Reviews (7)

Good Start
Great information that is helping plan a schedule for our trip to the BVI.

The Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands:A Complete Guide for Yachtsmen, Divers and Watersports Enthusiasts
I purchased this book prior to a sailing trip through the British Virgin Islands.My family has bareboat chartered in other locations before, but was our first trip to the BVI.This guide was outstanding - gave thorough information about anchoring, mooring and also activities and amenities to enjoy on the various islands.I would highly recommend purchasing this book prior to boating in the Virgin Islands.There is so much to do - we plan to go back next year - we couldn't get to all of the great places this year on a 9 day trip.

An easy guide for some the worlds easiest sailing waters
The spiral binder is a simple solution to using the book aboard. While it is true that you'll get a lot of ads it's a fair trade off since you'll only pay about half of what other cruising guides cost and it will show you the services you're likely to use. I find the technical aspects of this guide (anchoring, mooring, customs, etc.) to be clear and accurate. I've used some well respected guides for other areas that were not so. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Travel    3. Sailing    4. Travel & holiday guides    5. Virgin Islands    6. Water sports & recreations   

Reviews (4)

This is the true IDIOTS guide
I'm not one for drafting copy in these review tabs but I had to tell my tale on this book. Give me my money back please. This book is so base and embarassingly retarded. It covers the basics of traveling to a degree that will bore even the first time traveler to death. I have to believe that there is another publication in the world on the BVI that has a true beat on the local vibe. Some suggestions on great things to do... first one is "float." Yes, float. Gee I would have never thought to do that on an island. When you're done with that "watch the planes land." I couldn't believe it when I saw it. Save your money on this one folks. Unless you want a good laugh or are tutoring an elementary school student.

A must-have for a trip to the BVI
We took this book with us on our recent trip to Virgin Gorda in the BVI, and we were amazed at how accurate the information was. We went to many places on Virgin Gorda recommended in Acheson's book and were thrilled that her reviews were so on-target. Would highly recommend this book to anyone planning a trip to the British Virgin Islands, and especially to Virgin Gorda.

The Best of the BVI
Pamela Acheson gives many, many helpful comments on each island in the BVI. She describes all of the beaches, many restaurants and bars, and offers many helpful hints. We relied heavily on her book for our recentvisit to Tortola and were not disappointed. She is right on with all of hercomments, such as Jost Van Dyke is a really great day trip, how to greetand deal with the locals, Tortola's amazing roads, her suggested adventureto Smuggler's Cove (with complete directions and what to expect), and herevaluation of many restaurants including Brandywine Bay, Sugar Mill, RotiPalace, an unnamed local fish fry, and especially a lovely Italian cafenamed Capriccio di Mare (all very good). Her suggestions such as to take atleast one nautical adventure, take in the view from Sky World, watch outfor a particular mule, etc., were all helpful and accurate. Ferryschedules, banking, the best water taxis, etc. were all very useful. As iswritten on the book jacket, we found it to be an indispensable, friendly,fun-to-use guide for anyone visiting the BVI. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel & holiday guides    5. Virgin Islands   

Reviews (18)

Excited to visit!!!
I recently purchased this book because my fiance and I are planning on going to St. John for our honeymoon. We have spent many hours together reading this handy guide, which is informational as well as being filled with anecdotes, facts about plants and wildlife, and historical tales of pirates, slave rebellions and local life. We are both so excited after reading this book that we can't wait to arrive on St. John and start exploring!!!

Splendid book!
I came across this book while surfing the internet looking for somewhere different that we could go for our family vacation. I found the website written by the authors which is worth checking out if you want to find out more indepth information on the book and the place. It's: www.islandways.com.
A worthwhile purchase!!!!
My friends and I all went down to the Virgin Islands over spring break. We were staying on St. Thomas, but got tired of shopping and decided that we wanted to do some exploring. We were directed to take a ferry over to St. John where I found this book in a local shop. We rented a jeep and followed the North Shore route where we visited Annaberg and stopped at Trunk Bay for a swim. What a wonderful little book! It really helped us to learn about how special an island St. John is, and made us feel more like explorers of a tropical paradise rather than some tourists that are shuttled back and forth. I only wish that we had been able to stay longer and visit more of the sites listed in this guidebook. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Saint John    3. Saint John (V.I.)    4. Tours    5. Travel    6. Travel / Caribbean & West Indies    7. Virgin Islands of the United S    8. Virgin Islands of the United States    9. Walking    10. Caribbean & West Indies   

