Hi clampso,

I rented a villa (Windwardside) 2 yrs ago. Susan was wonderful to work with and her properties are top notch and impeccably maintained. In fact when I'm there in Feb. I'll be stopping by to check out Astral Ridge. Your nearest beach is probably Salt Pond , which is nice and great for snorkeling but a bit of a hike ( down to get there, up to leave) also Little Lameshure Bay(my personal favorite) is out past Salt Pond and requires a 4x4 to access. St. John is so small you're never more than 15-20 minutes from a beach and you'll probably want to go to a different one each day. Island Blues is my favorite bar/restaurant on that side of the island. It's right on the water. Skinny Leggs is very popular for their burgers and painkillers however my hubby and I will not return there. Ship wreck Landing and Miss Lucy's restaurants will most likely be the closest to your villa. There is also a new "mini-mall" in Coral Bay with a restaurant called Aquabistro(?) haven't been there myself yet but I've read some good reviews about it. Enjoy your trip!

jofus

Jofus, what was the problem at Skinny Legs?

On a scale of 1-10 the food and atmoshphere(burnt crispy burgers in a stale stuffy room) rated about a 3 and service a 5 for both me and my husband. We were stunned after reading so many positve things about it but obviously a great many people feel differently then we do. It just isn't for us.

You are in for a treat!!! We stayed at Astral Ridge May 22-29, 2005 for our honeymoon and it was fabulous. The house is very clean and well maintained. You wake up every morning to the sun rising over the two mountains across the water (this is the view while lying in bed.) It's magnificent!!! The house is stocked with everything you need...snorkel gear, chairs, a small cooler, towels, extra sheets, a safe, etc. Also the fridge was stocked with your basic condements and a lot of alcohol in the closet. The house has many dvd's and books about the island as well.

As far as where to go and what to do. We loved eating at Island Blues and if you get a chance a band called "Hidden Driveway" plays there often and they are great. Shipwreck;s Landing has excellent food as well. For breakfast there is a little place across from Skinny Legs (I can't remember the name of it- The Donkey Diner, maybe)that has an excellent breakfast...it's also about the only place in Coral bay that does breakfast.

For snorkeling we enjoyed Blue Cobblestone which is along Ram Head Trail. The beach is terrible b/c it is all blue cobblestones, but we saw the biggest diversity of fish here and there is a large rock underneath the water a little ways out that was awesome snorkeling around. I also heard that it is very common to see turtles there, we did not. We spent a lot of time snorkeling, even though I am afraid of fish and rarely go into the water...I could not miss out on this opportunity.

Besides snorkeling we traveled the island. I think we traveled everywhere our Jeep could go. The driving is a little crazy...it's on the left side of the road, but you get used to it quickly. There is not a straight road on all of the island and I am not exagerating!! You will constantly be going up or down and around a curve or switchback. The terrain is very hilly. I drove only for about an hour the entire trip...I wanted to try it at least. By the way the road/hill on the way up to the house gets easier and shorter...look out for donkeys!! The best beach we thought was Maho...you drive right up to the beach park under the Maho tree and you are on the beach. Another was Little Lameshur on the north east side, up by annebelle sugar plantation. There are so many I suggest just getting in your jeep and cruising them all. The island isn't that big and you can find your own favorite beach.

Well I could go on and on, but you will have such a great time. If you have any questions feel free to email me. Congrat's on the wedding, too!!

Paden,

Thanks so much for all of the information on Astral Ridge, dining, etc...I am already so excited about our trip, I'm reading the forum posts religiously! Just one question, did Astral Ridge have A/C in the bedroom?

Thanks!

Carrie

Carrie,

The only a/c on the island is in your Jeep!!! It was very hot when we were there and the misquitos were bad too, but we still had a fantastic time...and can't wait to go back!! Have fun!

We stayed at Estate Zootenvaal (located about 2 miles east of the Donkey Diner in Coral Bay on the East End road) for a few days in October. Very nice accomodations with screened porches hanging out over the water. Road noise almost non-existent, only thing that kept us awake was sound of waves crashing on the beach a few feet below the bedroom windows. Robin Clair the manager was excellent.

Had a wonderful dinner at Aqua Bistro, scallops to die for. Lily's Market is a huge improvement and someone told me prices were competitive with Starfish in Cruz Bay, where we had done most of our shopping.

Some great snorkeling at Haulover Bay but its a rocky beach, no sand. More appealing for a day visit is Little Lamesure Bay. Beach is fine white sand, water is beautiful and clear, and snorkeling is excellent, particularly along the east side, where a small beach mid-way out offers some particularly enjoyable privacy :). DIdn't do the dingy thing but will the next time. Also, note that starting at the Moravian Church is a trail over to Waterlemon Cay. Might make an interesting hike some day and I'd like to know if anybody has done it lately? If so, how much elevation change is there.

After several trips to St John Coral Bay has become our destination of choice due to the minimal number of touristas, deserted beaches, and much improved food services, both market and restaurant. Have to say Skinny Legs is not on our list as a place to eat but the locals seem to love it (could it be for the alcohol?). Donkey DIner Sunday Brunch is a must. If you are really daring, take the dirt road up to Bordeaux Mountain Road. Keep your jeep in 4-wheel drive, take a good running start, never let your foot off the gas, and you should be fine. Enjoy!

