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Maho Bay Camps, St. John USVI - Finished. - 6/28/2012 9:33:42 AM
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Bosco
Posts: 6895
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From: Another day..another seedy hotel
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To quote Shakespeare…
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.
But enough about my last trip to the ABR  this report is about my June 2012 trip to Maho Bay Camps in St John, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Getting there..
To get to Maho, first we flew into St. Thomas. Nice little airport. Free thimble sized cup of Cruzan rum on the way out.
Note: I gotta give credit to Delta Airlines.
I thought their service in recent years stunk it up big time. This time was different.
The whole experience - condition of the plane, on-time performance , flight attendants in good spirits and hustling, decent drinks and snacks…nothing but good.
Once you land in St. Thomas, hold your rum because you still have a few legs to go to get to St. John.
If you are staying at Caneel Bay, the posh resort on St. John, you can arrange for them to meet you at the airport and whisk you away on their private ferry that docks within feet of the front desk of the resort.
I assume they give you chilled face towels and feed you finger sandwiches and stuff.
For the prices they charge, I would expect your personal butler to regularly sweep your table with a little brush, lest you get crumbs in the 18k gold diamond crusted links of your Rolex watch band.
Just kidding. I love Caneel. It’s not pretentious at all. The diamond crusted watch bands can be found lying by the pool at the Westin Hotel down the road. Beautiful resort worth a walk through. Very show-me-the-money.
Anyhoo…those of us with considerable less wealth took a shared taxi from the airport to Red Hook.
Sometimes it’s an open air “bench seats in the back of the safari truck” job and sometimes it’s an air conditioned van.
From Red Hook we caught the ferry to Cruz Bay, the "big city" in St. John.
The ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay takes about 20 minutes.
Even though it doesn’t go very far out to sea it can be a very bumpy ride with some pretty big swells. Trader Joe’s Uncrystalized Ginger rocks.
Arriving at Cruz Bay ferry dock.
No, they don’t still have the Christmas decorations up. I cheated and used some pictures from another trip.
Another thimble of free rum…getting tipsy now.  
Then we walked to the rental car place and got a 4wd jeep.
All the rental places close at 6pm. And you have to return the car by 10am or you pay for another day.
St John car rentals are expensive.
A 2 Door jeep, the cheapest vehicle you can rent, runs $75 a day in low season..and with rare exceptions all the rental places charge the same.
In Atlanta that would be called ‘Racketeering and Corruption’.
In St John it’s called “you wanna the car, you paya the price”.
Note: Last December I flew Spirit and didnt get into St. Thomas until late so I spent the night at the Gallion House Hotel, a nice family owned place a short walk up the hill from downtown Charotte Amalie, the big city in St. Thomas. Great views. Nice free cooked breakfast out on the patio overlooking the bay. It is a perfect place to spend a night if you are on your way to another island.
View from Breakfast
Waiting patiently for me to finish taking pictures
Keep in mind downtown Charlotte Amalie gets empty after the cruise ships leave and the shops close. This ain’t Disney Land, as they say.
Some people rent a car on St. Thomas and take the car ferry over. I’ve done the math and it seems a wash…the car ferry cost more. Plus, if your car craps out in St. John it is up to you to get it back to St Thomas.
Note: They drive on the left in St. John and rum is $6.99 a bottle. I am convinced this combination was created because they don’t have black ice in the tropics and they wanted to ensure the driving was more interesting for North Americans. Not to mention the free roaming goats and donkeys who show utter disregard for 2 door jeep driving tourists. You’d get more respect driving a VW Beetle with a flower on the dash to Bike Week in Daytona.
At any rate, I don’t drive after dark.
Donkey laughing at my jeep.
Donkeys showing us respect.
Kids laughing at our jeep
Once we got the jeep we drove to the one gas station on St John and filled up, then stopped at the Starfish Market for a bottle of Cruzan Rum, then drove few curvy hilly miles to Maho Bay Resort at the end of the North Shore road.
