10 more days in paradise, final
10 more days in paradise, final
Day seven
This was our last full day at Aurora, so we took advantage of the house and succumbed to villa gravity for a couple of hours
Aurora view by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Eventually we got cleaned up and went in to town to meet friends for lunch at Cruz Bay Landing. I forgot to take pictures of the food! I had blackened mahi tacos and John had a mahi sandwich. Both were tasty. Our friends ordered fish and chips which they enjoyed.
We spent the afternoon at Pool Beach, and then eventually made our way into town for dinner. We did not have a reservation, and were not really sure what we wanted either. After some wandering around, we decided to try dinner at Vista Mare.
vista mare ricotta gnudi by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We really enjoyed our dinners here. The fish was fresh and nicely cooked.
Day eight
We checked out of Aurora and headed back to Caneel Bay. This time we were assigned room two, which is an ocean view room up the hill from the main area.
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We snorkeled the main beach while waiting for our room to be ready. Some sightings:
caneel angelfish 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel brain coral by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel trunkfish by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel lobster 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We had lunch at the Beach Terrace, and shockingly decided not to get sushi! Conch fritters
caneel beach terrace conch fritters by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Lobster tacos
caneel beach terrace lobster tacos by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Arugula salad with shrimp
caneel beach terrace tomato salad with shrimp by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We just spent the afternoon relaxing. Later that evening we headed over to Zozos. My parents had given us a gift certificate for Christmas.
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We had a nice table on the rail with a view of the sunset
zozos palm 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
The food was top notch. Sometimes I find the portions to be a little large here, so I decided to get two appetizers rather than an entrée. I had a crab linguini with garlic cream sauce that was insanely delicious.
zozos crab fettucini by liamsaunt, on Flickr
If I am remembering correctly, I selected this from the specials menu. If it is on the menu when you go, I highly recommend ordering it!
After that I tried a scallop, asparagus and artichoke “lasagna”
zozos scallop lasagna by liamsaunt, on Flickr
This was also delicious. Delicate flavors and a nice portion size. Of course John helped me eat both dishes.
John started with a duck confit ravioli with seared foie gras
zozos duk confit ravioli by liamsaunt, on Flickr
And then had the shrimp dish, which has changed from being served with a corn risotto to having a corn and asparagus saute and a truffled fava bean puree. Also, the shrimp were the biggest I have ever seen! This dish used to come with jumbo shrimp. These guys were the size of lobster tails. I am not sure that the picture conveys how huge they were
zozos sheimp by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We were too full for dessert.
Day nine
Breakfast on the Terrace, per usual
caneel beach by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Then we spent the day at Scott Beach
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We snorkeled across the bay and around Turtle Point with the intention of letting the current drag us over to Turtle Bay beach. Halfway around the point, though, we encountered a really strong current that was too difficult to push against, so we ended up having to turn around and head back to Scott. It was a good snorkel anyway. Some sightings:
caneel turtle 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel filefish 3 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel parrotfish 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel turtle by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel sms 3 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel tang 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
After our snorkel we were hungry and headed to lunch at Caneel Sushi Bar.
caneel pok buns by liamsaunt, on Flickr
(Ok this is not sushi but John wanted to try the pork belly buns)
caneel tuna onton by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel over the top roll by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel cucumber canoe by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel caribbean roll by liamsaunt, on Flickr
After lunch we swam at Scott all afternoon
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We had a reservation for dinner at Asolare, and spent most of the afternoon debating whether to cancel it so we could stay in the water longer. Ultimately food won out. View from our table:
asolare day by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Cocktails
asolare cocktails by liamsaunt, on Flickr
asolare tuna tartar by liamsaunt, on Flickr
asolare pork belly by liamsaunt, on Flickr
asolare tuna by liamsaunt, on Flickr
asolare becky 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
asolare sunset end 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
cruz bay at dusk by liamsaunt, on Flickr
cruz bay night good by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Day ten
Last day. I woke up to a double rainbow
caneel double rainbow by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Had one last breakfast on the Terrace, and then it was time to board the ferry
caneel last day 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
It started to rain as we pulled away, a fittingly sad end to our trip. The sight that nobody leaving Caneel likes to see:
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Goodbye St. John.
Caneel ferry goodbye by liamsaunt, on Flickr
See you in June.
oacd last friday by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Thanks for reading!
John and Becky
us2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
This was our last full day at Aurora, so we took advantage of the house and succumbed to villa gravity for a couple of hours
Aurora view by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Eventually we got cleaned up and went in to town to meet friends for lunch at Cruz Bay Landing. I forgot to take pictures of the food! I had blackened mahi tacos and John had a mahi sandwich. Both were tasty. Our friends ordered fish and chips which they enjoyed.
