ST. JOHN - 2004 TRIP REPORT BY SANDY & DAVE DUDICH
INTRODUCTION - This is a trip report of our stay on St. John from 20 April to 8 May 2004. This was our eighth stay on St. John, and we have gleaned lots of useful information from the experiences of others as posted to Internet bulletin boards, so this report is, in part, a payback attempt to share our experiences and recommendations with others, and, in part, a reference for our next visit.
If your idea of a St. John vacation is lazing on a chaise lounge at a luxury resort, and when you get thirsty, you raise a little flag, and a boy comes riding up on a donkey bringing your favorite drink, then you will find little of interest to you in this trip report. Because the experiences we found enjoyable might not be for you, I'll start by telling you a little about us. We're a married couple in our 50s/60s who enjoy sun, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, and seclusion. Furthermore, our experience has been staying at a villa, rather than a resort such as Caneel Bay or the Westin. If you're looking for advice on entertainment, nightlife, expensive restaurants, bars, or where to take the kids, read no further cause we can't provide any.
We first visited St. John in 1996 to celebrate Sandy's 50th birthday. The reasons we keep returning are that St. John is beautiful, laid-back, uncrowded, and offers beautiful beaches and great snorkeling. Because 2/3 of St. John is National Park, the population is only about 3500 people on 21 square miles, and most of the people and houses are concentrated in the Cruz Bay area.
WHEN TO GO - We've made most of our visits in Mid-October, to celebrate Sandy's birthday. However last November Sandy had hurt her leg, so we had to postpone our vacation plans; as it turned out the weeks we planned to be there, St. John had 20 some inches of rain. “The Season” on St. John ends the end of April, and we found the weather this time to be delightful. Most of the time we were there we enjoyed a 15 – 20 knot wind from the east, which kept the temperature comfortable, plus it blew away the no-see-ums. We’ll probably schedule future trips for the beginning of May.
WHAT TO PACK - Supplies on St. John tend to be more expensive than at home, so we have learned to pack in most of the stuff we'll need.
SUN - The first thing to pack is sun tan lotion and lots of it. (Nothing will ruin a vacation faster than a "Don't Touch Me!" burn.) This year we packed three pints of Walmart NoAd #30 SPF and one pints of #8 SPF, and we used all four pints. The sun in St. John is a lot more powerful than at home, and its really easy to overdo it so use lots of lotion whenever you go out. Also, because it is easy to get dehydrated, buy a 6 pack of bottled water on St. John and take a bottle of water with you everywhere.
The next thing to pack is a hat - a wide-brimmed hat, preferably one that roles up and that won't get harmed if you wear it in the water. Sandy also wore a cap when we went snorkeling. You can't really protect your scalp with suntan lotion, so always wear your hat outdoors, even when you're wearing nothing else!
BUGS - The first time we sent to St. John, Sandy looked like she had the chicken pox after a week. Bugs are a fact of life on St. John - mosquitoes, sand fleas, and no-see-ums. We brought four pump bottles of Deet 100, from the sporting goods section of Walmart. Sandy has found that taking Allegra will reduce the itching from the bites. The best way to protect yourself at the beach is to stay in the water. This time the stiff breeze kept the no-see-ums blown away.
PHOTOGRAPHY - We brought four disposable underwater cameras - Walmart about $8 each – and bought a fifth on St. John for $14, as well bringing our 35 mm camera. (Dave thinks the Fuji is easier to use than the Kodak.) We'd previously had the processing of underwater film done by Sea and Sea Kodak Sea Processing, with good results. They don't do mailers, so I took the cameras to Annapolis Scuba Center for processing on our return. Our photos may be found at San & Daves Travels -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sananddavestravels. Most of the photos are underwater shots for several reasons. We did not want to duplicate photos from our previous seven trips, this time Dave had a weight belt that let him do more free diving, and also he now has a prescription lens snorkel mask so he can actually see more clearly underwater. Even though the UW cameras have 800 speed film, our experience on this trip is that they are really only useful on bright sunny days. If the sun is behind a cloud, we generally got washed out photos.
