Z

Yes, St John is a beautiful island but it also is a boring one. I stayed there for a week and after the third day I was bored out of my mind. Not due to lack of activities, but there was nothing to do at nite. We rented a jeep and drove every available road. We toured the plantation, went to a few beaches, the baths, St Thomas 4 times, snuck into the Westin, went to Moongose Junction and the others stores countless times. Yes, we ate at the resturants and visited Woodys. But when nite fell, there was not a damn thing to do. Some will say "look at the stars" yes thats nice, but how long can you look at the stars? After a while it gets old. All we did nite after nite was rent movies. Please dont give me any replys reguarding sex at nite, I am in my twenties and was with my wife. Maybe we are too young for the island. I did rent one of the best villas on the island with breath-taking views of both sunrise and sunset, so my surroundings were not an issue. I would recomend St John as only part of a cruise stop, nothing more. If your idea of the perfect vacation is doing nothing in paradise, or the 3 b's: booze, beaches, and a book then yes go. But I found it to be a 4th b.....boooooirng

anon

Hey Z:
There is so much info available online that descibes St John as being very laid back, and NOT known for it's nightlife. I am amazed you did not know this going in. Sounds to me like you didn't do enough research before you went. If you want to party at night, go to Cancun, Jamaica, or Aruba.

Mary

Thanks for an enlightening report. Glad I heard that before I went. (Not that I was planning it for the near future). One would think that even those islands "not known for its nightlife" would have something, so Z should not be blamed for not doing research. It sounds as though this island has NOTHING for evening entertainment and I would probably be bored too.

peaceandquiet

And thats the way we like it!!!!!!Exactly beach, booze and a book plus the heavenly creatures, donkeys, mongoose, turtles and All. Thats why I chose it and it was no surprise. You need to do your home work-its not for all but its my cup of tea!!

ddd

i agree with "peaceandquiet"! but i've never been much for partying, even when i WAS in my 20s. it is a magical place that offers all of nature's treasures in their purest form. we did find nightlife there. just ask the bartenders--they always know where to party to the wee hours. i'm glad st. john isn't like jamaica or aruba. i'm glad there's a place for us nature-lovers to go and relax and simply appreciate the beauty of life.

i'm sorry you didn't appreciate it more, Z. but if you're a big-time partier, i guess you picked the wrong place.

Z

We are not big-time partiers, we just like to do something fun at nite. Does not have to be a bar or disco, just something to do. When we went to Puerta Villarta, we never ran out of things to do. Not that I am comparing the two, just using it as an example. Yes we went to a disco in PV but just once during our stay. The other nites we went shopping, ate out, strolled down the beach etc. Do not get me wrong, as far as scenery goes St John wins hands down over ant place I have been to. I just wish there was more to do at nite. I did not want to go to St Thomas cause it was a a dump during the day and did not want to be there at nite. As far as donkeys and critters go, I am sure your local zoo would have more of a variety of critters for you. Why go to St John to see donkeys? I am glad you like St John the way it is, I am just saying I want to have fun on vacation. If i wanted the 3 b's and critters, I have all that here at home. Even as far as day activites go you can do them all in 3 days aslo. St John is a 3 day stay at the max.

Z

I did do my homework on St John. I bought books and read all the bb's. i did searches on this board as well as epinions.com. Which the last lime I checked, St John was rated the #2 carrib destination on there website. I figured I could find live reggae music or go to Duffy's love shack. Both of which were not available at the time I was there. My fault was not doing enough h.w on St Thomas, which was my backup plan. I figured that if its the #1 stop for cruise ships it must be good. Also, the mix of opinions of St Thomas, if you read the board half will say its great and the other half will say it sucks. That place is dirty and full of crime. There was a hold-up in broad daylight in the jewelry store when I was there. This was in the popular Charlotte Amalie shopping district.

Bebe

Z--Glad to hear that you did appreciate the beauty of St. John. We were "regulars" at Duffy's just last week, and after 10:30, it starts jumpin' (well, for us mellowheads, it was). I'm not a fan of St. Thomas, either. What worries me is that one day, if we're not careful, St. John could suffer the same fate. I'm sure St. Thomas was once just as pure and beautiful. I still can't get over the beauty of St. John. Wherever you decide to go, good luck next time. I'll always go back to St. John!

