Kauai or St. John?
 

I am trying to decide between Kauai and St. John for a honeymoon in June. We have never been to either island and are looking for input and recommendations from those who have. Thanks. <BR> <BR>Michael

No question..go to Kauai. St John is pretty but is basically a typical tropical island with most of it being owned by the park service. Kauai has varied topography and weather..tropical at the resort area, a beautiful Pacific grand canyon that is cold at the top and hot at the bottom that is wonderful hiking. Horseback riding up in the hills, rain forsets to take helicopter rides into, etc. Much prettier than Maui without the surfer dude mentality.

St. John if you enjoy snorkeling, diving, hanging out on the beach. My husband and I went 8 years ago and it was the best vacation of my life. Some friends just got back last Sunday and they said it was the best vacation of their life. But we love snorkeling and my friends love hanging out on the beach. 3/4 of the island is protected park with only beautiful bays with incredible underwater scenery. Cruz Bay is the only town, but really a great place, very laid back and incredibly nice folks with plenty of places to eat and shop. You'd find more variety of things to do in Kauai. Congrats!

Does it depend on where you are coming from? Friends here in California said it is a bit of a journey (something close to 24 hours from here, all told)getting to St. John and that has put me off it. Anyone advise?

<BR>Michael,I just had to answer this post.I've been to St John in the US <BR>Virgin Islands and Kauai in the Hawaiian many times. I love them both. When I don't feel like traveling too far(or I'm running out of booze) I go to St John.It's only <BR>3 1/4 hrs from NY.St Thomas has great shopping.I pick up the booze <BR>there. Don't get me wrong,I'm not a <BR>lush,it's just when you can pick up <BR>6 good size bottle for $70 It's a <BR>steal. Ok enough about that. St JOhn <BR>is a beautiful,quiet island.Try a <BR>private villa.I got a Two bedroom villa with a huge private pool and <BR>large deck for $150 night off season. We loved it.Would go back in <BR>a minute. Kauai is also a beautiful <BR>island with lot's of activities or <BR>just sit back and enjoy the view. <BR>Definitely rent a car on Kauai! <BR>It's only got one main road.One lane <BR>up and one lane back.I drove all over the island with the Cassette <BR>player cranked.I went on a rubber raft on the Na Pali Coast,I went <BR>on a Kayak tour up the river,I <BR>went to the over look at Waimea Canyon. All wonderful.All worth the <BR>long plane ride from NY. Hope you <BR>enjoy whichever island paradise you <BR>choose.

For a honeymoon? Kauai. <BR>St. John is a pretty island but lacks MANY of the assets of Kauai. <BR>Biggest drawbacks to SJ: only one little town, high humidity, crime and poverty, very limited range of accommodations, locals hate tourists (mainlanders), LOTS of bugs and mosquitos. <BR>SJ has some of the prettiest beaches in the world and great snorkelling. It's not overly expensive. Caneel Bay is NOT a good honeymoon spot and the only other good lodging is the Westin, which has old, dark, outdated rooms and not a very charming beach. <BR> <BR>Kauai's advantages are: much more dramatic beauty than SJ, much safer, no racism and hatred of tourists, much wider range of hotels and restaurants, many more activities than SJ, easy to change the whole pace of your honeymoon by hopping over to Maui or Oahu or Big Island. <BR> <BR>I've travelled to the best tropical spots all over the world. SJ is a great getaway, no doubt. But for a honeymoon? Kauai, for sure.

Actually, "e," JJJ is absolutely correct in his description!! The only thing I would disagree with him about St. John is that I personally did NOT find the island beautiful at all, very overrated to say the least, and I would NEVER return there!! (Caneel Bay and the Westin are both DUMPS!! Quite frankly, I'm surprised that both are still in business!!!)

To "e": <BR>I challenge you to produce verifiable data (not manipulated info from the local tourism board) that affirms that the level of crime in the USVI's is anywhere near as low as it is in comparable vacation spots like Hawaii or Florida. <BR>Do you know why I feel strongly about this? I was personally ASSAULTED on St. John by a hostile local man while walking in Cruz Bay. Out of the blue. On the mainland I would have filed a police report. No reason to do so in the USVI's. <BR>I became curious about the local hatred of tourists (which our hotel representative told me was the likely motive for the assault). I figured that tourists were the lifeblood of the island's economy (like Hawaii) and that respectful treatment would be a given. Wrong. <BR>This was not an isolated incident. And the island tourism bureaus work hard to keep this info beneath the radar screen. <BR> <BR>You go ahead and think what you wish, e. <BR>Personally, I will never go back to the USVI's. And in fact, compelling circumstantial evidence comes from the fact that local crime is a problem in MOST (not all) of the Caribbean islands. And the reasons are quite similar from one island to the next. <BR>I think you have your head in the sand.

