Customer Reviews

Explore the Virgin Islands

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am compelled to write a review because I saw all the great reviews, but was pretty disappointed and felt misled by probably "friends" of the writer? I've traveled extensively and covet my large collection of travel books - favorite is "Maui Revealed."

Here is my take -
1) He has a very dry writing style. You can also sense an underlying, cynical tone towards the deterioration of beautiful St. John. I totally agree and recycle EVERYTHING, but his subtle, snarky writing was a turn off.
2) It had a lot of extraneous details (history, native plants, etc.), but was missing practical details and left me needing more info. For example, every attraction/trail was given a few sentences in attention. Practical tips on how to get there, best time to go, etc. were lacking. I got better tips from Trip Advisor reviews - like Friday's are often a good day to hit St. Thomas because cruise boats are not docked.
3) I also did not see much "inside", "best of" info. As a another poster described, there isn't much "qualitative" substance. I often travel with short time frames so I want to know the "must do's" for a place. His suggested 1,2, etc. day itineraries were literally as vague as... "spend 1 day in St. Thomas, 1 day in St. John"

On the positive side, it does provide the most basic info and maps you will need, but I would have opted for a run-of-the-mill Lonely Planet then and got some colored pics too! :)

We found this travel guide to be tremendously helpful. For example, we found a great place to stay, an out-of-the-way restaurant, and visited some sugarcane plantation ruins we discovered with the help of this guide. It really enhanced our trip, and we learned a lot from the background information, one of many things we did not find in the other guides.

Would suggest this to anyone visiting the Virgin Islands. Just wish there would have been more on BVI.

I got this book because I love to travel and I am always looking for information on places I want to go. I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to use and the maps were detailed. I especially liked the tidbits in the book like how to get along with the people and the history of the region. My only wish is that it would be in color so I could get a color preview of what I will see when I go. I can't wait to take it with me and use it on my trip!

My husband and I love to travel, and when we're not traveling, we like to be in the process of planning our next trip. This book gave us an excellent big picture viewpoint of the Virgin Islands, then narrowed each area and topic down to fascinating details. A wonderful read while saving up money for the next trip.

With the thought of a return visit to the Caribbean after several decades, I was thrilled to come across a copy of "Explore the Virgin Islands," seventh edition, by Harry S. Pariser.

As I perused the book, I read about familiar places, like Francis Bay on St. John, Sandy Cay off Jost van Dyke, and Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda; all places close to my heart. But then I noticed much more information I had not known about all the islands. Several decades brought changes and the more I read, the more I realized the author had captured the flavor of each and every island.

"Explore the Virgin Islands" by Harry S. Pariser includes information only a person truly familiar with these islands might possess. This volume tells about places and events the casual tourist could miss. You'll find maps and photos, lists of activities available, and insider tips. History and culture of the areas is covered, as are all the conveniences and aids a tourist would need.

If you wish to familiarize yourself with any or all of the American or British Virgin Islands, pick up a copy of "Explore the Virgin Islands," seventh edition, by Harry S. Pariser.

Starting with the Table of Contents, "Explore the Virgin Islands" is a comprehensive and detailed book about a group of islands in the North Eastern Caribbean. The book covers information about the islands from plant life to sea life. It even tells you about the history of the islands, current governments and all the colorful festivals that are held throughout the year.

Filled with interesting tidbits, like the one on page 248 titled "BVI Conduct", you get a feel for how life is there. This particular one ends with "learn to groove with it".

By the time you finish reading this book, you will know everything you wanted to know and lots more about these beautiful islands in the Caribbean.

If you are planning a trip to the Virgins, or even if you just want to learn about them, this book will take you there and show you around. I've traveled the islands and still learned quite a bit from Harry's book. It is the most complete travel guide of the area I've ever read.

As a frequent visitor to the Virgin Islands (always on a sailboat I've chartered and skippered), I was interested to see what a Virgin Island travel book for the non-sailor might have to offer. The cruising guides I've relied upon for my adventures focus on information you need to navigate and safely moor or anchor your boat--GPS waypoints, water depths and hazards, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Explore the Virgin Islands by Harry S. Pariser (Seventh Edition), was a book I would also find helpful during my sailing trips. I've relied on many travel guides in non-sailing trips around the world, and this book has a great deal to recommend it. First, and foremost, it's small and light enough that you can actually carry it with you. (Some travel books are so large and heavy that I've ended up photocopying pages or sections, which never works out very well). It reminds me of the early Michelin guidebooks. It's not filled with colorful photos, but it does have an excellent selection of the charts and maps a traveler will need. The book's organization is straight forward, and while it doesn't offer the "Ten Things You Must See and Do", it covers all that you need: some history of the various islands culture and government, transportation, accommodations, food, hotels, and attractions. The coverage of snorkeling and water adventure opportunities is very good and tracked my own knowledge of many of the best spots for this type of activity. Finally, the publisher, Manatee Press, focuses on ecological and environmental issues, and you'll find some helpful and enlightening discussions that pertain to the rich and varied ecology of the Virgin Islands.

Unfortunately, they need to change the title of the book. We are going to the British Virgin Islands and this book is 90% about the U.S. Virgin Islands. A good book if going to the U.S. Virgin Islands, not the BVI

The guidebook "Explore the Virgin Islands" provides a decent general overview of the U.S. and British Virgin islands. It provides a small amount of history for each island along with brief descriptions of activities, restaurants, and accomodations. I believe that it is a good guidebook for first time travelers to the Carribean. However, I was frustrated that it did not provide better reviews of various activities. Even after reading the St. Thomas and St. John sections, I was still left wondering what would be the best activities and things to do while on the island. I have purchased other guidebooks to supplement this one. Also, the book contained a number of typographical errors and overall is not well written. In summary, my opinion is that it is a decent general guidebook but fails on giving good detailed information.