My husband and I spent our honeymoon on St. John the first week in November this past year. The weather could not have been more perfect. Of course there is the daily shower, but we only really lost one day to rain, and even then it was mostly just overcast with a few sprinkles.

We rented a jeep for the week. We quickly found out that parking in Cruz Bay is very limited. There is a small public lot that gets filled up very quickly in the morning. We had more luck finding parking near Mongoose Junction. Although it required some effort to find parking, we always eventually found something.

I would recommend renting a jeep, the taxi's charge per person to specific destination on the island. I think Maho would probably cost you about $12/ person per trip from Cruz Bay. (One Way) We paid around $400 for the week for a rental. We rented through the villa rental place and I know you can find something cheaper! So with 2 people you may break even by the end of the week, plus its nice to have the flexibility to explore the island.

I haven’t stayed at the Maho Bay Campground but I've read some very positive reviews. Cinnamon Bay also offers a campground and I've heard Maho is much better. Good luck planning your trip! St. John is truly an amazing place, you'll want to come back again and again.

There is much more good info on this message board. I would suggest you go to "search", plug in "maho bay camps" and choose "all dates" at the bottom for lots of additional opinions. You can then choose which bits of info apply best to your needs.

From there, here (if it works!) is a direct link to something I wrote before:
https://www.vinow.com/wwwtalk/read.php?4,98367,98450#msg-98450

Re: Eco-tent vs. Harmony - - the Harmony units look nice in pictures (I didn't see them personally), but wow that distance to the beach is worth noting. These units are pretty far up the hill. However, depending on whether you wish to be very close to the beach, this may be a reasonable trade-off. There are also tent-cottages that are quite a distance away as well. I gather (and, again, don't know this to be an absolute fact in all cases) that if you book well in advance and request (or not?), you stand a greater chance of getting a unit closer to the beach (A and B sections closer to beach). There are many steps to get to something no matter where you are! 🙂

We didn't have any "crime" issues. Though the tents are very "open", that also offers some protection in that "criminals" are also out in the open. Can't say nothing would ever happen - but we felt good about it. Besides, you've really got to work to get to this place, so generally outsiders wouldn't be just "wandering by". There is a little box/cupboard, made of wood, measuring APPROXIMATELY 20 x 10 inches opening, 10 inches deep. If knowing the exact size is important to you, perhaps the Maho staff could tell you Though is possible not all boxes are the same. There is a claps for a padlock - bring your own. I thought our box was sturdy. I THINK the staff also has some additional place to lock valuables. (?) You can also put a padlock on the tent door, but the rest of the tent is made of screen, so if someone really wants in - a lock on the door is certainly not going to stop them. If your tent is very close to the walkway, this could be a deterrent to random wanderings - again, I don't see this a huge problem. We just didn't bring items of great value.

Bring flashlights, of course. We got some new hand crank LED flashlights - lightweight, didn't require heavy batteries. They have batteries there in the store, too, if needed.

An extra little lightweight fan could be of some value. If you're going in November - maybe this would be more trouble than worth (we were there in early summer). They do provide a big box fan but that only points one direction. We took some Citronella sticks - unsure if that helped much or not. Didn't really have significant mosquito problems. You can see my prior post (above link) for thoughts on other creatures.

We definitly thought the expense of renting a vehicle was worthwhile - more freedom to explore and decide your own times without having to wait for a taxi. To each his/her own, though...

Enjoy planning!

Thank you all so much for the wonderful info!! It's always easier to plan a trip after you hear from other experiences!! Very helpful information, thank you again!!

Have either one of you had experience with the STJ public buses?? I think it goes from one end of the island to the other??

Thanks 🙂

We've been going to Maho for years and have always stayed in the ecotents. You should keep in mind that there are lots and lots of stairs -- to the beach, to the tent cottages, to the bath houses, and to the restaurant, so you should reconsider if this may pose a challenge for you. If not, and you enjoy camping, you'll probably love it.

