Virgin Islands Vacation Tips
Read these 7 Virgin Islands Vacation Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Caribbean tips and hundreds of other topics.
Sunny All The Time, Open 24 Hours
With a yearly temperature low of 72 degrees, it's always a great time to plan a Virgin Island vacation. As for prices, the Virgin Island prices are relatively low all year round. For a decent accommodation, one can expect to pay about $125 USD per evening. Flights, too, are often cheap—especially if you plan in advance.
Known as a sailing touchstone of the world, you can plan to catch a sailing race or activity while you are there, with sailing regattas happening on the Virgin Island at least once per month.
Weddings in the Virgin Islands
Getting married in the US Virgin Islands is a breeze, and a beautiful tropical one at that.
You don't need a blood test and all you need to do for paperwork is fill out a two page form, pay a $50.00 fee, and wait eight days (a posting period). If you use a wedding coordinator, you won't have to wait the 8 days on the island - they can file the paperwork for you and you can get married when you arrive.
Whenever you are planning a destination wedding, you want to consider using a service or a wedding coordinator because planning a wedding remotely by yourself can be nearly impossible. Smaller ceremonies are much easier, of course, but if you are coordinating more than 10 people for your Caribbean wedding, do yourself a favor, and hire a coordinator to help.
Once that is complete, the sky is the limit in terms of the where and the how of your topical nuptuals. Consider a yacht or chapel, the beach at sunset, or a botanical garden! Then, commence your Virgin Islands vacation as a married couple.
Consider getting married on one island and vacationing on another—two weeks in the same place can get a bit wearing unless you are really good at sitting on the beach and chilling out with a fruity drink!!
Golfing on the Virgin Islands
If you want to golf on your Caribbean vacation, you'll probably want to head to St. Thomas, home of Mahogany Run, an incredible Atlantic facing golf course designed by Tom Fazio.
If you want to travel with your golf clubs, make sure you have a solid travel bag that is both secure and protective. Additionally, make sure you bring all of your favorite golf accessories ( like your electronic golf scorecard and your favorite tees).
*Don't bring any heavy clothing and make sure you bring a hat!! That Caribbean sun is not messing around.
The Three US Virgin Islands
Each US Virgin Island is known for something special.
• St Croix is 82 square miles, and boasts Buck Island Reef, the United States' only underwater National Park.
• St Thomas holds the capital city, Charlotte Amalie, and is a little less than 32 square miles. St Thomas offers a lush, natural, Caribbean setting with Mountain Top's 1500 foot high view of the Caribbean Sea.
• St. John is 28 square miles. Two-thirds of St John is a protected US National Park, so don't litter! Considered by some to be the most beautiful of the islands, St John offers pristine coastline beaches and deep azure water.
No matter your choice of island, you'll find that a US Virgin Island vacation both fantastic and memorable.
Richard Branson's British Island
Looking to buy a Virgin Island? It will set you back about $15 million US dollars. That's what Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson's British Virgin Island, is worth.
Branson purchased the island over 20 years ago for less than $500,000. Since then, between a rapidly expanding tourism trade and a greater demand for beach property, the island's worth has skyrocketed. Virgin's CEO, I'm sure, couldn't be more pleased with his quarterly Virgin Island vacation.
Off the Beaten Path: Local Bed & Breakfasts in the Virgin Islands
When visiting the USVI, you can either stay in a Virgin Island hotel or a local B&B. Local B&Bs, while sometimes considered taboo in the US, are a beautiful way to see the island in a different way.
You can usually find a good recommendation for a B&B by visiting a specialized travel agent who focuses on locally-owned accommodations. These agents will forge relationships with local owners on the Virgin Islands, and be able to point you to the more reliable and reputable independent owners.
Explore the Virgin Islands By Boat
If you are looking for a creative and fun Virgin Island vacation, you may want to consider one of the many resorts that can help you enjoy the island both by land and by water. There are hotels that will let you stay on island and then take a boat to explore. There are yachts to be chartered or boats to be had for day sails.
If you really want to take a sailor's vacation, you should look for local sailing lessons in your area so you can learn your aft from your stern. Many lakes, rivers and ocean communities offer sailing lessons at reasonable rates. Learn the craft and enjoy!
| Guru Spotlight |
| Joe Wallace |
