USVI-On-Line

cptnkirk wrote:Great job Maggy that pool looks awesome. Loved the underwater and cliff pics. As beautiful as the lionfish is I hope to never see one in St John. I read an article they are invading the Carribbean and choking out the native fish as they have varocious appetites Nice pic of Dora the clown fish

Yes, unfortunately the lionfish has ended up in the Caribbean. I know a few have been seen in the BVI's so they are likely around. It's so sad.

That pool was something else. The view was fabulous and the jacuzzi part of the pool so good. Here are two more pictures from the pool:

I loved your report! Thank you for sharing, Maggy.

Maggy,
Koh Jum is lovely but not very high end (at least it wasn't a few years ago--very cheap and really off the beaten track--but i hear that they were getting full time electricity and the like, so it might have changed--we loved it there though you might also try koh Bulon Leh (it is a stop on the way to Koh Lipe) further south but really lovely too (small though)--

Wonderful report and photos, Maggy! I can't believe that the hotel was only 70USD. Thanks for sharing with us.

loria wrote:Maggy,
Koh Jum is lovely but not very high end (at least it wasn't a few years ago--very cheap and really off the beaten track--but i hear that they were getting full time electricity and the like, so it might have changed--we loved it there though you might also try koh Bulon Leh (it is a stop on the way to Koh Lipe) further south but really lovely too (small though)--

Thanks. I do belive that next time in Thailand we will seek less crowded places, so thanks for the suggestion. Accommodation don't have to be high end either. We just took that opportunity this trip, when they had good rates.

liamsaunt wrote:Wonderful report and photos, Maggy! I can't believe that the hotel was only 70USD. Thanks for sharing with us.

Thank you. The Pimalai resort www.pimalai.com was about 175USD with their special offer, but the second resort (Pakasai) was 70USD.

We usually don't stay at places like the first one, but thought that it cold be worth it a few nights. And it was. It was a really nice resort, not at all fancy or posh in the way that you didn't feel you belonged there.

Thank you very much for the report Maggy. Your pics are as usual fantastic. What a lovely resort you visited. Concerning Phi Phi islands it was one of the places we so much were looking forward to see, when we were in Thailand a couple of years ago (before the tsunami). But I was so disappointed, the nature was awesome but there was so overcrowded and you had to pass a lot of huts with salesmen before you reached
your cottage. Has it changed?

Linne

linne wrote:Thank you very much for the report Maggy. Your pics are as usual fantastic. What a lovely resort you visited. Concerning Phi Phi islands it was one of the places we so much were looking forward to see, when we were in Thailand a couple of years ago (before the tsunami). But I was so disappointed, the nature was awesome but there was so overcrowded and you had to pass a lot of huts with salesmen before you reached
your cottage. Has it changed?

Linne

It has not changed. They had the chance to build it up again differently after the tsunami, but apparently it's the same again, if not worse. But we didn't stay there, just dived and snorkeled near it. Like you said, the nature is beautiful, but Phi Phi Don is so overcrowded. At least where the ferries come in. But there are some resorts on Phi Phi that are situated more isolated on the island, that I suppose is very nice.

Karin - Once again, a great report!

Great to see the species of sea creatures rarely or not seen in the Caribbean. I haven't been back to the Pacific for over a decade now. Maggy, you simply make me want to go back!

What are those orange-pinkish things all over the corals in the next to the last underwater shot? They are beautiful. Are they some kind of anemones (or corals)?

Love the photos of the dramatic coastlines also. Thank you for sharing, Maggy!

Pickle wrote: What are those orange-pinkish things all over the corals in the next to the last underwater shot? They are beautiful. Are they some kind of anemones (or corals)?

I think it's the same pink soft coral as in the picture with the white eyed moray. It shows more in detail in that photo. These corals are actually more pink or red than orange, but in the last picture it was quite bad visibility, so the color didn't show.

Thank you for sharing that report Maggy. I love reading about places that I've never been. The rock formations are amazing.

Great job Maggy that pool looks awesome. Loved the underwater and cliff pics. As beautiful as the lionfish is I hope to never see one in St John. I read an article they are invading the Carribbean and choking out the native fish as they have varocious appetites

I remember reading that too. I don't think I've ever seen one in the VIs. Hope not to.

Thanks for giving me insight into a beautiful place that I hadn't given thought as a vacation spot. Wonderful pictures!

Hi Karin, sounds like you had a great time. I love your underwater photos. Makes me want to learn how to dive....almost. I'll just live vicariously through you and Terese when it comes to that. Thanks for sharing. Ali~

Beautiful pictures...thanks for sharing. My son and DIL went there on their honeymoon last May and took lots of pictures, but had their camera stolen. You were in some of the same places, so it was interesting to see...they loved it, too!