[.ca] Frommer's Virgin Islands (ISBN 0764596667)

From Amazon.com:
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 where in the Virgins, and what to do once you get there. Toward that end, Frommer's Virgin Islands guide delineates the differences, in character and topography and overall ambiance, between the various islands, helping you select the destinations that suit you (and your budget) best. First, there's the choice between British and American, then there are criteria such as deluxe versus rustic, hopping nightlife versus quiet isolation, pristine beaches or vibrant snorkeling. The "Best Of" section further aids selection, with lists of exceptional beaches, snorkeling, dive sites, golf courses, restaurants, nature walks, honeymoon resorts, and places to get away from it all. Once you've chosen your island, you have but to browse the specific chapter to see hotels, dining, and sights, outdoor recreations, shopping, and nightlife. There's a brief history of each island, a look at the flora and fauna, and an essential Fast Facts page listing details such as area code, currency exchange, doctors, newspapers, and liquor laws. Why lug along a huge Caribbean tome? The slender Frommer's Virgin Islands volume offers more detailed information for less. --Stephanie Gold

Disappointing:
I have used Frommer's books on several recent vacations, and have typically found them quite useful and easily filled-in. However, I was somewhat disappointed in this guide to the Virgin Islands. The listings of hotels are very good, adn will help a traveler make a wise decision concerning which of the beautiful hotels to choose. The lists of beaches is also wonderful; and to many travellers this may be enough to plan a complete vacation. As recommended, I visited Trunk Bay and Coki Beach, and both had a wonderful atmosphere and great snorkeling. I was very unnerved, however, by several errors in the book. For example - a favorite restaurant of locals and President Clinton is listed as Eunices's, which has changed names twice; the number listed for hydrofoil service to St. Croix is incorrect (and, while my travel agent tried to find another number, she was told the service is no longer available); and, contrary to the information contained in the walking tour of Charlotte Amalie, the Pissaro paintings owned by the USVI government are in private offices and may not be viewed by the public. All perhaps small errors - but they add up when a traveler is trying to make the most of limited vacation time! Use the book as a resource, certainly. But make sure that you do not rely on it - call ahead for more information on sites you want to visit!

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. Most of the reviewers highlight problems in the sections on the USVI, but the sections on the BVI are worse. For example, there are none of the useful maps showing where hotels and restaurants are on the island, which makes planning day trips or dinner trips difficult. Also, it gives no hint that cabs are really the only way around, extremely expensive and highly unreliable. I think for my next trip to the Caribbean, I will just rely on their overall Carribean book (I've used the US and Europe ones and like them) and don't see the added value of the country/island/area specific book (most of the guides are recycled content anyway).

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! Please consider purchasing another publication unless you don't mind wasting your money.