RH note: This week we’re happy to feature posts by Andy and Shaira, who honeymooned on the beautiful Caribbean island of St. John in August.
Andy says: A particularly worthy destination – not to be missed under any circumstances in fact – is Trunk Bay, named by Condé Nast magazine and National Geographic as among the world’s most beautiful beaches. This crescent -shaped swath of white sand and transparent, azure water will bring out the inner Jacques Cousteau in even the most virulent land-lubber. One can literally see the tropical fish swimming amongst the coral from the beach and there is a one-a-kind underwater nature trail designed to be followed via snorkel.
The water here, as with most of the island, is calm and free of strong currents meaning that even novice snorkelers can focus on the incredible views (though life guards are stationed there as well). One can lose track of time in this underwater portion of the national park (a warning: I emerged after several hours in the water, having been so taken by the scenery that I failed to notice a very serious sunburn which formed on the small of my back after swimming face down for so long).
In the end, the only problem with St. John for us was that we didn’t get to see everything. In many ways, this trip just scratched the surface. There are many miles of trails, and many unspoiled beaches, most of which are only accessible with a combination of hiking and a rented car (we lacked the latter, and cabs are only practical for half the island). To sum it up, from what I know about a lot of the Caribbean, if you haven’t been to Saint John yet, you won’t be disappointed, but once you do go, you are likely to be spoiled.
RH note, again: Many, many thanks for Andy and Shaira for taking the time to share their planning and experiences on this beautiful to the Virgin Islands.