And then we we’re there.
< Message edited by Bosco -- 6/29/2012 8:42:03 PM >
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I'll make it my home sweet home...
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RE: Maho Bay Camps - St John, USVI - 6/28/2012 12:03:38 PM
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Kwing
Posts: 7764
Joined: 12/23/2005
From: Ohio
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Ooooh - nice!!
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RE: Maho Bay Camps - St John, USVI - 6/28/2012 12:06:02 PM
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palapaboy
Posts: 806
Joined: 11/10/2008
From: Austin TX
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Very cool Bosco. Want to read and see more.
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Lounge Against the Machine.
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RE: Maho Bay Camps - St John, USVI - 6/28/2012 1:04:48 PM
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wetone
Posts: 329
Joined: 11/12/2006
From: Madison, Wisconsin
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We have been to Tortola BVI----loving your report-----can't wait to hear--see more about St. John!
< Message edited by wetone -- 6/28/2012 1:05:58 PM >
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RE: Maho Bay Camps - St John, USVI - 6/28/2012 2:23:18 PM
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palapaboy
Posts: 806
Joined: 11/10/2008
From: Austin TX
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Same here Turdle.
I have daydreamed of BVI, but this looks great too.
_____________________________
"I know one thing - indecision may, or may not, be my problem." Jimmy Buffett
Lounge Against the Machine.
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RE: Maho Bay Camps - St John, USVI - 6/28/2012 3:45:27 PM
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Bosco
Posts: 6895
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From: Another day..another seedy hotel
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Trip Reports are a lot of work. I feel like I am back in school. I hope a get a cooler for this.
PART 2 - Maho Bay Camps
A little history..
In the 1970’s, when almost no one went to St John, Stanley Helengut secured a cheap long term lease on the property above little maho bay and built Maho Bay Camps.
Unfortunately the lease is up in 2013 and Maho will not be taking reservations beyond May 2013.
In 2007 the land was listed for $32M US. It is now listed for 19M. Wow. Even Kohl’s doesn’t have that kind of sale. Wish I had 19M to spare.
The property is surrounded by National Park land, which comprises the majority of St John.
The hope of those who are committed to the preservation of the land that Maho now occupies is that the Trust for public Land, or a wealthy benefactor, will step forward to ensure it's preservation.
Maho Bay camps property is in the lower left...as seen from above Big Maho Bay.
About Maho Bay Camps..
Maho Bay Camps is like ABR in that it is a place you either get or dont get.
It's camping for sure..luxury camping, as it is sometimes called.
Basically a screened porch on stilts built into wooden walk ways and stairs on the hillside above little Maho bay.
Like ABR, you will find all kinds of people there. Some true campers and many who just like nature and who might as easily spend their time in the lap of luxury down the road at Caneel Bay Resort.
Tree Frog Trail. One of the many walkways at Maho.
Walkways and a tent
The stairs.
The tent cottage
View from our cottage.
The Master Suite
The living area
Dual A/C Units.
Bought floats from home. Glad we brought them. Used them in Little Maho bay every day.
Here is me blowing a gasket trying to get mine inflated.
Shared rest room and shower facilities
Stinking was allowed from 10a - 3:30p each day.
Cold water showers.
Actually feels good in that heat and humidity.
Once you let go of the cord, the water stops.
Cool but not cold, so minimal shrinkage.
Walking to Dinner. Did I mention there were lots of stairs?
They have a restaurant that serves breakfast and dinner and a beach café for lunch.
They also serve Beer, Wine, and Rum Smoothies.
The food was very good.
No wait staff. You order. They call your name. You come get it.
They also have a well stocked store that carries the human essentials for living like M&Ms, cold beer and kettle cooked potato chips.
The restaurant Pavillion
Sunset from the Restaurant Pavilion. Saw the green flash one night.
