What about a crewed yacht?? You can visit the rest of the Virgins- a different place each night, have your own chef. Not too shabby!

I've stayed in St. John for 2 weeks and didn't even begin to get bored, so I know it's do-able.

However, there are lots of wonderful places in the Caribbean. One of my favorites is San Juan, Puerto Rico. If you love to party, San Juan has world class parties. In some hotels, the party gets so big it flows out onto the street and becomes a community event. The music is fantastic in San Juan. I guess I would say that San Juan is completely opposite of St. John. St. John is all about relaxation and getting away from it all, and St John has no night life to speak of. However San Juan is a huge party after dark. The streets pulse with frenetic energy and it doesn't take much for a party to break out. San Juan is all about night life.

JFP

I like both ideas -

crewed yacht (you can party on a different island every night). Late sail dometimes has good deals www.latesail.com.

Puerto Rico - you could stay at Wyndham El San Juan right in San Juan. It is a beautiful, luxurious hotel with a small, refined casino and a famous nightclub that draws the island's "in" crowd in their diamonds and designer gowns. If that's too much work (was for me, so I just sat in the lobby in my shorts and people-watched), you may consider flying over to St Bart's. The atmosphere on St Bart's is more casual, but still chic and there is nightlife....but it is a very expensive place, in general....

If you hadn't mentioned partying, I would have suggested a villa on Virgin Gorda's Mahoe Bay - an incredibly beautiful stretch of sand and sea with villas right on the water. Go to the www.mclaughlinanderson.com and click on Virgin Gorda and look for the villas with descriptions indicating Mahoe Bay.

St Thomas doesn't really have nightlife, despite the rumors....unless you don't get out much, you'll be yawning after a couple of days if you are looking to party and find yourself on STT. I don't think of Duffy's as "nightlife". My 19 year old does. See my point? Tortola, same thing.

Where do you party on STJ?

I'd spend the second week somewhere else just because I'd want the opportunity to visit as much as I could. But even if you stay on STJ both weeks, I'm sure it will be wonderful and amazing. You really can't go wrong no matter what you choose!

WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT I WOULD CHARTER A SAILBOAT.

AWESOME FOOD
PARTY PARTY PARTY
GO WHERE YOU WANT
BE PAMPERED
GO PLACES YOU NEVER DREAMED OF GOING

DID I MENTION THE PAMPERING? THE ENDLESS DRINKS?

PS. TAKE ME WITH YOU. LOL

Just spent 2 weeks in Tortola in May........let's just say that I don't need to repeat that. IMHO I find the BVI lacking in comparison to STJ. Done the chartered yacht twice and it was great but it's lots of $$$$$. (I actually was glad to get off the boat when it was over.) My advise is find another spot to stay in STJ and enjoy that 2nd week. My vote says STJ wins hands down!!

When we were in St. John in February our villa was in Coral Bay so we did most of our partying at Shipwreck Landing, Island Blues, Skinny Legs and best of all at our villa. We like the night life but aren't in our "20's" anymore. Definitely not impressed with St. Thomas, we are more St. John type people where we kick back and just chill. We aren't into the touristy type stuff, we don't shop for gold, diamonds, t-shirts and shot glasses, we want to just blend in and have fun. Our fondest memories of this past February was meeting the locals and just enjoying island time. Duffy's was "fun" at best for a mid afternoon drink but like I said we aren't 20 anymore. I'm a bartender for over 20 years and I've been there done that.....we just want to figure out another weeks worth of vacation and are considering all options.

Our villa was so out of this world spectacular, we were spoiled. I'm trying to find out if they (the rental agency) has something comparable and perhaps we'll just relax in St. John for the 2+ weeks.

Jill

Jill,

Where on STT have you stayed for a vacation?

It seems like the general consensus (sp) is that if you stay on STT, you can't relax. We plan on doing lots of relaxing at Secret Harbour. I do want to see some sights since this is my first trip to VI (downtown CA, Coki, Coral World, and go to STJ to Trunk Bay) but I don't think there's going to be a problem with just hanging out on the beach in front of our room all day either. What's your opinion of that, Bluwater?

We didn't stay at Secret Harbour, but we did TONS of relaxing while on STT. We didn't venture out too much because we just wanted to sit on the beach or get in the water and enjoy the beauty. We aren't much for crowds and tourists, though. LOL 😉 We spent a lot of time on our balcony drinking rum and feeding stray cats, watching lizards, watching the folks walk to the beach, etc. I loved it.

It seems like the general consensus (sp) is that if you stay on STT, you can't relax.

I've NEVER heard that. There hasn't been a time that I've gone to STT and not relaxed. I don't know how you COULDN'T relax!

