Questions about St. John
 

I have wanted to go to St. John for some time, though the prices of accomodations seem daunting. I am considering Maho Bay campground, and also the Concordia Eco-tents (closer to Coral Bay). How is the snorkeling on that side of the island compared to the north side? Will I feel standed so far from Cruz Bay?

Any other comments about either Maho Bay or Concordia Eco-tents?

And finally, does anyone have recommendations for what would pass for moderate accomodations on St. John?

Thanks.

Liz

I haven't stayed at Maho or Concordia, but have stayed at the St. John Inn. Good location and simple, moderately priced accomodations if you want to be in the town of Cruz Bay. We liked being able to just walk to restaurants, etc.

There are many reasonable accomodations available on STJ
The island is only 20 square miles.. so although it is quieter on the Coral bay side...it doesn't take that long to get anywhere (approx 30-45min from Coral bay to Cruz bay.
There is snorkeling on the Coral bay side. Rent a car and you won't feel stranded at anytime.
check serendipstjohn.com
cloud9villas.com
tamarindcourt.com
for affordable accomodations on the Cruz bay side
windspree.com
Coral bay side

Thanks to both of you!

Liz

I have stayed at Maho Bay Campground twice and loved it. The snorkeling is amazing right outside your door. I remember that the first time I saw a sea turtle was snorkeling at Maho. I year we rented a car for a few days and spent the days going snorkeling from beach to beach. On the north side of the island we swam with squid and saw an eel.
The jeep was fun and somewhat economical. Maho Bay has convenient shuttle service into Cruz Bay, which runs on a schedule. it was very convenient and fun (we met lots of great people riding on that shuttle). I recall that the shuttle for the 2 of us, back and forth, began to add up in cost. I am sure that you can get those prices and compare them with a jeep rental. I hope that this is helpful. Maho Bay was a very special vacation.

Thanks, JuneAnn!

Liz

Liz, we spent a week at Maho Bay in March. While I agree that it was a special experience being on St. John and living IN nature as opposed to viewing it from an enclosed hotel suite, Maho Bay is not for those expecting traditional amenities, and not great for those with little kids or any kind of physical challenges. (We took our 16-month old and carrying him up and down the hillside gave us quite a workout!)

Yes, the resort prices can be daunting (e.g. Westin, Caneel Bay), but the bargain prices of the Maho/Harmony/Concordia tents are a bargain for a reason. Others have posted many accolades for this eco-resort, and there are many great things about the environment, but I have to say it is heavy on the "eco" and light on the "resort." My error was in not expecting it to be as rustic as it is. If you realize in advance that you will be staying at a tent, on stilts, on a hillside, with bugs and lizards and other small creatures sharing the space with you - and this sounds like serious fun! - then it will be an ideal vacation spot. If not, I would suggest other accommodations.

We ran into a group staying at Concordia Eco-tents on the other side of the island and spoke with them at length about their experiences. They had the same kinds of complaints we did, which were based on the level of accomodation: lots of bugs, no running water, no real place to get out of the weather when it rains, very physical hikes up and down the steps (not just to the beach but to the bathhouse, the pavilion, the front desk, etc.). I do believe that the Concordia tents are larger and have warm-water showers, though you will probably have to haul your own drinking water. The folks we met had a car and used it to go into town (Cruz Bay and Coral Bay) for meals when they didn't feel like cooking on the gas stove. We had the benefit of dining at Maho's pavilion every night that we didn't go into Cruz Bay, and the food was great and reasonably priced.

Overall, my thought is that whichever of the two options you choose, it will be a truly rustic adventure. Is that what you want?

Even with our less than ideal experience at Maho Bay, we are in love with St. John and will go back - just to more conventional accommodations. In fact, I think we will pursue renting a villa that has warm water showers and clear view of the Carribbean. St. John is a magical place and we want to explore the entire island next trip.

Happy planning!

We are scheduled to be in St. John the end of May. We think Cruz Views condo's sound very reasonable, which is where we will stay. They run from $110 to $125 per night in the low season. They have full kitchens, private decks with great views and a pool. They are near Cruz Bay, on a steep hill. Check out their web site. www.caribbeanvilla.com
They have a few other options also, Gallows Point, and Lavender Hill. You can check the comments on Cruz Views on this forum by doing a search. They sounded pretty good, for the price. We shall see in a month!
LeeAnn

SweetTraveler is right in that Maho Bay is a rustic experience. I certainly would not want to stay there with a little one. We liked it enough to go there a second time but have since gone on to vacations with more creature comforts. Maho Bay will always remain a wonderful memory...that is except for the bugs!!!
An

And, we did find a lizard and a spider in our tent. I had done a bit of research before going so I guess we were prepared for the experience. The steps were many but Ok.. the bugs were the least enjoyable part of our trip, especially the "no seeums".

Juneann, I wished someone had given us the advice about "no toddlers" before we booked at Maho Bay! Everyone I talked with in advance raved about the experience and reported that they saw many kids there. Our son loved the place... the no-seeums left him alone and attacked us instead! He had bugs and lizards to keep him entertained, full attention of his parents during every moment of the vacation, and flashlight to play with every night.

I think what made it negative for us was that we were literally at the furthest tent (E-28), way up the mountain. When we looked at the map of the tents at check-in we started laughing and then almost cried. There was so much to carry up the "mountain" and those steps were a killer (despite the fact that my husband and I are both runners and in great shape!).

Maho and Concordia would be a great adventure for those who want to be IN nature 24 hours a day, don't mind cold (and I mean cold, not tepid!) showers, and really appreciate the ecological, slighly "granola" vibe of the place. It would have been perfect for us 5 years ago, just not today!

It was a great time for us and we even went back the next year. It was rustic and fun. I would not go with young children because of the steps and the bug bites. Experiences with nature,including lizards are a treat for city folks. Now, the Four Seasons are my favorites..I love that luxury. I couldn't handle the steps now..I'm glad I went while I still could do those things. It is rustic and you need to want that and be prepared for it. I remember that we went into town at night and went dancing at Freds. That was wonderful. We got to see parts of the island that we would have missed had we been at Westin or Caneel Bay. You just have to know yourself and be prepared.

Hi Liz -

My Husband and I (Age 35 & 32) spent a very nice week at Concordia, stayed in one of their eco-tents and were very pleased with the quality of the accomodations, the friendly people who work there and the quiet, peaceful south side of the island. The best way to judge if this is for you or not is to evaluate your expectations. It's camping. It's a very nice version of camping...but camping just the same. We are not "granola", but we are laid back and enjoy the hiking and the snorkling that is mostly what St. John offers. If you're looking for the "all-inclusive resort" type experience, go someplace else. We love St. John and we were very happy with Concordia (I understand Maho is more family oriented)...We're going back to St. John for 2 weeks in May, but this time renting a small villa in the same area of the island. It's not much more expensive, and a little more on the amenities. I recommend http://www.stjohnlinks.com/House_Ren...e_rentals.html to check out some villa options. The snorkling is excellent on this side as well as many other places (St. John is not that big!) It's not very easy to get around without a car, but we did not feel isolated in Coral Bay area as opposed to Cruz Bay. Would be glad to e-mail more with you offline. Trish [email protected]