Hi: I have done some reading on the islands of the caribbean but wanted some advice from folks who have been there. This being my first time to the caribbean, I would like to be on an island that has great beaches, laid back atmosphere, lushness and hiking trails. Not really commercial. Any thoughts? Price range for me is medium, not really high or low. Thanks

Matt: Matt, you've just described St. John. When planning our trip, we wanted the same things plus great snorkeling, and St. John fit the bill. Might also want to look at the BVI (don't think it's as lush there, though).

St John is a great first trip. Our first trip was also to St. John and fell in love with the island. So much so, we are already booked for next year. Plenty to do, boat trips, snorkeling, hiking, shopping, restaurants. We never got bored in 9 days, in fact, we wished we stayed another week.<BR><BR>Rent a villa on a hill,the views are incredible. It's truly beautiful. so many beaches that are so clean and crysal clear.<BR><BR>You can obtain a lot of information on USVI Online forum. Everyone on there helped us plan and it was even better than all the photos. The villa was the first time we rented and now are hooked.<BR><BR>Let us know where you end up going.

Aggie<BR><BR>Which villa did you rent? Is Cruz Bay hillside the best choice?

Agree with the others - sounds like you want St. John, for sure.<BR><BR>It is absolute paradise; no where near as commercialized as St. Thomas.<BR><BR>Enjoy!

At the suggestion of a few people from the USVI forum and also reading the villa reviews. We ended renting Villa Argonauta. Great location and extremely private. Paved road all the way. Breathtaking!. It is a 4 bedroom. Another suggestion from many is Villa Splendore, a 2 bedroom.<BR><BR>These villas can be found on:<BR>vacationvistas.com<BR><BR>I really think you will be pleased with St. John. It has everything you mentioned and more in your post.<BR><BR>Aggie<BR>

Hi Matt-We just got back from Nevis. We went there because it is laid back,lush, has lots of great hiking and is not too expensive and the Nevisians are wonderful friendly people. We stayed at the Oualie Beach Hotel. Very nice:little bungalows on the beach. Check out nevis 1.com.Great website! Good luck!!