USVI-On-Line

Sorry for all the questions...Here are a few more...
Found a couple villas that were decent in Chocolate Hole...Thinking that may be close enough to Cruz Bay..Don't want a long drive after happy hour, dinner, etc....
1. What is the drive like from Cruz Bay to Chocolate Hole..Would it be an easy drive after a night in town? How long does it take to get to Cruz Bay from CH?
2. Looks like it is fairly easy to get to the North Shore from CH via Gift Hill Rd is that right? Is that road decent?
3. What are your overall thoughts on staying in Cruz Bay vs Chocolate Hole?? Thanks so much...
Leaning now towards staying in Cruz Bay...

I'm sure there will be more questions...Thanks in advance for your patience...

1. What is the drive like from Cruz Bay to Chocolate Hole..Would it be an easy drive after a night in town? How long does it take to get to Cruz Bay from CH?

It is a fairly easy drive, about 5 minutes or so. If you are in Upper Chocolate Hole the road is a bit steep, but it is paved and doable without problems. Sometimes getting into your driveway is the hardest part! You really should choose someone to be a DD even though it is close. The roads on St. John are generally dark and narrow and steep.

2. Looks like it is fairly easy to get to the North Shore from CH via Gift Hill Rd is that right? Is that road decent?

Gifft Hill road is paved. Note that there are two fairly steep switchbacks on the way from CH to NSR via Gifft Hill. Frankly I found them a little annoying because there always seemed to be someone coming in the opposite direction and it was hard to see over the hood of my jeep while making the turns! (I am very short though, your experience may differ). I don't think it will necessarily save time to go that way, though it does allow you to skip the traffic in Cruz Bay.

3. If flight gets into STT at 3:30...I would need to take the 5:00 ferry from Red Hook..Is that right? How long is the drive from the airport to RH? (wondering how much time we have to get there, etc)

Maybe you could make the 5PM if you are not checking bags. The 6 PM is more realistic if you are checking bags. The drive from the airport to Red Hook is about 45 minutes. The ferries run every hour on the hour, and the Red Hook terminal has seating, a bar, and some limited food options if you have to wait a bit.

Thanks so much for the info.....
I am trying to decide between staying at Grande Bay or the villa in Chocolate Hole...The villa offers a little more privacy with a private hot tub, etc...So hard to decide...

Have you reserved your rental car yet? If not, may want to consider renting on St. Thomas. Our group uses Amalie Car Rental and they meet you at the airport with your vehicle and you are on your way in less than 5 minutes. Then you would take the car barge over to St. John (right next to the Red Hook Ferry area). I've stayed in the Chocolate Hole area several times and it is a nice area with close proximity to Cruz Bay. The drive back to your villa after sunset is very dark and you'll need to note some good "Landmarks" in the daylight for the return trip! On occasion we've taken a wrong turn and ended up "sightseeing" for a few minutes! I've also stayed at Grande Bay and also enjoyed our stay there and how close/easy it was to walk into town. Good luck with your decision, I'm sure you'll be happy which ever way you decide.

We stayed in the Maria Bluff area a couple of years back. It was a quick easy drive into town.

Depending on where you are at, it might be easier/shorter to go through town to the beaches. Even when we stayed on Gifft Hill Road (Virgin Grande Estates) we still went back through town because it just seemed like an easier drive. Not that there is anything particularly wrong with the road, it just felt like a pain in the butt and there wasn't anything particularly interesting to look at.

Ok thanks so much everyone...

We stayed at Reefside Villa this year and several members of our group would to or from town. It is an easy drive. We had two cars this year and when we would go to the north shore beaches one would through the town the other via Centerline road. We both got to Maho about the same time. It is so close I would say choose your favorite views or go one way and come back the other. O would definitely choose a villa over Grande Bay. Not that GB isn't nice but we like the privacy and it feels more "island like" in a villa. We too rent our cars on STT, Dependable is who we've used, and take the car ferry.

When we stay in Chocolate Hole we go through town and then take North Shore Rd, taking Gifft Hill is out of the way for most beaches.

Ok thanks everyone. I have 99.9% decided to go ahead and stay in Cruz Bay because I think it is just a better fit for my husband and I...If we were with other couples or family we would get a villa out of town...but I think he and I will enjoy being closer to restaurants, Motu, etc..and not have to worry about driving home at dark..

If you're concerned about driving, def choose Grande Bay.. We had family who stayed there this summer (we live here) and it was PERFECT.

Need soy sauce? It's a five minute walk. Need Cruz Bay Parking? You have a spot at the resort. Boat rentals? Right in front of you. Someone wants to go to bed early and someone wants to stay out late? No prob. You in town. Head to the beach? Your driving anyway.

If you're not looking to stay in most nights and want to really experience all Cruz Bay has to offer, go with GB.

We're partial bc we LOVE Cruz Bay!