St. John / St. Thomas - DPChallenge Forums

08/02/2005 11:33:58 PM · #1

I'm headed down to St. John & St. Thomas USVI in about 2 weeks. If anyone has some suggestions about especially good places to shoot, I would really like to hear from you.

Thanks.

08/03/2005 06:26:34 AM · #2

Well...if you have a 6 hour layover in San Juan PR you could go to the old city. :-)

I was in St Thomas for a day and St John for a week this April. What sort of things are you looking for? Just a location or something more topical? Are you planning on renting a Jeep?

I can also tell you where to get a wonderful smoothie and a fabulous restaurant on St. John.

(I'll pull out my map later on today and see if I can put the names straight by this evening.)

08/03/2005 07:53:04 AM · #3

We are flying directly into St. Thomas, then staying on St. John.

Nature shots - flora, fauna, sunrises, sunsets - that sort of thing.

Anything you remember about St. John would be great. Thanks.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED

08/03/2005 03:50:27 PM · #4

bump - anyone?

VinceDoss

Nikon D2X

08/03/2005 04:00:24 PM · #5

Originally posted by northrop3:

I'm headed down to St. John & St. Thomas USVI in about 2 weeks. If anyone has some suggestions about especially good places to shoot, I would really like to hear from you.

Thanks.

St Thomas - Megan's Bay -wide angle
Top of the island too shows great shots of Port Charlotte Amalia
This link shows them both and others

Never been to St.John

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

08/03/2005 04:01:58 PM · #6

Originally posted by northrop3:

bump - anyone?

Patience...I'm still at work. :-)

But has no one else on DPC been there?!?

kearock

Nikon D90

08/03/2005 04:04:34 PM · #7

Originally posted by KaDi:

But has no one else on DPC been there?!?

Not yet! But I'll be going to St. John for Thanksgiving so I'd love to hear some suggestions too!

Cooz

Nikon D200

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

08/03/2005 04:12:19 PM · #8

Spent only a day on St. John...

If you have underwater gear...hit Trunk Bay...even if you don't have UW Gear, go there and rent a snorkel and fins. Nice beach...Postcard shots from above it looking down.

Other than that I know little...we did do a snorkel trip from St. Thomas out to a little island...possibly Buck Island? Been a while, but that sounds right...

//stjohntour.com/

That site seems to have some good info on hiking/beaches...check it out.

08/03/2005 04:40:51 PM · #9

Originally posted by KaDi:

Originally posted by northrop3:
bump - anyone?

Patience...I'm still at work. :-)

But has no one else on DPC been there?!?

Wasn't trying to rush you :) Just looking for others.

Thanks!

Tuckersmom

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1

08/03/2005 04:50:17 PM · #10

We've been to St. John several times, it is a beautiful place. 3/4 of it is national park and there's one road goes most of the way around the island :) Trunk Bay is nice but will be crowded with the cruise ship folks. Instead you might want to try Cinnamon Bay or Mahoe Bay, they're more natural and probably a lot less crowded. I think they're on the road to Trunk Bay, not far from it. Leistner Bay is also nice, you have to park your car and hike quite a ways to get in the water but it's worth the walk. The Annaberg (?) sugar mill ruins are interesting and would be a good place to shoot. On the other side of the island is Coral Bay. Real interesting place, make sure you hit "Skinny Legs" best burgers IMO. Walking around Coral Bay will give you some great photo ops, just watch out for the donkeys, they are pretty curious! I'm assuming you're renting a vehicle with all these recommendations. You'll definitely need one on St. John. Just get in and go, turn off on the little roads, that's where we've found some of the most beautiful views. :)

08/03/2005 06:01:31 PM · #11

Ok...here we go!

Definitely rent a jeep to get around on St. John if you can afford it. We rented from Budget at the airport on St. Thomas and took the car ferry over--round trip for car and all passengers about $40.

Before you go, get this book: Feet, Fins and Four Wheel Drive It's loaded with interesting and helpful information and will help you find some of the less-crowded places.

We stayed at the Maho Bay camps and at the Concordia Eco-tents. If you have the opportunity to stay at Concordia, I highly recommend you do so. (I'll try to get some pics up as words cannot describe the wonderful seclusion offered there.)

Do snorkel at Trunk Bay--the price of a family membership to that beach (no other beaches charge admission) is worth it if you and a companion visit twice. Decent food available at their concession--but go easy on the rum smoothies in the heat. =o

The Sunoco Station in Cruz Bay is used as a reference for most directions--the book will tell you why. I missed it, but my husband recommends hanging out around that corner long enough to see an eighteen wheeler navigate the corner by backing into traffic! (Also covered in the book.)

Food:

Asolare--expensive, pretentious, and the service leaves much to be desired. They do have a nice view, so perhaps a cocktail and and appetizer if you must go there--be sure to get a seat on their terrace if you do.

