St. Thomas vs. St. John? Which Island is Worth Your Time?

by Clarissa Bannor (United States of America)

A leap into the unknown Virgin Islands (USA)

Before arriving in the U.S. Virgin Islands, we were hung up on which island to make our home base for the weekend. We didn't know much about the Virgin Islands and the reviews were a mixed bag. Some reviews recommended the city and night life that St. Thomas offered, while others raved about the natural beauty and outdoor activities on St. John. We chose to stay on St. Thomas and spend a day on St. John; an exquisitely verdant island that’s two-thirds U.S. National Park. Visiting either island is easy; just hop on a $7 ferry, which runs hourly on Sundays. Ferrying over the ocean in a speedy mid-sized, double-decker ferry was gut wrenching. We sat on the upper level and we could feel our inner parts tumble as we cut through the thick, choppy, waters. It made me nervous to say the least. We arrived at Cruz Bay harbor and instantly felt the mellow, relaxed island vibe that was illusive on St. Thomas. The reviews were right, St. Thomas and St. John are energetically different, but contrary to what reviewers said about St. John not being a resort destination, it did have resorts, the Westin being one of them. And I imagine the resort life on St. John to be more relaxing; as sleepy and restorative as the island itself. We came to St. John’s on a whim, perhaps hoping to have better luck at finding good island food, so we didn't know chartering a ‘taxi safari’ was the first order of business upon docking. By the time we figured it out, it was 20 past the hour and all the taxis were gone. Everyone else rented jeeps to do self exploration, but the way the island is set up—left side driving over steep hills, cliffs, and mountains—we decline that DIY option, and wait around for one of the taxi safaris to return. Eventually we wound up getting a taxi all to ourselves, Bryan, our driver, was nice and informative. Because it was just us, he took extra time in showing us around, giving us the inside scoop on politics and the economy as we went along. We went up, up, up and around the mountains and overlooks, then toured the old sugar plantation at Annaberg. On our way back down Bryan stopped to pick me some wild Bay Rum Leaves, incredibly fragrant and indigenous to St. John. He explained how the locals boil it and use its tea to cure everything from colds to achy joints. By the end of our extended tour, Bryan felt like family and really made the trip to St. John’s a memorable one. Before he dropped us off at Trunk Bay Beach (A Top 10 beach in the world), he took us by his favorite local spot to grab a bite to eat. The hot food bar in the back of a tucked away local grocery store tasted better than anything we had eaten on the islands, and it was much cheaper, too! We arrived at Trunk Bay Beach with full styrofoam take-away containers and canned coconut water in hand. Trunk Bay Beach, with its pristine white sands, remarkable clear blue-green water with gentle waves lapping against a perfect green backdrop…the warm bright sun, looked like a photoshopped picture from a magazine. The great thing about the U.S. Virgin Islands is you can pick any of the islands as your home base and do day trips from there. It’ll feel like getting two experiences for the price of one. Having experienced both islands, I realize now that I’m a nature type and prefer the natural beauty of St. John. As an African culture and history buff, I always keep an eye out for destinations that tell stories of the African diaspora and St. John served up relaxation with a side of history. If you're planning a trip to the Virgin Islands, here's my advice: No two islands are the same so check your cultural expectations along with your luggage, at the gate.