For some reason my previous post was deleted. Gee, aren't we sensitive. And I now see the light and agree with Tim---St John totally stinks---poverty, crime, beaches overrated, not beautiful at all. To everyone out there who is thinking of SJ, PLEASE STAY AWAY.

Aloha all, <BR>As I may have mentioned in prior Caribbe or Fla vs. Kauai posts, as soon as St John's get 3000 ft cliffs of pure emerald velvet that you look like you can slide down into a glistening turquoise pool of ocean, I'm doing Kauai. <BR> <BR>Until St John's can have a Hanalei Valley so full of radiant sea spray as orangey sunset rays play peek a boo thru the Na'Pali Coast, I'm doing Kauai. <BR> <BR>In fact...57 more days. <BR> <BR>Honeymoon...June...Kauai...Princeville. <BR>Mucho Mahalos, <BR>Kal

Whether you are on your honeymoon or not, Kauai is always a favorite among visitors to Hawaii. My cousins from CA visit me in Honolulu every year, and then make it a point to spend a week on Kauai--they never tire of it. <BR> <BR>Plus, you are close enough to the other islands to explore other facets of the culture, if you so please. <BR> <BR>Kauai is a great place to unwind and detox. You won't be sorry.

Thanks for all of your responses. Could I go wrong staying at either Princville or the Hyatt? I understand that they are on opposite coasts. As far as the views, romantic, and restaurants nearby. Also, going the first of June I'm not sure if there will be a lot of family vacationing yet, but is one more geared to that type of atmosphere than the other?

<BR>Hi Micheal,I've been to both the Princeville and Hyatt. I preferred <BR>the Hyatt Regency myself.Great area, <BR>beautiful grounds,huge pool,big,nice <BR>beach area and quiet.Also very HOT. <BR>I tend to go Nov/Dec.I love the big <BR>waves that come in at that time. <BR>The Kauai Marriott is also a gorgeous resort with a fabulous Sunday Champagne Brunch,beautiful rooms,huge pool,and gorgeous grounds! It's sort of mid-way between the two resorts you mentioned.

I think either Kauai or St. John would be a great honeymoon spot, but I just had to post and say how much I disagree with "JJJ" and "Tim" on many of their points. We visited St. John only a few months ago and couldn't have been happier with the entire experience. St. John is beautiful, with another dramatic view at almost every curve on the winding roads. Yes, there is "only one little town," but in my mind that's a big part of its charm. When I go on vacation, I don't want busy, congested streets with gas stations and fast food joints on every corner. We felt very safe on St. John and found the natives to be both friendly and helpful. To suggest this island is "high crime" on the basis of one isolated incident is ridiculous (St. Thomas *maybe* but not St. John). I can see why JJJ might have been left with a bad taste in his mouth if he truly was assaulted, but the fact is that St. John is considered one of the safest islands in the Caribbean and is *much* safer than most American cities. We walked the streets of Cruz Bay alone almost every evening and never worried a bit. I would never do that in a city here at home! <BR> <BR>It's true that there are only two resorts on St. John. The Westin has a man-made beach that isn't nearly as nice as many others on the island, but the grounds are lovely. Caneel Bay has a gorgeous, natural setting with 7 different white-sand beaches on the property. It is consistently rated as one of the top resorts in the Caribbean. How anyone could say that Caneel isn't a good honeymoon spot is beyond me! Of course, most who go to St. John end up renting villas rather than staying at resorts or hotels, and in my mind this is the ultimate way to spend a honeymoon anyway. For around $200 a night in June, you can get a gorgeous house all to yourself, with gorgeous views and all the privacy you could possibly want. Most villas come with private pools and hottubs, as well. There are so many great restaurants on the island, you never need to worry about cooking, and the beaches are to die for. <BR> <BR>Anyway, sorry to go on and on. I don't want to sound like a travel agent, but I just couldn't let these statements go unchallenged. I sure you will have a great time in Kauai if that's where you've decided to go, but you will truly be losing out if you discount St. John for future vacations!

