I just got back from a 7-day trip to a less known US territory in the Carribean. Prior to the trip, I didn’t do any research or look up the history of the place which I normally do whenever I travel. This time, since I’m visiting a friend who lives on the island, I decided to just wait and reserve the questions while road tripping across the islands. We took a couple of flights, a red-eye flight from Seattle to Miami, then from Miami to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Our second flight had an incident that caused an hour delay. This post is a 7-day itinerary that includes relaxation, fun activities and doing a day trio to St. John.

The US Virgin Islands is composed of three major islands: St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. US citizens & permanent residents only need a government-issued photo ID to visit the islands just like flying to any other state. St. Thomas’ main airport is Cyril E. King, and it’s a cute tiny one.

We got to the island around 11AM on a Friday and we were welcomed by Carnival dancers and stilt walkers at the airport. We could feel the Carnival festival spirit. Hungry, we headed to Tickes Dockside Pub for lunch. It’s by the water so we could see the boats and yachts going in/out. What caught my attention was their cocktails—Iguana Colada, Tickles Chi-Chi, and BBC! 😏 I had the Tickles Chi Chi and it was pretty good.

*Clever cocktail names*

Would you like some BBC or Tickles Chi Chi? 😆
📍Tickles Dockside Pub

We then headed to our Airbnb located on the East side of the island, Elysian Beach Resort. It is a two-bedroom, three bath condominium and it’s overlooking the ocean. There are two restaurants just few steps away from our unit. We decided to swim while watching the sun set.

📍Elysian Beach Resort. It’s a cloudy day but the water and views were still amazing.

For our first night, our friend took us to a pub where they do karaoke nights starting at 10PM on Fridays. The vibe was laid back and everyone was just having fun.

*Put your Karaoke skills to the test!*

You could tell who the tourists and locals are by their song choices. Country songs vs. reggae. 😂
📍Caribbean Saloon Steakhouse & Bar

Day 2 - The next day we did a snorkeling trip to Maho Bay riding the Ritz Carlton’s catamaran — Lady Lynsey. The pickup location was perfect because Ritz-Carlton was just next to Elysian. Despite the cloudy/drizzling weather during the trip, I’d still say that this was one of my favorite snorkeling trips. The reason for that was mainly because of the incredible service on board.

📍Lady Lynsey catamaran. It’s pretty modern, clean, and luxurious.

The crew including the captain made sure that everyone was having fun, staying safe, and being hydrated! And yes, it’s open bar! I was also pleasantly surprised that the lunch was pretty decent. We had a Mediterranean spread—hummus, salads, shrimp cocktails, grilled chicken, and pita bread. We also had cookies at the end of the trip. It was such a step-up from my snorkeling trip in Maui where they only served us sandwiches and chips.

In addition to going above and beyond, they had sunscreen and hair conditioner dispensers on board, a list of sea creatures (with pictures) that you can see in the area, and petroleum jelly for folks with beards to help create waterproof seal.

*Commensalism - oha! (thanks to my grade school science teachers!)*

This was spectacular to see. Two remoras attached to the back of a huge turtle. I wonder if the turtle ever gets annoyed.

We went to two snorkeling spots. The first one was supposed to be a spot for turtles but we didn’t see many. I think I saw about two turtles. The second spot was better. There were a lot of coral reefs and colorful fishes.

*Don’t you want to be part of the ocean sometimes?*

Isn’t this stunning? I saw a puffer fish next to the corals and I just stared at it and tried to follow it because I was so amazed.

The underwater pictures were provided by the Lady Lynsey’s official photographer.

A couple of fish that caught my attention were balibou (swordfish looking) and spotted scorpionfish (looks like a pufferfish). I think balibous swim on the surface water ‘cause I saw a school when I was returning back to the boat.

*Trying to get the fish’s attention*

They looked at me at least. 😂

Day 3 - We started the day with a hearty brunch at Carribean Fish Market, also located in Elysian Resort and is overlooking the water. If you get lucky, you’ll also see some friendly creatures like iguanas and lizards. If you’re going to pick between morning cocktails and their coffee, I highly recommend their cocktails. I had both and I must say their coffee is no bueno. They have a decent brunch menu. We had eggplant frites and beignets as appetizers. For mains, I picked the chicken and waffle that comes with fries, fruits, and maple mayo! It was pretty good! After brunch, we went to a beach near the airport and University of VI to play volleyball. It’s more of a local spot and the vibe was great!

That night we went to the Village as it was the opening night of the Carnival. There were live bands and we grabbed dinner too in one of the stands. I had fried chicken and Johnny cakes. I really love the combination. The Johnny cakes taste like donuts but more delicious. The good thing also is that they sell alcohol and rules are similar to Vegas where you can carry your drinks anywhere. 😉

*Johnny cakes and fried chicken*

It’s one of my favorite food that I tried on the island.

They are fried cakes made with cornmeal, and their history goes back to the early Native Americans. While the origin of the name remains uncertain, many historians believe they were called 'Shawnee cakes' by the Pawtuxet Indians, and English settlers mispronounced it as 'jonnycakes.

They also had rides at the Village. We rode the Dragon’s Nest and the cost was $5 each person.

Day 3 - We woke up late and headed to Island Time Pub to grab brunch. They have breakfast items but we opted to have burgers instead. There’s also a coffee shop next to it called Lattes in Paradise. I had their Salty Seas coffee - espresso shots, [oat] milk, white chocolate, salted caramel flavor, with caramel drizzle on top. It was pretty good!

Our main activity for the day was ziplining. We went to Tree Limin' Extreme Zipline. They do safety orientation first before they take you to the zipline area. The ride up was very Jurassic Park-ish, you know those buggy cars.

*Gearing up!*

They require closed toe shoes and colorful outfits, apparently. 😉
📍Tree Limin' Extreme Zipline

I do highly recommend doing this because the views from the zip-lining area are immaculate and the staff are friendly as well. The only downside is that they won’t allow you to do upside down poses like Spiderman (I did that in Maui). There were also a couple of hanging bridges that you’ll have to cross which added to the adventures.

*Find the iguana*

Aside from the ocean and mountain views, you’ll also see some animals like this one.

Our next stop was the Mountain Top, they claim to be the home of the world famous banana daiquiri. It is a huge souvenir store that that also sells booze, and has a magnificient view of the Magen’s Bay. Their banana daiquiri is actually pretty good. It is mixed with Cruzan rum which is also made in Virgin Islands. If you don’t do booze, you can get the virgin version. Actually the rum itself is good, we had some shots of that all throughout our stay. It’s pretty smooth and comes in different flavors. If you’ll pre-game before your evening activities, I recommend going for that instead of your usual go-to liquor of choice.

📍Mountain Top. Can anybody fact check that and let me know? 🤔😁

Side story: While we were road tripping, our local friend introduced us to some island music and artists. And we love them! When you visit the island and drive around, your playlist should include Dexta Daps, Popcaan, Kes, and Adam O. The first two are dancehall genre which is close to reggae but they sound more like R&B to me! Kes and Adam O, on the other hand, are Soca genre which is the music they play in Carnival. Think about dancing and fast beats. I’d warn you though that some of their songs are not suitable for kids. 😉

📍Mountain Top. That is the Magen’s Bay. Aside from this view, you’ll also see some coconut and papaya trees in the area.

For dinner we headed to the village and enjoyed the festivities. The music was great and we saw some famous Soca artists like Kes and Adam O.

We enjoyed hours of dancing and music. It was probably the best night and we learned new songs.

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