My first thought when I stepped inside our tent was: “My God, what have we
done?” My second was: “Look at the size of that cockroach.” It was not a
promising start.
We were on the Caribbean island of St John, one of the US Virgin Islands, at
Maho Bay Camps. It was founded by the charismatic eco-pioneer Stanley
Selengut in 1976 and claims, plausibly, to have been the world’s first
eco-resort.
More than a hundred tent-cabins are set on slopes in the pristine rainforest
of a national park that covers two thirds of the island. The permanent tents
are connected by wooden walkways to prevent erosion and protect the forest.
There are communal showers, a central restaurant, shop and other facilities.
A lovely white sand beach lies at the foot of the slope, with another on the
other side of the small headland. It looked idyllic on the web-site. I am
not a big camping person, but we arrived, my wife and two boys, aged 4 and
2, with high hopes.
Somehow I didn’t really like it, at least not to start with. The lack of hot
water, the shabby and uncomfortable bedding, and the hassle of establishing
routines for (already jet-lagged) young children in relatively basic
surroundings made me pretty grumpy for the first couple of days.
So let’s concentrate on the positives. The location could not have been more
spectacular. There were iguanas on the beach, soldier crabs in the forest
and pelicans diving for fish in the sea. