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Hi. We're heading down in October, staying mainly on St. John. My husband and I will arrive on Thursday night, and another couple is joining us on Saturday afternoon.
We're thinking of staying on St. Thomas Thursday night, heading out first thing Friday and taking a ferry to Jost Van Dyke, spending the night there Friday night, then heading to St. John on the ferry on Saturday to meet our friends and show them the wonders of St. John.
Which brings me to my questions:
1. Any recommendations on where to stay on St. Thomas? Our plane doesn't arrive until 8:10 p.m., so we'd really just be grabbing dinner and drinks and then crashing. This is the least of my questions. I have a few ideas, and they all seem fine, but I thought I'd ask for your ideas.
2. Any ideas on where to stay on Jost Van Dyke? This is the biggest question, because I really know little about JVD except it seems like a very cool place. The only place on JVD I've been is to White Bay (White Beach?) on a day trip, and I'm looking forward to seeing other parts of the island (suggestions welcome). We don't need anything fancy, although my husband would prefer AC, at least in the bedroom. And we're hoping to keep it fairly cheap (relatively speaking, of course). Also, I understand there are message boards concerning the British Virgin Islands. Can anyone tell me the best one? (Surely, it won't compare to this excellent board.) Also, we can plan to take taxis wherever we want to go on JVD, right?
3. Are there any flaws to my plans for Thursday to Saturday? (Other than not knowing where I'm staying or how I'm getting around.) I've never taken the ferry to JVD, so I'm not quite sure how that works.
4. What are the pros/cons of the various car-rental agencies on St. John? I've never shopped around, just grabbed the first one I saw or went along with a group.
Thank you for your help. And if you're going to be in St. John in early October, let me know!
The first thing that you will need to do is check the ferry schedule to Jost. They do not run every day so that may be the flaw in your plan. Also, if you are packing for a week you will have to haul it all over to Jost and back again.
The only place I have ever stayed in Jost is at Ivan's and there is definately no AC since there is no power in the cottages.
Honestly. Get to St. John and take a day trip to Jost. Rent a car from an agency in town with a lot you can park in and you will be all set.
I agree with Xislandgirl...there is a better suggestion out there. What island is your priority? Where is your base camp? Are both couples staying on the same island base camp? How may vehicles will you be renting?
These questions will help others help you. Most important is to relax and enjoy it all!
Ok, you want to go to Jost on a Friday from STT - and return on Sat to STJ, right?
You can get from STT to Jost on Friday. 8am from STT.
You can return from Jost on a Saturday at 9:15am out of Jost.
Where to say - --- I'd vote for "Sandcastles" on the beach.
http://www.sandcastle-bvi.com/sandcastlehotel/
When Geoff and I visited for the day in July 07, we visited Ivan's campground cottages and deciced that we'd be happy there for a week. We'd have bed, sheets, curtains, privacy, secluded beach and clean bath-houses. The beach was pristine and the area was a world apart from the hustle of the Soggy Dollar beach area. Talk about sleepy (ivan's)!
Thanks for your suggestions. Blu, I think I like yours best, probably because I know the least about JVD and enough about the other stuff to at least get by.
I don't want to take a day trip to JVD because we've done that twice, and both times we thought how nice it would be not to have to leave with the boat at 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Plus, the other couple isn't joining us until Saturday, and they aren't interested in going off St. John on their first trip there.
After looking at the links, I'd vote for Sandcastle too, and my husband probably will too because of the AC. You say it's away from the Soggy Dollar area, but they're both at White Bay, right? My knowledge of JVD geography is limited to the Soggy Dollar, its gift shop and its restroom.
Speaking of which, does anyone know of a good map of JVD that might give me more of a sense of what's where? I keep reading about Foxy's, which I gather isn't at White Bay. I just have no concept of the scope of the island, where anything might be beyond White Bay, or how to get around the island.
Thanks again!
Sandcastle is right there at Soggy Dollar. It is Ivan's that is away.
Think of White Bay and picture a hill in the middle of the beach - a hill that you have to hike over if you want to walk from one end of the beach to the other. Soggy Dollar and Sandcastle are together on one side of the hill, and Ivan's is on the other side of the hill, but still on White Bay.
Look at the map here.. http://www.sandcastle-bvi.com/mapofgrounds/
Do you see where it says "bar" in the upper left? That is Soggy Dollar.
This is a pretty good link for JVD (or so I think).
http://www.b-v-i.com/JostVanDyke/default.htm
Blu - Thank you. That made it very clear. (Although when I went back and looked at what you wrote originally, I saw that was very clear too! Maybe I need a vacation.)
UF Prof - Thanks for the link.
Now I've found something new to confuse me. On the "Getting Here" part of the Sandcastle site, it says you have to take a ferry to Tortola and then a ferry or charter boat to JVD. But the ferry schedules on the VI Now site indicate that there's a ferry that goes from Red Hook to St. John to Jost. Which is correct?
cg, the way I understand it is that on Fri, Sat and Sun, the ferry goes from STT to STJ then directly to Jost. On the other days, it goes to Tortola first, then on to Jost. We went on a Sat, from STT then to Cruz Bay, then to Jost. Took about an hour, maybe 90 min, but I don't think that long. I have some pics of the hike from Soggy dollar over to Ivans, I'll see if I can post them.
Excellent! Thank you!
Wouldn't you know it....YouTube has a video amde by a guy walking from Soggy Dollar to Ivan's. He gave it a good try - but it's a really bad video. I think his feet were hurting too much for him to hold the camera. Wear flip-flops when you cross. I did it in bare feet - but I'd had about 15 painkillers at that point, so noooooo problem 😉
No buckets of flip flops to "borrow" any more?