The weather is usually great in November. The campground is very safe. As another poster mentioned, you should bring a lock for the lockbox. We also bring good daypacks, an extension cord, solar shower, extra clothespins and beach towels (the campground only gives you a bath towel). In addition, we bring sunscreen, insect repellant and plenty of books. We eat our breakfast and dinner in the restaurant, so I can't make recommendations as to what food to bring. The campground has a small store with a limited food selection and a pretty good beverage selection. You can sign for everything at Maho and pay when you check out, so you don't need to carry around money when you're in the campground.

We usually stay for two weeks and never rent a car. (There are just two of us. If there were more, we probably would). Frett's taxi will take you into town for $8 per person one way, or any of the north shore beaches for less. We also take the bus ($1), but that involves taking a short trail (the Goat Path) to Big Maho Bay,and then walking up the road at a pretty steep grade for about a half mile to the bus stop at the Smoothie stand on Centerline Road. From there, you can take the bus to Cruz Bay, or Coral Bay and Salt Pond Bay in the other direction.

In addition, you can walk to Cinnamon Bay, Francis Bay, Big Maho Bay and Leinster/Waterlemon Bay from Maho. You can also walk/hike to several trailheads (Cinnamon Bay, Johnny Horn/Brown Bay, Maria Hope, Francis Bay).

Hamilton's taxi also runs excursions from Maho for about $15 - $20 per person round trip. He goes to Salt Pond Bay, Haulover Bay (including Vie's for lunch), and Coral Bay some evenings for nightlife. He also has a "Round the Island" tour. In November before Thanksgiving, his trips may be limited because it is still pretty quiet at Maho.

If you feel you'd like to rent a car later in your stay, you can probably get one without a reservation that time of year. You may want one for at least one or two days to see the parts of the island you could not otherwise see. We did that for our first few trips.

I hope you enjoy St. John and Maho as much as we do. I think it is an amazingly beautiful place, and Maho is a terrific way to really experience the National Park.

Mary

Mary,
Thank you so much for your tips!! I'm happy to hear that we won't have to rent a jeep, my thoughts were exactly what you suggested, rent one for a couple days to see the rest of the island!!! Maho looks wonderful, I've research the heck out of STJ and I haven't found anything that compares to Maho yet!!! I don't think the stairs will be a problem for me (I try to run daily), it's my hubby (smoker) that I am worried about. I think this will an adventure for him for sure!!!! This is more my style than his, but I am very happy he is going because it's something that I want to do!!!! We are going November 7th - 14th. Will Frett's and Hamilton's Taxi be running then??

Thank you again!!

Take care -
Christy

Mary -

Where do you put the Solar Shower? How does that work out?

I was wondering the same thing about the shower!! It would be a good idea to bring one....

Me I can't be with out a jeep love to explore. Yes I love maho but if there is a north swell it is great to jump in the jeep and head to a south shore beach. There have been times when where we were staying it rained all day and if we didn't have a jeep it would of been a washout but packed up and found a beach in the sun. So I might be different but I always tell people to get a jeep.

A Solar Shower is a large heavy plastic container that folds for travel. You fill it with water and hang it somewhere in the sun. It has a nozzle thingie that you open and stand under after the water gets warm -- shower. Sort of like sun tea without the teabags. lol.

I may have to look into purchasing one of those!! Shower right on the deck, lol!! 🙂

Sorry to take so long in responding .... Frett will definitely be running, but probably on a reduced schedule (several times a day). Hamilton posts sign up sheets for trips and if he gets enough people, he'll run the excursion. The minimum number varies from 6 to about 10 or 12, I think. In addition, if you walk to the Cinnamon Bay Campground, you can always pick up a taxi.

As another poster said, the solar shower folds flat. We hang it on the hook for the clothesline outside on the Maho tent cabin deck. We set up a privacy wall by hanging towels and our neat sheets on the clothesline. It works pretty well.

Mary

Mary - yes, a "Neat Sheet" was exactly what I was thinking would work! Think we'll try this when we go - thanks for the tip!