April 28, 20214 yr After decompressing (see Flathead Lake thread) we will be going to St. John's and St. Thomas this summer to enjoy some beach/water activities. Any can't miss things to do or places to eat while on either island?
April 28, 20214 yr Lovongo is a cool place to go eat and hang out on the beach. Still a work in progress as far as the "resort" is concerned, but the food is great and it's an interesting set-up. https://www.lovangovi.com/
April 28, 20214 yr Stay on St. John. It is vastly superior to St. Thomas. Food. ZoZo's and Extra Virgin are top notch. Morgan's Mango is a level below but still very good. Charter a boat for a day trip around the island and have lunch at LimeOut for floating tacos and drinks. If you have a car head over to Skinny Legs one day for lunch. There are several other good places to eat around Cruz Bay. The beaches are beautiful but they're more crowded than normal with the BVI not open to day trippers. If the BVI opens up then a day trip to White Bay and the Soggy Dollar Bar, One Love, Hendo's Hideout and Getrudes is a must. If you are adventurous and the BVI is open you can take a longer day trip and head out to the Willy T on Norman Island. It's a floating bar/restaurant and be forewarned it is likely to be the raunchiest bar you've ever been to. If you have kids do NOT arrive there after 2 or 3 PM as it gets bad but it's a ton of fun for adults. Pirate's Bight is a restaurant on Norman Island that is excellent. You can also stop at Cooper Island for lunch. Your first stop that day should be the baths on Virgin Gorda. You can also hit the Indians or Monkey Point for some great snorkeling. We stay at Grande Bay on St. John. It's right in the middle of things at Cruz Bay. You can also stay at Gallows Point but it's a little further to walk into Cruz Bay. About 5 minutes further. ETA: Banana Deck in Cruz Bay also puts out a great plate of food and there are a couple of restaurants on the waterfront in Cruz Bay that are pretty darned good. Edited April 28, 20214 yr by VABuckeye
April 28, 20214 yr Author Great info, thank you! We're spending a few nights at the Ritz on St. Thomas and the rest in St. John's.
April 28, 20214 yr Enjoy. I've heard great things about The Ritz on St. Thomas. There's a Westin on St. John but it's not within walking distance of the fun stuff in Cruz Bay.
April 28, 20214 yr We go next week. We are staying at the Westin for 3 nights and the Ritz for 1. Any other must sees? Any hidden beaches or places to visit in the NP? Snorkeling / Scuba?
April 28, 20214 yr Author 14 minutes ago, VABuckeye said: Enjoy. I've heard great things about The Ritz on St. Thomas. There's a Westin on St. John but it's not within walking distance of the fun stuff in Cruz Bay. I believe we're staying at the Westin, should that change?
April 28, 20214 yr 2 hours ago, Longhorn94 said: We go next week. We are staying at the Westin for 3 nights and the Ritz for 1. Any other must sees? Any hidden beaches or places to visit in the NP? Snorkeling / Scuba? Is there a particular reason why chose to stay at a hotel/resort instead of an Airbnb or Vrbo? People swear by renting a house on St. John.
April 28, 20214 yr 1 minute ago, billfromlaketravis said: Is there a particular reason why chose to stay at a hotel/resort instead of an Airbnb or Vrbo? People swear by renting a house on St. John. its our first time to the island so wanted to make everything as easy as possible. and there were very few houses for 2 available on such short notice - we just started planning this trip two weeks ago.
April 28, 20214 yr 1 minute ago, Longhorn94 said: its our first time to the island so wanted to make everything as easy as possible. and there were very few houses for 2 available on such short notice - we just started planning this trip two weeks ago. I understand. Enjoy. I wouldn't recommend the Marriott in St Thomas. It was fine. Just much more expensive than staying in St. John with limited shuttle service. I probably wouldn't recommend renting a car if you're staying in St. Thomas. There are a lot of taxis, and driving on the island is an adventure. Red Hook is pretty cool for night life. Magens Bay is awesome, a must visit. Glady's Cafe in the old quarter of Charlotte Amalie is pretty good eats and daiquiris.