<BR>I have been to Caneel Bay, and I believe the reason it is highly rated is that it is very remote feeling, quiet, spread out, and has several very pristine beaches. We enjoyed the restaurant...excellent food and service. It is popular among east coasters seeking to decompress from the hectic, congested lifestyle found in many of the cities of the northeast. <BR>The reason I think it is a poor honeymoon spot is that it lacks luxury features most (certainly not all) couples desire on a honeymoon. The rooms are sparsely furnished and not my definition of luxurious at all. No electronics which (for most guys) is annoying. I realize the owners are trying to create an aura of isolation from the rest of the world. <BR>When I think of honeymoon spots I think of splurging on a special destination where service and luxury are a cut above. That's not the atmosphere at Caneel Bay. <BR>I know that some couples go camping or fishing on honeymoons. I think this is the exception. <BR>Caneel Bay is IMO an ideal getaway for those who want to reduce their level of stress and unwind. But it isn't a luxury resort in the classic sense.

<BR>Michael,I totally agree with Laura. <BR>St John is a beautiful island and you would NOT be disappointed.Don't <BR>stay at any of the big resorts,try <BR>a private villa.You'll love it.

We stayed at the maho Bay tent camp in St. John and had the best vacation we've ever had. The kids loved it, and we swam and snorkled every day. The people were friendly and never felt threatened. <BR> <BR>I have also been to Kauai and it, too is beautiful. In a different way. More established and settled than St. John. <BR> <BR>BTW Caneel Bay was one of the Rockefeller resorts (Little Dix Bay, Mauna Kea, and Caneel Bay). Built in the 50's and 60's these were considered to be the ultimate vacation. They still tend to cater to old money, rather than the new. Rockefeller used to own Sandy Cay in the BVI, where there is a fresh water spring, and they would cultivate the plants for the resort. Been there, very cool.

Kal,<BR>See you at the Princeville in June! We are going for our honeymoon too. Can't wait!

Michael - My husband and I stayed at the Kauai Marriott four years ago for our honeymoon, and had a wonderful time! Be sure to take a helicopter tour of the island, and Capt. Andy's Catamaran up the Na Pali coast. You will not be sorry that you did! If you are golfers, the course at the Marriott looks wonderful. Enjoy!

Michael - <BR><BR>You have chosen two of my favorite islands. We go to both annually. In fact, just returned from STJ last week - wonderful little island with the absolutely best beaches you will find in so concentrated an area - beaches are better than Kauai, but Kauai has so much more than beaches. So much depends on where you are located and how much time you have. If you live on the East coast, STJ is relatively easy to access for a week. HI, in general, cries out for two weeks because of the travel and expense of airfare. The North Shore of Kauai is absolutely breathtaking; hiking and kayaking are outstanding and there are many wonderful restaurants from which to chose. Snorkeling and beaches are lovely and the island's lack of commercialism make it an outstanding choice for many. When we "discovered" St. John 7 years ago, we compared it on a smaller scale to Kauai - beautiful, mountainous, volcanic island with wonderful hiking and extraordinary beaches and crystal, clear waters - premier snorkeling there and the surrounding BVI as well. There is a definite attitude in the local islanders that you will not experience in Kauai. However, we would not give up St. John. As a honeymoon spot, both are remarkable islands. You will find the best villas with pools and hot tubs in St. John that overlook the most magnificent scenery you could imagine. Additionally, they are affordable in that you are charged by the number of people and not be the number of bedrooms - our first villa for the two of us had 5 bedrooms, 5-1/2 baths, was 5500 sq. feet, with huge pool and deck area and cost us $1575 for the week (mid November; still out of high season). Good luck. You cannot go wrong with either island.

Of course, I agree 100% with JJJ's response, naturally! Caneel Bay is nothing more than an "upscale" SUMMER CAMP for adults and vastly overpriced for what you get -- which is to say, NOTHING!!

kauai, hands down...unlesss all you want to do is snorkel...kauai is gorgeous, lots of nature things to do, helicopter ride, waterfalls, hidden beaches...ill never forget it.....

I've never been to Kauai, but I have been to St. Johns and Oahu. For those who posted that SJU is "not beautiful", I couldn't disagree more. It is a truly beautiful island, and its beaches are second only to the South Pacific and some in Hawaii. As for crime, that's a chance we all take in any locale, but I personally didn't have any problems. As in St. Thomas, there are some very poor people in St. John and you do have to be careful, as you would anywhere. Kauai is an incredible place, and I'm not suggesting SJU is better - only that it doesn't deserve the negative rap it's given in some of these postings. Good luck and congrats.

