BOLONGO BAY BEACH RESORT ST. THOMAS with activities like “snorkel booze hunts” (fi nd and keep! rum hidden in the bay) and mocko jumbie entertainers, this family-owned resort is as much about fun as it is about romance. Wedding options range from simple beach ceremonies under a bamboo arch to sunset vows aboard a catamaran.
Hold a reception dinner on the sand with a steel-pan band; the hotel’s two waterfront restaurants host events too. An onsite planner will help you choose a package and hand pick add-ons like a private seaside dinner for two. Join the Bolongo Brides Facebook page for tips and ideas. 800.524.4746, bolongobay.com
Saint Thomas Map Photo Gallery
It’s a great place to lose the anchor! Just away from the base of the reef in 18 metres are the scattered remains of the steamship Ilala. The Ilala was completed as Yard No.5 and was the very first ship to be built at the then new W. B. Thompson shipyard on the River Tay at Dundee in 1874. Mr Thompson, the owner of the yard, was born in 1837 and trained in Finland. When he came back to Britain, he built himself a foundry a mile from Dundee docks. His first four ships were actually hauled down to the River Tay on bogies driven by teams of horses, which was certainly not the most convenient way of launching ships, it wasn’t until 1874, however, that he finally negotiated and acquired his very own riverside shipyard. The first ship he built at the new yard was the 178-ton SS Ilala. Unfortunately, he did not have any ready customers for it when it was completed so, being an enterprising chap, he decided to trade with it himself.