April 28, 20214 yr Author 1 hour ago, billfromlaketravis said: Is there a particular reason why chose to stay at a hotel/resort instead of an Airbnb or Vrbo? People swear by renting a house on St. John. Same as above, first time there. Mostly just don't want to have to worry about anything and have amenities ready for the kids. We usually do VRBO/ABB but just did it differently this time. Plus the time in St. Thomas will be at the Ritz, which by all accounts is very nice.
April 28, 20214 yr There's KMart in St. Thomas. Most of the local get their groceries there. There's a million duty free shops near the cruise ship piers in Charlotte Amalie. Great place to load up on booze for your trip. Jewelry is also duty free. I'm not sure if the big shops like Tiffany's and Cartier are still there, but there are dozens of local shops in Little Switzerland.
April 28, 20214 yr Went for the first time back in November. Enjoyed it and stayed near Sapphire beach. Red Hook is cool, Coki beach was actually chill and I enjoyed talking and hanging out with the locals, didn't see many tourists at that beach but it isn't the nicest. If you walk around by the pier holy shit be ready for all the vendors stopping you down. Had dinner one night at Prime at Paradise Point. The view was badass and food was pretty damn good.
April 29, 20214 yr 9 hours ago, HoustonHorn said: I believe we're staying at the Westin, should that change? We stay at Grande Bay. I like walking/crawling home at the end of the day. Crawling usually applies to a late night at Beach Bar.
May 11, 20214 yr I’ve made many posts of detailed trip St. John trip reports on longhorn boards of old. We stumbled upon St John while honeymooning in St Thomas 19 years ago. I can’t imagine spending any time in St Thomas when St. John is right there. Pros:About 3/4 national park, so very pristineUnbelievable beaches and waterSome nice hikingVery laid backA ton of gorgeous reasonable villas to choose fromCons:Difficult to get to, lots of travel timeNot many villas are on the beach, short drive requiredSome don’t love driving the hills and on the left side. You get used to it IMOWe’ve stayed at Carnival Beach House, Villa Capiz, Tortuga Cottage, DejaView (5 king suits with an insane kids bunk room), and a hotel in Cruz Bay while in for a quick trip to look into buying a sail charter business.All the North Shore Beaches are amazing and each offer something different. Trunk bay is the most famous, Maho had incredible snorkeling with turtles, Honeymoon & Solomon are so pristine and gorgeous, Hawksnest is my wife’s favorite and my least favorite, Francis is long and uninhabited. Hike to Waterlemon for great snorkeling.The Coral Bay side of the island is quieter and a bit more arid. We stayed on that side and explored over there a few years ago and fell in love with Salt Pond (I think the best snorkeling on island) and Hansen Bay.We are renting a catamaran in July and will be mooring/anchoring around St John for 10 nights. Would love to hit BVIs but are happy to stay in St John the whole time if we have to.Trunk BayHawksnestMahoFrancis (left) / end of Maho on rightView from DejaView - Rendezvous BayHoneymoonHoneymoonThe Lime Out (floating taco bar) old location in Hansen Bay
May 11, 20214 yr Tortuga Cottage (coral bay side)Leinster Bay (Overlooks from sugar mill ruins)Waterlemon CayTrunkRam Head Hike Pics (Coral Bay side from Salt Pond)
May 11, 20214 yr BVI - White BayBVI Jost Van Dyke - White BayBVI Jost Van Dyke - White Bay, Soggy DollarBVI Jost Van Dyke - White BayTrunk BayHansen Bay (Cora Bay side)HansenSalt Pond - Best Snorkeling, quiet beach
May 17, 20214 yr Wow. Great info. We are going with another couple in September. Fishing trip is booked. That’s it. So what I’m hearing is we should stay on St John? Wives will not be fishing so I want to make sure they are taken care of. I would book that Deja place but it’s booked solid for a long time out. I’m not opposed to vrbo, but think we’re leaning hotel on this one. Thoughts? As of right now, other guy is saying St Thomas and ritz, but he doesn’t want to pay for ritz. His wife will make him...
