Are the Virgin Islands really that great/

The Virgin Islands are located in the Leeward Islands, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean.  The Islands are considered a vacation paradise. They are a well traveled tourism area. The most frequented areas are St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. These all have resorts, hotels, and rental houses. . The tourist to these islands will find many interesting sites to visit both on land and water. You can set up your own trip or visit the islands with an individual or group tour set up by many travel agents.

In addition you can rent boats for hanging out on the open water or water activities including deep-sea fishing, diving in the reefs, and water skiing. In addition to relaxing and enjoying the open waters, the area offers multi-cultural foods.  Restaurants line the islands along the beach coast.

The Virgin Islands provide you with many ways to spend your time. Some of the beaches are secluded for privacy. There are numerous national parks allowing you to spend time enjoying nature. For those wanting to explore the area more there are several tours including ecological tours and tropical forest tours.

When planning your trip, take the weather into consideration. The area is generally sunny, with occasional strong winds from the east. The Virgin Islands experience a very rainy season for September to November. This is generally the cheapest time of year to visit, but make sure you are prepared to spend a lot of your time indoors if you choose to visit during this time of year.

Make sure you area aware of the regulations for traveling to the Virgin Islands. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative was recently passed by the US Congress; it will be effective December 31 of 2006. It requires all travelers to have a passport to document their identity and nationality.  This will be strictly enforced for those leaving and re-entering the United States. If you have any questions, you can ask a travel agent or customs agents at the airports.

There are several languages spoken on the islands including English, Spanish, Creole, and French. The economy is bases largely on the tourism to the area. Additional economic contributors include petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and electronics. The Virgin Islands are a very productive area, and there are plenty of employment opportunities in the islands.