US Virgin Islands Books

The book is designed to offer a good list of places to scuba relying on the use of dive operators - it lists many. Its use for a couple who just wish to go alone (in a buddy system, of course) is limited, since the locations are not exactly defined. The book also offers a lot of advice as to many facets of diving in these areas. In general, it is an excellent book with the caveat of not giving exact coordinates nor reference points by which to find the specific spots.

This book is very thorough on the coverage that I was looking for. I recommend this book. Actually, I couldn't find any other books that covered Puerto Rico.

This is one of the most thorough and up to date dive travel books I've ever read. We used a lot of the information on diving and related material on our recent trip to P.R. and found it very helpfull and accurate.

Once again we have an excellent and very useful publication aimed at amateur and professional diver alike. This is a true guide which concentrates on providing all the relevant and peripheral information that any Scuba Diver will want to know in respect of any of the Caribbean destinations covered. The maps and diagrams are particularly useful - and very easy to follow.

We live in an age where diving instructors and dive guides "have" to know what they are doing and it is interesting to see those professionals are using this book and not any of the glossy alternatives. Sadly, we also live in an age where many diving publications fall short. Too much false information - and even total lack of information is hidden behind excellent underwater photographs as publisher after publisher seeks to beguile, confuse and even mislead the potential buyer. Not so with this book!

My direct experience has been to find this series of books contain exactly the information divers require before during and even after their trip. Very well written, it includes all the general information on diving, facilities, climate, sea, regulations, boats, cruise liners, resorts, hotels, flora, fauna, shipwrecks, photography and safety. It then moves on to cover each of the target Caribbean countries which are the main subject of the book before concluding with a Glossary, Bibliography and Accident and Emergency Information.

We can all find pretty pictures on the internet - without even having to pay to see them. Information, however, especially reliable information, is much harder to find. If you are contemplating a trip to any of the countries featured in this book, you will find all - and I do mean "ALL" the information you require right here. That might be at the expense of some pretty pictures - but hey, once you get there, you can take those yourself.

In summary, once again we have "A Complete Guide" - which is exactly what it says on the cover.

NM

I have been meaning to review this book for some time as it is one of the most thumbed books on our book shelf. My wife and I run a charter yacht in the Virgin Islands and many of our guests are keen divers. We bought The Complete Diving Guide for our own use initially but it has since become part of the yacht's library as our guests find it so useful and enjoyable to read. (as our copy is getting rather worn I'm pleased to say that many of them buy their own copy after having seen ours). It is rare to find a book that is so comprehensive and which presents a vast amount of information in such a readable manner. In particular we find the island and dive site maps useful along with the descriptions of the dives and the underwater route maps. I can direct our guests at the tyupe of dive that I think they would enjoy and they can read about it beforehand. They can also choose the dive store they would like to use. I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone planning to do some diving in the Virgin Islands (it even covers the Spanish Virgin Islands).

We've sailed and chartered in the USVI and BVI numerous times and ALWAYS take this guide with us. From little known anchorages (Mermaids Chair on St. Thomas) to the most frequented (Great Harbor on Yost Van Dyke)this guide is without equal.

Excellent It bailed us out when we ran out of light before getting into the anchorage at Philipsburg and got us into several beaches that were completely deserted.

A bit dated is spots (it is 7 years old) For example, Saba has installed a number of excellent mooring on the south and west sides on the island, making it much easier to get either by the traditional landing or LLadder Landing on the West side. There is a road down to that now (no more 1000 steps to climb). However it was out when we were there (4-1-00)

This is one of the bests books on sailing ever. Mr. Street is obviously a very acomplished sailer. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who is planning to sail in the Caribbean

Although I have been sailing for 40 years, this was the most useful and informative sailing guide I have ever read. It adverted me from several unknown and possibly costly collisions...and I'm not referring to other boats. His harbor guides and navigational charts were indispensible! BUY BUY BUY!!!!

Great book at fraction of original price. Really helped me out on my trip. Very informative.

This and Frommer's guides always make up the bulk of my reseach before a production. In this case, I shot 2 weeks in the US and British Virgin Islands, relying mainly on these books. They offset each others weekness and/or gaps. Also, their contradicitons in beach or housing ratings are interesting. The maps are good including Ferry company names so you can look up the travel times and dates on the internet. (Just avoid Speedy's old Ferrys, one blew its engine and almost sank on me going to Virgin Gorda. We were rescued just in time.) I shot "The Best Virgin Island Beaches" DVD here on Amazon.com. So, after you read about these places, and you really want to see, hear and feel them, check our our DVDs.

I tossed this great guidebook into my carry-on bag before I left for a recent trip to Road Town in the British Virgin Islands and found it to be the perfect resource during my trip! Unlike most Eyewitness travel books that tend to be all-encompassing and a bit cumbersome to carry around, this "Top 10" version is more like Eyewitness-light, perfect for taking to marketplaces and the beach.

The book breaks down the American and British Virgin Islands into the top ten beaches, snorkeling sites, resorts, festivals, amongst others. The recommendations are varied and interesting, especially the sections highlighting shopping opportunities and historical sites. Also included is an "Around the Virgin Islands" section that offers about five pages of island-specific information for St Croix, St John, St Thomas, Tortola and Virgin Gorda. The last section entitled "Streetsmart" helps you assimilate into the island culture as easily as possible with info on arriving in the islands, shopping, hotels, etc.

