Stroll the cobblestone streets on Downtown Charlotte Amalie and step back in time to another era.
While in the historic district, make sure to walk up or down the 99 Steps. This area is known for step streets, or frigangs, as the Dutch called them. The most famous is 99 steps, which is 103 steps, but who’s counting? The original name was Store Taarne Gade which means Greater Tower Street.
Also, pay a visit to see the Three Queens. Despite the emancipation of enslaved Africans, many people were still in forced slavery or working under slave-like conditions. Angered by the continued oppression three Crucian women known as “The Three Queens of the Virgin Islands”, Mary Thomas (Queen Mary), Axeline Elizabeth Salomon (Queen Agnes), and Mathilda McBean (Queen Mathilda) organized the people and led a rebellion.
Some of other cool places to check out downtown is Fort Christian, Government House, St. Thomas Synagogue, Blackbeard’s Castle and Fredrick Lutheran Church, Market Square and Charlotte Amalie Overlook.
For more information on the United States Virgin Islands, visit: https://www.visitusvi.com/
Have you been to St. John and/or St. Thomas and have a story that you want to share? Drop us a comment below.
#USVIStillNice
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