Happy Hour from 4:30 – 5:30. Nice beer selection and free popcorn.
A few menus. These prices are actually quite reasonable for St. John.
Breakfast Menu.
Tonight's Dinner Menu. Different theme each day. Includes salad bar and iced tea.
Friday is prime rib night and is very popular.
Chicken Parm pretending to be Prime Rib.
Maho has a Water Sports hut down by the beach where you can book a dive that leave right from the beach, or rent snorkel equipment, paddle boards, and Kayaks.
Steps down to the beach at Little Maho.
They have a glass studio with two resident artist and visiting guest artists.
All the art is made from recycled glass bottles from Maho.
The Art Gallery - where they sell the stuff they make at the Glass studio.
Some of the art for sale.
The Glass studio had a visiting guest artist from Italy. He was visiting the islands on his yacht and asked if he could work at the studio one night. Like they were going to say no. He was very talented.
One of his pieces.
From Maho you can walk to Little Maho Bay, Big Maho Bay, and Francis Bay, and further about a mile to the start of the Leinster trail to waterlemon bay.
The activities desk offers a number of reasonably priced small group excursions around the island. There is a dedicated scheduled taxi service to cruz bay, but it is not cheap.
Mr. Hamilton does the excursions for Maho.
So, as you can see, it is not essential to rent a vehicle, but you miss a lot of the island if you don’t, plus you give up the freedom to do whatever whenever.
I like to rent. It is not difficult to drive in St. John.
Here is some reading material if you want to learn more about Maho Bay Camps.
The Blog of Maho: http://mahobaycamps.blogspot.com/
Maho’s web site: www.maho.org
< Message edited by Bosco -- 6/29/2012 12:12:49 PM >
_____________________________
A world of my own
I'll make it my home sweet home...
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RE: Maho Bay Camps - St John, USVI - 6/28/2012 5:25:42 PM
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uphillklimber
Posts: 5533
Joined: 2/17/2005
From: Bryant Pond, Maine
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Love the story telling style.
So... you can get M&M's on site! This place is approved for me!
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Bob
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RE: Maho Bay Camps - St John, USVI -part 2 & 3 posted - 6/28/2012 6:57:08 PM
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ChrisandCindy
Posts: 4699
Joined: 12/24/2005
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Excellent story Bosco, I am sending the link to my sister, St Heidi, I think she has stayed there a few times.
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RE: Maho Bay Camps - St John, USVI -part 2 & 3 posted - 6/28/2012 7:51:22 PM
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BlueBeachLady
Posts: 1529
Joined: 9/18/2005
From: Austin, Texas
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Loved your report. I sold my artwork in galleries in Cruz Bay and Mongoose Junction for years. Unfortunately they are now closed due to huge rent increases. But my heart is always with St. John! And, my "Cruz Bay Overlook" watercolor is pre-giant ugly condo development in front of Lavendar Hill that now sits on the road that goes to the South shore and Gallow's Point. Much prettier before they were constucted! (I saw your Cruz Bay overlook pic.) I definitely enjoyed your pics especially the donkeys!
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"I'd rather be on the beach!"
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RE: Maho Bay Camps - St John, USVI -part 2 & 3 posted - 6/29/2012 8:20:25 AM
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Jamie
Posts: 2551
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Southern California
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Same here, lots of black squares, not sure why.
Looks like a great place, but those stairs would be a killer for me unfortunately (mobility issues), the prices do not seem bad at all for dinner. And that gorgeous water! Thanks so much, really enjoyed this report.
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RE: Maho Bay Camps, St. John USVI Parts 1-2-3 - 6/29/2012 12:38:08 PM
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palapaboy
Posts: 806
Joined: 11/10/2008
From: Austin TX
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Thanks Bosco. Looked like a fun trip.
_____________________________
"I know one thing - indecision may, or may not, be my problem." Jimmy Buffett
Lounge Against the Machine.
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