How risky is it to plan a trip to the US Virgin (probably St. Johns) Islands in August? Also, is 2 weeks too long to stay put on one island in a condo/villa? Will we get bored? We are a family of 4 (baby+4yr old). Our ideal vacation is just enjoying the slow pace with the kids on a beach with calm waters and a lush landscape. We are not into glitz, nightlife or shopping.

August is smack dab in the middle of hurricane season, so you'd be foolish to think that there's not a moderate risk a major storm will come then. However, it may very well not come to the USVI. It's impossible to know whether you'll get a big storm during a specific time or not, but you have to be real. The later in the summer you travel, the more likely there is to be a storm, whether a hurricane or a lingering tropical front.

I'd probably go crazy after 2 weeks in St. John, but you may like the slow pace enough. Just realize that in St. John almost no villas are on the beach, so you'll have to be prepared to drive there. Make sure you rent a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. You'll need it if there's rain.

climate guide weather2travel.com good info

if you like laid back snorkel exploring daily

St John will work great for more nightlife shopping etc.

magenspoint.com on St Thomas where I used to own a condo

might be better do rent a car carrentals.com for St Thomas.

Spirit.com AA.com cheapest flights down.

Happy Deciding

maho.org

vrbo.com

betterbidding.com Westin

great deals on St John

You can research the frequency of hurricanes/tropical storms for St. John or any other Caribbean destination by using the "Climatology" link at www.stormcarib.com Scroll down to "Hits and Misses" and select your intended destination. You'll find a chronological list of every major storm to affect that destination since 1851.

While August is in Hurricane Season the odds of a storm hitting a particular island the week or so you are visiting is relatively small but there is always a risk. You have to decide if you are comfortable with the odds.

Unlike Doug - 2 weeks on St. John is fine with me since my ideal trip is to get away from the hub-bub of city life. Besides, one could always take a day trip to St. Thomas for shopping and sightseeing plus you have easy access to several of the British Virgin Islands if you need additional change of scenery for a day.

just my 2cents but a month on st. john would be heaven for me. as roams said you'll have access to ferry to all the bvi & st. thomas. plus hiking in the park & loads of beaches to check out. you might consider a day at coralworldvi.com on st. thomas.

if you're concerned with possible boredom &/or Lots of car packing you could stay at www.secretharbourvi.com on st. thomas instead. small, quiet condo style resort ON an excellent beach for kids (shade, shallow gradual sandy sea entry). really good snorkeling off the right side of their beach. nice restaurant on site. the units are really large & all have good sized patio or deck < which you might find useful while kids nap or for a quiet cocktail before you all go to dinner, or morning coffee.
very near large grocery - about 10 mins west. red hook (ferry to st.john) is 10 mins east & has a bit of shopping, some restaurants & a deli style grocery. you could go to st. john on daytrips, check things out & perhaps stay there when the kids are a little older.

i would go in august as there is no way to predict if/when any storms will be in that area at that time. i would advise you to purchase trip insurance.

We just got back from our 10 day trip and boredom never crossed our minds. We rent a house with a pool and a couple of days we never left the pool. I would suggest that you pack/freeze lots of meat in a soft sided cooler and check it. Food at the grocery stores can be very expensive. We also bring coffee & sweetners from home. I'm not sure how adventuresome you are but we rent a car on St. Thomas, stop at the Cost U Less grocery store and take the car ferry to St. John. The car ferry cost around $45-50 round trip. 4 people in a taxi to Red Hook and then the ferry over and you are probably looking at a total cost of $200 round trip.

Not sure what budget for a villa is but there are lots a great ones to be had. For you family Angelica might be the perfect fit. It's close to the Westin and a very easy drive to town and the North Shore beaches.

We've been to St. John now 18 times and at least 12 have been in August & September and only once have we had a problem with hurricanes.

We usually go away for three weeks at a time, never been bored. Like to read, do puzzles (bring from home), sleep, walk the beach, sit on the balcony, people watch and most of all just relax and enjoy.

Kandco, I think St. John would be a great island for your needs.

I suppose you could get trip insurance in case a hurricane does pass through St. John. I've never been there in August, although I have been there in June and September. The weather patterns are a little different in the summer. It's only a few degrees hotter on average, so the heat isn't a major problem. August is the start of the rainy season, but on average the amount of rain isn't really that much more than usual. The only problem I've encountered is that, if there is a hurricane going by somewhere in the Caribbean, it could spin off a lot of clouds. I once spent a whole week in St. John when it was almost constantly overcast for this reason, with more rain than usual. That was a bit of a bummer. It was a big change from the usual St. John weather pattern, which is mostly sunny, with brief passing showers as larger clouds go by.

The currents are a little different in the summer, which sometimes makes the North Shore beaches calmer. If you're a snorkler (and it sounds like you're not), there are tarpon around in the summer.

I have preferred my two-week vacations in STJ much more than the one-week ones. It takes me about two weeks to fully get into the relaxed island frame of mind. However, I spend my time snorkeling, sailing, doing a little hiking, and going to restaurants. I guess I might get bored faster if I was just hanging out on the beach with small children. It depends on how much pure relaxing vegging out you need, I guess. Note that a number of stores and restaurants will be closed during parts or all of August, as this is a time when many locals take vacations off-island.

Hi,
Just a thought, Since you are not into night life you may want to at least look at St Croix as an option since you can find a condo on the beach for probably less money than st John and the cheapest econo rental car will do.
Maybe get trip ins.
Either way hope you have a good time.