Whenever we took our 35mm camera to the beach we kept it in a small baggy to protect it from sand and water. However one day when we were out snorkeling, it started to rain, and the camera became soaked, and took a couple of days (and batteries) to recover. Always, always, double bag the camera when taking it to the beach!
FOOD - Most of our luggage was food, because we ate most of our meals at The Cottage, and because food on St. John is somewhat more expensive than at home - e.g. a pint of Ben & Jerry's is $6.99! We took a collapsible soft-sided cooler which we filled with frozen food. (BTW, the soft sided cooler bag doubled every day as our beach bag to take food and water to the beach.)
CLOTHES - Finally, if you have room left over, bring some clothes. (One year American Airlines was 4 days late delivering our luggage, so we found out how few clothes we actually needed to get by on.) To stay at The Cottage , you'll need a wide brim hat, suntan lotion and a smile.
To walk to the beach, you'll need a swimsuit, sandals, a colorful coverup, a hat, suntan lotion, bug repellant, and snorkel gear. (The reason for the colorful coverup is to hang on a tree where you set up on the beach, so that when you have snorkeled a far way off, you have a target to return to. You also definitely want to wear it snorkeling the first few days for addition sun protection for your back - when you are snorkeling you don't realize how much sun you are absorbing.)
To go to town (or anywhere else on St. John) you'll also need shorts and a tee-shirt, and tennis shoes if you're going hiking. And of course carry your water bottles, suntan lotion, and bug repellent. Don't leave the villa without them! We've phased out our cotton warm weather clothes in favor of Coolmax shirts, shorts, socks, underwear. Coolmax fabric wicks away sweat, and does not get all heavy and soggy like cotton does, nor does it wrinkle, so one Coolmax garment can replace several cotton ones. If you pack any more clothes than these, you'll probably bring them home unworn. All my clothes fit into a one-gallon zip lock bag!
HOW TO PACK - When we packed, we packaged as much as possible into one quart and one gallon sliding top Zip Lock bags, in order to facilitate airport security inspections and repacking. The Zip Lock bags have many other uses once you get to St. John.
WHAT TO DO
BEACHES - Our favorite beach on St. John is Francis Bay. (In fact, the reason we chose to stay at The Cottage is it’s proximity to Francis Bay – a mere 8 minute walk.) Francis Bay is long - about ½ mi crescent, beautiful, and (used-to-be) sparsely populated. It is the last beach at the end of the road for the North Shore Road, and most taxis don't go that far. This year, however, Francis Bay was crowded – sometimes there must have been 50 people there. Generally if we got to the beach before 9:30 am or after 3:30 pm, there would be maybe a half-dozen other people there. Since we went there most every day, we got to know some of the people, especially Helen, who has lived at Francis Bay since before the road went through, and who invited us to her house one night for drinks. We also met up with Tom and Nancy, from The Internet, who came out twice to go snorkeling with us.
While we were on St. John, the prevailing winds were from the east, and since Francis Bay faces west, the water was very calm and flat, whereas some of the other North Shore Beaches were a bit choppy. We like to swim as well as snorkel, so each morning we would swim the length of Francis Bay, after our morning aquatics exercise.
Another beach we like is Jumbie Beach, which is on the North Shore Road between Trunk Bay and Hawksnest. This is a small, secluded beach, with space for only four cars in its parking lot. (However one day I counted 10 cars parked there!) The snorkeling is very good with some great coral out towards the point on the left. However it faces north, and most days, there were a lot of sea swells, so snorkeling was somewhat difficult.