Well that was my thought, but so many imply that to stay on STT you don't get the real feel of the islands, that you can't "chill" like you can on STJ. That was just the impression I got from alot of the posters.

Ive stayed on St. John for two weeks and didnt get bored at all. This July my fiancee and I were on St. John for 8 days and we stayed on Virgin Gorda for 6 days and it was a total blast. For next year we are planning on staying on Virgin Gorda and visit all the other BVI.

Have fun!

I would do Tortolla. We spent 10 days there a couple of years ago and loved it. Everytime we go somewhere now all we do is compare it to Tortolla and wish we would have gone there instead. We are going to St. John is April and hope we love it as much as much.

Have a great time!

Denise

Lora: I know a LOT of people who go to Secret Harbour and never leave the property except maybe for dinner out or to go to the grocery. Sometimes even getting on the ferry to go to St John is too much work! 😉

Lora,

As long as I've been on this board, there has been a fairly steady stream of STT bashings by a fair amount of the STJ lovers. The players change, but the tune is the same. I used to get worked up into a froth about it, but don't any longer. I have love for both of the islands and can easily relax on either.. I am not saying that any particular person on this board is bashing...but it happens here and there and then the perception is echoed enough until everyone buys in, even if they've never vacationed on STT.

Most STJ visitors exit the airport and head straight for the ferries....Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook. Those areas and the roads in between are crowded and unpleasant, IMO. I've recently shared with another poster, via PM when asked for my opinion of Red Hook, that I could care less if I never see Red Hook during my visit. It is a strip mall, lots of concrete, too many people, cars, not pretty, not tropical feeling, etc. Why do people love it so much? Who knows. Maybe perception that Red Hook is THE place to be.

So, with so many STJ visitors having these limited experiences with STT, they form opinions and say things like "Only go to STT if you want to shop"....becuase they happened to pass the shopping area on their way to STJ, and now they're suddenly experts on ALL of STT and what it has to offer.

I spend two to four weeks each year on STT and I travel to Charlotte Amalie ONE day during each trip, to add a piece to a jewelry collection I have from Little Switzerland and maybe buy some local artwork - and even then, that doesn't take more than 2 hours of my time.

Hmmm...what could I possibly do for the rest of my 15 day vacation if I am not shopping on STT? After all, isn't that ALL there is to do on STT? (smile)

On STT, there are beaches, restaurants, activities and excursions that are never mentioned on this forum. I look at that as a good thing. If you read about STJ, it is rare that you'll read about a beach or restaurant and say "where is THAT, I've never heard of that place". STJ is out. It is an onion whose every layer has been peeled back and examined. STT has been exposed only to a certain degree.

Most of the STT remains untouched by tourism. Who on here talks about the island of Little St Thomas off of the West end of STT, the nature conservancy and tidal pools there, the protected boobies, the elusive green monkeys on the West End, Neltjberg beach and the ruins behind it, Santa Maria Bay, Platform beach, Sunsi Beach, etc....and all of the amazing restaurants that are not in Red Hook, nor in Charlotte Amalie. (okay, so now the STT repeat visitors and residents are PMing me wtih furious fingers advising that I will have to have a "talking to" about mentioning these things - and yes, I have been PMd and asked not to type about certain places because people want to keep special places for themselves - so I am respectfully not mentioning those places or the posters who have contacted me).

I loathe the idea of putting my rental car on the road between the airport and Red Hook - and I know how to cut over to the North side and use those roads if I need to get to Red Hook. So, I don't blame the STJ visitors for thinking that STT is congested and unpleasant. Luckily for those of us who have time and ability to venture to the other 90% of St Thomas, we've got plenty of unspoiled tropical splendor to keep us occupied....or not occupied, whichever we prefer.

Yes, you can and will relax for sure 🙂

Thanks Bluwater - that's a great post. It really sounds as if STT has the best of both worlds, and something for everybody, but everybody doesn't know it! I think this post should also be in the thread that "red" started about STT vs STJ. I hope "red" reads this and responds.

"the elusive green monkeys on the West End,"

Say, wha??!

And don't forget the land sharks!! 😉

Our best trip ever started with a fully crewed yacht trip out of Nanny Cay in Tortola in the BVI's. That trip was on a 72 ft Erwin that wandered among the beautiful virgin islands. It was a clothing optional sail on the Endless Summer. www.endlesssummer.com

We than spent a few days at Cane Garden Bay on Tortola. After that we jumped on the ferry and came over to St John and spent a week in a villa overlooking Coral Bay. We have never had a better time on vacation. ..ever