Lisa_Jannetti

I need mental healing after losing my husband. Which island is best for peace and tranquility? Read that St. Johns is the quietest, meaning less tourists and cruise ships; is this true? Where should I stay that won't break the bank? Are the islands safe? Is renting a car necessary? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!

virginia

hi lisa, i'm sorry for your loss. st. john is very relaxed & no ships dock there, but shippers do go over from st. thomas for the day. if you can afford it caneel bay resort would be ideal. the westin is the other good option.
st. thomas is very very busy!
i don't know much about st. croix but understand the north side of the island is more quiet.
you might look at vieques off the east coast of puerto rico. very quiet. good snorkeling. pretty beaches. small hotels.
yes to safe & need to rent car.
hope this helps.

ishkribbl

I am sorry for your loss as well. If it doesn't have to be the USVI then I highly recommend Virgin Gorda in the BVI's. It is very peaceful, beautiful and laid back. A car is a good thing to have; however, there are places you could stay without one. To really see the island you would want to rent one for a few days. Another suggestion for a quiet and safe place would be the island of Culebra off of the east coast of Puerto Rico (which would be the US). We found Culebra to be much less expensive than either the USVI or BVI. You would not have to have a car if you stayed in town (Dewey)- you could walk almost anywhere in town as it is very small. There are regular buses- publicos- that go to the beach at Flamenco for a small fee- maybe a dollar or two each way. The little inns in town are not fancy but we found Villa Boheme to be clean and comfortable. Room 11 has a kitchenette with a fullsize refrigerator and a small stove as well if you wanted to be able to cook for yourself at times. There is a market about 2 blocks away.

doug_stallings

I have to second the recommendation of the British Virgin Islands. I think Tortola or Virgin Gorda might be a good choice for you. You don't necessarily have to rent a car, but it can help. If you really want to stick with St. John, just know that it's a bit expensive and you really do need a car to get to beaches. But it is certainly a reasonably safe island.

I love St. Croix the best of all the Virgin Islands, but it's true that crime can be a problem there, especially at night. And it's another island where you really have to rent a car; things are more spread out on St. Croix. I wouldn't feel too daunted by this. All the cars in both the USVI and BVI are American; you just drive on the left, which you get used to pretty easily. There is an all-inclusive resort on St. Croix now (the Divi Carina Bay). Or if you want something much quieter, you could stay at Sandcastle on the Beach, which is on one of the best beaches on the west end, but you have to be aware that it draws a primarily (though not exclusively) gay clientele. If you don't mind that kind of atmosphere, I think you'd like it .. the only drawback is that the restaurant there isn't open every day, and you really have to have a car to stay there to get into Frederiksted or elsewhere for meals

Culebra is also a great choice.

RoamsAround

Islands know for peace and tranquility include:

St. John
Virgin Gorda
Anguilla
Nevis
Any of the Grenadines
Grenada
Dominica
Any of the Bahamas Out-islands.

All are consider pretty safe and most have resorts/hotels/guest houses in all price ranges. Hard to give you recommendations on places that "won't break the bank" without knowing "how strong YOUR bank actually is" - if you give us the actual dollar amount you are willing to on accommodations and/or food we could steer you in the right direction. FYI - St. John is considered an "expensive" destination when compared to other islands.

suze

Of the USVI, St John would be the best island. I stayed at the Cinnamon Bay campgrounds there, which has floored furnished tents or cement cottages. It's a very beautiful beach but perhaps too rustic a setting for your needs.

I have not been myself, but also think the British Virgin Islands would be a better choice based on travels of friends.

I am sorry for your loss. suze

Lisa_Jannetti

Thank you all so much for the responses. I was trying to limit my housing expense to around $1000-1200/wk. I also like having a kitchenette to avoid high restaurant prices for every meal. One meal out a day is nice.
I am shocked at the prices on St. John, along with the airfare to get to the islands.
I'm a Florida girl with the beach in my backyard so I was hoping to find something right on the water but it seems that most places are in the hills.
I am leaning towards Anguilla; found a couple places right on the beach.
Any tips on Anguilla? What airlines or search engines do you use to fly in?
Sorry for all the questions. Kind of nervous about traveling alone and just want to make the right decision and have an enjoyable and relaxing time.
Thanks

suze

Lisa, You might want to make a new separate post asking about Anguilla. The people in the know likely wouldn't open this one since it's titled for the USVI.

As far as being nervous about traveling alone, I'm single and do it all the time. I have never had anything but incredibly positive experiences in many years of doing this (most often I go to Mexico or Hawaii but I've also been into the Caribbean a few times most recently Jamaica). You'll be fine.

best, Suze

ishkribbl

Lisa,
Where in Florida? If you are in south Florida or can easily get to the FLL or MIA airport (even West Palm Beach) you might want to look at Hopetown, Abaco in the out islands of the Bahamas or Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos. The flight to the Marsh Harbour (MHH) or Treaasure Cay (TCB) airports is about an hour- the airport you use depends on which island you choose. A 15-20 minute ferry ride will get you on to you final destination. You do not need a car in either place (can't get one anyway) and may or may not choose to rent a golf cart depending on where you are staying- if you stay in the settlement of HOpetown you can get around on foot or rent a bike even. These are peaceful and beautiful little places with gorgeous water and very pretty beaches. There is a small carrier that flies out of Daytona also- I think it is called Airgate. Bimini Island air flies out of Florida, also- maybe FLL- not sure. You would feel very safe in the out islands where the people are friendly and genuinely helpful and kind.
If you are not interested in the out islands then you might check the price of a flight into San Juan, PR and consider going to Culebra- if you can fly out of south Florida it might be a decent price for the ticket.
Good luck finding what you are seeking and I hope you have a peaceful and healing time.

RoamsAround

Yes, St. John is an expensive island and it's doubtful you could find "beachfront" accommodations that are in your price range. If you lower your expectations a bit you should be able to find a room at an inn or guest house for that price, but it won't be beachfront.

As for Anguilla, the easiest way to get there from Florida is to fly to St. Martin than take a ferry - this will probably be your least expensive option. If you don't mind spending extra cash you can take a private water taxi or island hopper flight from SXM to Anguilla. Note, Anguilla can be a "pricey" island as it has several high end resorts, expensive villas and gourmet restaurants, however, it can be done on a budget if you you set your sights realistically. Since you've said that you've already "found a couple places right on the beach", I'll assume they are in your price range. Go to the Anguilla Forum on TripAdvisor (it's very active with lots of Anguilla experts) and use the search feature to bring up recent posts (there are hundreds) about Anguilla's restaurants - you'll get a feel for which ones offer the best value vs. those that are very high priced.

You can check airline schedules and fares to any Caribbean destination on sites like Kayak, Orbitz and Travelocity as well as on the major airline websites.