Local traditions and culture in St. Thomas

When you visit the Caribbean you must try a Rum drink. The Caribbean is famous for producing many varieties of Rum. Cruzan Rum is the best known rum for the Virgin Islands and is produced on St. Croix.

Some of the popular drinks:
Seamoss is a popular drink made of seaweed that is boiled until it dissolves and then mixed with milk and spices.
Mauby is made by boiling mauby bark with spices including cinnamon.

Passionfruit juice, pumpkin punch, sorrel, soursop punch, banana punch, coconut water, peanut punch, bush tea and lemon tea are some others you'll find on the drink menus.

When wandering the streets, sightseeing or shopping it is considered rude if you are not properly dressed. Dressing appropriately means wearing "clothes" not swim attire when roaming about , in restaurants or in shops. The locals feel it is rude and vulgar to show that level of skin if not at the beach and I agree with them.

The US Virgin Islands has a duty free allowance of $1,600 per person. Duty of 6% is charged for purchased totaling over $1,600. When buying liquor you are allowed six bottles (one of the bottles has to be produced locally).

When in St. Thomas make sure to sample some of the delicious Caribbean cuisine. Ask the locals where they eat to find a great place. We took advice from some locals and wound up eating some delicious Caribbean food for lunch.

Definitely try the Caribbean Lobster. It is out of this world and very sweet. It is a must try for Lobster lovers!

Going to the USVI in one way is exactly like being in the Northeast US--people are not super-friendly at first. You must keep this in mind and be very nice to people from the outset--that way they are more likely to be friendly to you. This is particularly true on St. Thomas where the cruise ships dock. You have to understand that these people deal with huge crowds of people on cruise ship days and get a little tired of the tourists, who can frequently be rude. If you start off on the right foot by being friendly people will respond in kind.

Also, always tip. The cost of living is very high on these islands and poverty rates are high. Incomes are generally low and people survive and make a living off of their tips.

Also, chat with your cab drivers; it's a great way to learn more about the island and the islanders. Most cabbies are more than willing to point out attractions along the way if you seem interested and to fill you in on local gossip which can be helpful if you want to come back to stay--often the gossip involves which resorts are closing, renovating or firing large numbers of people after a major take-over.

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On the island of St. Thomas you must drive on the left side of the road.