The US Virgin Islands Travel
Looking for a stunning tropical paradise that doesn’t require a passport from the U.S.? Well then, the U.S. Virgin islands is your spot. This blog post will feature both St. Thomas and St. John. I have yet to visit St. Croix, but hopefully I can feature that for you in a future post.
I decided to write about the U.S. Virgin Islands as my first blog post because it has some of the most breathtaking views and beaches I have ever seen and some fantastic restaurants to top off your day. Let’s dive in…
Where to Stay - US Virgin Islands Resorts
Ritz Carlton, St. Thomas
We stayed at both the Westin in St. John and the Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas.
The Westin, St. John - We started out trip with 4 nights at the Westin in St. John. One nice aspect about arrival was that once you get off the plane, you will see a check in for the Westin at the airport. Here you can check in and they will take you in a shuttle to a ferry that delivers you directly at the dock at the Westin resort. Once you arrive at the dock, you are already checked into the hotel and they will take you right to your room.
The room we stayed in was an upgraded suite. It had a sitting room area and small kitchen, and then the bedroom was up a set of stairs. This resort also had a beach side dining option, and St. John has some of the most fantastic restaurants only a short cab away so that was no issue for us!
The Ritz Carlton, St. Thomas - The Ritz Carlton is known for luxury and this resort did not disappoint. The rooms were comfortable and well decorated, and our room had a spacious balcony with beautiful view (pictured in photo above). The bed was so comfortable and luxurious.
The resort grounds were immaculate, and the pool at the resort had an infinity pool that overlooked the beach and water! (photo on main page). The drinks and food at the poolside restaurant were delightful, and there was also a children’s pool with a small slide if you are traveling with little ones. If you are looking for a resort where you just want to relax and enjoy the resort itself, this would be my pick for a U.S. Virgin Island stay.
There were also a few different dining options at the resort which was great as I didn’t find there were as many great restaurants in St. Thomas compared to St. John. We also enjoyed two beautiful dinners on the beach at the Ritz. We arranged a private dinner on the beach, and I have to say that it the most romantic dinner ever. It is perfect for honeymoons, engagements, or anniversaries! We were also traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday so they resort had a special Thanksgiving dinner on the beach. If you are traveling over a holiday, I recommend checking to see if they are hosting any holiday dinners on the beach. Just make sure you make reservations far in advance because these types of reservations tend to book up quickly!
One thing that was exceptional at this resort was the staff. Not only was all the service top notch, but we had one issue at this Ritz Carlton that the staff went above and beyond over. One night at the resort, we went on a group sunset cruise on one of the resort’s catamarans. The cruise was fantastic, but there was an accidental mix up with my shoes. When getting on the boat you are asked to put your shoes in a bin with everyone else’s. I put my brand new Tory Burch sandals in the bin no problem, but someone on the boat had the same shoes but an older larger version. When I got off the boat, the sandals left were an old pair about a size too big. I let the front desk know about my missing shoes, and the head of security looked up the list of guests who were on the boat and they called every single guest to ask them if they took the wrong shoes and they found my shoes and returned them back to me that night! It may seem like a minor thing, but the effort that they staff had taken to get me my shoes back was so appreciated and shows the level of service you can expect at this resort!
Where to Eat - Restaurants in the St. Thomas & St. John
Extra Virgin Bistro, St. John
Here are our list of top restaurant recommendations!
Extra Virgin Bistro, St. John - If you talk to anyone that has ever been to St. John, they will tell you that you need to get a reservation at Extra Virgin Bistro. This restaurant is definitely the most recommended and there is a reason for it! I would say it is the nicest restaurant on St. John; the ambiance is beautiful and elegant, the food is mouthwatering, and the cocktail list was top notch.
Dave & Jerry’s Island Steakhouse, St. John - Best meal on the island! Dave and Jerry’s Island Steakhouse is my personal favorite. The place may be small and cute, but the food makes a big impression. The duck fat pan fried Gnocchi’s were to die for, and paired with escargot and a dry aged porterhouse steak split between my husband and I, we were in heaven. Yummy cocktails as well!
The Longboard, St. John - Best laid back restaurant with a cute casual vibe and amazing food. Perfect for lighter fair like poke bowls, tacos, and sushi! Beachy decor and open air seating; this place is a great way to end a day in the sun.
