St. Thomas

The gateway isle.

Why is St. Thomas called the gateway isle of the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean?  The capital of the island, which is Charlotte Amalie, is a busy cruise ship port. Tourism drives the island's economy. 

St. Thomas is mostly mountainous. The roads around the island have views of the island and ocean. Most accommodations like resorts, villas, and the like are located on the hills. 

I am grateful for this trip.  I was hosted by this young couple, Kim and Stephanie, close friends of my friend, John.  Their family owns a famous Filipino restaurant, and they cater to the Filipino workers' food on the cruise. They picked me up at the airport, fed me dinner when I arrived, took me to the harbor restaurant, showed me around St. Thomas, and paid for my accommodation.  Lucky me!

This villa where I stayed is one of my favorite accommodations in the Caribbean.  Located on a hill, it has a lovely breakfast garden surrounded by flowers, a small jacuzzi overlooking the mountain, and a cozy bar with a perfect view of the ocean. Most of all, they have cats roaming around. Cats always remind me of my mom. I am happy to see cats. 

When in the Caribbean, eat like the Caribbeans do. Kim is a chef, and he made this special dish for me.  Thanks to Cravin' Crabbs and his family for the delightful treats. So you know now where to go when you visit St. Thomas.  I also had a taste of different flavors of St. Thomas, dining at the harbor restaurant. 

There are plenty of things to do in St. Thomas like scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, parasailing, exploring the historic downtown, island tour, and shopping. With a big port that welcomes cruise ships, duty-free shopping is big in St. Thomas.  It is a renowned shopping mecca, the best shopping spot in the Caribbean, and one of the world's best. The good thing about it is that it's tax-free. So if you are a big shopper, this is a place for you.  

Magens Bay is one of the most famous tourist destinations on the island of St. Thomas. It features a white sand beach for swimming or sunbathing. It is also a popular gathering place for locals, with numerous restaurants and bars for nightlife.

Drake's Seat gives you a panoramic picture of Magens Bay, the US Virgin Islands, and the British Virgin Islands.  This is a popular stop for tourists, and it gets crowded.  Legend says that "British privateer Sir Francis Drake, have used this spot to spy on enemy ships of the Spanish Fleet passing through what is now called Drake's Passage." 

The Mountain Top also has a spectacular view of the US and the British Virgin Islands.  National Geographic has rated Magens Bay view as one of the top 10 best views in the world. That's impressive. 

I bought a piece of "Larimar" as a souvenir.  It is a blue pectolite, an extremely rare gemstone found in an inaccessible area in the Dominican Republic. It is considered a healing stone.  It is said to increase communication skills and support the body's healing process. I wonder if this is the secret of my increased communication skills. 

St. Thomas was my gateway to St. John.  An island paradise to another island paradise.  What more can you ask for? Thanks to Kim and Stephanie for this fantastic St. Thomas experience.