We stayed at Astral in June 2006 and it was wonderful - had 2 couples and 2 sisters, so rented the whole place. All the rooms are nice (no a/c), has 2 kitchens, 2 hot tubs a small but sufficient for cooling off pool. The living room / sitting room are plenty large to give everyone the space they need. The deck area was ample and had a nice mix of sun and shade. The driveway requires some serious skill, but we had a firetruck driver with us who did the necessary backing up (whew!). Hubby and I stayed in the pool side room and the sun comes in there REALLY bright in the morning, so take a sleep mask. The frogs are really loud too, so I was loving my ear plugs (I could still hear night sounds, but not enough to keep me awake). The pictures online are just the way it really looks. It is well maintained, all the screens are intact and we didn't have any trouble with bugs in the house (or outside for that matter, but it was breezy when we were there). Several driving rain storms, so you MUST remember to close the main house up when you go to bed at night else you'll have puddles and wet seating. Check out the binder at the house for restaurants and stuff. If you don't already own Off the Beaten Track and/or Feet Fins & 4 Wheel drive, buy them, but they have them at the house too. Great resources for snorkeling and hiking.

Aqua Bistro was great

Island Blues is excellent

Shipwreck Landing is a cool hang out with pretty good food, though it's a little hit or miss on quality and service.

Skinny's is an icon

Miss Lucy's and Vie's are true local flavor and shouldn't be overlooked.

Horseback riding with Carolina Corral has always made me happy.

Don't limit your beach/snorkeling adventures to that side of the island - it's all readily accessible. Hanson (pelican rock) and Haulover North are some lesser mentioned but really good snorkels.

The drive into Cruz is about 1/2 hour, so plan your trips accordingly. The drive up and down "the boom" (Calabash Boom) is much better than it was a few years ago, not so rough or rutted, but still definitely off-roading. Takes 7-10 minutes to get from the house down to the main road I think.

There are 2 groceries and a liquor store in Coral Bay now, so no real need to buy in Cruz Bay.

Have a great time!!

Unfortunately, Coral Bay is not the deserted, remote place it used to be. But it is still one of the truly magical places in the well-traveled Caribbean. If your villa does not have overall a/c, I recommend you make sure you have plenty of bug spray. It's the tropics so the mosquitos are pretty much active 24 hours. But if there's a breeze, and you're careful about opening/closing those screens, you'll be okay. See if you can get the villa management to help you out with citronella torches/candles. These help too when you want to enjoy your porch. As for beaches, the island is really pretty small. You can drive the length of the island in pretty much about half an hour. It's only about 3 miles wide. You will be only about a 10-20 minute drive to the famous northshore beaches. Definitely go to Miss Lucy's for a dinner. Preferably with moonlight. It is one of the most romantic spots on the island. Congrats and have a wonderful time!

YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

My husband and I stayed there on our honeymoon last year, and we loved it so much that we are going there again in a few weeks. This is the best kept secret in the USVI, in my opinion. I wouldn't advertise it too much, because it will get sold out before you are able to make your reservations for next time. Ha! We used her jeep rental service also. Did she recommend a taxi driver to pick you up from the airport? If so, use him. I forget his name (my husband handles all that stuff), but he was worth it. Be prepared for the ride of your life when getting up that mountain. It is definitely a third-world country road, and you definitely need a jeep to make it up that winding dirt road. It's a white knuckle drive, but it is so worth it once you get to the villa. Everything is first class. Very private...no need to worry about tan lines if you know what I mean. The photos don't even do it justice. (Yes, the cottage is right there, but the buildings are situated in such a way that you will not see your neighbors at all unless you go knocking on their door. We didn't see the occupants of the cottage the entire time we were there last year.) You will be floored when you get there...it is the absolute perfect setting for a private, romantic vacation. You will feel like you are on Fantasy Island. The hot tub has a million-dollar view of the bay...a wonderful place to lounge after dinner and look at the moonlight reflecting off the water. I just cannot emphasize enough how great this place is. You are so lucky to spend your honeymoon there!

Coral Bay is more remote than Cruz Bay. A few restaurants, not much shopping. Definitely not for people who want the resort experience, but I'm sure you aren't that type of person if you already reserved Astral Ridge. There are a couple of cool restaurants/bars down that way. But it's not that big of a deal to go into Cruz Bay for dinner...that's what we did a lot of nice. And I liked being on the other end of the island away from everyone. Astral Ridge is sooooo beautiful that you will probably want to grill out at home a couple of nights or cook in the (really, really nice) kitchen and have a romantic dinner under the stars. You are on your honeymoon after all!

You must get Key Lime Pie at the Lime in. And there is the little shack in Cuz Bay where a local guy sells BBQ chicken and ribs. You HAVE to eat there at least once during your trip if you are a BBQ fan. (And it's a lot cheaper than eating at the restaurants!) My husband demands we eat there at least twice this time around. I agree with him! I actually enjoyed the ribs as much or more than the fanciest restaurants we ate at while we were there. They are that good.

Definitely use your jeep to try out the snorkeling at all of the beaches. We had a blast going to a different place every day. Don't just stick to one beach. We also took a speed boat trip to Tortola and explored some caves, ate at a cool restaurant, snorkeled at the BVI, etc. It was lots of fun. We are going on a sailboat trip this time around.

I am excited for you that you get to spend your honeymoon at Astral Ridge. It was the perfect start for my husband and mine's marriage. I'm so glad someone else is starting off the same way.