I have never been to St. John but I have been to Kauai and I would say definitely go to St. John. Kauai is very beautiful, but very boring. Once you get over the ooo's and ahh's of the scenery you'll be bored silly. The water's too rough, not as blue as the Caribbean, and not particularly good for swimming. The beach sand is more the consistency of dirt. There is virtually no nightlife to speak of, or very little of one. You do not get a tropical feel at all and the people are not particularly friendly or accommodating. St. John may not have cliffs but everything else about it will be better, from the food, to the water, to the nightlife to the whole tropical vibe. Your hotel will make you feel welcome and go out of their way to make sure you have a great time, as they always try to do in the Caribbean. Unfortunately I can't say the same for Kauai. On Kauai the word you'll hear most won't be 'aloha', it'll be 'timeshare'.

I have to agree with above. Kauai is beautiful but there IS NO NIGHTLIFE. That doesn't bother me but you should be aware. I didn't think the restaurants were anything special on Kauai. Again, just be aware. And, I agree about the swimming - much better in the Carribean. The Princeville is spectacular - the view is incredible. But, when I went in early June it seemed very quiet there. The Hyatt is fun and much busier - lots of kids in that pool though.

If you and your bride are active people who love to hike, swim, snorkle and explore, you'll thoroughly enjoy St. John. It is a beautiful, undeveloped island with secluded beaches. Several times, we had a beach entirely to ourselves. <BR><BR>Have a wonderful honeymoon and best wishes to you.

I have not been to St.John, I find it too hard not to keep returning to Kauai. I have been about 7-8 times now. Probably true about the night life if you consider night life bar hopping, that is never anything that I miss. Although there are some watering holes on Kauai if this is your thing just not an obnoxious strip.<BR><BR>In terms of non-swimming beaches this is usually a time of year question ; on the North Shore swimming in Summer, non swimming beach in winter. Winter you marvel at high surf and would drive to calmer waters. Some beaches are non-swimming on the east coast year round but the most beautiful part of the island is the North Shore so I don't venture to the budget hotel strip of the coconut coast. Poipu eeehhhh.... a lot of people swear by it because it is the sunniest part of the island it also puts you in closer proximaty to West Coast hiking at Waimea Canyon, Alakai Swamp(look up before you laugh), Kahala trail and others but for me Kokee beach is Shangri-La even on an overcast day where double rainbows are common.<BR><BR>Food: off the top of my head you have several award winning restaurants 2-3 at the Princeville Sheraton(one with national recognition), Paradise Cafe (also National recognized in Lihue? (or near), and others. For more casual dining I like Zelos in Hanalei.<BR>

Yep...Kauai has no nightlife <BR><BR>Yep....Kauai is pretty boring, nothing to do after you've been there for a few days. <BR><BR>Yep...restaurants aren't really that good either.<BR><BR>Yep....33 more day until I fall asleep on Kauai around 9 p.m., pooped out from doin' all that nothin', and stuffed. /;^D<BR>Mahalo,<BR>Kal

Hello Kal-<BR><BR>If it's not too much trouble, I wanted to ask you about Kauai. I am planning my honeymoon trip for this April 2002. I am thinking about staying on the east Kauai coast. Have you heard of the Wailua Bayview condos or the Aston Beach<BR>Villas? I found those from the "Ultimate Kauai Guidebook". Do you suggest any good websites, guidebooks, or travel agenices to book my trip? I'm<BR>looking for a nice condo by the beach with air conditioning. Thanks for your help.

If you enjoy driving through slummy and run down neighborhoods you will LOVE St. John (DON'T deny it, all of you St. John fanatics--it's just a smaller version of St. Thomas!)! Otherwise, Kauai is THE place for you!!

When there's no scenery, driving around Kauai is no nicer than driving in Vermont or the Poconos. I vote for St. John for your honeymoon. Anywhere in the Caribbean beats Hawaii hands down. You'll have a much better time.

Restaurants are better on SJ? No way.<BR>Very few decent restaurants. The sheer number of good resort restaurants on Kauai dwarfs what's on SJ.<BR><BR>Hotel will make you feel "more welcome" on SJ? Not the Westin where we stayed. They were rude and unhelpful.<BR><BR>Bad attitude and slums also ruin the 'tropical vibe' on SJ.<BR>

definitely go to Kauai. I was there last summer and it was absolutely beuatiful! Stay at the Kauai Marriot, it's great and they usually have some knid of deal going on.