We spent the afternoon at Pool Beach, and then eventually made our way into town for dinner. We did not have a reservation, and were not really sure what we wanted either. After some wandering around, we decided to try dinner at Vista Mare.
vista mare ricotta gnudi by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We really enjoyed our dinners here. The fish was fresh and nicely cooked.
Day eight
We checked out of Aurora and headed back to Caneel Bay. This time we were assigned room two, which is an ocean view room up the hill from the main area.
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We snorkeled the main beach while waiting for our room to be ready. Some sightings:
caneel angelfish 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel brain coral by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel trunkfish by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel lobster 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We had lunch at the Beach Terrace, and shockingly decided not to get sushi! Conch fritters
caneel beach terrace conch fritters by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Lobster tacos
caneel beach terrace lobster tacos by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Arugula salad with shrimp
caneel beach terrace tomato salad with shrimp by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We just spent the afternoon relaxing. Later that evening we headed over to Zozos. My parents had given us a gift certificate for Christmas.
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We had a nice table on the rail with a view of the sunset
zozos palm 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
The food was top notch. Sometimes I find the portions to be a little large here, so I decided to get two appetizers rather than an entrée. I had a crab linguini with garlic cream sauce that was insanely delicious.
zozos crab fettucini by liamsaunt, on Flickr
If I am remembering correctly, I selected this from the specials menu. If it is on the menu when you go, I highly recommend ordering it!
After that I tried a scallop, asparagus and artichoke “lasagna”
zozos scallop lasagna by liamsaunt, on Flickr
This was also delicious. Delicate flavors and a nice portion size. Of course John helped me eat both dishes.
John started with a duck confit ravioli with seared foie gras
zozos duk confit ravioli by liamsaunt, on Flickr
And then had the shrimp dish, which has changed from being served with a corn risotto to having a corn and asparagus saute and a truffled fava bean puree. Also, the shrimp were the biggest I have ever seen! This dish used to come with jumbo shrimp. These guys were the size of lobster tails. I am not sure that the picture conveys how huge they were
zozos sheimp by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We were too full for dessert.
Day nine
Breakfast on the Terrace, per usual
caneel beach by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Then we spent the day at Scott Beach
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We snorkeled across the bay and around Turtle Point with the intention of letting the current drag us over to Turtle Bay beach. Halfway around the point, though, we encountered a really strong current that was too difficult to push against, so we ended up having to turn around and head back to Scott. It was a good snorkel anyway. Some sightings:
caneel turtle 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel filefish 3 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel parrotfish 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel turtle by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel sms 3 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel tang 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
After our snorkel we were hungry and headed to lunch at Caneel Sushi Bar.
caneel pok buns by liamsaunt, on Flickr
(Ok this is not sushi but John wanted to try the pork belly buns)
caneel tuna onton by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel over the top roll by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel cucumber canoe by liamsaunt, on Flickr
caneel caribbean roll by liamsaunt, on Flickr
After lunch we swam at Scott all afternoon
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We had a reservation for dinner at Asolare, and spent most of the afternoon debating whether to cancel it so we could stay in the water longer. Ultimately food won out. View from our table:
asolare day by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Cocktails
asolare cocktails by liamsaunt, on Flickr
asolare tuna tartar by liamsaunt, on Flickr
asolare pork belly by liamsaunt, on Flickr
asolare tuna by liamsaunt, on Flickr
asolare becky 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
asolare sunset end 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
cruz bay at dusk by liamsaunt, on Flickr
cruz bay night good by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Day ten
Last day. I woke up to a double rainbow
caneel double rainbow by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Had one last breakfast on the Terrace, and then it was time to board the ferry
caneel last day 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
It started to rain as we pulled away, a fittingly sad end to our trip. The sight that nobody leaving Caneel likes to see:
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Goodbye St. John.
Caneel ferry goodbye by liamsaunt, on Flickr
See you in June.
oacd last friday by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Thanks for reading!
John and Becky
us2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
- islandjo2010
- Posts: 406
- Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:58 am
- Location: KC, MO
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
Thanks for sharing Becky!
Always enjoy reading your TR with such great photos!
Always enjoy reading your TR with such great photos!
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
Ahh yes - The famous current between Scott and Turtle! The elkhorn coral is really pretty in that area.
Great sunsets too!
Thanks for the report!
Dave
Great sunsets too!
Thanks for the report!
Dave
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
I am not on here much anymore, but always love your trip reports and food porn!
Going "home" again October 26th!
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
As always, very much enjoyed your trip report!
John will hate me for saying this but you are right - if the Patriots lose again, you might end up on St. John again. It sounds good to me... coming from someone who is not into football.
What part of June will you be on the island again? We'll be there in very early June... but late May for the most part.
John will hate me for saying this but you are right - if the Patriots lose again, you might end up on St. John again. It sounds good to me... coming from someone who is not into football.
What part of June will you be on the island again? We'll be there in very early June... but late May for the most part.