The book digs deeply to provide lush photography and insider tips to ensure you have a great vacation.

If you are planning a trip to the Virgin Islands this is an essential book to have. It covers both the US and British Virgin islands in complete detail. It breaks down the islands individually and gives you suggestions for attractions, restaurants and advice on how to organize a trip around the island. Cannot recommend enough.

The British Virgin Islands have a very different atmosphere from their close neighbors, the U.S. Virgin Islands. This guide was helpful in giving valuable information that helped me plan my vacation to the area. The excellent hotel and restaurant reviews, as well as information on each of the individual islands on things to see and do made it a very indispensable source for finalizing my trip plans.

The British Virgin Islands have a very different atmosphere from their close neighbors, the U.S. Virgin Islands. This guide was helpful in giving valuable information that helped me plan my vacation to the area. The excellent hotel and restaurant reviews, as well as information on each of the individual islands on things to see and do made it a very indispensable source for finalizing my trip plans.

US VIRGIN ISLANDS ALIVE! by Harriet & Douglas Greenberg is the Second Edition and also an excellent Hunter Guide Book. After an introduction which includes such things as history, climate, food, and various ways to travel to the Virgin Islands, the book gives great detail about three specific Islands: St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. With numerous color photographs of lovely scenic spots on each of these islands, the book serves as a wonderful memoir of your trip. You'll also find information about the best beaches, sight seeing, and shopping in addition to the various places to stay and eat. There is a variety of contact information including phone numbers and website addresses for booking your trip.

I had a hard time finding a complete dive book for St.Croix--most of them focus on the other U.S. Virgin Islands. This is a complete map of all of the dive sites and on land ammenities.

Thoroughly researched and thoughtfully constructed, this book offers something for everyone interested in exploring the amazing underwater landscapes of the USVI. Beginning divers and snorkelers will appreciate the overview of practicalities about how to get there, various underwater options, and other things to do when your extremities start to get pruney from all that time in the water.

More expert divers and those already familiar with the area can flip right to the heart of the book and delve into the descriptions of the many dive/snorkel sites. On our recent trip we stuck entirely with St. John, and I heartily agree with the author's assessment that Leinster Bay is one of the best snorkeling spots on the island. We can't wait to go back.

My only recommendation for the 2nd edition of the book would be to include even more sites accessible from shore for those spur-of-the-moment snorkeling expeditions.

We will definitely be bringing this book along on our next trip to the USVI!

Thanks to those of you who have already purchased a copy of Diving & Snorkeling U.S. Virgin Islands! I'm glad most of you are pleased with the book, and I truly appreciate your feedback. Your suggestions will help me improve the next edition of the book. Keep your comments coming!

Shark Man, I am sorry the book didn't meet your expectations, but I would like to clarify something about coverage given to snorkeling sites.

While the snorkeling sidebar does list just names of popular snorkeling sites (favorites of mine and many other Virgin Islanders), the 53 extended dive site descriptions include several that are also excellent snorkeling sites. These are listed in the book index under "Snorkeling Sites" and identified with a snorkeling icon in the site descriptions.

As you were on a snorkeling trip, I'll take your criticism of my dive site descriptions with a grain of sea salt. =8D

Best!
Dave Lauterborn
(...)

We used this book a ton on our recent trip to the USVI. We were just snorkeling, and found the tips, sealife info and site information that helped us immensely. We fell in love with the VI and are looking forward to exploring more next summer. We just puchased the same book for the BVI and can't wait to go snorkeling next summer there!

This book has great photos and information - I'm so glad I brought it with us on our trip.

I bought this book for our snorkeling trip to the US Virgin Islands and I was extremely disappointed with it. The snorkeling information in this book consists of a list of 11 of the "top snorkeling spots" that are the same common sites you see in any travel book or website.....it doesn't even describe them or give you any information on them. The dive site info consists of short descriptions of 53 sites in the USVI, which I would rate at fair to good (for diving). About a third of the book is about things like history, shopping, airlines, etc., which are much better covered by any travel guide. If you're looking for a snorkeling guide don't waste your money on this book.

Great book at fraction of original price. Really helped me out on my trip. Very informative.

Well written. We have traveled to the BVI and USVI and they did a fine job of telling it like it is.

Great book at fraction of original price. Really helped me out on my trip. Very informative.

This fact-filled guide is an excellent choice as a stand-alone reference book or a companion to other guide books on the Virgin Islands. In addition to providing all the need-to-know facts about hotels, dining out, transportation, shopping, etc., this book offers fascinating historical and geographical insights that other guide books lack.

It's a soft cover, quality bound book that's easy to pack and will hold up well through dozens of vacations to the Caribbean. It's easy reading, and has an easy-to-find "Fact File" for quick reference while you're on the go.

I love this little book!

We sailed with friends on a cat around BVI this spring. This map was out on
the deck with us each day. Great resource. And because it is coated, it is
still in great shape for the next visit...and there will be one!

In retrospect I wouldn't buy this map. I never used it once we got to the islands because there were better maps available for free. The level of detail is poor, you could print out a map online that would be better. Not recommended.

This map provides a moderate level of detail for several islands. If you want a higher level of detail, including "back roads", you'll need to buy a map that includes just one island. I couldn't find a one-island map of St. Croix on Amazon, but I expect that one will be available locally.