My husband and I just returned from 7 fabulous days in St. John, our first trip to the island but definitely not our last. The information I gathered from this forum was very helpful in planning our trip so I wanted to share a trip report with you. Below is an overview of our trip.

Lodging:
We stayed at Creolla villa (rented through VRBO.com) on Ajax Peak near Coral Bay. The location was both very convenient (close to Coral Bay and the North Shore Road) and very secluded. We were on top of a mountain, surrounded by beautiful tropical foliage, with a gorgeous view of Coral Bay and beyond. We could even see a little water and some of Tortola in the other direction. The house is traditional West Indian style and was on the small side but plenty large for the two of us. It’s a two bedroom house but only has one bath. The bathroom and kitchen both met our needs just fine. The deck, with hot tub and built in gazebo, is the best part and the views are amazing. In short, I would definitely stay in Creolla again if it is just the two of us but would look for a bigger place if we were traveling with friends.

Wheels:
We rented a Jeep Wrangler from Dependable in St. Thomas. The vehicle was in very good condition and we had no problems.

Food:
We stocked up on groceries at Marina Market at Red Hook before taking the car barge over and then supplemented with a few things from Love City Mini Mart and Lily’s Market in Coral Bay. We ate breakfast at home every day, took picnic lunches to the beach most days, and grilled out at home a couple of nights. While the food prices are higher in the islands, they don’t seem as shocking since food prices continuing to rise back home.

Restaurants:
We ate out a few times in the Coral Bay area. The fresh fish and seaside seating at Miss Lucy’s were wonderful. Sweet Plantains was our most gourmet and expensive meal but worth every penny. Their coconut flan was amazing and I’m usually not a huge fan of coconut. The burgers at Skinny Leg’s were as great as everyone says, especially since we were starving that day. I thought they tasted like the ones my dad makes, which is high praise. We also ate at Shipwreck Landing one night and I thought the Greek salad was especially good. We tried to eat at Vie’s but alas she had a sign up saying she would be closed until June 17.

Beaches:
We visited Jumbie, Hawksnest, Salt Pond, Caneel Bay, Honeymoon, Salomon, Trunk, Leinster/Waterlemon, Francis Bay, and little Lameshur Bay beaches. Our favorite beaches were Jumbie, Honeymoon/Salomon and Salt Pond.

Snorkeling:
We snorkeled Honeymoon and Salomon, Leinster and Waterlemon Cay, Salt Pond, and little Lameshur. Our favorite snorkels were Honeymoon/Salomon and Leinster/Waterlemon Cay. The colorful coral and fish were amazing in both places. We also saw sea turtles right off the beach at Leinster. Little Lameshur was also nice because it was different—more rock than coral and different types of fish. We saw a magnificent southern sting ray there.

Wildlife:
In addition to fish, turtles, ray and coral, we saw donkeys, goats, mongoose, chickens, iguana, lizards, hermit crabs, tree frog, deer and lots of birds during our week on St. John.

Excursion:
We took a day trip to the British Virgin Islands on Breakaway. It was gorgeous to be out on the water and we enjoyed getting a taste of the BVI. We got to see the Baths on Virgin Gorda, snorkel Diamond Reef, eat lunch at Marina Cay (where I had the best pina colada I’ve ever had), and visit the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke. The trip keeps you moving along without a lot of time to linger in any one place. I don’t think I’ll need to go on a whirlwind tour like that again but I would recommend it for a first visit. Next time we’d like to go on a sail boat or maybe rent our own boat for a day.

Bugs:
The bugs liked me quite a lot. I took Off with me and that kept them at bay for the most part. I somehow ended up with a number of mysterious bites on one leg our first day on St. John. I never felt the bites and they never itched. I assume they were noseeums but those usually itch so who knows? The bugs didn’t bother my husband, but then they usually leave him alone at home as well.

Hiking:
We’re big hikers back home so I’m ashamed to say that we only got in one hike on St. John. Then again, we can’t snorkel back home. The hike to Rams Head was well worth the effort it took to get there. The hike itself is not too strenuous but you definitely need to wear something more than flip flops on your feet. It is a very hot and sunny hike so take plenty of water, put on extra sunscreen and wear a hat. We were all alone on the hike and enjoyed the gorgeous views from the top for quite a while. We also stopped at the blue cobblestone beach on the way back and enjoyed a great swim.

Overall, we had a great trip. St. John is a special place and I hope it remains so. We loved being on the quieter side of the island and we found the people to be welcoming and friendly. Of course, we’re already planning our next trip back!