Recommend January 2012 - (Page 54)

USVI St. Thomas St. Thomas is the most developed of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, with cities like the capital of Charlotte Amalie serving as a hub—both for travel, as well as dining, entertainment, nightlife and shopping. The restaurants here are as diverse as the U.S. itself, with cuisines ranging from Asian to Mexican, Italian, French and Caribbean fusion. Charlotte Amalie is also a cruise port, and therefore boasts a wide range of shopping opportunities for visitors. Boutiques at the Havensight Mall and along Main and Back Streets offer china and glassware, leather goods, designer fashions and accessories and jewelry. Foodies can also do some browsing and shopping at Market Square, where a farmers’ market puts tropical goods like breadfruit, cassava and fresh coconuts on display. There’s also plenty of nature to explore here, especially under the sea. St. Thomas, as well as its sister islands, are renowned for their spectacular dive sites. Fishermen and boaters frequent St. Thomas’ ports, too, seeking a fresh catch or just fresh ocean breezes. Magens Bay is reputed to be the island’s best beach for travelers who’d rather enjoy nature from the comfort of a beach towel. At Fort Christian, visitors can explore a military structure dating to 1676, built by Danish colonists in a unique Gothic style, with pegged stone fencing and arched doorways that look like something out of a fairy tale. You can see most of the island of St. Thomas when you embark upon the Skyride. In gondolas rising all the way up to Paradise Point, visitors take in panoramic views of Charlotte Amalie and its harbor. Once at the top, active travelers can take a short hike to a lookout with views to St. Croix, while others can stop by the attraction’s bar and restaurant, or watch the tropical bird show that takes place daily. USVI is renowned for its spectacular dive sites. St. c Facts • Best time to go: November to May • Fun Fact: Actor Kelsey Grammar and artist Camille Pissarro call the U.S. Virgin Islands home • getting there: Delta ﬂies from Atlanta to St. Croix, and from Atlanta and New York (JFK) to St. Thomas • entry documents: Government ID • currency: U.S. dollar • must-try local Food: “Fungi,” a dish of cornmeal and okra often served with ﬁsh • Best Buys: Designer goods, local crafts • inFormation please: United States Virgin Islands—visitusvi.com The relaxed, breezy feel of St. Croix keeps travelers coming back to its boutique hotels for a taste of small-town Caribbean life. The local community here is tight-knit and extremely welcoming to visitors, who often feel that they’ve discovered a home away from home. They also discover a world of nature that is mostly untapped, particularly beneath the sea. At Buck Island National Reef Monument, snorkelers paddle along an underwater trail to see spotted eagle rays, sharks, turtles and schools of tropical ﬁsh who live among its reefs. Plaques posted along the way, explain to newbie snorkelers just exactly what they’re seeing. Visibility here is commonly 100 ft., so snorkelers have a clear view of everything swimming around them. Divers, on the other hand, will want to head to St. Croix’s northern side, to descend along walls stretching to depths in the thousands of feet. Davis Bay is a particular challenge, featuring the Puerto Rico Trench which stretches downward as deep as 12,000 ft. Back on land, St. Croix has only two real towns—Christiansted and Frederiksted. Christiansted is home to a wealth of history, especially at the Christiansted National Historic Site where 18th and 19th century colonial structures like Fort Christiansvaern, the Danish West India & Guinea Company Warehouse, and the Steeple Building have been preserved. The National Park Service plans to restore the entire complex to the standards of the 1800s. Frederiksted boasts plenty of its own historic sites, including Fort Frederik, built to protect the island from pirates in the 1700s; St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, dating to the 1840s; and the 19th century Apothecary. Frederiksted also boasts the Cruzan Rum distillery, founded in 1760 and still distributing its many varieties of rums on a large scale to the Americas and beyond. Tours of the distillery operate on weekdays. D34 january 2012 recommend.com http://visitusvi.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend January 2012

Editor's Note
Hotel Desk: Hard Rock Hotels and Resorts
Tour Talk: Lindblad Expeditions
Holland America's Veendam
Delta Air Lines' 2012 Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America Travel Guide
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
Las Vegas' 2012 Offerings
Hot European Tours for 2012
Hokkaido, Japan
Egypt's Antiquity Attractions are Eternal

Recommend January 2012