Maho Bay camps--only reasonably accessible by Jeep, but the view is stunning! You don't have to stay there to dine at their camp restaurant--the food is good and a bargain--the view is priceless! I don't know how much they do in the summer, so check ahead. When we were there they had nightly glass-blowing demonstrations (free) using recycled glass. This is one of the two "green" camps on the island.

There are two Maho Bay beaches. Even if you end up at Big Maho by taxi, you can still hike to Little Maho--much more intimate. There's another trail through mangrove-like terrain nearby and also sugar plantations. You should visit at least one of the old plantations. (There's one very near Cinnamon Bay Beach parking that also has an interpretive trail--I recommend it.)

Smoothie Stand--located at the junction of Center Line Road and North Shore Road near the head of the Reef Bay Trail (more about that follows). It's a great place to stop and cool your heels mid-day. The rum flows freely on the islands--and you've never had smoothies like these! (Rum is not necessary, however, and do be careful in the heat!)

Miss Lucy's an absolute must if you go to Coral Bay! Call ahead and find out what's going on there as they have frequent entertainment and only a few great seats outdoors by the water. One review of Miss Lucy's

Coral Bay is on the way to Concordia and the South East end of the island where you'll find Salt Pond Bay. I recommend the snorkeling at Salt Pond--less crowded and we saw a sea turtle there. Near by is Ram's Head--wonderful trail out there and other worldly landscape and desert vegetation. (I'll try to post pics of that, too.)

Heat: Plan to get up early and take your hikes as soon as possible. The heat in April was incredible! They are sub-tropical and you can dehydrate quickly. (Believe me, I know!) Even if you're used to the heat in the southern US, you've not likely met heat like this--I can't imagine what it's like at this time of year! I recommend SPF 40 be slathered on every morning before you go out and frequently renewed throughout the day--don't worry, you'll still get tanned. ALWAYS have water with you! Don't drink during the day--the bars are open for partying into the night if you must. Take Benedryl and electrolyte tablets and use them to stave off dehydration (or recuperate from it if necessary). There is a clinic in Cruz Bay with very sympathetic and helpful nurses and doctors--but don't plan to have to go there. :-)

Nothing outside of the beaches is flat. Be prepared to walk (good shoes are a must) up and down and up and up and up.....there are definitely more stairs on St. John than you've likely ever seen!

Because most of the island belongs to the National Park Service, there are National Park Rangers (equal in authority to police) and also Park Programs. We missed this program, but I hope you don't (My 70-ish parents have done it twice): Reef Bay Hike It isn't exactly all down hill--you do drop dramatically in elevation, but some of that requires going "up" at times. The nice thing is there's a boat to take you back at the bottom. Hikes can book up so plan ahead.

Finally, it's hard to go wrong on St. John. Slow down and take things "the island way." Be polite to the locals--even in the tourist shops you'll be well received if the first thing you say is Good Morning (afternoon, evening, etc.) They're a little less brusque than us State-siders. (Which reminds me, they're rather sensitive about the fact that visitors don't seem to realize they're part of the US--they are, I mailed my tax-return from St. Thomas with a 37 cent stamp.)

Random thoughts:
I had no problem with my Verizon pre-paid cell phone there.
Watch out for theives--unemployment is high and Rastofarians are common (and sometimes lawless) residents. [Story: met a man at Concordia who had trusted his Passport and valuables to their "safe"--the safe was not bolted to the floor and went missing on his second night there. Keep it with you, or don't take it.]
I forgot my battery charger. St. Thomas is a duty-free shopping wonder. At least two good electronic/photo equipment places there. Check the limits on what you can bring back tax-free, but you might just be able to get a break on something you want. (Do dicker with the store owners--some things are negotiable.) Don't expect the same on St. John--it's much more "rural."
Most things are available if you leave them home--but $12 for an 8oz. bottle of suntan lotion is not a happy thing.

I'll go work on some pics for you. If I think of anything else, I'll add it then. Questions are welcome, so ask about anything I may have missed.

08/03/2005 06:11:40 PM · #12

Already thought of something else...
There's an internet cafe on St. Thomas.
On St. John there's a public library with really friendly staff. For about two bucks you can log on to the internet. The library building itself is a restored historical site with a museum of sorts in the basement. (I told them all about DPC when I was there and one of the staff is quite a good photographer herself.)

