The Caribbean – Imagine waking up to the sound of the waves, seeing the gorgeous view of the ocean and smelling the fresh air. Paradise and that is U.S. Virgin Islands. Gorgeous beaches, rich in culture, tons of activities to choose from and perfect warm weather all year round. The ultimate family destination! Yes, add it to your bucket list.
Tip: Low Season – mid-April to November
Duty-Free shopping (best items to buy are jewelry, crystals, alcohol)
St. Thomas
We love the beautiful soft white sand beaches and the turquoise blue water of St. Thomas!
My family flew winter time; around the month of December. It was peak season but since my husband got a meeting with a client so we took advantage of the opportunity. He worked for 3 days and we extended our stay for another 4days.
We flew just before my son turned 2, fortunately for American Airlines –children turning 2 on their trip will get a free ride home. You will generally pay taxes and/or a portion of the adult fare for international travel, please call reservations for details. Take note: other airlines will require you to buy a discounted child’s fare for the return if your child will turn 2 at any time before return. Well…my daughter just turned 7 months so we just paid taxes for her. They both did well during our flight.
International and domestic flights arrive and depart from the (STT) Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas. U.S. carriers have direct and connecting flights from major cities to St. Thomas’ airport and flights from Europe and the Caribbean also land at this airport.
We were there for the whole week; we decided to stay at the non-all-inclusive resort because we wanted to try different restaurants in the area. We stayed at Best Western Plus Emerald beach. This is located near the airport which kinda a minus but don’t hesitate. They have the perfect beach for your little ones… very calm water, soft white sand and apparently, the location has the best spot for sunset. You get a lot more with the price of this resort – don’t worry about the airplanes because your kids will love it- you see them during take- off and landing. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother us at all. We got an ocean view room and waking up every morning with a breathtaking view is priceless. We don’t want to go back home.
The only downside of Best Western Plus Emerald resort is that they don’t have kids club or a nanny service. I made a bad decision of hiring a nanny through one of the workers of the hotel. She offered that her daughter can help me out and I agreed for $15/hr. However, it wasn’t a good experience. So please be careful and if you decide to get a sitter, make sure to go through a proper sitter agency.
St. John
Ooooh… Staying in a villa overlooking the beautiful deep blue Caribbean Sea will be perfect for a week in St. John. It’s Virgin Islands national park, pristine beaches, unique hiking trails, coral reefs and limitless activities for adults and children. An adventure in paradise!
We took a boat ride to St. John for a day trip (if you have enough time, I suggest to stay 3days to a week on this island). Tons of activities for the whole family from a day of relaxation to a day of fulfilled adventure. The most picturesque island I have been. We took our rental car with us to the island by ferry from Red Hook Port. It was a quick visit, but it’s all worth it and we are planning to go back one day.
You guys should visit USVI; it’s all worth your money:)
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We visited a few years ago when we went on a Disney Cruise. It was one of those day trips leaving st. thomas to St. John. We absolutely loved St. Johns and had been planning to go back ever since. excellent tips !!
Yeah… beautiful isn’t it?!? Let’s plan for the next trip…hehehe We are going to Disney Cruise this December – I’m sure kids will have a blast:)