We have never been to St. John but have been to Kauai 3x since 1995 and we love it. The people were very friendly and there is much to see and do for a variety of lifestyles. Our first trip was spent in Kaapa, on the east shore. Good central location, but not as spectacular as the north or south shores. On our second trip we spent the entire 10 days at the Hanalei Colony Resort on the north shore. And our last trip we split it between Poipu on the south side and Princeville on the north end of the island. This island is no where near as developed as Maui and Oahu. But there are plenty of choices for lodging. The beaches are incredible. Recommendation: realize that much of this island is not signed.<BR>We know of many people who came back wondering: "where was that beach?" We recommend that travelers browse the internet for info. We also like a great guide book called the Ultimate Guidebook of Kauai by Andrew Doughty, published by Wizard Publications. Much of the info contained in this book is now on an incredible website: wizardpub.com. But when you get down to it the people just knocked us out. We love the Hawaiian culture. Having read the comments about St John, we are canning that idea for Kauai.

Hapened to stumble onthis, I cannot believe anyone would even consider Kauai and St. John in the same league. We made the mistake of staying in St. Thomas a few years ago on our way back from an event in the BVIs. WHAT A DUMP. We changed boats in St. John and were not impressed. I love the Carribbean but not the US virgin Islands. Kuai is beautiful and we would go back in a minute although our favorite is Maui. I prefer the Hyatt over the Princeville and Captain Andis boat ride was great<BR><BR>In teh BVIs we loved the Peter Island Resort

But Lori, aren't the BVIs similar looking to St. John which I, too, HATED with a passion (ditto St. Thomas)?!?

HATE St. John? That's pretty strong terminology. What's to HATE about St. John? The crystal clear, turquoise water? The views from high hilltops into sailboat dotted bays? The exotic vegetation? Topography? The fact that 50% of it is Nat'l Park, including an underwater one? The tucked away beaches you can have to yourself? How about the climate with near perfect year round temperatures? You're a tough bunch of hombres. And why on earth would you feel qualified to comment on the caliber of an island if you merely "changed boats" there, so saw no more than Cruz Bay? "I was not impressed", indeed! Give me a break!!<BR><BR>There are plenty of places/things I might list in the "hate" category, (think #1. Vegas, #2. Las Vegas, #3. LV) and though St. John might not be perfection, it is NOT one of them.

I certainly disagree with the posters who said that the swimming and snorkeling are poor on Kauai. Our family spent hours every day in the water! The temperature of the water is perfect and the beaches are NOT the consistency of dirt - they are wonderful, golden sand beaches. <BR>That said - I would like to know about the snorkeling on St. John. Is it walk-in, from the beach snorkeling? Or must you boat out to the reef? Are the fish as varied and as colorful as Kauai?

Marsha, <BR><BR>There is excellent snorkeling in St. John in as little as knee deep water. Haven't been to Kauai so can't compare it with that, but we snorkeled off a catamaran in Maui, and St. John was much better--larger variety of fish with equal brilliance, and better coral. We snorkeled all over St. John, but my least favorite area was the underwater Nat'l Park--both too crowded and too contrived. Much prefer some out of the way beach, hunting down the good coral on my own, rather than having it all spelled out as it was in the park. <BR><BR>Grand Cayman, too, offers great snorkeling of course, and much of it was walk-in as well, but the interior of that island can't compare in beauty to St. John, where you have it all.<BR><BR>As far as beautiful islands with good snorkeling go, forget all these and head to Bermuda. It's an entirely different sort of beauty than HI, but my favorite of any island we've visited. We've yet to find a slum and billboards are unheard of--(something which greatly surprised me about Maui--never pictured HI having the same blight we have here). The island is pristinely clean, and beautiful from one end to the other. Every view is a postcard view, and nearly every tile roofed cottage worthy of the same. Its only readily apparent drawback is the expense.

Caneel a dump? St John a slum? Gimme a break!! Kauai is awesome, I agree. Loved the Marriott. But, St. John was amazing in it's own way as well. The beaches at Caneel (all *7* of them) were fantastic. Snorkeling was to die for! There was very little night life, agreed. Some people are ok with that. We actually went into town one night and saw a local band at a little reggae bar and had an amazing evening. Don't get me wrong, I L O V E Hawaii (especially the Big Island & the Mauna Kea!!), but I just had to respond to the St John comments.....