Driving: They drive on the left. The cars are like the one's here with the driver on the left. "The Book" says the best guess as to why is that it allows the driver to see how much road is left before you drop off the edge of the cliff. =o! Driving was easy and definitely fun most of the time. Get your passenger to remind you to stay left--make it a joke--and you'll do fine. (4-wheel drive...4-wheel drive...4-wheel drive!!!!!!) BTW, not all roads are "accessible" and your rental company may prohibit you from taking some of them--there are signs that remind you of that.

soup

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

08/03/2005 06:27:25 PM · #13

Magans Bay on st thomas is one of the worlds top 10 best beaches.
but it's likely a crowded place after 10 am. it's pretty large, and worth checking out even if you don't photograph there.

RHoldenSr

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

08/03/2005 06:55:29 PM · #14

The last time we went to St Thomas was in 1974! Oh what memories :)
We had a real long flight (From Syracuse NY) with layovers in Atlanta and San Juan.

I remember flying into St Thomas on then one of the larger AA flights!
When they finally let off the brakes and we stopped to unboard my skin crawled :) The landing strip was so short and there was a mountain at the very end of the runway! We just thought to ourselves they landed this huge plane on this short runway!

When we finally got off we started to laugh when we saw the terminal was nothing more than an old Quonset building :)

A few years after we visited we had heard on the news that a plane landing in St Thomas had crashed into the mountain :(

Has any of this changed over the years or is it still the same?

We stayed at the Frenchman's Reef and it was superb!

We got another shock when we entered the hotel to check in the girl that was working at the desk had graduated from the same high school as my wife (Clayton NY). Real small world :)

08/03/2005 08:20:01 PM · #15

I love the DPC Community. Thanks everyone for your input. This is wonderful stuff!

08/03/2005 08:27:58 PM · #16

Originally posted by northrop3:

I love the DPC Community. Thanks everyone for your input. This is wonderful stuff!

But you love me most--right?

(Pics tomorrow, my eyes are burnt out.)

LeeD

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

08/03/2005 10:20:17 PM · #17

Ahh St. John... Honeymooned there last year and loved it.... You can't go wrong with a photo opportunity, but I will have to say one of the most spectacular views was on Bordeaux mountain overlooking Coral Bay... I have tons of pics and will post a few.

Here are two I already have...

East end... (I think)

... could be Honeymoon bay... They're all so spectacular they begin to run together.

The short hike up to Peace Hill is worth it...

I also recommend the nature hike to the Petroglyphs... We hiked down to the Petroglyphs and back but you can do an "organized" tour where you hike all the way down (about 3 miles) and take a boat back.

For dining... La Tapa in Cruz Bay was good, but the absolute best was Zozo's... They have rooftop bar where you can watch the sunset and have drinks while you wait for your table (make reservations for after sunset)

BTW... there is an Internet Cafe on St. John also.... If I remember correctly, it's near the Starfish Market in Cruz Bay.

Message edited by author 2005-08-03 22:21:44.

LeeD

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

08/03/2005 10:48:35 PM · #18

These are snapshots from our honeymoon...

The view from our villa...

Trunk bay...

Peace Hill...

Lameshur... (east end)

Bordeaux Mnt...

Petroglyphs...

St Thomas Airport...

Misc...

Dang I want to go back now.... Can I hide in your suitcase?

PS... Did KaDi mention 4 wheel drive?... It's definately nice to have

Message edited by author 2005-08-03 22:53:33.

jrtodd

Nikon D850

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

08/03/2005 10:57:35 PM · #19

St. Thomas is a cruise ship island, OK if you like that sort of thing, but for us it has an airport and a ferry to get off the island. I am sure people have other opinions, but get off that island as fast as you can. The taxi from the airport will even drop you off at ferry terminal. Go to St. John, Tortola, Jost Van Dyke and Virgin Gorda (don't forget your passport). On St. John head to Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, and Maho Bay, all great photo ops. Hire a taxi one afternoon (or rent a car) and have a drive around the island, it is a beautiful place. In Cruz Bay stop by Uncle Joe's Barbecue (North Shore Rd, near the post office). It is a little rustic but the food is some of the best you can get. Order the combo plate, chicken and ribs. If you must stay in Charlotte Amalie and are looking for a decent place to stay try the Hotel 1829. The rates are OK and the locations is good. 99 steps is next to the hotel and it is an easy walk up to the Inn at Blackbeard's Castle. If you stay at 1829 you can get into Blackbeards for free. Both good photo ops. Being a cruse ship town every thing closes early and then the town gets a little seedy. Stay on the main streets.

Get a Frommer's or Fodors Tourbook, they are a great help for your first trip.

Have a great time and if you want more info send me a PM.

Some of our pictures

My wife just said your from Florida, go to Key West!

Message edited by author 2005-08-03 23:03:48.

jrtodd

Nikon D850

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

08/03/2005 11:30:03 PM · #20

By the way, take plenty of money for food....booze is cheap.

RHoldenSr

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

08/03/2005 11:36:05 PM · #21

It looks like they hauled more fill in and extended the runway since 1974!

LOL

LeeD