Hello ZingerZ.

Are you planning on coming next month? Or do you mean February 2007? February is high season here so if you are planning to come next month I highly recommend you contact a villa rental agency and check with them to see if they have anything available.

February 2006- I have procrastinated a tad, but am dilligently looking now and ready to book-- Have you heard of Paloma Blanca? There seems to be little information available on this villa..

Z,

I believe some folks have posted about Paloma Blanca and if you search this board you should find their remarks. I'm glad to hear that you found a place with availability!

My husband and I will be coming to the island for the first time in March of 2006. This is a very special trip for us because we never did take a honeymoon when we got married 11 years ago. Do you have any recommedations as far as stuff for us to do? We will be there for one week. The only thing I am sure we plan to do is visit the National Park.

Christy
What do both of you like to do? Three quarters of STJ is National Park, so your first choice is fairly wide open. There are numerous trails to hike and I suggest getting the book STJ Off the Beaten Track (link is above).
You can lay on any number of beaches in relative solitude, snorkle, shop, discover history...you get the idea. Let us know your preference and we can aim a little better.

Zinger-

Do you have a budget in mind? That might help narrow it down a bit. As dntw8up suggested, you probably need to start by seeing what is available and working back to what you like from the available selection. The good news is that you might get a last minute discount.

Just curious, what do you mean by "4 young professionals?". Are they not adults, but professionals?

There is a great book (several actually) that is available thorugh this site or you can grab it at the National Park Visitor's Center AS SOON as you arrive, called, ST. JOHN, FEET, FINS & FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE, authored by Pam Gaffin. We take it with us every time!

sounds like you need min of 3br/3bths. cloud nine villas has 2 villas that might work, cloud 9 on gifft hill and sundance on upper tamarind. both have some feb 06 availability. web site is http://www.cloud9villas.com .

all their villas are owned by a couple currently in residence (@pebbles on east end) and manager, marcy appel is excellent so have people on island to fix any problem that arises. stayed at sundance oct 2004 and c9 oct 05 and dec 05. both have small pools, hot tubs, are well equipped and supplied. while both villas have note books with all sorts of island info re beaches, restaurants (menus) and excursions, marcy is really a goldmine of info for firsttimers. we like west end of stj with sunsets and lights of stt, so cloud9 villas have suited our tastes and have always had last minute discounts for our last minute trips.

also had good experience with destinationstjohn.com , they have several larger villas on various parts of stj. we stayed at temptress on upper rockridge in april 04 (only 2br/2bths but has those great evening western views). they have 2 larger villas nearby but don't know about availability. check their site and call lori peity. don't remember if they have info book but believe they do.

from reading the comments on this and other boards, there is unanimity of love for stj and the islands. what people like though is diverse as are the offerings. there are beautiful sunny beaches on the northern shore with shade (except late may to august), great snorkling & diving, sailing in some of the best waters in world, hiking, old ruins to explore, great restuarants and i believe bars and hangouts (we do our drinking and evening dining on deck watching sunsets, ships leaving stt and that island lighting up. unless you are staying more than a week you can't do it all. if you can't find something to your liking, i doubt if you can have fun on any vacation.

you are truly headed to paradise. get there and if you only enjoy the many beaches and the sunsets/sunrises, when you leave you'll begin planning for your next trip!

papabou

4 young professionals= adults + a much younger generation than the 2 adults i was referring to as my parents..

My husband and I stayed at Paloma Blanca in May 2005. We really enjoyed ourselves. The house is WAY UP in the hills (you'll need a jeep) and very private. There are some homes below that you can vaguely see and I suppose if they tried they could see you but they are a distance away. One local house has a few dogs which were our biggest complaint. Periodically they would be loud as if they were fighting. The house itself was very nice. Since it was just the two of us we stayed on the main level which was decorated island style with two bedrooms. There was also an apartment setting below, which you have access to, which has a bedroom, bath, kitchen and living space. This area needed some work in our opinion. On the deck you will witness a fabulous view. There is a good size pool, hot tub, table and chairs and BBQ. Hope this helps. I know you will have a wonderful time.