Scenic bluff overlooking Caneel Bay, St. Johns Island, USVI

U.S. Virgin Islands

With turquoise waters, sugary beaches and friendly natives, U.S. Virgin Islands gets our vote for best tropical destination. However, if you go for an all-inclusive cruise or hotel package, you're bound to get dropped off at one of those tourist traps with over-eager vendors hocking T-shirts and trinkets. Just remember, this summer's "USVI" T-shirt is next spring's closet clutter.

Instead, try breaking from the herd by opting for an SUV rental (around $20 a day) and tour the island at your own pace. Load up the cooler and grab sunscreen, snorkel and fins and hit the road. Oh, and don't forget your camera. Some of our best pics were taken on the self-guided tour. With your own vehicle, you catch the car ferry at Red Hook Pier and hop over to neighboring St. John, which is mostly comprised of National Park land with breath-taking views, bountiful snorkeling spots (including Trunk Bay), Spanish ruins, and 400 wild donkeys (1:4 human/donkey population).

St. John Island
If islands were twins, this one would be the more reserved and introspective of the the two. An island that let's you come as you are and set your own schedule, St. John is brimming with lush countryside, panoramic views, and plenty of surf and turf activities. See more photos.

Caneel Bay Resort. This Rosewood-owned property on the southern end of St. John is an understated gem. The staff is friendly, accommodating and prepares an incredible daily brunch: fresh fruit, exotic fruit juices (papaya, mango, guava), applewood bacon, made-to-order Belgian waffles, pancakes, blintzes and also morning sushi and shrimp. Caneel Bay is a sanctuary of calm, without TV's or radios in the rooms and no kids under 16 are allowed. The sprawling resort campus is accessible via shuttle, which runs every 20 minutes. Stroll through the grounds and observe botanical flowers and an impressive catagorized tree species. If you get sunburned, speak with the staff. They can chop a few large aloe vera leaves from their garden for you. The runny, gooey aloe feels great and clears up sunburns within 24 hours. It also works well as a shaving cream subsitute.

Trunk Bay. Travel and Leisure magazine listed this as one of the best dive spots in the world, and it's easy to see why. Neighoring Caneel Bay to the east, a riot of color and life awaits underwater: hundreds upon hundreds of species of coral and exotic fish, and visibilities up to 150 feet or more (on a sunny day). It's an underwater explorer's paradise.

Driving. Strap on seat belts and prepare for the ride of your life. By the end of the day, you'll being hanging on to it. Dearly. Both St. John and St. Thomas were formed from thousands of years of volanic activity, which drove the terrain up and up. Thus, steep hills, sharp hairpin turns, and cramped lanes makes driving USVI more of a roller coaster ride than anything. Forget 2WD. Only 4WD works here. Oh, and all driving is in the left lane.

St. Thomas Island
First touch on any part of the USVI happens on the big island of St. Thomas and the wild, pell-mell shipping town of Charlotte Amalie. Tourism is big business here, as it is with most major port's-of-call. Step off a ferry or taxi and expect a deluge of vendors beckoning you to buy their wares. Since imports are duty-free, you can catch some pretty good deals on jewlery, watches and clothes. Merchants don't mind working with you on the price either. We purchased a natural sapphire and diamond ring at three times less than what you would pay in the States.

Catch a taxi or rent a car and explore the islands. St. Thomas offers some breathtaking vistas and excellent trails for hiking and exploring. "The Pirate's Chest" shop at Paradise Point overlook (pictured above) sells authentic silver "Pieces of Eight" (circa 1640) that were recovered from shipwrecks. About the size of a Ritz cracker, some of these silver pieces are priced at $700-plus each. A little pricey, but they make for great keepsakes.