St. John; My slice of heaven. Make it yours too!
Written: Aug 27 '02 (Updated Aug 20 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Unspoiled, uncrowded, beaches. The very best snorkeling!!!
Cons: Cruise ship days.
The Bottom Line: St John is a place of adventure and of relaxation all in one. You must experience it!!!
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| popsrocks's Full Review: St. John |
Yes, I am still on a St John high!! When I first read about the island I absorbed what was said to be beautiful beaches and no nightlife. They got it partially right. The "beautiful" adjective just begins to give proper description to this island. The part about no nightlife was wrong. True, no casinos, no clubs, but watch for the local bands and have a ball. The bands are listed on signs throughout the town. Look them up and enjoy.
My wife and I have been to a few of the islands in the Caribbean. We have been to Jamaica four times. We have been to the Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Bahamas too. Further north we visited the beautiful Bermuda. None of them compared to what we experience on St John.
We arrived by airport in St Thomas. There are no airports on St John. We took a ferry ride given to us by our hotel the Westin. I have written a review on the Westin in Epinions. Please visit it for more info in reference to that fine hotel. The taxi service and ferry service were found to be very good.
The taxis in St John are really pickup trucks with benches facing each other and a colorful canvas top. The taxis are everywhere and generally looking for you. Do know that the drivers do wait to fill there cabs, so sometimes you are waiting a bit more than you may want to.
My suggestion is to rent a four wheel vehicle. That is really all they rent there. The roads are very curvy, steep and can be slick when wet. Don't let that stop you. That is the way to get around. You do drive on the left side of the road though your steering wheel remains on the left side also.
Now why would we be driving on the left side of the road in a country that is American, has American dollars, and even non voting congressman. Well it seems that long ago there were many sugarcane mills on the island. The ruins are still there and should be on your "to do" list. The hauling was done by donkeys. The mills were run by Danes who also used the left side of the road and trained the mules to do so. So here come the Americans who recently purchased the island and the newly invented automobile. Let's just pave a road, put down a middle line and start driving on the right. No, No, said the very stubborn donkeys. They continued walking on the left, and so due to the set ways of a bunch of asses, we all drive on the left. I'm told this is a true story. Believe it or not! To this day there are now over four hundred wild donkeys on the island.
Anyways the real reason I am so excited about St John is the snorkeling. The first thing I recommend is going to the National Park station in Cruz Bay. Get your maps and snorkeling description leaflets. They are very useful and pretty much right on the money. The naturalists are full of information. We were also concerned about safety on the island. Because the island has so few people it is relatively safe and we never had and uncomfortable feelings. There are many naturalist walks and trips. Don't miss these they are very informative.
Hawksbay was one of our first stops. I highly recommend it for beginner snorkelers. Bring the kids and the novices.
Trunk bay is a place where there is a four dollar fee to enter but they have facilities including showers and a place to rent what you need. Trunk is another gorgeous beach and it has lifeguards.
Trunk bay also has it's world famous underwater trail. Some think it's a bit silly but I kind of enjoyed it. Continue swimming out toward the end of the island for more spectacular underwater sites.
We made a quick visit to Caneel Bay, to tell you the truth we were not impressed with what we saw of this exclusive and very expensive resort. maybe you have to spend some time there. Too much for my pocketbook.
For the best snorkeling ever, for me anyway, go to Leinster bay. Park your car, see the historic mill and walk along the water. This is the Leinster Bay trail.
Continue your walk around to Waterlemon Cay. It is also in print on some maps as Watermelon Cay. If you put on your gear and swim across to the island on the eastern side at about three o'clock to the island you will pass over beds of sea grass. We have seen four turtles here. They were a joy to observe and follow. Don't forget to purchase your underwater camera. We went through three 27 picture rolls. The last camera we purchased on the island and we actually paid less that we did at home. Also be looking for stingrays in this area. They were huge
I loved Leinsterbay but for just a lazy gorgeous beach find Maho beach. We didn't find any great snorkeling but it was a great beach to just hang out at.
We traveled in August and I was particularly surprised when I felt the cooling breezes. Do be careful of burning yourself in the sun though. put on lotion, then put on lotion and then do it again. You must protect yourself. You do want to have a good time right?
One day we drove around to the other side of the island. it's only nine miles by two miles in size. The real secret of this island is that it is mostly national park and therefore much, much less people,homes, and business.There are beaches you can go to and be totally alone. These you must search out on your own.
So on the other side of the island we went to Salt Bay Pond. It's a bit of a walk down but a lovely place to visit. If you are strong swimmers I recommend going out to the rocks you see. Some great formations out there. We also saw another sea turtle there. A hawksbeak turtle.
We visited some of the restaurants there. We enjoyed "Shipwreck landing" very much. Most of these place are very very casual. You can walk in with your fins and mask still on. We heard a lot of good press about a place called "Skinny legs" on that side of the island but just never got there. Next time.
We went to several restaurants in Cruz Bay including the Paradiso but were told there was no room due to others coming with reservations. The place was fairly empty inside but we were shown seats on the outside deck. We were not pleased so we left. Oh, by the way we were not wearing our mask and fins when we walked in. It is one of the finer places on the island but I can't tell you why.
So never feeling bad we just went next door to The "Mongoose" they had room for us and we enjoyed the food and the well made drinks. We passed by the P place again and still empty tables. Seemed a bit snooty to me. Both these establishments are in a building called Mongoose Junction. There are many fine stores and the place is done to give an old European style to it. It was very charming. the prices are a bit high though. We were told that if you want to shop take a ferry to St thomas and spend some time in those stores and yes you can bargain in some places.
Now you have heard the word Mongoose a couple of times. They are found all over the Island. They were brought in to rid the sugar mills of rats. Problem though, those particular rats could climb trees the mongoose can't. A well meaning but failed experiment. Due to the mongoose I was told there are very few tropical birds on the island. This is another believe it or not story. Let me know what you hear.
We never got to St Thomas to shop. We were just to busy enjoying the beaches. We also decided to take a ride to the Chateau Bordeau to have lunch. The view from there is unbelievable. You are near the top of Bordeau Mountain and it's magnificent!!. The restaurant reminds me of the prince and the pauper. We went in the door to find a beautiful room with lace table cloths, antiques, wood floors and a very quaint but elegant look. That is the room for dinner. On the other side of the wall, outside, is a very simple bar. One table and stools against a plain wood shelf looking out at the vistas. We enjoyed a hamburger,fries and a good cold beer. That's our style.
I can't say enough about the island, the beaches, the adventures the casual restaurants, etc.
Do go to ST John. You will never regret it!!
500 Places To take Your Kids Before They Grow Up
St John's Trunk Bay is listed in this excellent resource book.
Coral Fish A Book That Displays Incredibly Colourful Fish and Educates Snorkelers and Divers
Other Virgin Island and Caribbean destinations reviewed by popsrocks .
US Virgin Islands An overview
St. Thomas VI An Island that has action!
Westin Resort, St John VI
St. John VI The island that is quiet and pristine.
US Virgin Islands National Park This park is awesome with private beaches and fantastic snorkeling!
Sapphire Beach and Marina A good value on St Thomas VI
Antilles@Sapphire Beach, St Thomas VI
The Ritz Carlton. ST Thomas Fine luxury
St Croix A visit July '06
10 Reason's To Visit Mexico
Sandals Royal Bahamian
Nassau, Bahamas Straw Market and High end Shopping
Foder's Bahamas Guide
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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