DH and I are planning a 40th anniversary snorkeling adventure. We are crazy about snorkeling and want to do it at least once a day, twice if we can. We have been to Florida, Grand Cayman, Cozemel, Akemal, several places on the Great Barrier Reef including a 3 day dive boat liveaboard. Has anyone been to St. John AND Fiji? We loved the shore snorkeling in Grand Cayman so are leaning towards St. John, but I have researched Fiji a lot since we were originally also going to Australia and it sounds soooo wonderful being able to snorkel off the beach outside your bure! But the infrastructure in St. John is so much more developed and it is easier to get to if our adult children and/or sister and BIL join us, but Fiji is such an exotic location for a real milestone anniversary. We would really appreciate ANY opinions or information anyone would have for us, especially if you have been to both places. Thanks!
Sally in Seattle

This is a little dated, as I haven't been to Fiji in 20 years, but there were many things I'll never forget! Foremost among them was the fact that the majority of tourists at that time were Australians that couldn't afford to go to Hawaii!
There was nothing about Fiji that would ever take me back! We found the snorkeling to be better in Kauai.
It's been years since St. John, too.
What about the BVI? This, of course, is just one woman's opinion...

Can't comment about Fiji, but if you stay at Caneel Bay on St.John, you can do wade-in snorkeling many times a day from any of 7 tree-shaded white sand beaches. There are also boat tours in the area as well as through the BVI. And Caneel is paradise on earth.

If you can afford the price tag by all means go to Fiji. Stay at one of the upscale "private island resorts" like Yasawa, Katafanga, Yaykayva or Wakaya. It's a trip you'll treasure and talk about for the rest of your life.

As much as I love St. John, if I could afford it (both in $$ and time), I'd head to the South Pacific. While my last trip to Australia was 10+ years ago, there is nothing like snorkling off the great barrier reef....

Thanks for your opinions and the interesting information on Caneel Bay. I didn't know that they had 7 beaches. But the price tag. . . !! The resorts we are looking at in Fiji aren't as expensive, but maybe I had better check the prices at both places more closely. The airfare would be with FF miles either place (now that Alaska is partners with Air Pacific), so that isn't a factor. We live in the Seattle area so getting to either place is a headache, so that is the same also. I appreciate you all taking the time to write!
Sally in Seattle

I've been to both. The snorkeling in Fiji is out of this world, BUT be careful where you're staying, there are many islands to stay in Fiji, some have fantastic snorkeling, some just average, and if you stay at an "average" snorkel place, it may be hard to get to the better ones. I stayed at the main island, and day tripped to some other closer islands. Since you've done a live aboard, there is one in Fiji, lasts 4 days, and island hops to the better snorkeling places. At the time it was the cheapest way to island hop. (It was 10 years ago for me)

While I love to snorkel, it's not my passion when I pick an island, so take my opinion with a grain of salt: snorkeling was excellent in Fiji, but overall I love the Virgin Islands more. Fiji is exotic, but I had gone to Cook Islands and French Polynesia first, so sometimes that can affect how you like a place, and loved Cooks much more. Again, my tastes, I need my water to be bright turquoise, Fiji, the water was crystal clear, but had a bluer/navy tint to it. So you can take my recommendations into consideration. St. John for me has good snorkeling (even off the beach) with turquoise water that I crave.

If you're a snorkel buff, Bonaire can't be beat! Turks and Caicos is decent too-but an expensive destination. (T&C is similar to Caymans but not as built up)

Overall, Fiji would be a more exotic destination. St. John being closer, you may be able to get away there more often.

Thanks, blamona, for your information. We are also considering Bonaire, but it is much harder to get to from here. I seesaw back and forth, but I had better decide because if we go to Fiji it would be in October (2010), Dec. for St. John. Thanks again.
Sally in Seattle

SnR:
GO TO FIJI!!! It's beautiful and the people are gracious. I spent time there both on a resort and with locals and the people are great. I also stayed on a rustic island, Barefoot Island and the reef was beautiful. Keep in mind I was just at the great barrier reef a few days before, and this blew me away. We were traveling with Pacific Destinationz, but I think they may be a wholesale group...it would be worth looking into.

by the way sally, I'm in Seattle too!

Hi, anijohn, sorry for the delay but we were out of town in Grandbabyland! Thanks for the advice on Fiji. I will check out Pacific Destinationz. So many snorkel places, too little time (and money)!
Sally in Seattle (actually Bellevue)

Rather than Fiji, I would suggest the French Polynesia. It is expensive, but beautiful. The snorkeling is the best I've done anywhere. Interesting history about Captain Cook. Plus, black pearls are way cooler than white pearls. They're all over in the FP and make a great anniversary gift!

Hey, knowing, the thing that turned me off about FP when reading the tourist books about the different places is the emphasis on SHARK FEEDING! I am not interested in shark feeding observation and am opposed to the feeding of fish on principle, so the many many references to feeding fish and sharks really was a bummer. Plus the descriptions of the tour boats that fill the atolls plus the price--made us look elsewhere. However, I am very very sure that there are many places in FP that are not that way, but it was hard to discern where is the best place(s) to go with a limited budget.
Sally in Seattle

Ti Kaye resort in St Lucia & Anse Chastenet (St Lucia), both have great offshore snorkeling.....with the pitons it "looks" like the South Pacific, only closer. Not turquoise water, but crystal clear.....(just thought I'd throw it in, food for thought)

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgur...a%3DG%26um%3D1


This is more about diving, but the snorkelling is great also.

We went to St. John in the summer of 2008 and our daily routine was to hike to a beach and snorkel, every single day. The diversity of snorkeling opportunities was surprising. There were reefs in shallow waters even, and rocky areas, sandy areas, grassy areas (that featured lots of conch that like to live in this grass), etc. We saw barracuda, ray, squid (in only 3.5' of water!), sea stars, tons of fish that I can't identify, a couple of nurse sharks, sea turtles, the list goes on and on. And all this from just wading into the water. Oh yeah, we even did some mangrove snorkeling.

Good luck!

All I can say, bellaboo, is WOW. Fabulous pictures--are you a professional? Lucky on the upgrade, too. I have never considered St.Lucia, but will look into it. Welbourn, where did you stay on St. John that you could hike to snorkeling? And did you have concerns with leaving things on the beach while you were in the water? So many options! I really value your input and thank you for taking the time to respond.
Sally in Seattle

Hey Sally,

Those r incredible shots...but not mine, lol! It's something I had come across when planning our trip.....amazing, and that place, that view!!!!

Faith

If budget is an issue do think about Roatan....(check into it).

http://travel.webshots.com/album/562...V?vhost=travel

These r my pics of one of my favourite places, Old Providence Island. Snorkelling, incredible. A place untouched as of yet by mass tourism....a little gem.

Shhhhh, lol! Don't tell too many!!!

One place we stayed was at Estate Concordia. From our small balcony we had a view of Salt Pond Bay on the Carribean side, and of Drunken Bay on the Atlantic side. From our "eco-tent" we easily walked down to Salt Pond Bay Beach, which has Fantastic snorkeling! Also, we would occasionally leave our snorkel and picnic items on the side of the beach, while we took a hike up to Rams Head. No problems with any of our items 'going missing.'

We also stayed at Waterlemon Villa, on Bordeaux Mountain. From there it was a short drive to trail heads like Brown Bay that took us to Brown Bay Beach.

For some pictures of our trip see my website" sites.google.com/site/NoManchanilla

Good luck!