fox2

Hi St. John experts - My husband and I will be staying at Bayview Villa the 2nd wk in December. I've read a couple of reveiws on the Web that aren't as complimentary as I'd hoped. Does anyone know anything about this location/rental villa? We'd previously stayed at Cliffside Terrace in Chocolate Hole (loved it)but changed locations because of the construction. I'm hoping we aren't making a mistake.....

Hopeful but looking for honest critique!

Tuxedocat

Just thinking, what were the criticisms of this villa which concerns you? Re: location? Noise? Even if the posters here are not familiar with the specific villa, maybe you'll get some insight into the surroundings or recent conditions.

fox2

Hello - the review was from 2007 and mentioned fleas in bedding, a lot of mosquitoes which made the pool hard to hang out at, and furniture in poor repair.

I ended up sending my concern to the rental agent and they checked with owner about the comments. I've been assured they've done some updates to furnishings.

As for mosquitoes the caribbean villa agent said they come out after wet periods. We've been to Virgin Islands twice and have never had a problem. Because of the location of Bayview (high up) I'm hoping that it won't be an issue since December should be drier than some months.

I recognize your name as a regular poster on this site. What's your experience with mosquitoes in St. John?

Thanks.

Pulley

We've been to St. John 14 times now and this past August was the only time we've had a "problem" with mosquitoes. You'll be a little isolated but you won't have any problems with noise(except for frogs!). Maho Beach, the closest beach, is very calm and Francis Bay has some great snorkeling around to Mary's Point. The water may be little rough in December but the weather will be great. have fun!

Tuxedocat

Fleas in the bedding? Weird! Maybe sand fleas but regular fleas? They probably got bitten by sand fleas (no-see-ums) and then couldn't figure out where these obviously not mosquito bites came from. IMO, they probably weren't in the bed. Maybe just bed-bugs which can be laundered out. I took a look at the listing for Bayview and it looks like an excellent deal. Very beautiful views and a pool as well. If the furnishings are a bit tired, so what? As long as the villa is functional, there are ways of compensating for any mosquitos. As for our experience in STJ, we have had a little house in the Coral Bay area for about 6 years (btw, which we haven't rented out so my comments are never geared towards marketing it). We fell in love with STJ during vacation, and my "obsession" with the island provides me great moments of relief from our regular life up north. We were last there in August. Our experience with mosquitos is that they are likely to be around anytime of day or night. If you are up on a hillside and it's not too shady, then you should be okay during the day. It's a lush tropical island with lots of water pockets where insects will breed. Especially where Bayview is set in the midst of trees. It also has no AC. The bedrooms are screened so that helps there but the other living areas look open. Only two natural forms of relief from bugs: 1) open, sunny areas and 2) consistent breezes. Our house is nestled in trees too and there are mosquitos 24/7 outside. We can still enjoy our shaded porch because we 1)apply bug spray liberally and often 2)keep oscillating fans on the porch that blow those suckers away. Even at night, with some citronella candles and our fans going, we can enjoy dinner outside watching the twinkling lights of the boats on the bay. With bug spray and incense coils, you should be fine.

fox2

Hello Pulley & Tuxedocat - Thanks for the responses. It is good to know in advance about the mosquitoes. Where we last stayed in SJ was sunny and open - the apparent difference. Thanks for the advice about the incense coils and bug spray. We'll arrive prepared. And, I do feel better about fleas - I have no idea who the person making that comment is so I will weigh your comments more heavily.

We, too, love what we've seen/experienced in St. John. Tuxedocat, you're lucky to have a piece of it. We're looking forward to staying in the location nearer to Coral Bay. It does look like a great place.

Many thanks.