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Central America    3. Reference - Guides (General)    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Travel / Caribbean & West Indies    9. Virgin Islands   

Reviews (4)

If you're diving the BVI This is the book to have!
Jim and Odile Scheiner have been photographing and diving the BVI since long before any Bush's were in the white house. Their diving expertise and professionaly crafted photgraphs will guide you to some of the best diving in this area. Don't travel to the BVI without this book if you're planning any diving! It's that good.

Essential resource
If you're planning a bareboat charter in the British Virgin Islands and would like to head off to dive sites on your own then this is the book you need.The book contains dive site locations, mooring locations, skill requirements, weather considerations, site layouts, suggested underwater routes, and dive descriptions. We arrived in the Virgin Islands with a bag of dive books and this is the one that we used over and over again!

Diving at BVI
If you want a realy good book for diving at the BVI then take this one. I got all of my informations out of this book and all dives where fine. The only thing i missed was a map with stations for tank refill. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Scuba & Snorkeling    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Winter Sports    7. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports   

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Caribbean Area    3. Guidebooks    4. Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Yachting   

Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Boats and boating    3. Caribbean & West Indies    4. Guidebooks    5. Puerto Rico    6. Reference - Cruise Guides    7. Sailing - General    8. Sailing - Navigation    9. Sports    10. Sports & Recreation    11. Motor / power boating & cruising    12. Virgin Islands   

Reviews (1)

Beautifully written concise book!
I really love this book..it is really well written and incredibly informative.I would love to read anything Lawson Wood decided to write next!Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Sports    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel / Caribbean & West Indies   

Reviews (1)

A Great Resource
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.
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Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Europe - Great Britain - General    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. United States - General    6. Travel / United States / General   

Editorial Review

One hundred or so islands make up the Virgin Islands group. Some are governed by the U.S., some by the British, and all offer green hills, the best temperatures in the West Indies, and some of the lowest humidity levels in the Caribbean. So if the answer to your Caribbean vacation question is the Virgin Islands, the next questions are Read more

Reviews (9)

Good reference book.
I alway buy both Frommers and Fodors books when I go shoot a new DVD in this case, "The Best Virgin Island Beaches" here on Amazon.Neither are perfect but together they make up for each others weakness.I like Frommers a little better because it has a good section on beaches and descriptions.Also, their maps tend to be a little more detailed.Neither though has many pictures, so if you want to see and hear what these places really feel like, check out our DVDs after you read these books.

Very disappointing...
I thought I was pretty good at picking them but man, was I off this time. It's hard to tell when you've never been to the location before but after a week on St. Thomas and St. John, I wish I would've read all these others reviews before I bought this book. I was very disappointed. There were SO MANY unacceptable errors in this book. Maps were wrong...there's an error on the St. John map that shows a road when actually it's only a walking trail. There were typos that got us lost in the city. The reviews weren't accurate at all. Places where it read "live carribean music nightly" were false. The restaurants never had a live band! uncommonly poor for Frommers
I bought this book for a recent trip to the British Virgin Islands, having used Frommer's guides on several vacations in the past. Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Travel & holiday guides    6. Travel / Caribbean & West Indies    7. Virgin Islands   

Reviews (1)

Moderate Detail
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. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Atlases - General    2. General    3. Maps    4. Reference   

Reviews (5)

Five Sea Stars
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.
Grateful author responds ...
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!
NOTforSNORKELING !!!!!
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. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Special Interest - Adventure    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    6. Water Sports    7. Sub-aqua swimming    8. Travel & holiday guides    9. Virgin Islands   

Reviews (16)

