U.S. Virgin Islands
Charlotte Amalie Harbor
A true “getaway” — far from the continental United States, the Virgin Islands is the complete opposite of Hong Kong. You won’t find crowds, skyscrapers, and vehicles jam packing the streets. This is a place you go to to disconnect from and forget about the hustle and bustle of everyday life and work.
view of the beach from our hotel
St. Thomas
My husband and I spent a week in fall 2007 on two islands, mostly St. Thomas. We stayed at Marriott’s Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Resort, which captured the island spirit and provided enough amenities, recreation, and relaxation to entertain us for most of the time. The sound of a man playing a steel drum on the backdrop of a Caribbean beach sunset during happy hour, a swim-up bar next to a waterfall, the wind blowing through the lobby because there are no doors — paradise. Actor Matthew Perry of Friends TV-show fame ate at one of the hotel restaurants the same night we ate there.
iguanas
And iguanas appeared in our path around every corner. I was a little afraid of them because some of the locals said the strange-looking creatures bite… and they run fast. Sometimes I’d take a detour to avoid walking too close to them.
St. John
We took a ferry and spent a day in St. John, where shopping in the cute island shops right near the port was abundant and fun. We took the multi-row, open-air taxis around both islands. The weather was perfect. It didn’t rain until the last day of our trip.
MUST-SEE
Saqib at Marriott Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Resort
1. Beach. It’s pretty obvious the reason to go to an island is for the water, and water is my favorite part of nature. We went sailing out into the harbor, then snorkeling among sting rays, jellyfish, and other sea creatures. The beautiful, blue-green water and white sand were idyllic.
2. Downtown shopping. Lined with quaint shops selling all sorts of souvenirs and restaurants serving fresh seafood, it’s hardly downtown in a big-city sense. It’s just nice to walk around stone paths, view antiques, and see how many gold jewelry stores you can count within one block.
aboard Caribe Time ferry
