Angie011

Hello,

My main question is where is a better choice to vacation - St. Croix or St. Thomas? Or someplace else?? My husband and I vacationed on St. John for our honeymoon at a private, secluded villa on Bordeaux Mountain and it was the best experience of our lives. We are definitely going back but want to try another one of the virgin islands for a short vacation this December as St. John is a bit pricey for our budget this year. Here are our wants: private villa with seclusion with a pool, we don't care if we are near anything (and actually prefer to be away from everyone and everything as we will rent a car). Oh and we prefer to find a villa in the $1200-1800 range for 6-7 days. That's pretty much it for our wants - a villa with seclusion, and a pool. A vacation for us means getting away from it all. I have heard that St. Croix is less expensive and quieter? I have also heard we have to be concerned about the crime on St. Thomas and it can be crowded - which we do not want. Any thoughts, or suggestions on villas to look at?

Bassguy66

If St John was "the best experience of your lives" then I highly recommend going right back there.
Although both STX and STT have some beautiful areas, they simply pale in comparison with the beauty of ST John.

brennynp

Agree with Bassguy66 - go back to St John.

suze

Another vote for St John (if we're choosing between the 3 USVIs)

RoamsAround

I too suggest you return to St. John. I did see where you tagged your post BVI's although in the body of your post you talked only about St. Croix & St. Thomas. If you'd consider the BVI's you might want to look at Virgin Gorda.

Now, when in December are you planning to travel? If after December 15 you will be going in High Season and your $1,200 to $1,800 rental budget is bordering on unrealistic for a private villa so you may not get all the amenities you want. You'll have better luck and more options looking at a condo in that price range rather than a stand alone villa.

If before December 15 than you probably can find a few very nice villas on St. John and Virgin Gorda in your price range.

eastenderusvi

If you are serious about seclusion, you might look at a villa on Water Island. There are only two beach bars, so you would need to cook, if that floats your boat. No cars, golf carts and walking.

schmerl

I too think Virgin Gorda would be a good option. Also look into Tortola.

Angie011

Thank you all so much! We've been on the fence about St. John but I think this tipped the scales! I am going to check out Water Island also. Are there villa's there? We definitely prefer a villa. We are going from Dec. 12-18 so we are right between high and low season on some places although I've seen some places start their high season the end of October! Thanks so much for everyone's input!

eastenderusvi

Angie: Yes, Water Island has "villas", although they are houses which, for the most part, are smaller and not as fancy as St John. There aren't any hotels and as I said, fewer amenities than St John. Once you are past the first week of December, you are in high season...

VillaMargaritaSTX

like RoamsAround said, for that budget and time you might find it difficult to get a villa if you mean the whole thing all to yourself. Certainly not beachfront. One suggestion might be in a shared villa where you can get the privacy & quiet of a private villa and still afford to be on the water with a pool. Ours is one example but there are others. Enjoy whatever path you choose!

Angie011

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! We did look at Water Island but none of the villas include a pool which is a definite for us. We are not huge beach people and prefer instead a quiet, secluded property over being anywhere close to the beach so we choose Sun, Moon and Stars as our villa for this trip, and hopefully more! It appears to be booked quite frequently, includes both a solar heated pool (like we had last time on our visit and loved) and hot tub in addition to being very private. It's off the beaten path but so is our normal home so that's perfect for us! I can write a review on the property in case it would help anyone else when we get back. We are renting a car on St. Thomas, stocking up on groceries there and taking the car barge across for our stay. Thanks so much again for everyone's help and input. I really appreciate all the great information I've gleamed from the boards on this site! Thanks again! Happy travels!

tom42

wow, what a beautiful view. Looks great. Enjoy.

brennynp

Angie, I've stayed at that villa - its great. Enjoy your trip.

Angie011

Thank you! And thanks brennynp on the peace of mind! It helps to hear that someone else stayed there and liked it! I know I've read good things in the reviews but it's good to hear from someone on here. Thanks again!