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
Thank you, thank you, thank you (!) for your trip reports and all the wonderful photos. Reading about your visits and viewing your photos is such a pleasure. I'm always thrilled to find that you've posted something!
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
Bravo!! Another great trip report and photos! What room category is room #2? I was just curious if Caneel feels any different since they are no longer a Rosewood Resort. I read conflicting reports on TA... We haven't been back in several years and hope to return maybe next year.
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
Wow, that crab fettucini looks amazing. You going to try it at home? Thanks for the fun report, as always.
Trip report 2009
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... highlight=
Trip report 2008
So good, so good, so good!
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... highlight=
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... highlight=
Trip report 2008
So good, so good, so good!
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... highlight=
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
We arrive June 11th. Are we missing each other again?Pickle wrote:What part of June will you be on the island again? We'll be there in very early June... but late May for the most part.
Room 2 is an ocean view room. I like rooms 1-4 because they are close to everything yet up on the hill away from other rooms and far enough from the beach to not be bothered by the noise. My favorite ocean view room is 7A, and I also really like rooms 97-100 on Turtle Bay.SusanNJ wrote:Bravo!! Another great trip report and photos! What room category is room #2? I was just curious if Caneel feels any different since they are no longer a Rosewood Resort. I read conflicting reports on TA... We haven't been back in several years and hope to return maybe next year.
As far as the changes go, yes, there is a difference. This is just my personal opinion, but all of the changes I noticed are positive ones. Better food at the restaurants. More staff around in general. People working at the resort seem happier than they used to. I am not sure why.
I know not everyone is pleased. I think some people go to Caneel with expectations of a certain experience because of the price. It's not a plush resort. I like that about it. I think it is very comfortable.
I do have a funny unhappy guest story though. When we were checking out from the room at the beginning of the trip, a gentleman was at the front desk voicing complaints to the manager. Things he did not like: the fish tiles in the bathrooms. That he did not have one of the two updated rooms on Scott Beach. That that the wind was too loud at night. The manager handled all complaints with aplomb, even the one about the wind!
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
Someone seriously complained about the wind? Like they can control that! Gotta love how people feel they are entitled to certain things.... I also LOVE 7E... back in the day when we used to get upgraded... glad to hear the changes are for the better. And also good to know about the ocean view rooms. I love cottage 7 but it is $$$$....
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
We would've been on island at the same time if we had stuck with our preferred dates. We were forced to move our dates a couple of weeks earlier so we could get more affordable flights. We used to reserve accommodations way in advance and then buy plane tickets whenever they got affordable but not anymore. Airfares dictate our travel dates more than ever these days...liamsaunt wrote: We arrive June 11th. Are we missing each other again?
Glad to hear your positive feedback about Caneel - especially, after reading some negative feedback from regulars at Caneel since the management change.
-
- Posts: 345
- Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2007 7:47 pm
- Location: Raleigh,NC
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
Always love reading your trip report and seeing your wonderful pics. I can't wait for June 11 also. It is a very long wait from one summer to the next.
Beach Creecher
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
Thanks again for your trip reports! I've enjoyed them so much and really appreciate your advice too, we've taken it and adjusted our trip.
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
As always, very NICE and thanks! Glad to see you haven't slowed down and your photography just gets better and better.
A couple of questions:
> What gear are you shooting with these days?
> Did you use long sleeve and/or thicker rash guards to snorkel in to make up for the few degrees cooler this time of year?
Soon come on Sunday for us - last time was June 2013, so its been almost 3 yrs...
A couple of questions:
> What gear are you shooting with these days?
> Did you use long sleeve and/or thicker rash guards to snorkel in to make up for the few degrees cooler this time of year?
Soon come on Sunday for us - last time was June 2013, so its been almost 3 yrs...
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Re: 10 more days in paradise, final
I am so glad that you are getting back! Have a great time.jmq wrote:As always, very NICE and thanks! Glad to see you haven't slowed down and your photography just gets better and better.
A couple of questions:
> What gear are you shooting with these days?
> Did you use long sleeve and/or thicker rash guards to snorkel in to make up for the few degrees cooler this time of year?
Soon come on Sunday for us - last time was June 2013, so its been almost 3 yrs...
My cameras are all the same as prior trips. My main one is a canon 60D. For underwater, I used both the Canon D20 and the Canon S120 with external underwater housing. Some of the photos were also taken with my iphone (those ones are pretty obvious since they are filtered). I am in the market for another new underwater camera as both my Canon D30 and my Nikon Coolpix got flooded last summer. I just gave my nephew a GoPro for his birthday, so I'll be interested to see what he gets with that.
As far as the water temperature, yes, I wore extra gear! I was not really able to snorkel last winter as i found the water temperature much too cold, even when wearing a long sleeved rashguard and long leggings. I came prepared this time with a full length diveskin, and then I wore a shorty wetsuit over that. It worked perfectly. I looked like a dork but enjoyed my snorkels.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.