Destination Details

Cost of Renting a Car in Saint Thomas – aka How to Get Raped

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If you’re planning to visit Saint Thomas – it’s a good bet that you’ll need a rental car. In fact, after being here for two weeks, I know you will. You literally can’t do much of anything on this island without a car.

What does it cost for a rental car here in Saint Thomas in the US Virgin Islands? Well,I thought it was only $50 per day, but it turns out we ended up paying about $80 a day because we opted for the insurance (mistake #1).

A $945 bill for less than 10 days? Umm, yea, we got royally raped on that one.

Someone (aka me?) should start a business doing short term car rentals in Saint Thomas. Buy a vehicle for $4,000-5,000, rent it for $500 per month, and pay off the whole car in 8 months. Sounds like a good business idea to me.

Travel Thoughts

What is the True Cost of Abundance?

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One of my friends sent me a link to Contrast of Abundance written by Shelley Lewis on HuffPost Impact. I loved this paragraph:

As we consider how we educate children in this increasingly interconnected world, why don’t we start by basing our educational philosophies on the notion that the human relationship, the bonding and love which is shared in such a paradigm are just as important as any facts the teacher can impart to the child. Thereby, accomplishment can be measured by a sense of self and value for others not simply by what grades you receive. Schooling, housing, food and sanitation are all important but each human being needs the sustenance of the heart, a deep sense of emotional well being and strengthening of imagination to find meaning in one’s life. These qualities of spiritual enrichment are necessary to excel in the world of tomorrow, to dream beyond the norm and strive to fulfill a sustainable future.

Every time I read an article like this I think back to my time in the Dominican Republic, Kenya, and Ghana – and realize that traveling abroad for the first time in 2005 was the best thing I ever could have done for myself. If it weren’t for that initial trip, who knows, maybe I never would have made it to those other places and instead sat inside the friendly confines of the United States for my whole life (though I admit that’s doubtful given my group of friend’s travel habits).

Festivals

Saint John Carnival Schedule for the 4th of July, 2011

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From VINow.com

St. John Festival 2010
St. John, Cruz Bay 4:00am
Event: J’ouvert, One of the most popular events of Carnival. It is an early morning party as thousands of people dance through the streets behind their favorite bands while others stand on the sidelines and enjoying the music. Starts outside the National Park Visitor Center.

St. John Festival 2010
St. John, Cruz Bay 11:00am
Event: Parade, The parade is one of the biggest events of the St. John Festival. It takes place in Cruz Bay and includes thousands of participants and thousands of viewers that line the parade route. Come see mocko jumbies, carnival royalty, listen to bands play while colorfully costumed troupes dance along. Some troupes include masqueraders wearing from the smallest costumes of bikinis with beads to elaborate, large costumes that stretch the width of the parade route. The parade route starts at the National Park Visitor Center entrance and runs through Cruz Bay.

St. John Festival 2010
St. John, Cruz Bay Harbor 9:00pm
Event: Fireworks Display. Fireworks over Cruz Bay Harbor.

Destination Details

Cost of a Rental Car in Saint Thomas

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Like everything else in Saint Thomas, a rental car is not cheap. We rented a fairly new Ford Fusion similar to this (I forgot to take a photo of our actual car prior to dropping it off this morning) from Budget Rent a Car. How much did it cost? $50 a day roughly. We finally returned the car this morning after 8 days of use (in which we used 3/4 a tank of gas). As you may know, my buddy and I moved here for a couple months about a week ago — and we are certainly glad to have this $50-a-day hole burning in our pocket gone from the drive way.

The jeep below is our new “island beast” for $450 per month. Not quite as luxurious, but certainly worth the trade off to save the extra $1000.

Accommodations

Review of Best Western Carib Beach Resort in Saint Thomas

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My friend and I spent three days at the Best Western Carib Beach Resort upon arriving on Saint Thomas a week ago. The cost of the Best Western Carib hotel was $179 per night (in late June) plus two fees that added up to another 18% of the room total for a room with two double beds. So, the bill was essentially $600 for our 3 day stay.

The hotel is directly next to the Cyril E. King Airport, which means you hear at least several gigantic jumbo jets take off and land daily (flight volume varies by day). I have to admit, a jet engine isn’t the most pleasant thing to wake up to, but the views of Lindberg Bay from our 2nd floor hotel room were amazing. Wifi worked quite well in our room, making working (both Dan and I work online) doable without driving to a WIFI hotspot in Charlotte Amalie. There were also about 20 television stations available, including CNN, ESPN, and two HBO’s.

The hotel restaurant/bar closes at 10 – at least in late June in down season – which was kind of disappointing since we were fresh off a 3 hour time zone change and not the least bit tired at 10 pm (7 pm Seattle time).

All in all, it was a decent place to stay. We chose it for convenience and the fact that it was one of the cheaper hotels we found via our online research. Nothing on this island is cheap, and hotels are no different.

Exploring the Wild Blue Yonder