Opinions on Trip planning please?

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Xislandgirl
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Opinions on Trip planning please?

Post by Xislandgirl »

Next year will be our 10th anniversary and we want to plan a great trip.
Here are the non-negotiables:
Maximum 8 days
Must be warm and beachy

Here are the factors and thoughts:
We loved our honeymoon resort, Biras Creek
Chip LOVES STJ and we would likely not make it on 2 Caribbean trips in 2014
We have always wanted to stay at the Sandcastle on Jost
I have always wanted to stay at Caneel
I refuse to move locations more than once.

With all of that, what would you do?
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liamsaunt
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Re: Opinions on Trip planning please?

Post by liamsaunt »

What about a splt stay between Caneel and Little Dix Bay? Just a thought...

I love, love, love Caneel (in fact I will be there tomorrow!) and think it would be perfect for an anniversary getaway. The beds are very comfortable, the linens and toiletries are good. But the rooms themselves are fairly simple....kind of old Caribbean style. It is not super luxurious. I have heard it described as "summer camp for adults." I would not go that far...it is definitely not like camping. The rooms have AC and wifi. There is no TV or radio in the rooms if that matters to you. There are TVs in the Caneel Beach Bar now.

The beaches are amazing and uncrowded. Snorkeling is superb. There are lots of loungers, floating rafts etc to use. Most beaches have drinks and food service at some point during the day. Beach equipment is free if you are into kayaking, paddleboarding etc. There is a spa but I have never used it. My understanding is that the spa at Little Dix is much more luxurious.

Caneel is very quiet. There's not much of anything going on after the sun goes down other than drinks at the bar or dinner at one of the restaurants. It is a good place to relax, unwind and reconnect. If that is what you are looking for, I highly recommend you try it.

One more thing: I have heard some people say that Caneel seems snooty, or the people there are snooty. I strongly disagree. The staff are polite and can be somewhat reserved in the traditional West Indian way, but you are used to that I am sure. I am a very casual person in dress and demeanor and have never once felt out of place at Caneel.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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mbw1024
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Re: Opinions on Trip planning please?

Post by mbw1024 »

Hmmmm....this is interesting. I sort of feel you should break away from STJ so as to avoid your usual Caribbean routine.
Do you want or care about luxury? I like the idea of returning to your honeymoon spot or Caneel/Virgin Gorda split.
But overall I'd encourage you to try something new! I have Anguilla on the brain.
Xislandgirl
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Re: Opinions on Trip planning please?

Post by Xislandgirl »

Anguilla was on our radar but Chip really loves STJ and I think the thought of a year without STJ is too much for him!

I am leaning towards 3 days on Jost and 4 at Caneel but the draw of our Honeymoon resort is strong. It is an amazing property.

This vacation planning is hard work! :D
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mbw1024
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Re: Opinions on Trip planning please?

Post by mbw1024 »

It is.
This will sound odd but I think Jost is too casual for a 10 year anniversary. I'd go for a little more luxe. But that's just me!
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silverheels
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Re: Opinions on Trip planning please?

Post by silverheels »

How about a crewed yacht? You could go from Tortola to VG and then over to STJ. This way you could visit all the spots you really like. I'm not talking about a simple boat but a real nice luxury one. Of course you know how much I like to sail and prefer it to staying in one spot all the time.
AquaGirl
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Re: Opinions on Trip planning please?

Post by AquaGirl »

This is a fun thing to think about. Here are my thoughts.

I like the idea of a Caneel and Little Dix split. I thought I had seen a package where you split the time between both, and they transport you from one to the other, but its not on their website right now. Caneel is such a lovely spot and if snorkeling is important to you (which it is for us), its great for that. Or you could just stay at Caneel the whole time. Packing up and moving has its pros (boat ride, experiencing a different place) and cons (time to pack up, check out, transfer, check in, etc).

We've thought about staying at Caneel part of the time and renting a villa the other part of the trip. We enjoy being at a resort, and all the amenities; we also love being by ourselves in a villa with a private pool. When you are at Caneel, you could just enjoy the resort and not need a Jeep, then when you move to a villa, you could do the usual STJ exploring. At the villa, you could splurge and have a couples massage (we like Paradise Massage with Barb and Cary), and arrange for a private chef to make dinner one night.

Biras looks wonderful, although we have not been there. I think there is something romantic about going back to your honeymoon spot. Sometimes they sometimes have relatively good deals on luxurylink.com.

You might also consider Peter Island. We've been there 3 times, starting with one of our big anniversaries. We get a package on luxury link. Its a beautiful property and very conducive to a romantic trip. The beach is beautiful, the service is top notch and friendly, food is great, has nice views out to the other islands, and overall just a really nice experience. The staff is almost all West Indian and they treat you in a very special way. For us, its really super low key kind of vacation. You can't rent a car, but they drive you to various places on the island for things like visiting a remote beach, and sunset on top of the cliff overlooking the islands. They have a wonderful (pricey) spa where we've had excellent couples massages, a dive shop on site (we go out on their snorkeling excursions) and you can arrange for a day trip to Jost or other islands.

Happy trip planning!
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jayseadee
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Re: Opinions on Trip planning please?

Post by jayseadee »

If STJ has to be part of the equation, I would do either do the Caneel/Little Dix split or just stay at Caneel. We stayed at Caneel for our 10th and did a crewed sail (50ft - just me, Don, the Captain and his wife) for our 15th and 20th. It was amazing!

If you can break away from STJ, Anguilla or Peter Island resort are great suggestions. There are also a couple of nice resorts on St. Lucia.

We're staying at Caneel next February.

Happy planning!
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jayseadee
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Re: Opinions on Trip planning please?

Post by jayseadee »

I spent last Friday with some friends of friends that are St. Bart's addicts. Two separate couples have been visting for over 15 years - multiple trips a year.

Sounds like a few of my STJ imaginary friends :)

Just a little more food for thought in your planning.
janet
Xislandgirl
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Re: Opinions on Trip planning please?

Post by Xislandgirl »

We have almost narrowed it down. I think we may just go back to STJ, but in a very special villa. I will update when we pull the trigger! :D
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PA Girl
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Re: Opinions on Trip planning please?

Post by PA Girl »

Our 20th anniversary is coming up in two years and we have already started the same discussion.

We are looking at Fowl Cay (Out Islands of the Bahamas) Guana Island and Peter Island but we keep coming back to the fact that we like to get out and about at night. I suspect we will go to Caneel (again).

Curious to hear which special villa!
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