RichF

If St. Johns is the number 2...what is the number 1 (and #3) destinations?

When read various other post on this board, regarding either islands (on a whole) or best beaches: its seems the quieter and more isolated the better. I'm like you (Z), I like action! Go ahead, read the postings, many people sound off on islands like St. Johns, Provo (T&C), Harbour Island, Bahamas Out Islands , Virgin Gorda, Anguilla, etc. For a younger person, these are great places only to VISIT for day or for a short stay.

The places I would recommend for a younger person like myself (39 year old) or someone looking for more action/nightlife is: Negril
Jamaica, St. Martin, Barbados, Aruba, Nassau, Cancun, Dominican Rep., San Jaun Puerto Rico.

Z

For those who may not know epinions is a site that publishes common everyday peoples opinons about everything. Accourding to the common folk Bonaire is # 1 Caribbean destination. # 2 is St John, #3 Aruba, 4 would be the BVI's. Here is the link:

http://www.epinions.com/trvl-Destinations-All-Caribbean

Julie

Gotta say, I don't think age has a whole lot to do with it. My finace and I are almost 10 years younger than Rich, and we loved St. John. If I want to go to a loud, crowded, smoky bar/club I can find plenty of choices here in DC. To each his own, but I think it's more a matter of personal preference than an age thing.

Karen

Just having returned from Anguilla and 7 nites of beach, books and restaurants, I doubt it has anything to do with age but more with preferences and agendas for R&R. I loveD St. John before it got busy and "nitelife" developed and that was way back 30 years ago when there was only one hotel on St. Thomas and the excitement there was watching the Turtle Races once a week when they drained the pool! And only Caneel on St. John! And I was in my 20's! Why did you "sneak" into the Westin? That confuses me since the beach is "public" and they are more than happy to have visitors come and explore their property, their restaurants and facilities. I never tire of looking at the stars and watching them (you didn't happen to be there the nite of the meteor did you? I would have loved to be there!). I have never rented a movie, seen a tape or even turned on a TV when in the islands. With all the trips, snorkling, diving and exploring opportunities, I have often found that by nite, I am just ready to relax and unwind! If it is socialization that you missed, maybe a resort would have suit you better. A villa is often isolated from others. Often couples meet and join for drinks and some socialization and even make friendships at resorts! Beach and books and good eats, what else would someone want from a Caribb island no matter their age! If it is more, head to Aruba or one of the more active spots where there are "shows," casinos, party booze buses and cruises and that kind of thing and a variety of activity! Sorry you didn't like St. John but no matter how long my stay is it never is long enuf! And, I did find out this week that the shopping and St. Martin experience as a day trip from Anguilla is a big difference than the STT thing! Give me STT any day! Even the prices are so much better! And I can't imagine anyone rating Aruba over the BVI's unless they are looking for a very different experience. Thankfully, we don't all like the same!
Anguilla is perfection (altho not lush and tropical and scenic like St. John - no "s" please!) but the beaches are absolute perfection! But, to me Anguilla, the BVI's (parts of it) and the Grenadines are the way the Caribb and St. John used to be before it became popular and busy!

Bebe

Well, I have to agree with the others who say it's nothing to do with age. My husband and I are also almost ten years younger than RichF, and we relished St. John. Julie hit the nail on the head--I can find a noisy booze-club anywhere in the states that's just as wild as anything in the islands. NY, LAS, LA... they all have 'em. Put simply, if you're looking to party rather than enjoy the sights, don't bother St. John. We'll take care of it for your future visits, when you're all old and boring like us 29-year-olds.

Debbie

Hi,I live in New York State with no sand,surf,palm trees,or hot/balmy weather so I always choose an island to vacation at.I find St.John a wonderful place to go! R & R and some of the best beaches I've seen in all my travels! I've been to the
caribbean four times,Hawaii five times,Tahiti,Moorea,and Bora Bora.
I still love going back to St.John!

Gerie

Well, Z, I don't know if you have tried cruising in the past, but it sounds like it just might be the ticket for you. Get to spend several hours on some islands, hit the highlights, then go back to the ship for some unending nightlife.