Please Register / Login to take part in discussions about the Virgin Islands.
Hi all!
My fiance and I are heading to STJ (firsts for both of us), where we will be arrving Apr. 28th, marrying on the 30th, and honeymooning through May 7th. Needless to say, the excitement is difficult to put into words!
In making plans, I've fallen off on keeping up with the message boards, so I'm turning to you all today with a few questions, hoping you could provide a first-timer with some invaluable advice.
Some quick background: spending our first 4 nights in Coral Bay (Casa YaYa); wedding will be just the two of us at Hawksnest early morning, Apr. 30th; spending the last 5 nights in Devers Bay (Mampoo Hill).
Taking suggestions for the following: where to dine for our wedding dinner - looking for a wonderful place with great food, romantic ambience, and perhaps a view - a place worthy of a wedding night dinner! Also, what other places should we aim to dine at duing our stay? Dinner? Lunch?
Day activities? If you were a newlywedding couple, what would you do/where would you visit? We love to dayhike, and I've heard some great things about a trip to the Baths - any info. re: the best way for the two of us to get there would definitely be appreciated!
Wow! Apologies for going on and on - just the thought of celebrating this moment while unwinding from NYC life . . . it all makes me want to "do" everything "just right" . . . any help you're kind enough to offer, be it on this board or via email - I'd be incredibly appreciative! Thanks all!
Hello TJ,
For hiking definately Reef Bay Trail. Ram's Head is a nice one too and you can combine it with beach/snorkel time at Salt Pond Bay. A shorter hike with multiple beach stops is Lind Point Trail. How about a daysail as one of your day activities? You could rent a dinghy and pack a picnic lunch and go beach hopping by water. Other day activities; maybe dive lessons?
Enjoy & Congrats!!
--Islander
TJ
Congrats on you upcoming wedding. I too was just recently married on St. John and the one tip I can give you is don't try and plan EVERYTHING. Go with the flow. We were married on Cinnamon Bay on a Tuesday at 10a.m in the morning, by noon we were snorkeling some of the most beautiful coral reefs you'll every see. We didn't plan a thing and just went with what we felt like. However if you do want to do some day sails to the baths, etc. you will have to plan ahead as they fill up fast. One thing I would HIGHLY recommend you do is snorkel Waterlemon Cay. The great thing is it's a bit of hike to get too so you get both a great snorkeling experience and the benefit of a hike.
Good luck and enjoy the relaxed layed back island life, you won't want to return to NYC.
Having grown up in NYC, i've never looked so forward to leaving it for a time!!
my fiance and keep thinking it'll really "hit us" while we're down there: leave all that we've known behind and start over from scratch in paradise!
thanks much for the "let it flow" advice - sounds quite inviting . . . can't wait to loaf around like a lazy body with no schedule to keep!
congrats on your recent wedding - it must have been wonderful!
thanks to all who've taken a moment to assist a first-timer!
About renting a dinghy to beach hop, please give more details. We were looking to do something like that to see all the beaches on St. John for the day, but renting a charter cost about $1400 including food and snorkel equip
Well there is a Dinghy rental on St John in Cruz Bay called Noah's Little Arks http://www.viconcierge.com/noahs.htm
You can also rent a regular center console boat for the day for roughly $400 including gas and snorkel gear but not including food or drinks. These boats can take you a bit further, to the BVI and get you a little more offshore.
It all depends on where you want to go and how much you want to spend.
Sounds like it will be a fantastic wedding! Wish I'd thought of this when we got married 10 years ago. But then we were poor college students and wouldn't have been able to afford even the airfare. 😉 Leinster Bay area had great hiking trails to the sugar mill ruins (Annaberg)...after hiking those you can take a nice dip in the water, snorkel and see the wild donkeys and mongooses! Enjoy, I think you'll have a wonderful time!
