Just came back from St. John
 

We just came back from an incredible week at St. John. Based on reviews, we stayed at Argonauta, and it was just beautiful. The views were incredible, we could see St. Thomas and St. Croix from our neverending decks. It was perfectly quiet and serene, and the villa offered many nice touches.

We hired a boat with a captain one day, a great time. (lion in da sun, capt. Ken). We considered going it ourselves, but it was nice to lay back and let Ken do the work, and tell us about the islands. Was easy to get through BVI customs with him too. He brought us to great snorkel spots, as well as the Soggy Dollar and Willy T's -- nice diversions for rum punch and fun.

We also visited beaches, hiked, snorkeled just about everywhere, our favorites were Maho Bay and Waterlemon.

Even though the villa has a great kitchen, the 3 couples had diverse tastes, so we ate out every night, and mostly cooked breakfast at the villa. Our favorite dinners were at Lime Inn and Fish Trap. Chilly Billy's for breakfast.

The people at St. John are so nice and laid back, not agressive or snobby at all, they love to have you on their island, many of them are from the states.

Well, back to reality. Let me know if you have questions I can answer.

Marti

Wow, I just went to the website for Argonauta & almost passed out when I saw the prices. Do you have any suggestions for ordinary folks that can't afford $5000 a week (even split between 3 couples)? My husband & I have been saving for 5 years and we want to do a really nice vacation somewhere in the Caribbean islands. He hates all-inclusive resorts & dressing up!

Mauimarti,

Thanks for trip report. We leave for St. John Saturday and we are counting the hours. Where else did you eat?

Thanks again,
Kathy in Tennessee

Thanks for the post mauimarti. How was the weather. Heading down next week as well and the forecast keep showing showers. Tell me it ain't so.

Cio

Don't worry about the weather, they predicted showers when we were there too. It rained for a tiny bit each day, but it was quick and painless. It was cloudy about 50% of the time. Hovered around the mid 80's.

Let's see, where else did we eat....

Chateau Bordeaux, the highest point on St. John, a bit overpriced, but worth it for the view and ambiance.

Rumbalaya Mexican, pretty good.

La Tapa, which was pretty great, but they don't do Tapas much anymore (go figure). Their fresh Mozarella soup was awesome.

Ate at Fish Trap 2 nights, we loved it so much.

Pannini, right at the dock in Cruz Bay. Voted best lunch by the locals.
(I think Chili Billy's was voted best breakfast and either Lime inn or FishTrap best lunch)

We also ate at a little dive in Coral bay, Island Blues, sassy waitress and great Quesadillas.

Also meant to mention, we rented a car from Courtesy, and another couple from Cool Breeze. Both convenient, nice people, will meet you on the ferry.

denij777, The price is for 7 nights, so it comes out to $238 a night per couple, and you have a huge gourmet kitchen to make your meals, and your own outdoor bar w/ blender for drinks. If you can find a 4th couple, (there are 4 bedrooms), it's only $178. That's a great deal for St. John!! We checked the hotels, and it's a lot cheaper than Caneel or Weston.

If it's still too high, there is a lot more competition in St. Thomas, so you may find better prices there, and you can always take a $7 ferry and spend a day or two at SJ.

Hope you find something wonderful!
Marti

Hey, here is a really affordable villa! We are staying in it this March. I have not been before, but it has stellar reviews.

www.bananawindcottage.com

I think banana wind is near Coral Bay if I remember correctly....I would suggest staying around Cruz Bay if you can.
We go throught privatehomesvi.com
okay prices, beautiful locations and views. You definately need a rental car, but how nice to have your own house!!
Argonauta does look beautiful. What beaches is it closest to?

If you are on a budget try cinnomen bay campground .

denij777--for villas in many different price ranges, suggest you look at mclaughlin/anderson web site. they rent dozens of villas on STT and STJ, as well as several other islands,and their rates, videos, descriptions, pix, etc. etc. are all posted on the site. they are a first class operation; we have done business w. them several times.
www.mclaughlinanderson.com

denij777, my family has reserved a villa at Silver Sands in Jamaica (www.silver-sands.com) for 10 days in March. The villas, beach, etc. there all look beautiful and are different styles and sizes. Even in high season, the prices are reasonable and include round-trip from the airport, full staff for each villa, and private pools for most of the villas. I think that it would meet your needs.

denji777 look at Mahlo Bay resort. It is very nice, has a good restaurant and it right on the beach.

Wow, thanks to you all for the ideas. I've been checking out websites for days and am dizzy with all the various accommodations. We just need to figure out where on the island we want to stay and what month during the low season. Trying to find information on the weather & if there is any time during the year that is iffy.

August thru October is when you are most likely to experience severe weather, as it's the height of hurricane season. Not that you shouldn't go then, just bear it in mind.

Hi,

We generally travel in mid November and find great weather.

Check out Estate Lindholm. It is ~200/night for harbor view; includes continental breakfast.

Enjoy,

janet

We stayed in a condo bove Cruz Bay, Cruz Views, very inexpensive and a decent value. Go to WWW.caribbenvilla.com to see some properties and prices.

Is there someplace close to where you stayed where you can snorkel from the shore? Thanks

Does anyone know anything about Gallows Point in by Cruz Bay ? We usually stay at the Westin,but they are booked.

I have been researching Gallows Point for my next vacation. It is between Gallows and Lavender Hill but think Gallows will win out. I have read through lots of old posts and have not read one bad thing about the place. Did you check out their website? There is no beach, but it says there is a little deck which you can go snorkeling from and they have a nice pool, no jacuzzi. Also, it is within walking distance to Cruz Bay without wearing yourself out up and down hills. They have a lot of amenities including a little market for basic provisions and their restaurant ZoZo's gets rave reviews too.

Yes I checked their web site. I don't care about the beach area as we rent a car and go to the area beaches. Is there a bar?