You will love STJ's laid back serenity, especially if you are on your honeymoon and want lots of peace and quiet. Have you considered renting a cottage or villa? There are tons of them to rent, altho you may find a lot booked already, but check into it. Most of them are not too outrageously priced, and most have kitchens, fridges, etc, so you can do some cooking, and it's always fun to go out to dinner. Try Carribbean Travel and Life for a listing of places to rent. They have lots of listings for STJ. A good number of the cottages, villas are pretty private. Good Luck!!!

We got married in St. John two years ago (it was wonderful!), and made a return visit to this intoxicating island last December. I just finished reserving a villa for our late April trip at the same place we stayed in December. I recommend renting a villa. The folks we are renting from (www.mahoganytreevilla.com) also own two other villas which they list at the bottom of their website. Gerry and Martha Hills are great owners, very nice, and keep these villas updated and very clean. Their properties have a pool and some other extras and are a walk away from town (but tucked in a hill away from the noise of town). We have never rented a car because you can walk everywhere and take taxis or hitchhike if you want to venture further (yes, Hitchhiking is safe there!).

We got married on the deck of another wonderful villa called "Paradise Found" ( http://www.usvi-paradise.com/). Such a nice, private place with a great view, and also within walking distance from town.

We are completely in love with St. John and plan a return trip every year. Forget Florida! It holds no candle to our beautiful island getaway. It is like a quaint, small town on an island. People are friendly, it is safe, it is breathtakingly beautiful, and offers all the ammenities you might want.

I have had good luck with a travel agency call THE IDEA COMPANY. The person to ask for is Michael Schoendorf. 800-843-4332 (800-THE IDEA). They can work wonders any place in the Caribbean.

You will love St.John!! My husband and i have traveled there for the past 7 years. We are planning our next vacation now.This is a beautifull island with some of (IMO) the best beaches in the caribbean.This is a very relaxed place but there are wonderfull restaurants and shopping. You will find no fast food/wal mart etc.We always rent a car so we can explore the island whenever we want.Go to a new beach/bring our lunch/snorkle gear or just laze around the villa at the pool !!Depending on the villa privacy we might not even have to get dressed that day !!! lol- be sure to bring sun block!! Regarding Estate Lindholm this is a wonderfull place. We have not stayed there but i did get a tour of the property and met the owners.(they live right there)I believe the original building has been in the husbands family for quite some time.There is a pool and they offer breakfast every day on the patio.Its a very nice place and just up the hill from Cruz Bay.The owners will also help you make any plans during your stay.As for Lavender Hill i believe it is just condo rentals and they are also in Cruz Bay. With the condos you'll have your own kitchen etc./ If you want this kind of set-up check out Gallows Point Resort in Cruz Bay.Nice view and a walk into town. So much to choose!!! we always rent a villa with WWW.CARIBBEANVILLAS.COM/ great company and very helpfull with some beautifull villas in all price ranges. Whatever kind of place you choose you're gonna want to go back. Have a great trip !!! T

Be sure to visit the accomodations section of the St. John guide on this site... there are several really great villas listed there - their web sites are included in the listings so you can go and look at more pictures and get an idea of what they offer.

You might also order a Vacation Planning Kit from http://www.vitraders.com (look in the navigation for Vacation Kit) that way you can plan your trip with your wife using the print guides and magazines in the kit....

--Islander