St. John Villa
 

We are trying to choose a villa on St. John. We will be traveling with a small child and prefer privacy, good snorkeling and access to the beach.

Any advice is appreciated. Any recommendations from carribeanvilla.com would be great.

Thank you.

Tess,
I am in the midst of planning a first trip to St. John, so I am obviously not an expert. If I could afford it, I'd go for the Gibney Beach Cottage or the Gibney Garden Cottage (http://www.onlinevacations.com/GibneyBeachCottage.htm). Belle Mer is another property that intrigues me. Belle Mer is on vacationvistas.com. Good luck.

Try searching here: http://www.usvi-on-line.com/usviforum.html. There are a number of reviews and posts on several villas.

-Bill

Regardless of what you choose, do make sure you have good to great air conditioning with a small child. I assume you will also rent a car... airconditioning and a car seat too. Listen to a mom who knows... if the kid is hot and uncomfortable, it won't matter how close the beach is. Also, plenty of bug spray and lots of 45+ sunscreen. With a small child, I would look for a villa with plenty of enclosed, airconditioned spaces. They're too small to swat at mosquitos or mind the sun. I have seen lots of poor kids looking like blotchy little red pin cushions. Not to frighten you, but it's best to be prepared. We have a toddler who spends maybe a quarter of the year in St. John and with a little vigilance, she's fared very well. FYI, with a car, great snorkeling and gorgeous beaches are never more than a few minutes away. The island is pretty small so I would definitely pick comfort first.

I just took a quick look at Caribbeanvilla.com and all of their offerings are not on the beach except Calypso by the Sea (it's actually across the street from us) and they say it is not recommended for children under 10. I would look on the many other sites on St. John villas if the access to the beach is a big issue. Just look under "St. John USVI."

caribbean villas does have other villas on the water. most are 4 bed/doesn't look like you need this size...check the site www.caribbeanvilla.com/a nice one is on devers bay..Dream Come True,3 bed, which accepts children. i would call the 800 # and talk with a rep. who will help you choose a villa that is safe for young children. you need to know access to a pool or water from childrens bed.,close to parents quarters, railings on decks child safe etc...good luck !!

Thank you all for your advice.

Tess:

A word of warning..do not rent Bamboo villa from VIVA.If you have small children it was very hot..it has AC in the bedrooms but did not work very well.I would suggest a villa that is fully air condioned.Also my husband and I are just starting to feel better after what we and the doctor believe was giardiasis from the water.I would drink bottled water to be safe.

Tess:

Here is a link to a villa on Francis bay..its only a 5 minute walk.Not sure how many you need to accomodate.Click on the Honeymoon cottage when you get to the site.http://www.stjohnusvi.org/new_page_2.htm hope that this helps.

The villas at the Westin are very nice, and are more private than other accommodations on the property. They have semi-private pools, and great views. There is not great snorkeling off the Westin's beach, but all St. John's beaches are only a short drive away, and are beautiful. Lots of calm waters and white sand. If you consider the Westin villas, it would probably save some money to book directly from a timeshare owner rather than through the resort. Good luck!

laurieb -
How did you book directly from timeshare owners?