Guide To Island Paradise

Very good guide book
I think this is an excellent guidebook.It has the flavor of a Lonely Planet book, without such a complete "backpacker" emphasis.I find it enjoyable to just read.It's very well written, without trying so hard to be cute or flashy.(I recently bought a pile of guidebooks for Florida and they were all a waste of money except the Michelin Green Guide!Leave it to Michelin.)
A Guidebook with a Point of View
I have visited the Virgin Islands many times, and always with great delight. This book has shown me many things I didn't know, and will definitely be in my suitcase next time.
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Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel & holiday guides    5. Virgin Islands   

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel & holiday guides    5. Travel / Caribbean & West Indies    6. Virgin Islands   

Reviews (30)

Desiring Paradise
Having been to St.John several time I found this book quite entertaining. We have a dream of retiring to St.John and I found this book very enlightening. I could not put the book down, read it in a day. It's funny, smart, a little disorganized but nonetheless a great read!

For armchair travellers or those really making the move...
I really enjoyed this book. I read it several years ago and often remember it. I was drawn to the book by its cover and because, at the time, I had a close friend who was from USVI. Anyway, I thought this was a really special book written by two people (a married couple) who actually put their dream into motion. A Must read book for those planning on the move to the USVI
I read this Book in three short days I couldnt put it down but to go to work. I plan on the big move to St Croix with in two yrs. I could realte to this story we are at the same place as the couple in the book was and is unbelievavble on how true to fact it has been. A must read for those who are truly "Desirinig Paradise" ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Philosophy    2. Travel / Caribbean & West Indies    3. Travel / Essays & Travelogues    4. Caribbean & West Indies    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. Saint John (V.I.)    7. Travel    8. Travel - Foreign    9. Virgin Islands of the United S   

Reviews (8)

So, bad I returned it!
I hate books that refer to objects but neglect to include a photograph.It's 2005, I need visuals.

Very Good Research
I thought the author did their work reviewing the places visited and knows the island well. Should never overlook the little places to visit and dine at , you can always find a hidden treasure somewhere! Good reading and very helpful book.

Best of St. Thomas and St. John
This book needs to be updated.The St. John Inn was hardly an elegant, intimate little inn.We were so disappointed we hunted down alternature accommodations.However, the "Inn" still charged us. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel - United States    5. United States - General    6. Travel & holiday guides    7. Travel / Caribbean & West Indies    8. Virgin Islands   

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Travel & holiday guides    6. Travel / Caribbean & West Indies    7. Virgin Islands   

Reviews (2)

Somewhat Disappointing
We used this Lonely Planet guide book on a recent trip to the US and British Virgin Islands as well as Explore Virgin Islands by Pariser. We learned about both through online reviews and bought both on Amazon.com.Pariser's book was better; the maps are easier to use. his tips on how to get along with the locals were informative. We wanted more on the ecology from lonely planet, but turned to explore virgin islands for that. All in all, Pariser's guide had more info not found elsewhere.

Comprehensive!
I have read 4-5 guides to the Virgin islands, and I believe this is the most comprehensive.They give the most detailed info about ALL aspects of travel to St Thomas, St John and the British VIs. I particularly appreciate the honesty re: potential problems (bad neighborhoods etc) and the solid advice on how to be smart and not have to worry.There are interesting tidbits about archeology, flora and fauna, native patois (even how to pronounce common Caribbean foods, sayings) etc. The maps are detailed, the beach and touring site descriptions are thorough, and directions are given for all.Definately worth buying & the only guide I'd buy if I had to chose. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Special Interest - Adventure    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel & holiday guides    6. Virgin Islands   

Reviews (1)

A Great Guidebook Find
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.Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Caribbean islands    5. Travel & holiday guides    6. Virgin Islands   

Reviews (2)

Great guide
We have several copies of this over the years.Our first copy from 1986 we still use as we have annotated it with dive sites, nav info etc... Must Have for any BVI Sailor's Library
This was our first BVI Sailing guide and is still one of our most used.It is an excellent resource with maps, great insider's tips, and recomendations.The best part are its maps which cleary show where mooring balls, channel markers, and other navigational aids are lcoated in the most popular anchorages.We highly recommend this book to all who sail the BVI. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Travel    3. Guidebooks    4. Pictorial works    5. Virgin Islands of the United S    6. Yachts and yachting