What did you wish someone told you for your first trip

[lark22]

Watch out for no-see-ums on the beach around sunset! On my first trip I was a walking buffet for those annoying little critters.

Now I don't go near the beach at sunset without an orange can of island "perfume"

[Chet]

Get up early and drive everwhere, Land on any beach and enjoy. Stop at the overlooks and marvel. Get a Trail Bandit guide. Wander Mongoose Junction. Have drinks and snacks at the Beach Bar. Succumb to villa gravity. St John is a small town.

[Lindy]

That you will completely and utterly fall in love with the place and HAVE to come back over and over again. I finally made my first trip to Europe last year after waiting a lifetime and, while I loved every second of it, I'd happily have traded for another trip back to the rock. My husband thinks I'm a lunatic. He's SO right!

[bdkane]

YES - you must rent a 4x4,
Be sure to explore - get off the beaten path when possible,
Bring snorkel gear, have your snorkel gear and camera handy at all times,
DO NOT hesitate to go into locals such as Sputniks or Pink Corner for you will meet some great people,
You will likely become obsessed with the Island and talk about it to anyone and everyone that will listen

[Teresa_Rae]

I don't know about the carry on thing...we've done 10 STJ trips and always check luggage. We more than make up for the checked baggage fee with food cost savings and then the empty cooler for the trip home makes for great rum storage

[CHM]

1) free parking at your rental car company is a big plus
2) if you plan on using your debit card, notify your bank prior to your departure. Otherwise they will flag your account and your card will not work.
3) pack half the stuff and twice the money. You only need swim suits, a few clothes, good music and fun times.
4) be prepared to fall in love with STJ

[lprof]

That there is a forum for that! And that after joining it I would be so much better informed on all things STJ!

Really.
Our first trip, we looked at the villa rental sites, picked one (way the heck out there), got a map and Gerald Singer's St John Off the Beaten Track and arrived. We got lost in Coral Bay. We (I) over packed. Early October is way more hot and humid than November. We joined VIOL. We learned. We went back. My life changed.

I have thought about the "Fill in the Blanks" thread and realized that I am not obsessed with St John, the island... but I am very attached to the whole package of a beautiful island, the people there and on this forum, with the daily comings and goings, the changes, the history....

And I am still learning so much! I read, absorb, enjoy, and think about what is said here (and I rarely miss a post). I love seeing all the photos. My responses are fewer these days; "Thank you, each and every one, for all your contributions!" I wish someone had told me about you before my first trip.

[melmd]

Here's mine

1. Don't cry while leaving on the ferry. You will be BACK.

2. Better yet you're young - why don't you stay. Take a year or two and enjoy. Adult life will be here for you when you get home.

[54b]

Very much enjoying this thread, lots of good advice...even for those of us who've been multiple times...and what I'm finding really interesting as I read through the comments is that there really isn't anything anyone can say to a first-time visitor that will determine whether they "get" STJ or not...it's really up to the individual. It's like describing somebody's blind date to them before they meet. Regardless of how much info he or she is armed with going in, it either clicks or it doesn't.

With a destination like Disney World or maybe another island, I do think getting a lot of advice up front can ultimately determine the level of enjoyment and likability. But on my first visit to STJ, I knew absolutely nothing about the island. In fact I only landed their because our cruise was cancelled last minute and our friends suggested we just "hang out for a week in a rented house on some little Virgin Island." Ended up being the best vacation my wife and I ever took. But there were some in our group who still lamented missing out on the cruise and have never been back to STJ. To each his or her own I guess.

And I think that's part of the magic and uniqueness of STJ. If you get it, you get it regardless.

[Teresa_Rae]

That's a good point...not everybody gets STJ.

When people ask us about it, the first thing I say is that you want to walk out of your hotel room onto a beach and have a waiter serve you drinks all day long, STJ is not that kind of place. That turns off at least 50% of people, if not more.

Then I further explain that if packing up a cooler to take to the beach, which you might have to hike to, is your kind of vacation, then STJ might be for you. That turns off another 50%.

I've had people tell me that they want to stay in a high rise hotel right on the beach, and I'm content to not encourage those folks to go to STJ.

[nuendelcapecod]

That when arriving at Cinnamon Bay campground, take the route to your site as it has been marked on the map you're given. Don't try to push a cart full of coolers and suitcases down one of the side trails! Especially after a long travel day!

[dreamshark]

Get up at dawn (even if you are a total night owl at home). We didn't figure this out until visit #4, so I really do wish someone had explained this to me sooner.

Morning is the best time to hit the beach, before it gets crowded and the mid-day sun starts cooking your brains. The days are never very long in the tropics, and nightfall arrives like a load of bricks when you're least expecting it. So get an early start, and consider going back "home" in the middle of the day for a cool siesta.

[dreamshark]

That when arriving at Cinnamon Bay campground, take the route to your site as it has been marked on the map you're given. Don't try to push a cart full of coolers and suitcases down one of the side trails! Especially after a long travel day!

This one cracks me up. In the midst of a sea of abstract advice like "relax and enjoy" it's refreshing to see a concrete and practical suggestion from someone who has obviously been there.

[Florida Girl]

Make one of your first purchases a mosquito zapper racquet! You can get them at St. John Spice! You will not regret it. Take it in the car with you, and take it home with you. I've even killed BIG bugs with mine since we brought it back to the mainland, although it takes a longer zap!

[GotToGetAway]

1. Keep your food safe from Mongoose while on the beach. It is no fun to come back from snorkeling and find your lunch have eaten or taken. Hang things in the trees.
2. To keep all food items that are opened in the frig to prevent them from going stale early and to protect from bugs.
3. That STJ is an early to bed, early to rise kind of place due to the sunrises and sunsets. So, just roll with it and don't look at your watch.
4. Don't shower in the morning if you plan on beachin' it. Save your shower for later in the day when you're ready to wash off the sand and sunscreen.