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Trip Report 2/22-3/3
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PatrickMcc
- Posts: 223
- Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:43 pm
- Location: Boston
Trip Report 2/22-3/3
This was our first longer trip alone except for a three day visit in 2001. We had gone most years with our kids in the 80's and 90's and had returned in 2012 and 13 with adult kids and grandchild. Since we had never stayed in Coral Bay we decided to split the trip up with 5 nights in Coral Bay and 5 in Cruz Bay.
We loved Coral Bay. We spent 5 nights at Estate Zootenvaal in Mangrove cottage which is right across the road from the water and a private beach. The cottage had been redecorated and is extremely nice and comfortable. The bedroom is air conditioned but we didn't need it with the fans and breeze. If you had two kids they could sleep in the living room on the sofas that turn into beds and the entire yard is fenced to keep the donkeys out but they were very friendly. The beach is sandy and has chairs but the water is rocky on the bottom for about 25 feet out. We spent a few hours there on two afternoons. It is nice to have but you will probably want to visit the other beaches. You are located only one hill from the center of Coral Bay so I was happy because I don't like driving far on St John after dark. The price- about $300 a night is more than we usually like to pay but it was well worth it.
Restaurants. Of course we ate at Skinny Legs the first night and had their hamburger which I do think is the best on the island. Across the street is Indigo Grill where Donkey Diner used to be. We had pizza which was excellent. The atmosphere is very nice and we had excellent service. We went to Aqua Bistro twice. This is the most upscale restaurant in Coral Bay but not as expensive as the upscale restaurants in Cruz Bay- which we usually avoid. Both meals were excellent. The tables around the bar area have a nice view of the water across the street and there was entertainment both nights we were there. We had simpler meals like Mahi Mahi sandwiches and the menu has a lot of choices if you don't want a full dinner. We ate at Shipwreck Landing our old favorite for lunch for many years since I was not driving back to Cruz Bay or the South Shore from Coral Bay after dark. I had Surf and Turf which was decent, not great but was priced very fairly. Service was good and we love the location of this place.
Beaches. we returned to Salt Pond after not going there for probably 25 years because we thought it was very hot and the sand was not as nice as the North Shore beaches. Surprise- we liked it better. There are shady places on the beach now- not sure if they weren't there years ago or if we arrived late and the shade was taken. It is calm but the sand is still not as nice as other beaches. We hiked Rams Head early in the morning. Great hike with wonderful views but go early- no shade. We went to Vies beach twice. Vie had some new chairs scattered around, there is shade and the sand is very nice. This is the best beach in Coral Bay. Unfortunately a 79 year old man died while snorkeling when we were there. People with EMT training tried to revive him but failed. The EMTS from Coral Bay arrived pretty quickly but it was to late. This reinforced my wife's desire that I not snorkel alone(although he was not alone) so I didn't snorkel on this trip. She doesn't snorkel. A few days later we met a couple from Maine and the man told me how he had to be rescued by a lifeguard at Trunk Bay while snorkeling alone. He was using a new type of snorkel with the air tube attached to the top(I think) and somehow the air flap closed and he was in trouble. This is a new expensive type of snorkel gear sold by an English company but he had bought his as a knockoff of the Internet. Later guys at the snorkel place in Cruz Bay told him they had only heard of problems with the knockoffs. Anyway the standard warnings about snorkeling alone were really brought home to me and of course I had snorkeled alone many times. We also went to Maho and Francis while at Coral Bay. It really isn't a bad ride over the mountain and I am sure you are as close as Cruz Bay or the South Shore. On our last morning we went to the finish line of the 8 Tuff Mile race- a former coworker of ours was running. This was a fun experience watching everyone cross the finish line so check it out if you are in Coral Bay. They close the road so you can't get out out Coral Bay anyway.
After 5 nights we moved to Star Villa in Cruz Bay. We still love Cruz Bay but boy did it hit us- this is an entirely different world than Coral Bay. You feel like you just arrived in the Big Apple from a small town. There are several upscale restaurants- we consider entrees that start in the high 30 and 40 dollar range to be upscale. When we first went to Cruz Bay in the 80's there were no restaurants.
