Virgin Islands Camp Stories
By Kathleen Ganster
As a child, I always loved the movie "Swiss Family Robinson." That may be one reason my favorite place in the whole world, bar none, is Maho Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Maho Bay is a "resort" of tent cabins set amongst the hillside of the tiny island, connected to each other, beaches, the store and restaurant by board walks and steps lots of steps. My 15- year- old, Eliza, described Maho Bay, "It is the cross between camping and the Hilton. Well, maybe two-thirds camping."
She has it right - Maho Bay is not for everyone. And indeed, when most people think of the Virgin Islands, they probably don't think of camping. Each tent cabin has a small bedroom with two twin beds (easily pushed together if that is your preference), a living room area with a couch that can be used for sleeping, small dining area, and porch. Cooking is done on a camp stove, water is carried in and perishables are kept in a cooler. You must buy ice in the little camp store everyday to keep your food safe in the Caribbean heat. The cooling system is two box fans. Personally, I love it. I love hearing the ocean 24/7, love the Caribbean breeze, love the heat.
As far as the island itself, John Island is the smallest U.S. Virgin Island. Only nine miles long, it is approximately two miles from its sister island, St. Thomas. It is a quiet little island with no stoplights and speed limits of 25 miles per hour. Approximately two-thirds of the island is part of the Virgin Islands National Park. In 1956, Laurence Rockefeller donated the land to the federal government to create the park. Later, in 1962, more than 5,600 acres of underwater acreage was added to the park. There are no flights into St. John because it doesn't have an airport! You must fly into St. Thomas and take a 20-minute ferry ride from Red Hook or a 45 minute ferry ride from Charlotte Amelia into Cruz Bay, the largest city on St. John. The Maho Bay Camps are about a 25-minute ride from Cruz Bay.
Maho Bay Camp was created by Stanley Selengut, a Manhattan businessman, in the mid-1970s. Local rumor has it that he wanted to build a resort on the island, but all of his land bordered the park. The National Park Service threatened to block Selengut's plans for a resort, so he came up with his "eco-friendly" camp, which must have met the approval of park officials. Selengut started with 18 tent-cottages and now has over 100.
There are also a few townhouses located at Maho, Harmony Studios. Selengut also has Harmony Camps at the other end of the island but I don't think they are nearly as attractive as Maho.
The tents have porches for relaxing, and many have views of the beautiful bay area. It is wonderful to sit and watch the hermit crabs crawl up the hillside searching for food or the huge iguanas bathing in the sun, right off the balconies. It is also restful listening to the waves at night or the sound of the tree frogs singing. Be prepared to wake up at sunrise because you experience it every morning, and what a view it is.
In the tents, you feel as if you are actually living in the woods. The humidity and heat can be heavy, though, and you only have the small electric fans in the tents to keep you cool. The bugs also can be fierce, especially the little no-see-ums -- little bugs that live up to their names. Bug spray seems to keep most at bay.
Bathhouses are shared just like camp and the water in the bathhouses is always lukewarm - great for afternoon and evening showers after being in the surf and sand all day but a bit too chilly for morning showers. It is also a drag for midnight trips to the bathroom!
Sheets and towels are supplied and you can exchange them at the laundry room. You may also purchase groceries, wine and beer, and some souvenirs in the camp store. If you choose, you can also purchase breakfast and dinner in the outside restaurant and lunch may be bought at the ocean side snack bar.
The mother of three children, albeit two are now teens, I think the advantages of Maho over a "real" resort are plenty. My 13- year- old and I were lucky enough to stay at one of the resorts at St. John and he liked Maho because "the beach and snorkeling are a lot better." A five to ten minute walk (and a little over a hundred steps) gets you to the beach which is extremely safe as far as far as surf and strangers. We spent nearly the whole nine days in bathing suits, shorts and well, nothing else, not even shoes.
Snorkeling is excellent at Maho Bay. My youngest, Cole, 11, liked Little Maho Bay. The waters are a bit calmer and shallower than Maho Bay. Over the trip, we saw numerous fish of a whole spectrum of colors, a green moray, an Eagle ray, a stingray, two sea turtles, a couple of octopus, sea urchins, and coral. You can snorkel for hours, just exploring. On land, we saw wild burrows, iguanas, tree frogs, geckos, anole, hermit crabs, wandering goats and a variety of birds.
Recycling, water conservation, and other environmental issues are key factors at Maho. The glass studio where the artists create beautiful pieces of work from recycled glass is fascinating and educational. Two nights a week, the artists demonstrate their craft and make very cool pieces of hand-blown glass from melted recycled beer, lemonade and wine bottles. You can purchase the items at the studio.
Guests can also participate in activities such as crafts for kids, silk painting for adults, glass stamping, and boat rentals. They can also sign up for various activities offered by off site vendors as well.
Hikers can also keep busy. The National Park has over 20 hiking trails, many within walking distance of Maho Bay. The Annaburg Ruins are a mile walk. Annaburg was a sugar and cotton plantation that dates back to the early 1700s. The windmill and other buildings still stand and the Park Service has cultural demonstrations. Over the hill from Annaburg is Waterlemon Bay, about a mile and a half walk from Maho. There is exceptional snorkeling in this bay, where we were able to swim next to sea turtles. What great fun! The resident barracuda scared me until we learned they don't bother you. If you swim out to Waterlemon Cay (not a swim for beginners), you can also spot starfish.
Cinnamon Bay, an 11/2-mile walk in the other direction has more ruins, and an interesting nature walk. While the beach had some of the whitest sand we had ever seen and incredible turquoise water, the water was very rough and snorkeling nearly impossible the day we were there.
Other hikes include the Reef Bay Trail, where you can see the only petroglyphs on the island (you need to take one of the taxis to the beginning of the trail) and end up at the bay. The water is very warm, and it's a good place to snorkel. Leinster Bay Trail, Johnny Horn Trail, Francis Bay Trail, and Brown Bay Trail are all within walking distance from Maho Bay. If you take the Leinster Bay Trail to the Johnny Horn Trail, you drop down into Coral Bay and walk right past Emmaus Moravian Church, the oldest church on the Island. It also serves as a shelter during hurricanes. While in Coral Bay, you can get a bite to eat and drinks at Skinny Legs, a well-known local bar.
If you rent a car, you can explore the rest of the island, but there is enough to do by relying on the camps and shuttles. I would highly recommend one of Hamilton's tours. Hamilton Eugene is a local tour guide who probably knows more about St. John, the natural history and the people than everyone else combined on the island. He also helped build the camp and knows the history there too. A day spent with Hamilton is a day well spent.
Finally, for all of the shoppers, Mongoose has dozens of shops that specialize in beachwear, jewelry, and of course, souvenirs of all types. Die-hard shoppers may want to take the ferry to St. Thomas and spend a day or afternoon visiting the stores and stocking up on duty free liquor. It is important to note there are lots and lots of steps. Since there isn't any room service or attendants, you must carry your own luggage. That can be a long haul because of the steps. A flashlight is a must for night walking on the boardwalks and steps, as there are no outdoor lights. And it gets dark early in the Caribbean, usually around 7 p.m. during the summer.
The tents are far more economical than the fancy resorts on the island. For those unwilling to give up all the luxuries of home, Selengut has also built studio apartments that sit in six buildings higher on the hillside, above the tents. While the walk to all the activities is a bit longer, the accommodations are much fancier, with bedroom studios and living room studios. Each has a kitchenette with a microwave and other kitchen appliances and a private bathroom. For more information about Maho Bay Camps, Inc., contact 800-392-9004, or visit www.maho.org.