USVI-On-Line

Hi Everyone, I was wondering if those who are online could share with me what they wish someone told them before their first visit to make their stay more enjoyable or interesting? Thanks for your replies in advance.

That you don't have to do EVERYTHING on your "to-do / to-see / to-eat" list on your first trip. That's what your 2nd and 3rd and 4th and 5th and on and on trips are for!

Half the clothes twice the money

That restaurant attire is really casual. A nice polo shirt and shorts is plenty "fancy" enough for any restaurant, maybe Canee's Turtle Bay Estate House being the exception. In fact, it took several trips for my husband to leave the pants at home, another trip or two to wear flip flops at night.

Just recently, my husband and I were talking about how we were young enough to not "worry" about much. Our friends took their first trip in February and they were full of questions and just couldn't "get" that so much of what they were concerned about wasn't a big deal. (we were absolutely happy to advise them.) I had to explain to my husband that we were happy go lucky 20 somethings, it didn't occur to us to worry.

ETA - concerning money, my friend mentioned that even though I warned her, she was really shocked at the food prices. They eat very healthly and she said they spent far more on fresh fruits and veggies than she planned for.

Good question...it might have helped if someone had told me that STJ is more like what you'd expect if you stayed in a really nice cabin at a National Park. People on this forum have often referred to visiting STJ as high-end camping and I think that's a pretty good descriptor. And though I wouldn't call a vacation to STJ "roughing it," you will definitely burn some calories getting the most out of it...hiking, snorkeling, etc.

That said, I don't want to make it sound like you have to be some kind of Ironman Triathlete to enjoy it. There's more than enough R&R to be had on STJ and you can lime on the beaches there with the best of 'em. But it's definitely not one of those all-inclusve resort type Caribbean islands that you typically see in the movies or in an ad where some couple stumbles sleepily out of their cabana to find a reserved umbrella with chairs and frozen daiquiris awaiting them. STJ is more of a DIY vacation.

Good topic/question:

1. That 3 hours snorkeling WILL burn your back without a rash guard ...regardless of the sunscreen used or how often you apply it! Bought my rash guard on our 2nd evening before dinner!

2. That driving on left around steep winding roads (and driveways) is fun...don't sweat it.

3. That I might never want to vacation anywhere else again.

4. That bringing half the clothes is still more than you need!

Driving on the "wrong" side of the road is a breeze! Actually felt more natural than the "right" side!

That the Reef Bay Trail was going to remind me just how out of shape I am:-o. I did survive, but take plenty of water!!

The donkeys on Maho will indeed follow you around your jeep asking for a bite of your ham sammie! A normal person would've thought they were cute, but I'm scared of horses. I didn't feed them and it eased my fear a little bit.

That no matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to plan a vacation to another place without feeling sick to your stomach that you weren't going back to STJ!

I actually did do the next things.....

Slow down. Take it all in. Enjoy the villa pool. Put the phone/laptop/I(whatever) down and disconnect. Our villa didnt have a TV (we didn't see one nor did we look) and it was the best thing EVER!

TraumaQueen wrote:The donkeys on Maho will indeed follow you around your jeep asking for a bite of your ham sammie! A normal person would've thought they were cute, but I'm scared of horses. I didn't feed them and it eased my fear a little bit.

Then consider me abnormal. I am not a fan of most of the free roaming livestock on the island because of the damage to the undergrowth they cause.

A repeat STJ visitor/friend of mine just doesn't understand why someone doesn't "take care of" those chickens. Being from a hunting state, I think we look at things a bit differently than most visitors.

One more...while it's true that it is customary and correct to say "Good morning/afternoon/evening" before conducting any kind of business on STJ....placing an oder, asking directions, buying a ticket, etc., it's also just as important that you smile and say it like you really mean it instead of like you're giving somebody the secret password to get into a Masonic temple.

Here are my thoughts:

1.Bring your own snorkel gear. One less thing to do when on the island. And for us, this was essential because my husband wears contacts and needed prescription lenses.

2. As mentioned by others...fewer clothes. But two swimsuits!

3. Bring water bottles from home for hiking.

4. Folding chairs from home for the beach. Some villas have beach chairs, but not always chairs that are easy to carry to the beach.

5. Bring some food from home...we bring things for breakfast and snacks to save some money.

Slow down, relax and enjoy. That the island will still be there the next trip back (because you can/will not visit just once).

Just thought of one more....hydrate, hydrate, hydrate...start drinking water before the trip and especially during. The combination or humidity, exposure to the sun and "drinking," can dehydrate you quickly. A good tip I picked up here was to bring down those single Gatorade powder packets and mix one of those up each morning. It can also lesson the likelihood of cramping up when you're out snorkeling.

We were camping at Cinnamon Bay on our first trip, and I wish I'd known to arrive in the daylight, and have something ready to eat with us, as the restaurant was closed on our arrival, and we were starving and food-less.
As it were, the chef of the restaurant cooked us a meal anyway, for which we were SO grateful!

That your bank account will never be the same ... because you will be constantly planning your next trip!

To do carry on only. The first trip was the first and last for checking bags. Never wore or used 1/2 the stuff I packed. Last trip we did two backpacks, one roll around carry on and one personal bag...looking to cut it down even more this time...two months from today!!!!!