Stefanie and her best friend Eunice went on a flight to the US Virgin Islands for the first time since the COVID lockdown in March. Eunice recently graduated with her Masters Degree in Accounting. It was just right to celebrate her and plan this little getaway, We were surprised the airlines and airports were taking so many measures to make travelers feel safe.
I put together a list of airport information and fun things to experience in the US Virgin Islands while still social distancing.
Airport information: We found a direct flight to St. Thomas (STT) from Charlotte (CLT) with American Airlines.
- The airports are taking precautions:
- CLT airport installed sanitizers everywhere. The amusement park style lanes at the security included plexiglass between the lines.
- Negative Covid-19 tests are required to enter the Islands: Before flying, make sure you upload your negative Covid test results to the U.S Virgin Islands Travel Portal.
- You can still have a drink at the airport bar:
- Since social distancing is highly encouraged, the bars started offering to go drinks.
- Don’t be the first person in line:
- Wait until your group is called so you can avoid the crowding around the gate entrance
- Pay the extra money for the Exit row:
- If you’re able to use travel perks or pay for an upgrade to the exit row, do it! There was no one next to me and my friend Eunice was able to join me right before the flight took off. We had the row to ourselves and couldn’t feel safer.
Hotel Experience and getting around the island: We picked Margaritaville St Thomas due to great reviews and the resort style. It was a bit pricey for us on their webpage so we ended up booking a timeshare through Airbnb for half the price. A lot of the hotels have timeshares listed on Airbnb and VRBO, do the research before coming to the island. If you are a bigger group, rent a house or Villa. We saw so many villas that looked incredible but way too big for 2 people. Each room at the resort comes with a Jimmy Buffet brand margarita mixer to make your own margaritas! The room was spacious and upgraded. Plenty of room for two girls.
Margaritaville was incredible, there were golf carts that drove us around the resort. They offered daily Happy Hours and they even had an infinity pool on the hill side of the resort. One afternoon after exploring St Thomas we hung out at the infinity pool and a musician on the saxophone was playing R&B songs. We also met some other people and made resort friends. We stayed there until it got dark that’s how much fun we had!
The hotel also comes with some stray cats and if you read any of the other blogs you know Stefanie had to give them all the attention. Lastly, the resort has their own restaurants, deli, souvenir shop, coffee shop, beach and bars so you technically never have to leave while you stay on the island.
Eunice and I decided not to rent a car. Traffic is on the left side and with all the mountains, curves and right roads we just got around the island by taxi. Make sure you bring plenty of cash! You will spend around 7-10 dollars for each tax ride per person depending on where you are going. We always tipped a little as well since business is slow due to the pandemic. If you are lucky you may step foot into a party taxi.
If you need to stop at the store you can always ask your taxi driver to make a stop. They are happy to do it. We found it was such a safe way to get around the island and it appears that the taxi drivers really looked out for us as they were always waiting and made sure to drop us back off at the Margaritaville. By the way, at the hotel there is always a taxi ready to go. You never have to wait. Using the island taxis might be the more expensive option but it was worth it us since the both of us didn’t have to stress about driving. Plus it is a good way to connect with locals.
Local Food Recommendations:
- Mim’s Seaside Bistro: This restaurant set our expectation for the rest of the long weekend. A cozy outdoor restaurant on the bay. That is hard to top. We had Caribbean Curry Lobster and Shrimp Scampi. The meals, service, and drinks were excellent and we are now friends with the server! Best place we visited on the island!
- Sun Dog Cafe in St John: We had brunch here after our 15 minute ferry ride from St Thomas. The place reminded us of a little Spanish town. The restaurant was all outdoors and run out of a little food truck. The potatoes were one of the best we ever had! A must visit when you come to St John’s.
- Banana Deck: We decided to have dinner in St John at the Banana Deck. We both went with fresh fish and some good drinks. A great place with incredible food before leaving the island!
- Gladys’ Cafe: Before a day of exploring St Thomas we had to fill our bellies, we picked Gladys’ Cafe because so many people have recommended it online. The chicken curry and fish were amazing. Don’t underestimate the house rum and coke. It was good and strong. The restaurant was really pretty as well!
- Duffy’s Love Shack: The outdoors restaurant in the city of Red Hook on St. Thomas had an amazing Snow crab special. Little did we realize that those crab legs have pricks on them. The pain in my fingers were worth every bit! Such good food in the bar area of Red Hook. We were able to get a drink after dinner at Bernie’s Bar and Grill. Social distancing, drinking at the table only and 11pm curfew was strictly enforced.
- Caribbean Fish Market: Our last dinner was so nice! We ate at the Caribbean Fish market which has been recommend by many people. Stefanie had the catch of the day and Eunice experimented with the Seafood Hot Pot. Both meals were amazing. We didn’t make a reservation and the restaurant was super accommodating. I know we were lucky, so please make sure to reserve a table before going to any of the restaurants on the island.