We also went snorkeling in Caneel Bay several days. The Caneel Bay Resort allows non-guest day use but you can not use the beach chairs or equipment. (You could also eat lunch there, if you did not mind spending $14 for a hamburger!) Drive in, park in the guest parking area, and follow the path to the beach. There is some really great coral reefs out around the point to the right. One day we took the trail to the left to Honeymoon Beach, about a ½ mi walk. While Honeymoon is a pretty beach, it was populated by four big snorkel boats and there were about 100 or so snorkelers in the water. Consequently we snorkeled around the point to the left to Salomon Beach, which was considerable less populated. Snorkeling was good around the point to the left of Salomon Beach.
Whichever beach you go to, take along a half-gallon jug that you can fill with sea water, and rinse the sand off your feet and sandals before walking home or entering your car.
SUNNING - As beautiful as the beaches are, I'd recommend that you go to them primarily for swimming or snorkeling. If you want to soak up some sun, I suggest that you will be more comfortable doing that on the deck of your villa. For one thing you will be able to get an all-over (no-tan-lines) tan, and for another you will not be harassed by the sand fleas, and for a third thing you will be able to enjoy a blender (or two) of rum punches.
SNORKELING – We did most of our snorkeling at Francis Bay, where we saw nurse sharks, several sea turtles, a scorpion fish, flounder, rays, and octopuses. The best snorkeling - most coral and fish - are out towards Whistling Cay past the end of the sand beach and past the big dead trees. First snorkel trip out, when Sandy told Dave she did not want to go further, Dave looked down to make sure his fins would not kick any corral if he stood, and discovered he was standing right over a nurse shark that was apparently sleeping partially under a reef! It was not moving, and he thought it would not be a good idea to pull its tail fins to see if it were actually asleep! By the last day, Sandy was able to accompany Dave snorkeling around Mary Point to the little pebble beach.
The water surrounding Waterlemon Cay is covered with hundreds of starfish. We saw sea turtles at Salt Pond, the remains of the airplane at Little Cinnamon Bay, and barracuda at Salomon Beach. Once again we think snorkeling around Caneel Beach Point is probably the prettiest snorkeling.
Last trip when we were out sailing with Capt. Phil, he lent Dave a weight belt for free diving. This time Dave brought his own with two 3 lb weights. It really makes a big difference in how deep and how long you can dive underwater! Dave also had a new snorkel mask with prescription lenses, so he could actually see objects underwater!
SAILING - For the most enjoyable boating experience, we recommend going on a small (6 passenger) sailboat, rather than a larger power or sailboat. (The reason is that you get to go snorkeling where there are no crowds.) This costs about $170 per couple for a full day (10 am - 4 pm) sail. We've previously boated to the BVI - Foxy's on Jost Van Dike, the Baths on Virgin Gorda, the Caves on Norman Island - but you really waste a lot of time clearing BVI (and now US) customs, so we prefer sailing in USVI waters.
We went with Capt. Phil Chalker on Wayward Sailor out of Cruz Bay, and with Robin and Rick Gallup on Long Distance out of Coral Bay. This time Capt Phil took us snorkeling to Great St. James and Little St. James, where we saw squid and where I swan through an underwater archway. Capt Phil is really good at escorting snorkelers through the water and at spotting and retrieving marine life.
Robin & Rick took us to snorkel Pelican Rocks (located off Vie’s Beach on the East End.) Previously they had taken us to Flanagan Island, where the snorkeling is much nicer, but the water was too choppy to go there this time.
We also went sailing on the Allura, out of Maho Bay Campground. The Allura is a large catamaran that holds about 40 people, although there were only 13 on board with us. We went snorkeling at Henly Cay and Honeymoon Beach, then for a long afternoon sail around Great Thatch Island, near the West End of Tortola, and back to Maho bay.
