Hi all,

My fiance and I are flying into St. Thomas the first week in December. We'd like to take a ferry out of there to stay on either St. John, Tortola or Virgin Gorda (or a combination of these). Our trip will last 7 days....

Looking for some recommendations as to which island to go to, and where to stay on each one. Our budget is $150 - $200 a night. We'd like a clean place with a pool and a short walk to the beach.

Thanks in advance.

Since you are on a budget I'd skip staying on St. John as it's one of the more expensive islands in the Caribbean. If you stay on St. Thomas or Tortola you can easily take a day trip to enjoy St. John's beaches without having to pay the high room prices.

Also, with only 7 days, you'd be wise to limit yourself to staying on one island and perhaps visiting one or two others only for the day. Packing and re-packing, checking out and checking-in to another hotel will waste valuable time.

Stay on either St. Thomas or Tortola.

on st. thomas you could stay at bolongo bay resort. $1190 for the week in a value room. they have an all-inclusive pkg available. be sure to look at their deal of the day page - the spring/summer sale might help you. fun family ownded resort.

Thanks. We might be able to go up a little on the price if the place is nicer. Any suggestions as to where to stay in Tortola? How about Virgin Gorda. Also, what's there to do on each island in the evenings, we don't need clubs or anything but a nice dinner and a little walking around shops would be great. Would we need a car?

I always recommend getting a rental car no matter what island a person visits. Having a car will allow you to come/go as you please, you'll be able to fully explore the island. Most islands are not condusive to walking and cabs will get expensive. Get a rental car you'll be glad you did.

The shops on most islands close early so shopping after dinner is not a main activity.

You'll find more nightlife on Tortola than you will on Virgin Gorda although they both have their share of bars that cater to the tourist in the evenings.

Thanks again. Also, if anyone has any condo/villa recommendations, that would be great too. Like I mentioned, we can go up a little in price. Also, which side of the island (any islands you favor) do you recommend staying on?

Check out Guavaberry on Virgin Gorda.

There are currently some good auction packages available on www.skyauction.com for two places on Tortola. One is a 7-night package for a one bedroom villa at fort Recovery--it's on the beach a little west of Road Town. Another is a bid-per-night deal at Long Bay Beach Resort on the north shore. I think Long Bay is the prettier beach and nicer location, but the last time I saw it sell, the 7 nights at Fort Recovery sold for about $400 for the week, which is an excellent deal.

I like Tortola very much, but I loved Virgin Gorda. I second mnag's rec of Guavaberry Spring Bay on VG.

st. thomas:
i prefer the east end. the alternative is the area around charlotte amalie - the big town. i normally try to stay far from 'the town' on any island, but that's just me. as noted above shops close as soon as the ships load.
options i'd recommend on east end:
wyndham sugar bay. an all inlcusive. ok beach with pretty good snorkeling. cool pool w/waterfall right next to the beach with grill, bar & sit down restaurant. they offer kayaks, parasailing, jet-skies, etc. they have a small bar inside the hotel as well and a few slot machines. no nightly entertainment.
or secret harbour beach resort*** my personal fav. very quiet, condo style resort on really good beach with good snorkeling. this is more a clean place on beach and short walk to pool. pool is ok but nothing fancy. blue mooon cafe is onsite restaurant. open 3 meals daily. one of best on island. also a beach bar that i liked a lot -- fun bartenders, barstools or sit at tables on patio above beach maybe 15' from the water.
if you stay at sugar bay or secret harbour you'll be about 15 mins from small town of red hook where you catch the island ferries. st. john ferry takes 20 mins so you can easily go over for the day to try out some beaches.
red hook also has a few shops and places to have a beer and sandwich or dinner. also enough bar/rests to allow you a short "bar crawl". i'd taxi from resort if you plan to do this.
st. thomas (of your islands) has by far the most to do and most restaurant options both in food & price.

re the car: most islands are really small with things spead out all over the given island. driving is often under 2 hours end to end. all the islands you're considering fall well into that category. i always get a car as i like to be able to go do when I feel like it - plus we always do villa or condo, so need to grocery shop, etc.

