Have you ever been to paradise?
I like the islands so much, when my girl and I tried to figure out where we should get married, that was the obvious first pick. After a long decision-making process, we said "the heck with it" and decided to get married where ~WE~ wanted instead of trying to make it easy on others
We went over to the british virgin islands for our honeymoon, they are even more unpopulated and easier to find secluded beachs and such.
Perhaps I dont have an objective outlook, but the US virgin islands are as close to paradise as one can get this side of heaven. St John, my favorite of the three major islands, is about 6 mile long and has about 6000 permanent residents. I will tell you that if you ever get the chance to go, you MUST DO IT. The beaches are like something out of a dream. When you are sitting on the wide white sand beach, with the waves gently lapping on the shore, a perfect blue sky above and the ocean so many bright shades of blue and green that it would bankrupt a crayon company, you look inside yourself and question whther this kind of beauty can really exist in the world. The first time this happens you might cry, its that powerful. I nearly did, my wife balled her eyes out.
The US Virgin Islands are a group of several islands (3 main ones) just east of puerto-rico. St. Thomas is the most heavily populated. If you want shopping and all manner of distractions, nightlife, bars, etc. this is your island. St. Croix is the largest. St John is the smallest and least built up of the three, if empty beaches and calmness is your bag, this is the island you want.
The islands have some of the best snorkeling and diving anywhere. My favorite fish, the Blue Tang gather in large or very large groups. They go from place to place on the corals and it looks like a large bright blue waterfall. The Parrot fish looks like a painted table ornament. The foureye and the juvenile French angelfish are good examples of the fish life you will see while snorkeling there. Every now and then you might even see a hawksbill turtle or even a rare underwater mikey
The Island of St. john is about as laid back as you can get. On one of my trips there, I was eating in a restaurant in cruz bay, and the power went out. I was informed by a completely unconcerned waiter that this happens all the time and probably "frank" got drunk and forgot to turn on the nightime generator! wild donkeys roam the island at will and think nothing of coming up to your door to beg for some fig newtons. The inhabitants are mostly unconcerned about anything, relaxing is the only thing of importance here.
Our wedding was about as perfect as could be. It was on lovely francis bay beach right before sunset on a perfectly clear, wonderfully warm, nice day.
If you listen to nothing else I ever say, if you EVER have the chance to go to the USVI, you would be absolutely crazy not to go!