Anyway we arrived at Star Villa and realized we had made a mistake when booked their studio because they had no one bedroom places left. I knew when I looked at the website that we didn't want the studio but we took it because we really wanted to stay in Cruz Bay and not pay Gallows Point prices. We had stayed in the St John Inn and Cruz Bay Boutique for a few nights previously but we wanted a kitchen. The studio was just to small for us and we missed not having a view. This is probably a great choice for a young single- we are old retirees. That said, the studio was very clean, there was an outdoor deck but no view and the price was dirt cheap- $165 a night. The managers are very nice and had warned me on the phone that there was no view. They will pick you up and drive you to the ferry. If we go back alone next year we would stay at one of their one bedroom condos which are scattered along Frangipani street.
Restaurants: We ate at the Lime Inn for dinner which is an old favorite and had great dinners and excellent service. Sometimes on St John the service is spotty because there are a lot of young and inexperienced people who only stay for a few years. This guy- Mark had been there for many years and it showed. We consider their prices moderate.
Morgans Mango is a pricer place but we love the atmosphere and the food. My wife loves the vegetarian platter and I stuck with appetizers and salads. Food and service excellent.
Because of the location the Beach Bar and Joes Rum Hut were always crowded but we did get in both on different nights. Hamburger at the Beach Bar was decent but can't compare with Skinny Legs. Nice staff and the location is great. Tacos at Joes were very good and inexpensive.
For drinks only we went to the bar at the Bistro next to Joes. This bar has a great view of Cruz Bay and it is not mobbed like Joes apparently because Joes has dirt cheap drinks during Happy Hour. The drinks at the Bistro were reasonable.
We also went to Drink for Drinks twice. Another great view of Cruz Bay and although it looks somewhat fancy the drinks are reasonable. They don't serve food.
We went to most of the famous North Shore beaches and enjoyed them although they are really getting crowded. Since we were there after President's Week I thought the crowds would be smaller. For the first time we went to Dennis Beach. It is a short hike from the parking lot at Peace Hill and we loved it. Hardly anyone was there and it is a beautiful beach. It has a rockier and wilder feel than the other North Shore beaches but swimming is good. We gave up our car after moving to Cruz Bay so we hiked the Lind Point Trail to Honeymoon twice. There is a water sports place there where you can rent any water toy and nice Adirondack chairs for 5 bucks a day. There is a stand with delicious sandwiches, even gelato so you can get lunch at good prices. It gets crowded when the snorkel trips from the Cruises or St Thomas come over but they all leave after a while. And you can eat all the gelato you want and work it off on the hike home and up the hill to Star Villa.
Chose Courtesy Car rental for the first time because they were the only car rental company that I found that you could call if you arrived after 5 P. M. Since we had to go to Coral Bay the first night I didn't want to risk being stranded in Cruz Bay or paying a very high taxi fare to Coral Bay- if I could even get a taxi there. We were on a direct Jet Blue flight from Boston (great flight, highly recommended) and arrived in Cruz Bay by three thirty but I didn't want to take chances. Jeep had some mileage but was fine. For the first time ever I did not take their insurance and for the first time ever someone hit the rear fender when it was parked and dented it. I didn't even know it had happened until I brought it back. Fortunately my insurance company will pay some and my credit card will pay the rest. However- the paperwork involved is a pain, especially for the Credit Card company. So next time I will probably take their insurance. Be aware that the credit card company is paying only because I charged the entire cost on the credit card. I am told by friends here that other credit cards have this protection.
The people at Courtesy were very nice.
Hope this isn't overly long.
We loved Coral Bay. We spent 5 nights at Estate Zootenvaal in Mangrove cottage which is right across the road from the water and a private beach. The cottage had been redecorated and is extremely nice and comfortable. The bedroom is air conditioned but we didn't need it with the fans and breeze. If you had two kids they could sleep in the living room on the sofas that turn into beds and the entire yard is fenced to keep the donkeys out but they were very friendly. The beach is sandy and has chairs but the water is rocky on the bottom for about 25 feet out. We spent a few hours there on two afternoons. It is nice to have but you will probably want to visit the other beaches. You are located only one hill from the center of Coral Bay so I was happy because I don't like driving far on St John after dark. The price- about $300 a night is more than we usually like to pay but it was well worth it.
