Rent a car/jeep and explore the island. St John is about 9 miles long. There are 39 beaches, big ones, little ones, some crowded ones and some you will be the only people on. The big things to do on St John are snorkeling, swimming, hiking, shopping, take in the historic sites, get a sun tan, eat and drink plenty of painkillers. Take a water excursion to different areas around the island, or take a excusion over to the BVI. The best advice I can give you is purchase the book "St John Feet,Fins & Four-Wheel Drive" by Pam Gaffin. Also purchase the National Geographic Virgin islands National Park map. Valuable information in the book it will give you an idea what the island is about. The map will show you where all the beaches are and the different areas of St John.

You will love St John, It's paradise. Have fun. I'm sure other posters will chime in here.

If you are a snorkeler, the "must see" is Waterlemon Cay. If you're lucky, the Starfish will be out basking in the sunny waters along the right side, a sea turtle will make it's way into the center area (by the beach) to dine on sea grass, and a large stingray will nestle down in the white sand. It is truly a natural aquarium!

Otherwise, Grace nailed it all - explore, relax, and take it all in!

Good Luck - Have Fun!

I can not WAIT!!!! I'll be there August 2nd thru August 9th. I'm very Excited!

Do people drive on the left or right side of the road in St. John and St. Thomas?

Waterlemon and Annaberg are two of my favorites! Enjoy the trip!

Joe: VI drive left - but autos are stateside LH drive. Getting used to it doesn't take long, particularly since the max speed limit is at best 35mph.

My husband, our daughter, one of her friends and I just returned from sj yesterday. We spent a week, and it was wonderful. We rented a vehicle from Courtesy. You can go on-line, pick out what you want, and call their toll free number. They are very helpful. You can also park in their lot at not cost while you are in Cruz Bay, which is a big plus. Parking is expensive and hard to find.

My husband ordered the book already mentioned, and it was extremely helpful. I would definitely recommend it and do your "homework" before arriving.

We visited Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Maho and Jumbie beaches and enjoyed them all. We saw turtles feeding at Maho, and snorkeled around the point on the right to Little Maho for lunch. (Best deal in sj - a sandwich and drink for $6.) The snorkeling was good everywhere. We spent a day traveling over Centerline Road to Coral Bay stopping here and there for pics (overlooks) and t-shirts, etc. (Skinny Legs) and for lunch at Miss Lucy's. The specialty is the crispy fish, and it was good. The key lime pie was good, too. After lunch, we snorkeled at Long Bay Beach. The point to the left is the best snorkeling spot there according to a local woman we met at Long Bay.

Our favorite dining spots were Paradiso and Lime Inn. Morgan's Mango had the best frozen drinks, but we had to wait for a table (even though we had reservations) and the service wasn't great. We also tried the Fish Trap which was good. The Balcony had good service, food, and a great sunset view.

We ended our week with a wonderful day off the island with John Brandi who owns Palm Tree Charters. He picked us up at Cruz Bay at 8:30 a.m. and we spent the day snorkeling at some great spots (Waterlemon, the Indians, and the Caves). We stopped at a little beach and had a yummy frozen drink made by a guy who runs his blender from a car battery. Then we had lunch at Foxy on Jost Van Dyke in the BVI. The salsa, hummus, and grilled fish sandwich was mouth watering. If this interests you, you can call him directly at 340- 714-5641. He's a really nice fellow who loves what he does. I'd say this was the highlight of our visit, although it was all good, good, good.

Hope you have a wonderful vacation, as we did. We can't wait to return.

lamyka: Wow. That is a tough question. As beautiful as STJ is, it must be FELT. It is about relax, breathing and absorbing.

Snorkel, snorkel, snorkel!!. Last year I saw an octopus at Salt Pond. Way cool. Rent a jeep. Only way to get around.

As a first timer, be sure to acquaint yourself with which parts of the island should be avoided. A young man was murdered several weeks ago and the crime is not yet solved. You may want to read-up on the murder before you go.

He was drunk and in a bar fight at 2 am. You definitely what to stay out of a similar situation.

Beaten with a 2X4 and then stabbed a half-dozen times? Hardly a bar fight. This was a street crime and people should be aware that it happened and that no suspects have been arrested.

But my facts are correct? It was early in the AM, he was drunk, and the fight started in a bar? My comment was serious. All these factors entered into this young mans unfortunate death. Of course the persons who did it are fully responsible. But when giving tips to tourists, telling them not to get drunk and get into fights with other drunks in the wee hours of the morning seems like sensible advice.

It sounds like some people want to put at least some of the blame on Jamie for him being drunk and in a bar.

How bad is this bar anyway?

I believe the time was more like 12:30 AM, but that doesn't really matter, it could of happened at any hour.

How do you think the parents and family feel of this boy? Do we really need to put blame on a victim AGAIN?

You are correct...the murder happened around 12:30 am (within spitting distance of the police station...but that's another story). And Linda, I get your point. It would behoove tourists in any part of the world to be reminded that getting intoxicated increases your vulnerability to being victimized. But I think extending that warning in this instance does an injustice to the more significant danger represented by a murderer (or murderers) who are still walking the streets of STJ. They did not kill Jamie Cockayne because he was drunk. They killed him because they are violent psychopaths and he was vulnerable. That should be cause for concern for anyone visiting STJ....drunks, tea-totallers...everyone.

I am on St. Thomas right now. I have been on St. John 5 different times in the past 3 weeks. St. John has a different feel to it than St. Thomas. You will not be dissappointed, it is wonderful. Make sure you go to Miss Lucy's, it is a long way over there, but it is worth it. Visit as many beaches as you can-the people on St. John are very nice-have a great trip-Laur Lea

I'm just curious if anybody knows why someone hasn't been arrested in this murder?

Supposedly, they have suspects. Will these suspects get off the island before they're interrogated?

Will they end up killing any witnesses to the death of Jamie?

We all know that the mother was asked to leave the island and one witness left for the states and was questioned by the FBI.

Just curious as to what's going on now with the investigation.

Being drunk should make you susceptible to maybe robbery (maybe), it shouldn't make you a target for a brutal murder.

Connie: you can stay in touch with local news via the VI Daily News, the Source and the St John Tradewinds on-line while you can also subscribe to The Avis which is in hard copy only. The media will supply you with the official update on this and other crimes in the territory. In the meantime, why don't you stay on point and tell jamyka about your vacation and give the poster some tips on what to see on St John.

I got the impression this thread was about these good folks wanting info on what to do, not a Nancy Grace question session