U. S. Virgin Islands Warnings Or Dangers

  snorkeling with fish
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      snorkeling with fish
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  •   Warnings Or Dangers
    by Alfine5
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  • Snorkeling in the rain
      Snorkeling in the rain
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Do no rent a sedan if traveling to St. John

by Alfine5

On our first trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands, my friends and I rented a Ford Taurus. That turned out to be a very bad idea. First of all, getting on the car barge at Red Hook took forever due to the low clearance at the bottom of the car. Everyone had to step out of the car and we had to unload some luggage to be able to move up the ramp of the car barge. Then, navigating the steep roads and narrow roads on St. John was another beast itself. Based on these experiences, my recommendation would be to stay away from renting sedans. We rented a Jeep Wrangler on our second trip and that allowed us to actually have fun driving around St. John. See the attached picture and imagine yourself driving around in that on your next trip to St. John.

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St Stomas,Not As Bad

by IslandExpert1999

St.Thomas can be an WONDERFUL island to be the first island to go when you are younger (9-12) i went there for my birth day when i was 9 (my age now) and it wasn't so bad it's really beautiful depending on where you happen to be i haven't seen any body get in to your cars I'm going on a cruise for 10 days that will my 2nd time being in the U.s. Virgin Islands you may think sense I'm so young that i won't know what i am saying well news i do i read a lot about my trips before i happen to go on it now back to St. Thomas and one Warning is that there are Wild Animals like Donkeys,Goats(st john)and birds of all sorts it has a BUNCH of dead washed up jelly fish on Megan Bay. it's an wonderful island so next time you want to go on a trip but can't decide where to go go to St.Thomas/St.John when i get back from my cruise i will tell you about the Great Strupe Kay and more places so don't think...

CRIME HAPPENS

by catalysta

You mix the impoverished locals with the relatively rich tourists staying at resorts, and of course you are going to have incidents of theft on a regular basis. STT & STX are worse than STJ for all crimes. Charlotte Amalie is bad for pickpockets & purse snatchers during the day, and it's a veritable den of iniquity at night. It used to be a great night spot, but anymore you can hear random gunshots around town and it's pretty scary - very sad.Be careful about what you leave in the car, or who might see you leaving it in the trunk, since this is one of the islands where some local car rental employees take spare keys around to the popular spots & help themselves to whatever they find in the cars from their rental agency that are parked there. No joke, this happened to us on St. Maarten, and to another friend on STT. They even locked it back up after they left!And of course the easiest...

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Sunburn / Sunstroke / Dehydration

by catalysta

Wear sunscreen & protective gear as appropriate, especially in your first few days on the islands. And be sure to drink lots of water - bottled water, that is - so you won't get dehydrated, especially if you've been drinking alcohol. You don't want to ruin the balance of the trip because you were careless in the beginning!

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Common Sense Swimming Safety

by catalysta

Please check with the local tourist information to find out about any swimming hazards you might encounter, where & when. At sheltered beaches like Magen's Bay on the Caribbean side of STT, you won't have to worry so much about tides or undertow, & there will be lifeguards on duty. This would be much safer if you'll be bringing children with you, or if you are an inexperienced swimmer. There may also be jellyfish warnings at certain seasons, or you may need to watch out for waverunners & such if you get out of the safe swimming zone on a resort beach.

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Goats on the road!

by catalysta

Yes, it's true. And that's not all. These islands are hilly, the roads are difficult to maintain so there are potholes where you least expect them, there's usually no safety shoulder on steep curves, the locals drive like madmen ON THE LEFT, there are lots of half-drunk American guys later in the day who will try to plow you down even if you remember to drive on the left, there are goats, chickens, donkeys AND PEOPLE everywhere, and if you do have a fender bender or other accident with a local, even if the other guy is in the wrong, you will be the one to pay. It may be a US territory, but the US several years ago relinquished rule to local jurisdiction, and it's been a dreadful downhill slide into mayhem ever since. Sorry, but it's only true.

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Fragile Coral

by catalysta

Please be careful, whether snorkeling, diving or just wading & swimming, to avoid damaging the coral & other sealife. Coral is incredibly fragile; it takes many long years to grow back. I have already seen SO much damage done to the popular underwater spots on these islands. Novice divers often inadvertently crash into coral on their first few swims, and gather seashells at whim. But all of these habits make the sites that much less beautiful for the next visitor, and bring the reefs that much closer to destruction.

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Back Streets of Charlotte Amalie

by zChris

Charlotte Amalie is a relatively small city by continental US standards, but comes replete with its share of dangers nonetheless. The island overall is not very wealthy, and some neighbourhoods (especially those which are mainly public housing) can be unsavoury. Even in the historic districts, some back alleys are to be avoided, lest one wishes to be followed incessantly by beggars looking to do some odd job to earn a few dollars or merely to annoy you relentlessly with whining. Your eyes deceive you: some of the most beautiful alleys can be treacherous at night, while some ramshackle streets can actually be quite safe. As the shops close early in Charlotte Amalie and the pedestrian population dwindles, it's best to stick to affluent, well-lit areas like Government Hill and to rely on taxis for conveyance.

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Unlicensed Cabs

by zChris

Since the cabs in the Virgin Islands are usually nondescript old vans, many people try to fool tourists into believing they're licensed cabbies in order to earn an extra buck. When I was shopping for groceries in the town of Red Hook, St. Thomas, a guy climbed down from a bar perched above the supermarket parking lot and offered to help us transport our groceries. We obliged, believing him a cabbie, and endured a wild ride on the island's roads, dipping and rushing at far greater speeds than were acceptable for cabs. When we arrived, quite a few of our groceries had been smashed up. On the plus side, it was a bit cheaper to have enjoyed the services of the unlicensed cabbie. Still, be on the lookout for anyone with a van or SUV offering a ride.

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Atlantic swells

by TwoCoconuts

The north beaches on St. John and St. Thomas can be adversely impacted by unusually large waves (Atalantic swell) on occasion - happend one day during our week. This both makes the currents stronger and ruins underwater visability - we couldn't see anything on Coki Beach in St. Thomas as a result. On a day like this, have a backup south shore beach - such as Salt Pond in St. John and Secret Harbour in St. Thomas.

Safety Tips in U. S. Virgin Islands

Top 3 Hotels in U. S. Virgin Islands

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104 Hotels in U. S. Virgin Islands
 
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Warnings Or Dangers: Cities in U. S. Virgin Islands
  1. Saint Thomas Warnings Or Dangers
  2. Charlotte Amalie Warnings Or Dangers
  3. Cruz Bay Warnings Or Dangers
  4. Saint John Warnings Or Dangers
  5. Frederiksted Warnings Or Dangers

More Cities in U. S. Virgin Islands

 

Popular Regions in U. S. Virgin Islands

St. Thomas Warnings Or Dangers  St. Croix Warnings Or Dangers  St. John Warnings Or Dangers 

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Hello all, We are a couple in the mid 20's and are on vacation next week. We found a pretty sweet airline promotion that brings... 

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A: long question short answer, USVI includes St Thomas, St John, and St Croix. all beautiful, with a more commercial front in St Thomas main street. once there why not try... 

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