May 17, 20214 yr Wow. Great info. We are going with another couple in September. Fishing trip is booked. That’s it. So what I’m hearing is we should stay on St John? Wives will not be fishing so I want to make sure they are taken care of. I would book that Deja place but it’s booked solid for a long time out. I’m not opposed to vrbo, but think we’re leaning hotel on this one. Thoughts? As of right now, other guy is saying St Thomas and ritz, but he doesn’t want to pay for ritz. His wife will make him... There are so many Villa options in St. John. The hardest part is trying to decide which part of the island you want to stay. The Coral Bay side is quieter and fewer options for dining. Cruz Bay is a nice area with lots of eating options. The downside of St John is there are very few options on the water. If you find a Villa, you can message me and I’ll give you my thoughts.https://www.caribbeanvilla.com/vacation-rentals/st-john-villas/https://www.destinationstjohn.com/villa-rentals
May 17, 20214 yr We are doing a house on St John. I wouldn't stay at a resort unless it was waaaay more cost effective.
May 17, 20214 yr A couple other random thoughts…I loved cooking at the Villa after spending the day at the beach. Groceries are crazy expensive on the island as I heads up. I often check a cooler of frozen meats to bring in.I mentioned above, 1 time my wife and I stayed in Cruz Bay, it was only a couple nights but we really enjoyed being able to walk to breakfast and dinner and happy hour. Not sure this would be ideal for an entire week, but we really enjoyed ourselves for that quick trip.
May 17, 20214 yr The Westin on St John was really nice and very convenient. We will definitely stay in a house next time but we were really happy staying at the Westin for our first time on the island. It made everything easy. There are kitchens in the Westin villas if you want to cook and there are couple of dining options on property as well. Edited May 17, 20214 yr by Longhorn94
June 23, 20214 yr ohhhh i'm feeling impulsive lol... tripadvisor tells me Secret Harbor Beach Resort is the #1 hotel in St. Thomas...hmmm... ETA: so i went with my impulse and @Longhorn94's suggestion...and booked 5 nights in September! i booked St. Thomas, not St. John's...read all the above, i think we'll be fine, yeah? we like bars and restaurants and shopping looks like it's a pretty short ferry from St. Thomas > St. John - am i right that seems feasible for a day trip, if we want to do a beach day on St. John's? i can cancel up to 14 days ahead for no charge, so the risk was minimal. i'll look for airfare separately now. i know nothing about USVI, St. Thomas, or Secret Harbor Beach Resort haha...like i said, tripadvisor says it's finominle, so wtf, you only live once, right? now, can i keep the secret until August?? 😜 Edited June 24, 20214 yr by mchookem
June 24, 20214 yr It's an easy day trip. Just take the ferry from Red Hook and 15 minutes later you're on St. John. When you spend a little time on St. John you'll wish you'd chosen it as your destination. Yes, it is that much better.
June 24, 20214 yr if it's that easy to get to then we'll probably go more than once 😊 but really, i didn't want to mess with a car, and nice beachfront access is priority. i'm assuming we can get a taxi or public transport to beach areas if we go over. i'm betting they are both pretty lovely 🙂
June 24, 20214 yr Stay in Cruz Bay and you can taxi or ride the taxi bus to beaches. St. John is 60% national forest and covered with trails. St. Thomas is the single most visited cruise ship destination in the world so you get all that comes with that. Yes, it is easy to get to St. J from Red Hook and quick.
June 24, 20214 yr Apologies if it seems like I'm trying to dissuade you. There's just a ton of differences in the two islands including the vibe on the island. Enjoy your trip!
