Need Help...Harbour Island or St. John??
Jan 7th, 2010, 06:33 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Need Help...Harbour Island or St. John??
We are going in June...4 older teens, my husband and me. We want relaxation, fun locals who enjoy the tourists, great food, beautiful beaches, quaint shops and a town with a safe feel to it, but fun for older teens. We aren't big hiking buffs or looking for a rugged adventure, but we don't want a touristy feel either. We were looking at Harbour Island. A friend says St. John is a better choice. What do you think??
Jan 7th, 2010, 08:20 PM
#2
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 9,285
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
oooh, tough choice! I have a glancing familiarity with both having been to each one only once. St. John is absolutely beautiful but Harbour Island, I believe, is close to Eleuthera which has my favorite beaches anywhere. I think both are great choices.
Jan 8th, 2010, 06:53 AM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,880
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have not been to St. John, but Harbour Island is my favorite place in the WORLD, so can fill you in a bit.
There are alot of houses for rent on island or you could stay at one of the resorts on island. THere are several good restaurants and some fastish food spots as well. The BEST burgers you will EVER have are at Ma Ruby's, would love that recipe, lol.
Also Angela's is great for lunch or dinner and CHEAP great seafood, the conch anything there is GREAT.
Harbour Island has one of the 10 best beaches in the world and is consistantly rated one of the best destinations in the region, you will never find more welcoming people. Walking around Dunsmore Town you will hear an amazing mix of music coming from homes from rap to Broadway to Classical, which I have always enjoyed.
Most of the resorts have live music some evenings so there will be something for the teens to do, and there is a niteclub owned by Larry Cleary and his band plays nitely.
Getting there is easier these days, you can fly into N. Eleuthera from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami or Nassau. There's also a fast ferry from Nassau with 2 sailings daily www.bahamasferries.com
When you get to Eleuthera ask for a cab driver Wendell, and he will make sure you get to the ferry over to Harbour Island. On Harbour Island find Reggie (cab driver) and he will take you on a tour of the island, so you get your bearings and he is more knowledgeable than anyone else on island.
The island is small only 3 miles long by 1/2 mile wide and VERY safe, very little crime if any.
If your teens enjoy kids, there is the Harbour Island Day Nursery and you are welcome to come by and meet the kids. I always go an read a story or teach games, and if you have some room in your bags bring some books or art supplies, it is very difficult to get and expensive and would be so VERY welcome. The HIDN, is supported by locals and regulars (like me), my chorus actually went to harbour island on 3 concert tours and raised several thousand dollars to help defray their costs. There is no money available through the government so all expenses come from parents and friends.
Interesting fact----When Harvard was being built the first gift to the University was a boatload of lumber from.......Harbour Island...
You might try some of these websites for more info:
www.myharbourisland.com
www.runawayhill.com
www.rockhousebahmas.com
www.islandoutpost.com
www.coralsands.com
www.romorabay.com (probably my best suggestion for where to stay)
There are 2 dive shops on island for snorkling and diving and there is a resort dive course your teens might enjoy. Some amazing dive sites in the area including a train, yup a train. Just after the Civil War a train was purchased by a wealthy plantation owner on Cuba so the train was loaded on a barge, it went badly off course and sunk in a hurricane, makes for an amazing dive site more than 100 years later and it's only 30 feet or so down.
Wow that was a long winded response, but I'm sure you can tell I love the island. If you need more info, please let me know.
There are alot of houses for rent on island or you could stay at one of the resorts on island. THere are several good restaurants and some fastish food spots as well. The BEST burgers you will EVER have are at Ma Ruby's, would love that recipe, lol.
Also Angela's is great for lunch or dinner and CHEAP great seafood, the conch anything there is GREAT.
Harbour Island has one of the 10 best beaches in the world and is consistantly rated one of the best destinations in the region, you will never find more welcoming people. Walking around Dunsmore Town you will hear an amazing mix of music coming from homes from rap to Broadway to Classical, which I have always enjoyed.
Most of the resorts have live music some evenings so there will be something for the teens to do, and there is a niteclub owned by Larry Cleary and his band plays nitely.
Getting there is easier these days, you can fly into N. Eleuthera from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami or Nassau. There's also a fast ferry from Nassau with 2 sailings daily www.bahamasferries.com
When you get to Eleuthera ask for a cab driver Wendell, and he will make sure you get to the ferry over to Harbour Island. On Harbour Island find Reggie (cab driver) and he will take you on a tour of the island, so you get your bearings and he is more knowledgeable than anyone else on island.
The island is small only 3 miles long by 1/2 mile wide and VERY safe, very little crime if any.
If your teens enjoy kids, there is the Harbour Island Day Nursery and you are welcome to come by and meet the kids. I always go an read a story or teach games, and if you have some room in your bags bring some books or art supplies, it is very difficult to get and expensive and would be so VERY welcome. The HIDN, is supported by locals and regulars (like me), my chorus actually went to harbour island on 3 concert tours and raised several thousand dollars to help defray their costs. There is no money available through the government so all expenses come from parents and friends.
Interesting fact----When Harvard was being built the first gift to the University was a boatload of lumber from.......Harbour Island...
You might try some of these websites for more info:
www.myharbourisland.com
www.runawayhill.com
www.rockhousebahmas.com
www.islandoutpost.com
www.coralsands.com
www.romorabay.com (probably my best suggestion for where to stay)
There are 2 dive shops on island for snorkling and diving and there is a resort dive course your teens might enjoy. Some amazing dive sites in the area including a train, yup a train. Just after the Civil War a train was purchased by a wealthy plantation owner on Cuba so the train was loaded on a barge, it went badly off course and sunk in a hurricane, makes for an amazing dive site more than 100 years later and it's only 30 feet or so down.
Wow that was a long winded response, but I'm sure you can tell I love the island. If you need more info, please let me know.
