Hopefully, you answered with a resounding “YES” to that question being that I intended for it to be rhetorical…  I have only been to the Mexican side of the Caribbean and not to the many other destinations like St. John, USVI and Tortola, BVI.  Like Mexico, the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands have much beauty and ancient history to be explored.

The island of St. John lies just east of St. Thomas and the large island of Puerto Rico.  The Virgin Islands National Park makes up more than half of the island and is a wonderful place to hike to see the raw beauty of the island.  All of the trails range from 15 minutes to 2 hours so extra precautions are definitely needed to make sure your adventure doesn’t become a nightmare.  St. John highly enforces preserving their island to keep it the way it was discovered.  National parks always suggest “take only pictures and leave only footsteps” and that mantra should be followed in St. John.  There are about 15 trails on the North Shore of the island and about 8 trails winding through the South Shore of the island.  One can view marine life and local birds in their natural habitat while also discovering ancient petroglyphs carved into the rocks long ago by the native Arawak Indians.  Many of the hiking trails end in a cove where snorkeling can be done but swim at your own risk for obvious reasons - no lifeguards.  St. John is mountainous to an extent and views of the other neighboring islands are possible from hiking these trails.  One can “rough it” and camp inside the park to enjoy the island in its’ primitive habitat or opt to rent a vacation home or condo and make day trips to explore the island.

Just to the east of St. John lies the island of Tortola which is a British Virgin Island or BVI.  Touring the island can be done in the air, ground or on the water.  Hiking can also be done on Tortola inside one of the parks.  Sage Mountain National Park has the highest point in both the US and British Islands.  Sage Mountain is at 1716 feet above sea level and therefore attracts weather which supports the rain forests that exist on the island.  Hiking on Tortola and St. John have their challenges with the short and steep terrain that exist on both islands.

Going to the Caribbean can have different meanings to a lot of people.  Some like to hang out on the beach with a fruity drink and some like to experience an “eco-challenge” for their Caribbean vacation.  The choice is yours and it’s nice to have a choice.  So, the next time you are thinking of going to the beach for vacation, consider St. John USVI and Tortola BVI and get away from it all.  I mean literally. 

Pictures provided by:

St. John USVI by *Hiro

Tortola BVI by janusz l

Virgin Islands National Park by DEQ

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I’ve never been diving - but it sounds like so much fun - especially if the water is warm. I was researching an article about Grand Cayman and thought the warm blue waters looked so inviting. I found some really informative websites that tell about the different areas to dive on Grand Cayman.

• http://www.caymanislands.ky/watersports/diving.aspx
• http://www.diversdown.net/
• http://www.donfosters.com/

If you go - leave me a comment and let me know how it went!

Grand Cayman is a small island - with a wide variety of activities to keep any traveler interested and entertained. If you’re looking for a relaxing beach getaway or the adventure of a lifetime - consider a trip to Grand Cayman - you wont be disappointed.

For the leisure traveler - enjoy a day on Seven Mile Beach and build an elaborate sand castle. For a change of scenery - move around the north tip of the island to Rum Point and laze the day away next to aqua-blue waters. All of the beaches on Grand Cayman are public up to the high water mark - so find a public access and go exploring.

Leisure travelers will also enjoy the duty-free shopping in George Town. Here you’ll find the best duty-free selection in the Caribbean. Enjoy browsing through a good selection of traditional duty free items such as watches, china and crystal, perfumes and fine jewellery-including authentic treasure coin jewelry.

Grand Cayman is an adventure-junkie mecca. Enjoy World-Class scuba diving and snorkeling - along with para-sailing, sea kayaking, sailing and jet ski rentals. There are a wide variety of vendors along Seven Mile Beach - check with your accommodation provider for their recommendations and suggestions.

The highlight of any Grand Cayman vacation is a boat trip into the North Sound. Learn to dive for conch (in season), enjoy a seafood lunch prepared by your crew, then snorkel the reef and “Coral Gardens.” All trips include a stop at famous Stingray City where you can play with and feed the String rays in shallow water.

Overall - Grand Cayman has something for everyone - couples and families - honeymooners and retirees.

Guide:
If you’re looking for lodging try these:

• Cayman Island Condo Rentals from Cayman Condos
• Comfort Suites Grand Cayman

Restaurant best bets are:

• Arthur Treachers
• Billy Bones Beach Bar

Your schedule miraculously clears for the upcoming 4 day weekend - what kind of fun can you plan? How about a last minute Caribbean vacation to the beautiful island of St. John? Yes - certain times of the year planning a last minute trip can prove to be difficult and expensive - but knowing where to go and who to ask can make planning an impromptu trip easy and exciting.

Take stock of what is available. Do you have some frequent flier miles you can cash in? Don’t forget about the voucher from that last trip you took and got bumped to a later flight because of the weather or an overbooking. Sometimes last minute trips become expensive because the airfare is outrageous. If you’re traveling in off season, last minute fares could save you money, the airlines will be looking to fill empty seats.

Where do you want to go? The U.S. Virgin Islands offer a great getaway without a lot of hassle. and best of all - you DO NOT NEED A PASSPORT! That’s right, if you visit the U.S. Virgin Islands, you don’t need to hassle with a passport. As of January 2007 about 73% of Americans did NOT have a passport.
You have four days, what do you want to do? A day on the beach is a must. What about some shopping or snorkeling? Do you like to golf or fish? Plan some time for laying in a hammock by the villa and getting some much deserved rest. Visit the island travel pages to plan some of the activities you’d like to try. Because you’re traveling last minute, it might be a good idea to call and be sure you can book a tee time or a trip with one of the deep sea fishing charter companies.

All in all - a last minute trip is within reach if you have realistic expectations and you prepare accordingly. Don’t expect the trip of a lifetime, you didn’t have time to plan all of the activities you’d have to try to make it unforgettable - but you can get a taste of life on St. John and enjoy yourself away from the rat-race for a few days.

New US passport regulations go into effect on January 23, 2007. In order to re-enter the United States by plane from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, US citizens will need a passport.

Those coming back into the country by sea and land may still use a driver’s license and birth certificate to prove their citizenship. However, that is expected to change in the near future.

Currently about 73% of all US citizens do not have passports, so this may cause a shift in travel patterns over the next few years. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands expect an influx of American vacationers, since they are the only Caribbean destinations not affected by the new rules.

Comments are now closed for this post - we recommend EVERYONE traveling outside the 50 United States have a Passport!! Apply for yours now.