We have planned a one-week stay at Maho Bay Camps on St John for the end of March/beginning of April. We'll be bringing our 2 girls - 3 and 4 yrs old. My husband and I enjoy camping so I'm sure we'll enjoy our stay at Maho. But I'm looking for any tricks/tips for staying at Maho with our 2 little ones - what to pack, what to do/see, etc. Thanks!

I would recommend (as I have many times before) please stock up on bug spray and sunscreen preferrably 45+ The sun is so powerful that you really can't take chances and the mosquitos and noseeums can be a nuisance at dawn and dusk and in some places all the time. Sunscreen and bug spray also tend to be more expensive too. I would also bring children's Benedryl oral and ointment medication in case you experience any minor irritations like bug bites etc. Maho Bay's beach is perfect for kids as is Francis Bay nearby. Many beaches on St. John are wonderful for kids with lovely sand and calm water. It really is a nature lover's paradise with the water activities and interesting forests to hike through. I'd make sure kids your daughters' ages are set up with plenty of water and sand toys. Find a shady spot or set up a beach umbrella. They'll enjoy it for hours. I'm sure the camp will inform you of other activities on the island as well. Mongoose Junction is a beautiful outdoor mall which all of you might enjoy browsing and maybe enjoying lunch or dinner for a change of pace. I'm headed to St. John tomorrow for 3 weeks. I'll write more when I get back.

Thanks Tuxedocat! I've read through much of the USVI and BVI threads and see a common concern regarding the bugs. We stayed on Virgin Gorda for our honeymoon many years ago and I don't recall seeing or experiencing too many mosquitos. Bugs, lizards, chickens, goats and cows - yes.
We've been to Mozambique and Zimbabwe - now those are two places that have BUGS and mosquitos. Do I need to bring anything stronger than OFF to St John or do we need to break out the DEET that was required in Africa? I really can't believe that the mosquitos in the USVI are that bad...

Also, we're planning to rent a jeep while on St John. Does anyone know of a place there that rents child car seats? We're trying to pack as lightly as possible and would hate to lug their car seats with us. Thanks in advance!

I stayed on Maho with my two sons - then age 4 and 7. My 4 year old has mild cerebral palsy, but did fine at the resort. They absolutely LOVED the tent.

One thing you should know is that Maho has A LOT of stairs. With little ones you might want to call ahead and request a tent closer to the beach. We did (since we had to carry our 4 year old down the steps to the beach) and even so counted 177 stairs from our tent to the beach. The trade off between a tent closer to the beach is that you are further from the breezes and views. This makes it a little more buggy. I second the suggestion to bring bug spray and benedryl. Also stay off the beach at dusk, when the sand flies come out. And leave all your shoes and sand toys outside of your tent in the evenings. (on the porch). Of course sunscreen is a must. The beach at Maho is shallow and great for kids. You can also rent a foam raft and just laze away with your little ones. It's great. Francis Bay is next to Maho, and you can paddle over on your raft. You'll often see sea turtles there! Trunk Bay is nice, a little more crowded though, but with lovely sand.

The Maho restaurant is fine, but gets expensive with kids if you eat there every day. I suggest buying/bringing all your breakfasts and snacks, and keeping lunches simple, like peanut butter sandwiches. Bring a couple of sippy cups you can refill with water and juice. We rented a jeep for the week, but ended up only using it to explore a couple of days. If I were to do it again I'd probably just take the shuttle that runs regularly from Maho into town.

Consider renting your jeep at STT airport through Dependable Car Rental. You can take vehicles to St. John and they have FREE car seats for kids.