St. John - The Perfect "Fun In the Sun" Vacation For Everyone!
Written: Oct 19 '08
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Pros: Amazing beaches and laid back life style. You can't go wrong with this vacation!
Cons: Can only get there by boat and it tends to be a bit pricey.
The Bottom Line: A trip to St. John is filled with sand, sun, water and relaxing. it's worth a visit wether you have a day, visiting from St. thomas, or a week.
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| cusnwalter's Full Review: St. John |
Once you step off the ferryboat, tour around town, and finally sink your toes into the crystal blue waters of St. John, you will realize that paradise actually does exist. St. John's is an relatively tiny island about 10 miles from the St. Thomas, both part of the United States Virgin Islands.
St. John's is home to some of the top beaches in the world and some of the most beautiful villas as well. The majority of the people that go to St. Johns stay at one as there are only two main full service hotels on the Island, The Westin and Caneel Bay. Both are very expensive and but deserve there four-star status. On a pervious trip to St. John I have stayed at a villa. Just a tip price things out. It could wind up costing less if you have a large number of people in your party.
The main part of St. John's is called Cruz Bay, here you will find restaurants, shopping, cultural events, and some bars. This is the area where everyone local and tourists come to hang out. The main form of transportation to get onto the island is boat, in fact it's the only way. The ferry from St. Thomas and other islands arrive and depart from Cruz bay. The main form of transportation on the island is by car, taxi, or bus. Remember they drive on the opposite side of the road here! There are plenty of rental cars available, think safari jeep experiences though.
Our favorite restaurant is Morgan's Mango, they make the best margaritas and the food is always great. They serve American style with a Caribbean twist. It's a great place to hang out and just drink! The establishments, especially the bars, tend to come and go every few years but Morgan's has been there for a while. Recently a bar on the beach to the right of the ferry terminal just opened. I don't think it has a name but the food and service were really great. If you go say hi to the chickens!
Animals run freely on the island so be sure to be on the look out for the cow (she roams the town streets), chickens, a strange type of deer, boar, and donkeys. These animals will roam the beach freely as well. Don't let the random animals fool you though St. John's is not dirty or considered third world. It's a different kind of island, very laid back, and not overly commercialized. Although that does not mean that things are cheap, on the contrary things are very expensive. For example, at the grocery store expect to pay $18 a pound for turkey lunchmeat
There are a lot fun things you can do on the island. A good chunk is national park so there are a ton of trails that take you through a jungle atmosphere and ruins of old sugar plantations. Since it is an island of course all of the other activities involve water! Several times I have chartered a boat for the day. Around town or online before you go you can find over 50 boats that take people out for a day in the sun. Another big activity on St. John's is Snorkeling. The waters surrounding the island are filled with different kinds of tropical fish and some coral but keep in mind the coral is basically all dead. I think the best snorkeling is found by boat.
Then there are the beaches..
There are over 24 beaches on st. john's some of the top ones are listed below, they range from crowded with amenities to quiet off the beaten track.
Trunk Bay: This beach is considered one of the top ten beaches in the world. It is also one of the most photographed. It is beautiful, hands down. There is a small admission fee after 9am? And they also have bathrooms and shower faculties. If you are new to snorkeling they have a cool underwater snorkel trail where you read some info about the local fish. It's nice but I wouldn't come to the beach just for it, there is better snorkeling on the other side of the island, just watch the tides and current. This beach is great but it can get very crowded when cruise ships are in, which is every day. If you want to enjoy it at its fullest then go before 10am and you will probably only have a few people on the beach with you instead of 200.
Cinnamon Bay: This beach is part of a camping ground; it is free to get in and also has bathroom and shower. They also have a restaurant/bar a little up the road from the beach. The beach is just as nice as trunk and I actually prefer to go here than trunk.
Maho Bay: This beach is just near the road and has no facilities but it is really a great little beach. Great snorkeling, saw a few turtles here one year.
Hawksnest: Also nice, parking lot, not a long walk from the lot and its is a close drive from Cruz bay.
Really all the beaches are amazing and you cannot go wrong with any of them. Try a few out and pick your own favorite, you will find though that it is hard to choose.
A vacation in st. john's is unbelievable. Between the beauty of the beaches, the local people, the island time kind of life you will find it hard to leave. It really is one of our favorite places to go, we love all of it and look forward to going back all the time!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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Epinions.com ID:
cusnwalter
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Member: Melissa
Location: Kew Gardens, NY
Reviews written: 89
Trusted by: 18 members
About Me:
Fun loving opinionated
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