St John on a Budget
 

Hi,

I'm wondering if any travelers to St. John can offer any help regarding a possible trip there. My husband and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary this year. However, we're 25 and I'm a full-time college student, so money is really abundant. Our anniversary is September 28th and we'd really like to find a relatively inexpensive condo in an area that will be relaxing while not totally isolated. Any advice on accomodations and areas to stay in? Gallows Point looks great but $275/night is kinda steep. I'm looking for something under $200/night. Much thanks in advance for any help.

-LH

Meant to say money really ISN'T abundant.

There are reasonably priced villas on this website...

www.privatehomesvi.com

I know someone who stays in Treehouse every year and loves it - it's about 6 miles from Cruz Bay so it may be a little too far out of the way for you but the price is right. They've got several in the $220/night range also.

Going to STJ in the off season is the best way to economize on lodging. April 15th through December 15th is low season.

I've had good luck finding reasonably priced villas on www.vrbo.com and on www.stjohnlinks.com

You might also consider fancy camping at the eco tents at www.maho.org or try the St. John Inn as options.

Trish mentioned Maho Bay ecotents. I'd like to ditto that.They are really quite nice and not at all like camping. The food at the restaurant is very good and it is right on the beach. A great budget alternative.

Just remember that late September is pretty close to the peak of hurricane season.

I second the idea of a small villa rental. For a week in off, off season, I think it would work out to about $200/night, plus a kitchen to save on food costs.

jim

Check out Estate Lindholm. It's a cute little bed and breakfast walking distance (though down a big hill) from town. It has gotten great reviews. We're staying there in December for $180 per night, and I think it's cheaper in September. I haven't stayed there yet, but we did drive by it and it looks great.

I just looked at some St. John options for our daughter and her husband for the high Season. As tpatricco pointed out, going during the off season is the best way to economize. Treehouse is a bargain on St. John high or low season.

Take a look at the Captain's Cottage ( http://www.horizonscottage.com/captains.html ) as an option.

estate lindholm is a great inn,so you should check it out. some other options are: cruz views condos/www.carribeanvilla.com --coconut coast villas/www.coconutcoast.com -www.suitestjohn.com --manages lavender hill condos/battery hill condos(check out "the cottage" at battery hill .it's adorable and $150/night!! right at poolside !!calabashcottages.com(thse are in coral bay area and a car would be a must)- serendip condos/www.serendipstjohn.com. all of these are in the price range you're looking for. if you can swing it i would try to rent a car for a few days to explore this beautiful island..good luck !!

Thanks for all the great replies. I've narrowed my choice to Estate Lindholm (thanks tess53!)or Garden by the Sea. Does anyone know whether or not St John will be a ghost town during this time of year? Will restaurants and activities be available?

I would also check some of the sites like Caribbeandays.com or carefreegetaways.com for some economical options. Some places can work out to be less than $125/day if you are willing to accept a more simple place. We went to St. John on our 10th anniversary, and we couldn't have picked a more romantic place. The best thing about St. John is that once you've secured lodging, the finer things are free like the gorgeous views everywhere, the beautiful beaches and water, and hiking. I would try to rent a jeep for at least part of your time there so that you can do some exploring. September is hurricane season, so I would definitely purchase trip insurance.

Just saw a few excellent, very economical options on vrbo.com You should check them out as they include kitchens and walking distance to town if you want to save on the cost of a jeep.

Lauren27,

I've decided that Estate Lindholm may be a good fit. I'd like to feel like my room is private, but I don't think I'd like the isolation of a villa (esp during the quiet off-season). I like to know that other people are around even if there arent' many. Thanks for the great tip.

Estate Lindholm is a great pick. Has nice trails around it, and the estate has a clear view of the bay. No buildings in front of it.

Here is a aerial map of St. John. It is good for reference.
www.cccarto.com/wmaps/virginis/index.html

Glad I could help! I can't wait to get back to St. John!

ChocLot~ Not to muddy the waters but I stayed here:

http://www.hilloway.com/

It's a beautiful private home on a cliff overlooking the sea. You need a car, but it's very close to town. If you have questions, you may reply here or e-mail me at [email protected]

As an aside, I also stayed at Maho Bay camp and loved it as well. Depends on what you're looking for!
Good luck and congrats on the anniversary!
Sharon

I second the small off season villa with KITCHEN. My husband and I plus the 3 grown kids go every year and we divide up the food between our suitcases. I even take a shoulder strap cooler with a frozen casserole so when we get there I just pop it in the oven and we sit out on the porch and enjoy the view, head into town in the a.m. We plan out the meals, take everything we need, down to a few tablespoons of spices in a zip lock bag. We have to buy very little. The space that is freed up in our luggage I use for all our recyclables that I've flattened [there is no recycling on St. John and they don't need more trash for the landfill] and it takes just a few minutes to rinse it out, flatten it & put it in a plastic bag. Which still leaves room for a few things we bought to take back home! Try it, you'll definitely save money. We even had snacks & sandwiches for the beach each day & used our shoulder bag cooler. We freeze steaks in the cooler and they are still frozen hard when we get to the villa--12 hrs. from leaving our home to getting in the villa.