Andy says: Saint John’s one and only town is Cruz Bay, home to well over half of the island’s 4000 inhabitants. However, for such a scant village, it has better dining options than some medium sized cities we’ve visited on the American mainland. As for specific spots to eat, Waterfront Bistro has a really impressive French influenced menu with especially good wines, Rhumb Lines has a great Caribbean – Asian fusion, and Sheila’s Pot has humble but not to be missed “island” or Caribbean-style fare.

This is not to say that there are absolutely no bargains to be had. Our favorite idea for a cheap snack, which seemed to be overlooked by the other tourists (but not lost on the islanders) was found hanging on the trees around us. For a couple dollars as “tip”, some of the guys employed in pruning back the coconut trees would, with a few swift licks of the machete, crack open coconuts (don’t forget the all important ‘spoon’ cut to get the juicy pulp) and voila – a tasty beverage and snack in one go! This being the tropics, there are also a plethora of fresh squeezed fruit juice stands selling mango and passion fruit concoctions (and they can, for an extra charge, add a little rum if want an extra spring in your step). Now that’s paradise.