Newbie and getting more confused????

[Hawaii]

Hi - Looking to vacation next summer and leaning toward STJ. We have two kids who will be 9 and 12. I showed some of the pictures of the STJ villas to my son which he said look great but he says "where is the beach" Just not sure if we should stay in a villa with great views or right on the beach. What has everyone else done who has kids are age? My kids love the pool and water/beach. Thanks again!

[Jumbiegirl]

There aren't a lot of villas on St John that are "on the beach". But oodles have great pools. Usually the beach is just a short 10 minute drive. Don't sweat not being able to walk out your slider and into the sand.

[vi lover]

Definitely a villa with a view. Not only do you get the great swimming pool, but you also (somewhat) avoid the mosquitos and noseeums. Besides - you're going to want to explore a different beach everyday so having a place "on the beach" doesn't necessarily prevent you from driving to another one - that's a lot of the fun of a STJ vacation - exploring!

Good Luck! Have Fun!

[DCphoto]

Hi, Most of St. John beaches are protected, that is what makes them so special, no hotels or villas on the beach on National Park land other than Caneel. There are many villas to choose from and only minutes from the beach. Rent a jeep and explore the Island there is so much to offer, so many different beaches and snorkeling and hiking to choose from every day. Don't limit yourself to just one beach. They will be happy with a villa with a pool to come home to in the evenings. The views are amazing from higher up and you get cooler winds also and less buggy than being right on the beach.
I know there are a lot of people on this board who take there children and they love going each year. We own a timeshare that does not have a view or on the beach, we use it just for sleep and get out every day and explore and hit two beaches each day for snorkeling.
Good luck with your search.

[Hawaii]

Thanks everyone - that makes me feel so much better. A villa it is!!! Does it matter what area? I think in one of my post someone suggested Chocolate Hole (am I correct?) I know if we stay on STJ we will also want to visit STT. Any suggestions on condo choices or companies to deal with. Thanks so much!

[djmom]

Welcome!

I have 2 girls, 8 and 11, we have been going to St. John for years.

The previous posters are right on- the funnest thing is that every beach has it's own unique characteristics. My children love each one of them and now know them by heart. Each day we pick one (or sometimes two) and enjoy what each one has to offer- basically differing sea life, etc...You can hike to some, drive up to others.

It probably will be totally different than any other beach vacation....no honkey tonk waterslides and volcano golf....but just pure enjoyment of the most beautiful place in the world.

It might take them a day to get used to it, but only the highest maintenance child wouldn't love it.

Also recommend a villa up in the hills- fewer bugs...the kids can swim in the pool.

[chicagoans]

Hi Hawaii!

I had the same questions when I booked. (First trip was Dec '07/Jan '08; second trip will be this Dec/Jan.) My kids were 9 and 11 when we went.

I thought not being beach side would bother me, but I was soooo wrong. As others have said, there are many beautiful beaches that you can get to really quickly. And getting there is fun for the kids... seeing wild goats and donkeys on the road, maybe seeing mom grab the dashboard as dad makes a crazy turn with one hand on the wheel. (Or maybe that's just us.)

As far as location, we stayed in the Coral Bay area for our first trip and will again in December, but honestly I feel like you can't go wrong anywhere since you can get around the island so quickly.

The villa search is fun and can be time consuming! There are so many beautiful places. My list gets pared down pretty quickly, budget-wise, because we travel during the holidays. But one place that I've had my eye on is the Caneel Trailside Cottage, as far as location, proximity to a hiking trail, pool, and inside access to the bedrooms. (With kids I prefer the inside access.) But that's just one of many on my list! You'll get lots of great advice from the folks here, and if you haven't seen it yet take a look at the villa reviews on this site.

Have fun planning!

[Pianogrl]

I agree with all the above posters. Anywhere on STJ is wonderful!! We have only stayed in Chocolate Hole once & will stay there again next week. We rent a jeep & go exploring the whole island & stop at a beach or beaches along the way that suites us at the moment......all beautiful & unique in their own way. That's so much of the fun of STJ....exploring with so many choices of beaches!
Enjoy your planning & STJ!!

[RickG]

The four of us are split between preferring Coral Bay vs. Great Cruz Bay/Chocolate Hole/Devers Bay/Hart Bay. My 11 year old and I prefer Coral Bay, but don't mind driving to Cruz Bay 2 or 3 nights during a week. My lover and my 17 year old would rather stay closer to Cruz Bay and drive 2 or 3 times during the day to Coral Bay area attractions. It's a toss up.

But, after spending a week on Kauai and driving 140 miles round trip for a beach day, it's all in the neighborhood on St. John!!

Cheers, RickG