Restaurants. Of course we ate at Skinny Legs the first night and had their hamburger which I do think is the best on the island. Across the street is Indigo Grill where Donkey Diner used to be. We had pizza which was excellent. The atmosphere is very nice and we had excellent service. We went to Aqua Bistro twice. This is the most upscale restaurant in Coral Bay but not as expensive as the upscale restaurants in Cruz Bay- which we usually avoid. Both meals were excellent. The tables around the bar area have a nice view of the water across the street and there was entertainment both nights we were there. We had simpler meals like Mahi Mahi sandwiches and the menu has a lot of choices if you don't want a full dinner. We ate at Shipwreck Landing our old favorite for lunch for many years since I was not driving back to Cruz Bay or the South Shore from Coral Bay after dark. I had Surf and Turf which was decent, not great but was priced very fairly. Service was good and we love the location of this place.
Beaches. we returned to Salt Pond after not going there for probably 25 years because we thought it was very hot and the sand was not as nice as the North Shore beaches. Surprise- we liked it better. There are shady places on the beach now- not sure if they weren't there years ago or if we arrived late and the shade was taken. It is calm but the sand is still not as nice as other beaches. We hiked Rams Head early in the morning. Great hike with wonderful views but go early- no shade. We went to Vies beach twice. Vie had some new chairs scattered around, there is shade and the sand is very nice. This is the best beach in Coral Bay. Unfortunately a 79 year old man died while snorkeling when we were there. People with EMT training tried to revive him but failed. The EMTS from Coral Bay arrived pretty quickly but it was to late. This reinforced my wife's desire that I not snorkel alone(although he was not alone) so I didn't snorkel on this trip. She doesn't snorkel. A few days later we met a couple from Maine and the man told me how he had to be rescued by a lifeguard at Trunk Bay while snorkeling alone. He was using a new type of snorkel with the air tube attached to the top(I think) and somehow the air flap closed and he was in trouble. This is a new expensive type of snorkel gear sold by an English company but he had bought his as a knockoff of the Internet. Later guys at the snorkel place in Cruz Bay told him they had only heard of problems with the knockoffs. Anyway the standard warnings about snorkeling alone were really brought home to me and of course I had snorkeled alone many times. We also went to Maho and Francis while at Coral Bay. It really isn't a bad ride over the mountain and I am sure you are as close as Cruz Bay or the South Shore. On our last morning we went to the finish line of the 8 Tuff Mile race- a former coworker of ours was running. This was a fun experience watching everyone cross the finish line so check it out if you are in Coral Bay. They close the road so you can't get out out Coral Bay anyway.
After 5 nights we moved to Star Villa in Cruz Bay. We still love Cruz Bay but boy did it hit us- this is an entirely different world than Coral Bay. You feel like you just arrived in the Big Apple from a small town. There are several upscale restaurants- we consider entrees that start in the high 30 and 40 dollar range to be upscale. When we first went to Cruz Bay in the 80's there were no restaurants.
Anyway we arrived at Star Villa and realized we had made a mistake when booked their studio because they had no one bedroom places left. I knew when I looked at the website that we didn't want the studio but we took it because we really wanted to stay in Cruz Bay and not pay Gallows Point prices. We had stayed in the St John Inn and Cruz Bay Boutique for a few nights previously but we wanted a kitchen. The studio was just to small for us and we missed not having a view. This is probably a great choice for a young single- we are old retirees. That said, the studio was very clean, there was an outdoor deck but no view and the price was dirt cheap- $165 a night. The managers are very nice and had warned me on the phone that there was no view. They will pick you up and drive you to the ferry. If we go back alone next year we would stay at one of their one bedroom condos which are scattered along Frangipani street.
Restaurants: We ate at the Lime Inn for dinner which is an old favorite and had great dinners and excellent service. Sometimes on St John the service is spotty because there are a lot of young and inexperienced people who only stay for a few years. This guy- Mark had been there for many years and it showed. We consider their prices moderate.
Morgans Mango is a pricer place but we love the atmosphere and the food. My wife loves the vegetarian platter and I stuck with appetizers and salads. Food and service excellent.