- Rancho Latino: Various locals have recommended the South American influenced restaurant. And it did not disappoint. We started of with empanadas and we knew right away we had to take some to go. When asking for spicy sauces the server brought us a big bottle of a pepper mix. I have never seen anything like this! Stefanie had curry fish filet and Eunice tried the stewed goat. An incredible last meal on the island before heading back to the mainland.
- The Rum Hut: While we were doing last minute shopping in St Thomas we noticed the Rum hut and a familiar face – the pirate from Bernie’s Bar and Grill! Since we met the pirate before we made this place our last stop. We ended our trip with the best rum runners on the island! We even bought matching shirts and got free Jagermeister shots. When you are in St Thomas, stop by at the Rum Hut and support a local business!
Day Trip to St John: Taking a ferry to St John is a MUST do if you are staying in St Thomas. The ferry ride was about 15-20 minutes and costs $18.50 for the round trip. Make sure to check your schedule online. We took the ferry from Red Hook and there was even a rum bar at the port.
Once we made it to St John we started with a quick breakfast before exploring the Cinnamon Bay Trail. A taxi dropped us off at the entrance of the trail which was basically on the side of the road. Don’t expect a parking lot or other facilities. We hiked in flip flops but I would recommend wearing some sneakers. We saw some cool plants, crabs and cacti. Most importantly the view from the hike was incredible. Worth every step, even in flip flops.
Once you get to the bottom of the hill you will find old sugar mill ruins called the Cinnamon Bay Plantation Ruins. It was interesting to learn about the history since the mill was built in the 16th century.
After a short walk on the road a lady from Asheville, NC was wondering where we were going. I definitely would not recommend hitch hiking but it was between getting hurt on the road while tourists try their best to drive on the left side or getting into a strangers car. We started our beach day at Maho Bay which included a beach bar and a food truck. We rented some beach chairs, they were $5 a piece and so worth it. If you are tired of the beach you can sip on a drink in one of their hammock chairs.
Maho Bay beach and its clear water and sandy beaches are so dreamy. We spent a couple hours here, chatting, swimming, drinking and eating snacks. We did witness a tragedy where a diver passed away. So please do not drink alcohol and snorkel and stay close to the beach!
At the beach we met a nice couple from Michigan, they offered us a ride to Trunk Bay for incredible sunset views. We didn’t hesitate and got in their car. Trunk Bay felt like a piece of earth that hasn’t been explored. There weren’t a lot of people, the sand was so soft and the water so clear. The rocks on the beach are perfect for your PC background picture.
Later, we took a taxi back to the Cruz Bay Ferry Dock to get back to St. Thomas. We found a cute place called Banana Deck to eat dinner with views of the Marina before heading out.
After dinner, we noticed a guy selling coconuts and Sugar canes close to the ferry dock. Of course, Eunice did not like the way how he cut the sugar canes, so she asked the guy to do it herself and used the machete to cut her own sugar cane. We all laughed and it made for a long lasting memory.
Sightseeing in St. Thomas: It was our first time in St. Thomas and you can tell the streets used to be a lot busier when cruise ships were still docking and thousands of people would visit the island every day. We walked around a ghost town of jewelry stores. We found a cute place to eat and then did some souvenirs shopping. Getting a magnet of the place we visit is always a priority. In Charlotte Amalie, we also found a local market and Eunice wasn’t shy to educate the locals about their fruits and at what point the fruits would be ripe. The architecture in the city was very unique and we took a couple pictures of the little passages. Another fun fact about the US Virgin Islands is that chickens are everywhere. As you can see in the picture below, even on cars!
After exploring Charlotte Amalie we took a taxi to the highest point of the island, which is called Mountain Top. Mountain Top is a big souvenir shop with incredible views of all of the US Virgin Islands and also somehow famous for their Banana Daiquiris. We stayed up there for a while taking pictures, talking to some people and hanging out with two huge iguanas.
We also visited Coki Point Beach right next to our hotel to get some food from a local food truck. Stewed shrimp and rice! It was delicious and the views of the ocean weren’t too bad either. You can rent beach chairs for 5 dollars here. It is a cute beach to hang out at but we decided to spend our day at Megan’s Bay.
Magens Bay is located a short 10 minute drive away from the Margaritaville Resort. The park costs $4 to enter. You can tell that the money is going towards maintaining the beach. You can tell the difference between Coki Beach and Magens Bay. Unfortunately, it almost rained the entire time we were there. After all, we are on a tropical island. Luckily, there were little shelters on the beach to find protection under. We walked around on the beach a little and hopped in the water for a bit. Apparently there is also good snorkeling there. But due to the rain we didn’t do snorkeling. We would definitely come back here and spend more time at the beach. The bathrooms and the snack stand make it very easy to spend all day here. We also noticed stand up paddling and kayaks for rent.
We loved the US Virgin Islands so much and understand now why it is called America’s Paradise. The islands are filled with friendly people that are so warm and welcoming to tourists. We met so many locals from various Caribbean Islands and learned that just like the U.S. Mainland, the U.S. Virgin Islands are a true melting Pot.