i've never stayed on st. john but it has tons of villas. this is a very quiet island. the main activity is snorkeling and there is tons available right off it's gorgeous beaches. restaurants are mostly small & laid back.
on this page i see several 1-2 bedroom houses just above your $1400/week range. all will require a car/jeep: http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/3aindex.html
if you think you'd like a small house on st. john repost with that specifically in the title. lots of fodorites have advice on this - preferred locations, etc. or type st. john villas into the search box above and read old threads.

i don't know much about tortola but have heard that long bay beach resort is nice, a bit refined?

there are a few small villas on virgin gorda but this is a super quiet island. no shopping to speak of at all. does have some very good dining at the high end resorts.

none of these islands has much for dine/walk around at night places. i guess a lot of ppl play hard all day and want to just chill after dinner - one of the main reasons we like villas. after dinner we can hang on our porch, listening to waves or tunes, holding a cocktail til bedtime. maybe walk down on the beach and watch stars...

there are islands that offer more night life but i'm assuming you've booked air already.

You guys are great, thank you. Lots of great information. Will definitely rent a car.

ejcrowe, I saw the deals on Skyauction but I'm always worried about winning the deal and then not getting the dates I want. I also didn't read great reviews of those places, but I don't know, obviously, since I never been. I just want a clean bed/bathroom.

I agree with you virginia about evenings and honestly, we're the same way, we play hard during the day and end up sleeping early but it was just a thought as an option. Not a major criteria. Yes, we've booked air to St. Thomas and hoping to figure out the rest...

Will check out Guavaberry Spring Bay on VG. VG really looks gorgeous.

I saw a deal for Whyndam Sugar Bay for $150/night and Westin St. John for $280/night. Any of these nice/worth it? Also saw one on the Frenchman Marriots have some great deal if you take the condo tour or something.

If you're worried about getting the dates you want for an auction you can always call the hotel/resort in question, tell them you're thinking of bidding on a package, and ask them if they have availability for the dates you have in mind. As for the reviews, well...I've not stayed at either place but I did a LOT of research for my trip to Tortola a few years ago and I did not choose to stay at either of those places. But for the right price I certainly would.

We have stayed in Coral Bay area of St John twice and love it. Great beaches, nice restaurants, and away from the hustle and bustle of Cruz Bay, but easy enough to get to if you want.

Long time friends own a cute, newly build cottage and the price is right. It is on vrbo http://www.vrbo.com/162906

Check it out and see if it might be right for you.

Deb

You are right- VG is gorgeous! You can choose a different beach every day and never have to deal with a crowd.....If you want a nice lunch beside a pool, you can head for Olde Yard. Want a romantic dinner? Try The Rock or the new Georgio's. A snorkeling adventure for a day? Take a fabulous ride (incredible views) across the island to The Bitter End Yacht Club and go on their snorkel boat past Richard Branson's Necker Island or Eustatia Reef for a few hours. Want a lovely breakfast buffet? Try Little Dix Bay (a Rosewood property great to visit) and if you go on Friday morning you can join the head gardener for a botanical tour of their gardens. And....if you want to stay within your budget, have your own charming cottage with a great view and a beach to die for, Guavaberry is the spot. Have a lovely honeymoon!! JKR

Guavaberry looks lovely and a great option. How do you get to Virgin Gorda from St. Thomas? One ferry or do you have to go to Tortola/Beef island first?

Um, strange question here, but are there less iguanas on VG than the other ones? Somehow it seems it. I'm afraid of them but do my best to tolerate them because I love the Caribbean!

Thanks everyone. So much valuable info.

I am a big VG and Guavaberry fan, but I'm not sure if the units are what you want for a honeymoon. There are villas that Guavaberry manages that are nice (and many have small pools). We stayed in one of them and had a great time. Many people also like Nail Bay.

Oh this is not a honeymoon!

Also, can anyone shed light on how to get from STT to VG? I read that the ferry only runs 3 days a week? Is this true?

The ferry does only run from St Thomas to Virgin Gorda on Tuesday and Thursday but you do have other options. You will have to ferry to Tortola (Road Town)from STT which runs daily. Then you will have to catch another ferry to Virgin Gorda which also runs daily. You would just have to try and coordinate the times as closely as possible. A bit of a hassle, but can be done. Pack light!

I keep forgetting to post my links.

http://www.bviwelcome.com/ferries.html

Thanks brenandg. Very helpful.