Adventures in the Caribbean

Destination: St John, U.S.Virgin Islands

St John is the smallest and most pristine of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Over half of St John has been a National Park, protected from over development, for years. In 2017 Category 5 Hurricanes Irma and Maria ravaged the Virgin Islands. Two years later, while the effects of the storms are still evident, recovery is in full swing. The optimism and determination of the people of St John cannot be stopped. See NPS: Hurricane Recovery Journal for information and photos of the ongoing recovery process. Adventures in Good Company is excited to continue being part of that process by working with our long-term partners to help restore the economy. Join us as we sea kayak turquoise waters, snorkel in warm water among vibrant colored fish, try our hands at standup paddleboarding, and maybe even spend some time relaxing and swimming on white sand beaches. Our guides know all the options and are happy to tailor the trip to the group's interests. Maximum group size: 10 ;

Highlights

Sea kayaking in crystalline Caribbean waters that are so clear you can see the bottom 60 feet below
Snorkeling among coral reefs teeming with life
Swimming and relaxing on quiet white sand beaches
Standup paddleboarding
Seeing, and being part of, the USVI hurricane recovery process

Departures and Prices

March 14 to March 21, 2020

$3195.00 - Available

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Inclusions

A local guide and an AGC guide (If there are fewer than 7 on the trip there will not be an AGC guide)
Seven nights lodging in two beautifully appointed houses in Fish Bay with swimming pools
Meals from dinner on Saturday through dinner the following Friday (except juice, soda and alcoholic beverages). Some meals are in restaurants, others will be prepared at our lodging by your guides.
All kayaking, snorkeling, paddleboarding and equipment
All transportation once you arrive in St John, including pick-ups and drop-offs at the Cruz Bay Ferry Dock at trip start and end

Not included: Travel to and from St John's, beverages excluded above, guide gratuities, the possible option of a sailing/snorkeling excursion on the last full day, and travel insurance.

Details

These are suitable for any woman who regularly walks at a brisk pace 3 to 4 days a week for 35 - 45 minutes. There are typically 3 to 5 hours of daily activity.

This trip is designed for women who want an active vacation in a warm winter environment, not your typical lie on the beach vacation. While you always have the option of taking a day off for relaxing, you will be able to fully enjoy all the activities if you are active and in good condition. The trip is rated 2. Prior to beginning the trip, participants should be walking regularly at a brisk pace 3 to 4 days a week for 35 - 45 minutes. Rating: 1 [2] 3 4 5.

On this trip we kayak, swim and snorkel, hike, and try stand up paddleboarding. It doesn't matter whether you're brand new to the sport or already experienced, the guides will make sure you learn what you need to know to stay safe and have fun.

We'll be staying in two beautifully appointed houses in Fish Bay, directly next door to one another. Both have swimming pools, areas for lounging indoors or out, and full amenities. Casa Del Palmas is where we'll enjoy most of our meals and where all of our group gatherings will take place. Fish Tales, next door, provides a simpler, quieter setting for those who prefer a bit more privacy. Together there are 8 bedrooms and 7 1/2 bathrooms. Some of the bathrooms are ensuite and some are shared.

http://www.antares.vi/rentals/allrentals/casadelpalmas
https://stjohnhouserentals.com/2bedrooms/fish-tales

Our trip cost is based on both single and double occupancy, with two discounted double occupancy rooms available. We have categorized the rooms for your selection. There are:

Four standard single occupancy rooms
A deluxe double occupancy suite
Smaller double occupancy rooms at a 10% discount

Availability of each type of room will be clearly noted when you register. Be sure to note your choice.

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Below is the proposed itinerary for the trip. As is true on any adventure travel trip, plans for any specific day may be modified due to weather considerations, unforeseen circumstances, new opportunities, and group interests.

DAY 1

Today is a busy day. After arriving at the airport in St. Thomas, we'll be taking taxis, ferries and shuttles to our lodging on St. John, the smallest of the three US Virgin Islands. 60% of St. John's land is comprised of national park and is one of the best protected areas in the Caribbean. Once we've had a chance to settle in, we'll introduce ourselves, have a brief orientation to this trip and our lodging for the next week, and share the first of many delicious dinners together.

