DiscoverUSVIMagazine.com

Top 10 Shopping Tips on St. Thomas

By Carol M. Bareuther, RD

Greetings! Good Morning or Good Afternoon are the only passports you'll need for a pleasant shopping experience. Virgin Islanders are well-mannered folks who appreciate the nicety of a greeting. Likewise, they'll happily greet you back, and then often go out of their way to help you.

Cover Up, Modesty Rules Virgin Islanders are also modest. So, save your bathing suit for the beach and don a cover-up, or better yet, shirt and shorts or skirt, when shopping. If you're headed downtown, wear comfortable shoes. The alleyways have uneven cobbled walkways, the tropical heat can be daunting and you will easily find yourself walking greater distances than you thought.

Hours Shops are generally open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Some stores will open if there is a cruise ship in port on Sunday, but usually only for the morning.

Afternoon Delight If you're looking for smaller crowds, head to downtown Charlotte Amalie in the afternoon. Most cruise ship passengers hit town in the morning and head to a beach in the afternoons. Don't worry about the heat. All shops are air-conditioned. This welcome coolness also wafts out along the street as all stores keep their doors invitingly open.

Best Buys Look for bargains on perfume, liquor, cameras, china, porcelain, crystal, imported clothing, leather goods, watches, jewelry and gold, as well as crafts made by local artists. Many of these items can be bought for 40 percent less than in the United States; liquor and cigarettes are often 60 percent less.

Bargain Be ready to bargain in the smaller family-owned jewelry stores. Suggest a price lower than the sticker and go from there. You can try this in the larger name-brand jewelry stores, but the haggling might only gain you a modest discount. Regardless, it can pay to shop around.

Don't Lose Liquids U.S. citizens can bring back up to five fifths of U.S. liquor duty-free, and an extra fifth of a U.S. Virgin Islands product such as Cruzan Rum. Liquor, perfumes and even hot sauces will all be confiscated at the airport if they weigh more than 4 ounces and are in your carry-on bag. Therefore, remember to wrap these items well and pack them in your checked bags.

Something Different Search out that "something different" to take home. Island-made straw brooms, tropical fruit jams and jellies, custom-crafted candles and ceramics, and works of art are all locally made handicrafts that fit this bill.

Eat, Drink & Be Merry Break up your shopping trip with a stop for a cold drink, lunch or a snack. Many restaurants offer incredible views of the harbor or the ambience of a quiet alleyway. Go local and try a passion fruit punch, plate of fish (yes, the whole fish, head attached) and fungi (cornmeal polenta-like side dish flecked with okra), or pate (fried dough surrounding a salt fish, spicy ground beef or vegetable filling).

Rest & Relax Emancipation Gardens, at the head of Main Street, is an ideal place to wait for your group or rest while shopping. Benches line the walkways, and trees offer cooling shade. On local holidays, you may get a treat. Scratch bands, school choirs and steel pan orchestras often perform in the gazebo.