DINING – Since The Cottage is a 25 minute drive from Cruz bay and a 15 minute drive from Coral Bay, we ate out only when we were in town for some other reason. When we were in Cruz Bay, we liked JJs TexMex (located at the park by the ferry dock) for breakfast or lunch, Ronnie’s (near The Lumberyard) for calzone, and Baked In The Sun (on the third floor above the Starfish Market) for subs. When in Coral Bay we liked Skinnylegs for hamburgers, and ate there several times. We also ate lunch at Vies Snack shop in the East End – Dave had the Conch fritters, which were excellent, while Sandy had the fried chicken, which was greasy and gave her the runs.
GROCERIES – In addition to what we packed in, we spent about $280 for groceries at the Starfish Market on St. John. See our Packing List at the end of the Trip Report.
Most of St. John relies on cisterns for their water supply. Unless your drinking water is filtered, we recommend getting your drinking water at St. John’s Ice (at The Lumberyard). It’s a $6 deposit for a 5 gal. Jug, and $2.50 to refill it. We found a jug would last us about 2 days.
GETTING AROUND - Generally to get around St. John you'll need a rental jeep, which will run about $330/week plus gas. This time we got a small Suzuki from Denzel Kline.
OTHER – Because Sandy’s leg is still healing, we did not do the extensive walking/hiking that we have done on previous trips. In the evening, we would read books and do crossword puzzles, since there was no TV where we stayed.
WHERE TO STAY
THE COTTAGE NEAR FRANCIS BAY – On previous trips we had stayed at luxurious villas, such as Cloud Nine and Villa Serenity (See our previous reviews). This trip we made the tradeoff to stay longer on St. John vs. some of the luxury we had previously enjoyed. From our previous stays at Villa Serenity, we were aware of two neighboring houses, which are also rented by Terry Witham. The Cottage is not described on any website, but through e-mails with Terry we decided that it was exactly what we were looking for – it offers proximity to Francis Bay, it offers seclusion, and it provided the essentials, but no more, at a rate that would allow us to plan a multi-week stay.
The first advantage of The Cottage is its proximity to the Francis Beach. On our first three visits to St. John, we had stayed Cloud Nine on Gifft Hill, overlooking Cruz Bay. This is a nice location for first-timers, since it is close to town, centrally located, and provides a great view of St. Thomas. However, whenever we wanted to go to the beach, we always had a 20 minute jeep ride. Prior to our fourth visit we discovered Villa Serenity, which is located at Mary Point, at the end of the North Shore Road, and is about a 5 minute/ ¼ mile walk to the beach at Francis Bay. We often walked to Francis Bay at 8:00 am and would be the only ones there for an hour or two. Villa Serenity is also about a 1 mile walk to the Annaberg Ruins and about a 1 1/2 mi walk to Waterlemon Cay, another great snorkeling spot.
However Villa Serenity is a four bedroom house, and much more than the two of us needed. The Cottage is located in the same cluster of three houses as Villa Serenity on a little driveway above the road to Francis Bay. However, because of the vegetation, you can not see either the road nor the other houses from The Cottage. (The nearest houses you can see looking eastward are on Tortola, BVI.) (Since no one can see you, the only things you need wear on the deck at The Cottage are a smile, suntan lotion, and a hat (unless you're bald its really tough to rub suntan lotion onto your scalp!)
The Cottage itself is about 20 ft by 20 ft, and of exposed beam wood frame construction. With the exception of the bathroom, it is one big room. The kitchen area includes all of the essentials we needed to prepare our meals – a full size refrigerator, a microwave, a two-burner hotplate, toaster, blender, coffeepot, and a full set of utensils. It currently has a small deck and an outdoor shower. The east wall, facing Tortola, has three huge windows, and every morning we were awakened by the sun rising (at approximately 6:00 am) over Tortola. This is a great way to start each day. There is no TV, but it does have a nice CD/radio. Furnishings are a bed, an eating table and a couple of chairs. Its not luxury by any means, but we think it is much better than staying at Harmony Studios in Maho Bay Campground! Originally, we were supposed to vacate The Cottage on 2 May and move to Harmony Studios, as remodeling of The Cottage was scheduled for 3 May. Fortunately for us, the scheduled renovations were on “Island Time,” so we were able to extend our stay there until 8 May. Actually, the only significant remodeling we would recommend for The Cottage is the addition of a large deck on the North side to take advantage of the great views from that location. We are not sure how extensive the remodeling will be, nor when the remodeling will be finished, but we sure are looking forward to returning to The Cottage.