The Esterly, St. Thomas - Best restaurant in St. Thomas. Really cool vibe to this place. I loved the decor and swing chairs. They also had a fantastic cocktail menu in addition to great food. We even got some oyster shooters which are a vacation tradition when we see them on a menu.
What to Do - Things to do in the USVI
St. John
One of the reasons I love the U.S. Virgin Islands because there was so much to explore if you are a beach person like me. St. John has some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen and I still proudly say that after being to numerous other beach destinations such as Hawaii and the south of France. Here is my list of my favorite things to do in the U.S.V.I.
Trunk Bay Beach, St. John - Truck Bay Beach has to be one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. It is like something out of a post card. The water is a beautiful aqua blue, the sand is incredibly soft and white, and the landscape of the rocks protruding from the water is extremely picturesque. They also have a place you can buy frozen drinks and snacks which is always a plus. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit this beach if you stay in St. John.
Snorkel with Turtles at Maho Beach, St. John - The fun thing about this beach is all the turtles. It’s not the best beach for lounging as it is a little smaller, but all the fun is in the water so get your snorkel gear on and dive in to see the turtles swimming around. Please me mindful to not try and touch the turtles. If you forget to bring your snorkel gear, don’t worry, there is a place that you can rent snorkel gear right at the beach!
Rent a Jeep and drive the island, St. John - We did this for a day one day while staying in St. John and it was fantastic. There were so many different beaches to see, views to gawk over, and cool little restaurants to grab a bite to eat along the way. We actually drove around the entire island. Just be careful because there are some steep winding roads which can also get slippery if it rains. I do not advise this activity if raining for this reason or if you aren’t a good driver.
Private Charter a boat or do a Boat Tour, St. Thomas or St. John - There are so many beautiful sites to see from the water, don’t miss out on the opportunity for a boat day. We did a private charter for a day from the Ritz Carlton. The concierge at the resort arranged this for us which was nice because they picked us up from the beach at the resort.
While a private charter is obviously more costly than a group tour, it was worth it and I will tell you why. For one thing, the smaller power boat travels much faster than a catermeran so we were able to see and do a lot more in a day than we could on a larger boat. But if the private charter is not in your budget, don’t worry, there are lots of group tours that will still take you for a really great time!
The captain first took us to Jeff Epstein’s (gross) island to snorkel off the coast which he recommended as having the best snorkeling in the area. It was was actually pretty cool, although a little eerie all things considered. He then took us on a trip past the British Virgin Islands. He then took us to this stunning remote cove off St. John that only had a few boats, crazy views, and more fun snorkeling. We ended the day at the Lime Out Floating taco hut off St. John which is really fun! (Learn more about the floating taco hut below) This boat day was one of my favorite days ever!
Lime Out, St. John - The Lime Out floating taco hut is a floating restaurant in a cove off St. John. You need a boat to get there, but a lot of the group tours offer a stop here so you can check the itinerary or you can do a private charter. You can either eat in a inner tube connected to the floating restaurant which we did not do because of the long wait, or you can get food delivered to your boat. Our captain was able to call in our orders and a server would drive out on a dingy to deliver our cocktails and tacos right to the boat. There were lots of boats and music in the cove so it was a little bit of a party vibe. It was a really fun time!
Sunset Cruise, St. Thomas - You can’t ever go wrong with a sunset cruise in a stunning destination. We took a sunset cruise on a caterman in St. Thomas from the Ritz Carlton and it was beautiful, lively, and just a special night.
St. John vs. St. Thomas
St. John
I wanted to answer this question because it is one I get asked a lot. The simple answer is I prefer the island of St. John over the island of St. Thomas, but I preferred the Ritz Carlton on St. Thomas over the Westin on St. John. The Ritz in St. Thomas is the place you want to be if you just want to relax at a beautiful resort for a few days, but St. John is the island you want to be on if you want to do some exploring.
While obviously the Ritz is a luxury hotel compared to the Westin so it is bound to be nicer, it’s important to note there are very few resort options on St. John. The Westin was the nicest resort on St. John at the time we traveled there. As for the islands themselves, St. John has the most amazing beaches and the best restaurants. It was a truly spectacular place to visit.
If you stay in St. Thomas, you can take the ferry over to St. John. It is a short ferry ride, but I think we got to really enjoy all the best parts of St. John since we stayed on the island for a few days and didn’t have to worry about ferry schedules. My recommendation if you have the time is to spend a few nights on each island!
