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We've got 2 tickets to St. Thomas; where & how do we find paradise?

We've got 2 tickets to St. Thomas; where & how do we find paradise?

Old May 4th, 2000, 04:28 AM
  #1  
Erin
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We've got 2 tickets to St. Thomas; where & how do we find paradise?

My fiance and I cashed in our frequent flyer miles for our honeymoon in mid-November and ended up with the destination of St. Thomas. St. Thomas sounds like it is not our bag, but we figured we could get a ferry to St. John or the BVI's. Now we are wondering if it is cheap and easy to get a puddle-jumper to Anguilla or St. Barts.

What we hope to find on our Caribbean Honeymoon: of course it want it to be romantic with beautiful, tranquil beaches. But we are also looking for quaintness and culture full of life and not overrun with tourists. Of course enjoy excellent food, but we are not too keen on the isolated pretentious resort compounds that cost $500/night. We want to stay someplace intimate and private but within walking distance of some life and food, and the beach. We are open for any suggestions. Thank you!
 
Old May 5th, 2000, 04:51 AM
  #2  
Karen
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Might want to check Liat for flights to the other islands out of STT ... they have a web site but information is more readily available if you email them! You know that you can probably change those tickets for a fee ($75 per ticket for AA) and it still might be cheaper than getting to STT and trying to connect with another flight ... or would you stay on STT a nite or two?
 
Old May 10th, 2000, 07:12 PM
  #3  
waggie
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Why not spend the week in a villa on St. John? SJ has great beaches, restaurants, etc. A villa with a private pool is the only way to go on SJ, and there are many beautiful villas from which to choose. But, you need to book soon! Do a search for villas, and you'll find an abundance of rentals. One good one is www.cateredto.com. Take a look! It's a short ferry ride from St. Thomas over to SJ. Also, you can take a day trip to the BVI -- visit The Baths on Virgin Gorda. Whatever you decide, have fun!
 
Old May 11th, 2000, 07:31 AM
  #4  
chris
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We were in the same situation last year ...well not on our honeymoon. We stayed at Coconut Coast Villas and were pretty happy with them. The villa is a short walk from Cruz Bay and close to the Gallows. It is right on
the water on a rocky coast. They have a/c (we never used it), have a private but cold pool (we never used it) and a well equipped kitchenette. The property is very clean and the villas were well updated with a tropical feel. The only problem we had was the person in the room next to us was a chain smoker, but I don't know how you could help that. The owners were very hospitable and even picked us up at the ferry, took us on a tour of the town, and had our Jeep waiting at their place. I think you will find most beaches require a drive, but regardless I think a Jeep rental is a must to explore the island. We snorkeled most of the beaches on the north shore and they were all great. Good luck.
 
Old May 12th, 2000, 08:17 AM
  #5  
Rick
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Erin, speaking from experience with both St Thomas/St John and the BVI's I would highly recommend the BVI'S before I would ever return to any of the USVI's. I know that some people will be upset by that comment but take a look at many of the posts on St Thomas in the past months. My wife and I just returned from Tortola on May 6th and I cant tell you how beautiful it was. I wrote a trip report that is further down titles "Just back from Tortola/Frenchmans Cay (which is a hotel/villa)". I would be more than happy to share any info on questions that you may have if you would like to ask me directly.

Things that are high on priority list for my vacations are: friendly "natives", cleanliness of islands, safety, crime, etc. St Thomas will fail all of my tests; BVI's will pass all.

As I said I just got back so things are fresh in my mind if you would like to write and ask questions. Ex. 2 villa locations that I would recommend on Tortola are between the $85-$130 per night range and very nice and comfortable.
 
Old May 12th, 2000, 08:24 AM
  #6  
Rick
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Erin, by the way it is very easy to take the ferry from St Thomas to Tortola. Many people actually prefer arriving like that so they dont have to fly into Beef Island on the other side of Tortola. The islands are very close to each other and there are many ferries running each day.
 
Old May 12th, 2000, 12:15 PM
  #7  
jen
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Hands down the BVI win! St. John is a beautiful island but the locals and the culture of the BVI make it truly a special place to visit (like going back in time).

Cane Garden Bay on Tortola would be a great place to stay for a few days as it is one of the best beaches in the caribbean and there are a lot more activities (for a bvi island) than most other beaches. But it is still very relaxed. We are staying at the ole works inn which has a great honeymoon tower room and a delux suite in the range of $100 - 200 a night right next to the beach (although you have to cross a very small road). We have stayed at many "high price" resorts and have found more enjoyment staying at smaller, more quaint and relaxed places. There are a handful of restaurant/bars that play caribbean music nightly for a little entertainment right there on the beach.

For even more solitude, consider staying two or three nights on Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, or any of the smaller islands to get an even more intimate feel. But, it is very easy to make day trips to any other island if you make your base tortola.

If you like "port shopping" maybe spend an afternoon on St. Thomas but otherwise, I'd avoid it.

By the way, we are going in November of 2000, too, from November 18 - 26. Great time to go (not quite high season but great weather)...let me know when you are going and what you decide. I have been to the BVI and it is the only place me and my fiance have decided to return to (we like to explore new places a lot)... feel free to e-mail me directly if you have any other questions!
 
Old May 13th, 2000, 06:08 AM
  #8  
john
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Hi Erin
The BVI is definitely a better place to visit...we've lived here in the BVI for 6 years and will go to St. John for the day but the USVI really is a bit too dangerous to spend a vacation (in my opinion).You should just be able to relax rather than have to be looking out for muggers, or drive-by shooters. The BVI has listings of resorts, guest houses, etc on the internet so you just have to pick your price range. Email me direct if you have any specific questions.
 
Old May 19th, 2000, 07:22 AM
  #9  
Russ Holton
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I agree with the suggestion of renting a villa. We just did the same thing for our honeymoon (just got back), we cashed in our frequent flier miles, and used our Marriott points saved for a week at Frenchman's Reef Resort. We spent one week on St John in a rental home. It was great, with the exception that it's the dry season and our cistern ran out of water on the last day. We also had to rent a car to get around the island (more cost). The restaurants are lacking the U.S. quality, with a few exceptions,but we did a little cooking at the house. It was nice, quiet and private. I wouldn't have changed a thing. Email me and I can give you specific info.
 

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