We rented The Cottage from Terry Witham. We found renting from Terry (who lives on St. John) to be a big advantage over renting from a realty company. Furthermore, Terry must know every resident of St. John, so if you have any questions about snorkeling, or beaches, or what boats to rent, Terry either knows or can find out.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
A vacation on St. John is not for everyone. Its a bit of a hassle to get to, but if you enjoy sun, snorkeling, and uncrowded beaches, then its for you.
Similarly, staying in a villa is not for everyone. If you like being waited on, and being entertained then you're probably better off on a cruise ship or staying at Caneel Bay.
Which villa to choose – If it’s your first trip to St. John, I'd choose Cloud Nine for a more romantic, villa-oriented vacation. However, once you are hooked on returning to St. John, I’d recommend Villa Serenity or The Cottage, so that you can stay longer.
I'd recommend going either in November or early December (just before The Season), or in early May (just after The Season).
I'd go with Captain Phil on the Wayward Sailor for the snorkeling experience, and with Rick and Robin Gallup on the Long Distance for the sailing experience. I'd choose a sailboat over a power boat, and I'd choose cruising the USVI over visiting the BVI..
I'd recommend the ferry from Charlotte Amalie over the ferry from Red Hook.
If you'd like to see pictures of our trips to St. John, they may be found at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sananddavestravels USEFUL REFERENCES:
Trails Illustrated Map "Virgin Islands National Park St John USVI"
"St John Off the Beaten Track" Gerald Singer
"The St. John Beach Guide" Gerald Singer
"St. John Feet, Fins & Four Wheel Drive" Pam Gaffin
www.traveltalkonline.com www.usvi-on-line.com/usviforum.html http://new.onepaper.com/stjohnvi/ http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/ http://www.stjohnguidebook.com/ CONTACTS:
Sandy & Dave Dudich - email -
dwdudic@yahoo.com Cloud Nine
www.cloud9villas.com Linda & Allen (340) 693-8495
The Cottage or Villa Serenity - Terry Witham - (340) 777-6867
e-mail
terryr@attglobal.nethttp://www.stjohnusvi.org/new_page_2.htm Wayward Sailor - Captain Phil (340) 776-6922 (Connections Cruz Bay)
www.waywardsailor.netLong Distance - Robin & Rick Gallup 340-779-4994 (Connections Coral Bay)
sailboatlongdistance@hotmail.com Maho Bay Campground 340-776-6226
Denzel Kline Car Rental 340-776-6715
Weather - (340) 774-4786
ST JOHN PACKING LIST
SUNSun Tan LotionWide Brim HatsSandy’s Scalp CapSnorkel ShirtsZinc OxideAloe GelBUGSDeet 100AllegraPHOTOGRAPHYU/W cameraFilmCameraCLOTHESSwimsuitsShortsSandalsShoesSocksCoverupsSnorkel gearToiletriesMISCELLANEOUSBooksTapes FOOD TO BRING: FREEZERShrimpCatfishSalmonFrozen veggiesFrozen meatballsKung Pao ChickenPeanut ButterBlueberriesFOOD TO BRING: SUITCASEOld BayCocktail SauceSweet BasilGarlic PowderParmesan CheeseSesame OilOlive OilCanola OilVinegarCoffeeTea bagsRicePasta (whole wheat)PopcornCranberriesPowdered milkStrawsFOOD TO BUYEggsFake EggsCheeseOleoYogurtMango juicePina colada mixCrackers BreadPita BreadRumBottled waterSpaghetti SauceSalad StuffChips