June 24, 20214 yr 20 hours ago, mchookem said: ohhhh i'm feeling impulsive lol... tripadvisor tells me Secret Harbor Beach Resort is the #1 hotel in St. Thomas...hmmm... ETA: so i went with my impulse and @Longhorn94's suggestion...and booked 5 nights in September! i booked St. Thomas, not St. John's...read all the above, i think we'll be fine, yeah? we like bars and restaurants and shopping looks like it's a pretty short ferry from St. Thomas > St. John - am i right that seems feasible for a day trip, if we want to do a beach day on St. John's? i can cancel up to 14 days ahead for no charge, so the risk was minimal. i'll look for airfare separately now. i know nothing about USVI, St. Thomas, or Secret Harbor Beach Resort haha...like i said, tripadvisor says it's finominle, so wtf, you only live once, right? now, can i keep the secret until August?? 😜 We honeymooned in St. Thomas 20 years ago and did a day sail over to St. John and was blow away. We took the ferry back on another day and rented a jeep and explored the island and fell even more in love. It is an easy day trip there and back. That being said, we've never spent more time in STT than it takes to get from the airport to the ferry to get to St. John since that first trip. The vibe of St. John is pretty different than STT. Note that if you plan to take the ferry and rent a jeep to explore you'll want to get one reserved because I'm reading rentals are in very short supply these days. We are sailing out of STT in late July for a 10 day sail, probably spending the entire time around STJ. Here's the boat we rented. https://www.virginislandsyachtcharters.com/ndoto Edited June 24, 20214 yr by dlatin
June 24, 20214 yr 1 hour ago, VABuckeye said: Stay in Cruz Bay and you can taxi or ride the taxi bus to beaches. St. John is 60% national forest and covered with trails. St. Thomas is the single most visited cruise ship destination in the world so you get all that comes with that. Yes, it is easy to get to St. J from Red Hook and quick. what he said
June 24, 20214 yr 2 hours ago, mchookem said: if it's that easy to get to then we'll probably go more than once 😊 but really, i didn't want to mess with a car, and nice beachfront access is priority. i'm assuming we can get a taxi or public transport to beach areas if we go over. i'm betting they are both pretty lovely 🙂 You are right, the actual beach front options are limited in St. John. They do have the Westin that is right on the water. We normally rent private villas but you have to drive to the beach, all are pretty close unless you are staying on the Coral Bay side of the island, but even over there, there are some nice beaches. Driving takes a little getting used to but you are normally going no more than 20 mph so its easy to navigate as there aren't many roads.
June 24, 20214 yr well... now y'all have me very intrigued, and since i haven't booked airfare yet...i may explore St. John add-ons..🤔 i feel like the answer is obvious, but just to make sure...you just fly into St. Thomas, catch a taxi to the ferry terminal, then catch a ride to your place on the other end, yeah? that's easy...
June 24, 20214 yr 12 minutes ago, mchookem said: well... now y'all have me very intrigued, and since i haven't booked airfare yet...i may explore St. John add-ons..🤔 i feel like the answer is obvious, but just to make sure...you just fly into St. Thomas, catch a taxi to the ferry terminal, then catch a ride to your place on the other end, yeah? that's easy... For a first time I recommend a jeep on St. John so you can see the whole island, its not big and won't take long but I like the option. Also, unless you are at the Westin or staying in Cruz Bay you'll need to car to get from your villa to the beaches. You can Taxi to Red Hook ferry and get your ride in Cruz Bay or you can get a car in STT and take the car ferry. There are pros and cons to both. Jeeps in STT are cheaper but if you have problems on island renting in St. John is better. Also, many rental places let you park at their site in Cruz Bay as parking is pretty limited. If you go the taxi route while on St. John you are more limited to the beaches you can hit, all of which are amazing but you miss out on Francis and hiking to waterlemon for snorkeling. I've also fallen in love with Salt Pond, which is on the other side of the island, where I think the best snorkeling is. If driving isn't your thing, staying at the Westin or in Cruz Bay and taxing to Hawksnest, honeymoon, trunk, cinnamon and Maho work fine. All of those are about as good a beach as you'll find anywhere. Maho is known for turtles and rays. Trunk is the most famous. Honeymoon is stunning. My wife's favorite is Hawksnest, its chill. I like to explore so I alway get a Jeep. We stayed in Cruz Bay once when we were there for just a couple of days looking at a sail charter business and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would because you could walk to all the bars and restaurants and we took a taxi the day we weren't sailing to Trunk. Edited June 24, 20214 yr by dlatin