Because of the location the Beach Bar and Joes Rum Hut were always crowded but we did get in both on different nights. Hamburger at the Beach Bar was decent but can't compare with Skinny Legs. Nice staff and the location is great. Tacos at Joes were very good and inexpensive.
For drinks only we went to the bar at the Bistro next to Joes. This bar has a great view of Cruz Bay and it is not mobbed like Joes apparently because Joes has dirt cheap drinks during Happy Hour. The drinks at the Bistro were reasonable.
We also went to Drink for Drinks twice. Another great view of Cruz Bay and although it looks somewhat fancy the drinks are reasonable. They don't serve food.
We went to most of the famous North Shore beaches and enjoyed them although they are really getting crowded. Since we were there after President's Week I thought the crowds would be smaller. For the first time we went to Dennis Beach. It is a short hike from the parking lot at Peace Hill and we loved it. Hardly anyone was there and it is a beautiful beach. It has a rockier and wilder feel than the other North Shore beaches but swimming is good. We gave up our car after moving to Cruz Bay so we hiked the Lind Point Trail to Honeymoon twice. There is a water sports place there where you can rent any water toy and nice Adirondack chairs for 5 bucks a day. There is a stand with delicious sandwiches, even gelato so you can get lunch at good prices. It gets crowded when the snorkel trips from the Cruises or St Thomas come over but they all leave after a while. And you can eat all the gelato you want and work it off on the hike home and up the hill to Star Villa.
Chose Courtesy Car rental for the first time because they were the only car rental company that I found that you could call if you arrived after 5 P. M. Since we had to go to Coral Bay the first night I didn't want to risk being stranded in Cruz Bay or paying a very high taxi fare to Coral Bay- if I could even get a taxi there. We were on a direct Jet Blue flight from Boston (great flight, highly recommended) and arrived in Cruz Bay by three thirty but I didn't want to take chances. Jeep had some mileage but was fine. For the first time ever I did not take their insurance and for the first time ever someone hit the rear fender when it was parked and dented it. I didn't even know it had happened until I brought it back. Fortunately my insurance company will pay some and my credit card will pay the rest. However- the paperwork involved is a pain, especially for the Credit Card company. So next time I will probably take their insurance. Be aware that the credit card company is paying only because I charged the entire cost on the credit card. I am told by friends here that other credit cards have this protection.
The people at Courtesy were very nice.
Hope this isn't overly long.
Re: Trip Report 2/22-3/3
Sounds like you had a great time, thanks for the report. I usually snorkel alone so I appreciate the words of caution.
Always nice to hear from a Boston member, our son is a junior at BC.
Dave
Always nice to hear from a Boston member, our son is a junior at BC.
Dave
Re: Trip Report 2/22-3/3
Interesting info re: snorkel masks as i was considering a purchase. I have read a few other reviews sharing this same type of experience. It's one thing for the "valve" to cut off when you have a partial mask on and you can easily raise you head up and breath out of your mouth after "spitting" out your mouth piece..quite another to have a full face mask and have this occur. Thks for sharing!
Re: Trip Report 2/22-3/3
Don't worry - your trip report is not overly long and I appreciate that you took time to post it. 
Sounds like you had a great trip. We love Coral Bay, too, and prefer staying on that side of the island.
I am so sorry to hear about the man who died while snorkeling. Snorkeling is my favorite activity while vacationing on St. John. I rarely snorkel alone, but when I do, I stay closer to the shore and don't venture out like I do when snorkeling with my husband and/or friends. I had an unnerving experience while snorkeling around Waterlemon Cay several years ago and was very grateful that my husband was with me. As you mentioned, it's always a good idea to snorkel with someone.
Thank you again for the report!
Sounds like you had a great trip. We love Coral Bay, too, and prefer staying on that side of the island.I am so sorry to hear about the man who died while snorkeling. Snorkeling is my favorite activity while vacationing on St. John. I rarely snorkel alone, but when I do, I stay closer to the shore and don't venture out like I do when snorkeling with my husband and/or friends. I had an unnerving experience while snorkeling around Waterlemon Cay several years ago and was very grateful that my husband was with me. As you mentioned, it's always a good idea to snorkel with someone.
Thank you again for the report!