St Thomas — Local services in Anna's Retreat

Is this really the United States of America ? I honestly can't believe it ! everything from the roads the the people (very and I mean very Unfriendly ! let's put it this way : I haven't seen a single person smiling my entire stay! except at key places where the smile may make you spend top $ ) The food scene is horrendous ! prices are jacked up like crazy for tiny portions, no fast foods of any kind except a hidden one close to the airport ish area or "clean" reasonable restaurant so for a party of 3 it is 100+$ for every meal (if you stay a week minimum food budget is 100x2x7=1,400 $... aaaand an 18% automatic gratuity is added to every bill ! do the math

Good luck to find a safe convenience store area good luck if you follow the GPS (google maps), the roads/junctions are not there period! pot holes are on the next level, buildings are in ruins. The only things that made me think this place was American were the road signs/the amex/visa/mastercard acceptance lol, and people speaking/English although with an accent!

oh BTW they drive on the left side of the road with lefthand driving cars! double F* to your brain! I had to force my self to not go head-on collisions at every right turn as for me when I drive on the left, steering wheel is on the right ! (Also I witnessed a lot of fender benders)

The upside is the water (very/blue/clean/ salty/floaty) ...don't go to the recommended beaches, they can be crowded and as always you have to pay, find a less... you know what ! don't, just don't go here, honestly just go to Hawaii if you want to be "in the US"

This place should be named: US"ish"PAYMOREFORNOTMUCHnotVIRGIN ISLAND

not coming back if I want this kind of places I'll go to proper South America...

Beautiful and exotic island. I personally love it. I enjoy the white sand beaches and blue water. I had great vacation. I enjoy local cuisines and met a lot of local people. Nature was wild - iguanas, lizards, birds and chickens!!! Every day was a new adventure. We enjoyed local Caribbean cuisines and try many traditional dishes. Transportation around the island is easy if you have car or just get a taxi. They are cheap and fun. Just hop in and out. Island is big so think about transportation. Walking is not going to work out. We did around the island tour with the cruise ship people and was fun. We got to see different part of the island. We also visit multiple beaches so pretty much we visit every part of the island. I personally loved the country side. Some areas are busy than others. We stay up the hills so we saw a little challenge with that so choose a place or hotel down on the flat part. The view from the top is great but going up and down is a nightmare. People drive crazy ! Downtown area is really pricey. Everything is really expensive overall. Many many restaurants. Not much night life. Little one room clubs open till 4 am. Definitely place to relax not getting wild. I want to mention that going to the island is easy but getting out of it not , you have to go true sort of immigration. So get 2 documents to show your status. Doesn't matter they are USA territory they have their own rules. Go to the airport early lines a long. Is not your ordinary airport. If you look for that luxury experience you are not going to find it here. If you looking for beaches and exploring different cultures that is your spot. Overall great...

Cash: Bring small bills. I used mostly $5 and $10 bills. Some shacks and shops only take cash. Can't tell you how much to bring because everyone's budget is different and everyone tips differently. Masks - Needed everywhere indoors unless sitting down. PIlaces will not serve or service you without one. Even the beach bars and food shacks require them.

Bug spray- Mosquitos love me so got bit several times. Others in my group didn't so depends on you and your experience with bugs. They tend to be out more often during early mornings and sunset. Don't forget to bring it to your dinner plans and the beach if you go early.

Friendliness - I consider myself an expert traveler. I've noticed that some members here complained about the lack of enthusiasm from staff who are serving you in different areas. From my experience this is normal island attitude and culture. Don't take it personally. It's definitely not all over your face friendly or over the top customer service that you get at resorts like in Mexico or the Bahamas. It's chill here. So relax. If you need something done fast or have high customer service expectations, fly elsewhere

Food standard - This is not a foodie town so set your expectations accordingly. Most places are serving standard food fare unless you hit up the fine dinning spots and even those are hit or miss. I've noticed lot of 4 and 5 star Google reviews for places that would be a standard 3 star in my hometown of Orlando Florida as a reference. Some of you reading this might be surprised at the high ratings so just understand standards are different here and locals are happy with it. We're...