June 24, 20214 yr so tbh, what y'all are describing on St. John's sounds way more up my alley and is the type of trip i would normally put together...we've always rented a jeep in Cozumel, for example and do just what you describe, cruise the whole island and visit all the beach clubs, different local places, etc. but i'm planning this one as a pure treat for him (precisely because i normally plan more for what i like... but that's the price of me being the travel coordinator 😄) so i'm looking to reduce stressors for him (longer travel, car rental/driving, navigating, etc) for him, and he really likes the 'luxury' feeling...i think STT wil be just perfect. y'all point out it's the busiest cruise port in the Caribbean...well that's kind of an example of what i mean, he has wanted to go on a cruise for 20+ years, and i just can't. i abhor the idea (especially post-covid)...but he would love it. so nothing yall are saying about STT raises red flags at all...altho you are making StJ sound verrry attractive to meeee...😄 the nicest beach I've ever seen, truly one of the nicest in the world...was on the back side of Oahu, we'd also rented a jeep there, and gotten some recommendations from locals. it was in the middle of a neighborhood, way off the beaten path, with like some local moms and guys doing construction taking a break...it will be hard to beat 😎 Edited June 24, 20214 yr by mchookem
June 24, 20214 yr TBH, it is work to get there, which isn't completely relaxing so I get that. We're really excited they've now added non-stops from DFW which was never an option. The travel end was a BEATING at times. STT may be more your speed and a daytrip or 2 over to STJ may be more warranted. STT has nice beaches too and the water is stunning, its just a different vibe as has been noted. Once you get to STJ I think its pretty relaxing but the journey can be long.
June 25, 20214 yr mchookem - I saw on the PR thread you are thinking September for travel. I probably would not recommend USVI then due to hurricane season unless you feel comfortable with your trip insurance. I’m going late July and I’m stressing about it a bit. September is in the heart of hurricane season for that area.
June 27, 20214 yr glad to see it back...but after sailing the Exumas in late May/Early June...I doubt I do the BVI sailing trip again.
June 28, 20214 yr 20 hours ago, riloh05 said: glad to see it back...but after sailing the Exumas in late May/Early June...I doubt I do the BVI sailing trip again. Why's that, much better?
June 28, 20214 yr Incredible. Maybe you can start another topic on this as I’m very interested to learn more. My wife is very interested in sailing the Bahamas. Our plan in a few years is to move onto a boat and we would likely want to sail those waters. I’d be interested in doing a charter there before we do that. The waters look amazing.
June 28, 20214 yr 1 minute ago, dlatin said: Maybe you can start another topic on this as I’m very interested to learn more. My wife is very interested in sailing the Bahamas. Our plan in a few years is to move onto a boat and we would likely want to sail those waters. I’d be interested in doing a charter there before we do that. The waters look amazing. You will not be disappointed. We sailed for 4 hours one day and could see the bottom the whole 4 hours. Sopping at random sand bars and islands having them all to yourself is simply incredible. We chartered a cat and had a captain and chef. We will next do a power yacht now that we wet our whistle as this was our first time.
July 1, 20214 yr On 6/25/2021 at 2:46 PM, dlatin said: mchookem - I saw on the PR thread you are thinking September for travel. I probably would not recommend USVI then due to hurricane season unless you feel comfortable with your trip insurance. I’m going late July and I’m stressing about it a bit. September is in the heart of hurricane season for that area. yeeaah... i'm weighing this right now. i knew it was hurricane season when i booked... just trying to fit it in b/t other big life events. October is booked more, and looks like last year there were actually more storms (C3+) in Oct than Sept. we can cancel 2 weeks prior without penalty...but question if anybody knows... if we are still a go up to the point that a hurricane is imminent, within like 3 days or something, where they're maybe evacuating tourists or closing the airport... what is SOP for hotels in general? surely they don't expect people to fly into a likely hurricane? 🤔 like i said we haven't visited the Caribbean much beyond Mexico. Edited July 1, 20214 yr by mchookem
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