DAY 2

Today is full of kayaking and snorkeling. We'll start the day with kayaking instruction on the beach in Cruz Bay, learning how to use our muscles most efficiently and how to get in and out of kayaks safely. If you've never received formal instruction, you'll be surprised how much a few basic tips can improve your kayaking. We'll practice our new strokes as we paddle to Honeymoon Beach, stopping to snorkel the seagrass bed and look for turtles and rays. Next, we paddle to Henley Cay for some superb reef snorkeling. Multi-hued fish abound and if you have never snorkeled in the Caribbean, you'll be amazed at the variety and vibrancy of colors. After resting and refueling with a healthy picnic lunch, we paddle on to Lovango Cay for more snorkeling. We'll return to Cruz Bay in late afternoon for a hearty dinner.

DAY 3

Today we will enjoy a little free time in town to do some shopping before we head out for our adventure. We will drive to the east end to visit an active salt pond and enjoy an easy .25 mile walk to Drunk Bay. This is a great spot to view some of the British Virgin Islands and see some interesting coral sculptures along the rocky windswept beach. We will then enjoy a swim and snorkel at yet another beautiful beach. For those interested we will offer a 2 mile roundtrip hike to Rams Head Point for a sweeping view.

DAY 4

Today is our introduction to the rapidly growing sport of stand-up paddle boarding (SUP). We'll spend the morning learning the basics of SUP in calm, protected waters. After everyone is comfortable on the boards, we will go for a short paddle. Afterwards, those who want to do a more adventurous paddle can join us for a long paddle to an offshore cay. Those who prefer not to can relax and swim on the lovely beach. Whichever you choose, it's another lovely day in the Caribbean.

DAY 5

Today we're back in the kayaks as we kayak the Coral Reef National Monument in Hurricane Hole. Our trip begins with a ride from Maho to Princess Bay on the East End of the island in our safari-truck. We'll kayak through the mangrove-lined bays of Water Creek, Otter Creek, and Princess Bay and discuss the importance of mangrove forests in protecting our shoreline and in providing habitat for juvenile fish. We'll also snorkel in the mangroves, and get to see schools of juvenile snappers, barracuda and starfish, colorful sea anemone, and more. We'll enjoy a delicious picnic lunch near Turner Point and from here we will paddle to Borck Creek and onto our final stop at a small white sand beach for a nice reef snorkel.

DAY 6

We see more of the interior today on our hike to Watermelon Cay and Brown Bay. We'll begin with a ride to see the ruins of the sugar plantation at Annaberg. After a walk through the ruins, we will hike along the shoreline to Leinster Bay and to Watermelon Cay, where the snorkeling is superb! We'll rest from our hike and have a picnic lunch on the beach before hiking onto Brown Bay. We'll enjoy a swim here and perhaps a quick snorkel before hiking back to the vehicle at Annaberg.

DAY 7

We're going to leave today open to make sure we have time for anything we haven't done yet or want to do more of. Maybe we'll do another kayak, a hike, spend more time on a paddleboard, or enjoy additional snorkeling. An option that people have chosen in the past is to charter a boat for a day of sailing. Whatever we do, it will be a fitting cap to our week of adventure. We will end our day with a delicious, farewell dinner.

DAY 8

It's definitely going to be hard to tear ourselves away from this island paradise! You can leave anytime this morning. It takes a couple of hours to get back to St Thomas and the first ferry leaves at 7 am, so you probably shouldn't plan to fly out before 10 am and 11 am would be even safer. Of course you may want to stay around and continue your Caribbean adventure.

Trip Summary

Packing List

*These are the unfiltered reviews of women who have been on this trip in answer to the question "Did this trip meet your expectations?". We take reviews very seriously and often tweak itineraries based on feedback. Please feel free to contact us about any questions you have.

I was aware of the mix of activities on the trip and enjoyed all of them, but it would have been nice to do a little more kayaking and a little less snorkeling...