Travel tips for US Virgin Islands - what to prepare in advance and what to obey

1. The U.S. Virgin Islands is an expensive resort. Nevertheless, tourists must be ready to add tips - 10-15% to all bills. The service fee – 10% – is usually already included in the total (you will see that line in the receipt). If there is no service fee indicated, don’t forget to add 10-15% of the total.

2. Don’t go to unknown and remote areas alone, especially after sunset.

3. Consider getting vaccines against typhus, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and hepatitis B before the travel.

4. Never drink tap water anywhere, use bottled water only.

5. Don’t go outside without any sun protection: sunglasses and hat. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen.

6. Do not plan to travel to the islands during the dangerous time of the year – the tropical storm season. It starts in July and lasts until the start of October.

7. When trying scuba diving, do not get distracted by attractive items at the bottom and do not collect them as this is against the law. Do not take anything that you find while diving if you do not want to end up at the police. The same rule applies to beaches – do not even collect shells! Copyright www.orangesmile.com

8. Fishing is against the law. If you don’t have a special fishing permit issued by local authorities, you may face a fine or be taken to a police station.

9. It is prohibited to import matches and lighters to the islands, even if you have one piece. Get rid of them before the flight.

10. Do not take any food to the islands, eat the food you are offered on the airplane and eat all the food you have. It is not allowed to import fish, meat, dairy products, eggs, and fruits to the islands. If order not to feel lost, it is better to ask the embassy to provide you with the list of permitted items.

11. Tour guides can be very different and offer different excursion styles. All of them will demand tips. In order not to feel disappointed, it is better to choose the guide based on the feedback of other tourists.

12. When in a taxi, specify all the details of the ride in advance. Telling the destination only is not enough because the initial price can increase rapidly. Things to consider: the payment based on the length or the time of a ride, the desired speed, the time of stops if you need to make stops to take pictures of landmarks, whether the price increases if there are traffic jams, and so on.

13. The U.S. Virgin Islands are an offshore zone, so this is a duty-free area with cheaper goods. This is true about continental America, but tourists from Europe may find local prices high anyway. The U.S. Virgin Islands is an expensive resort.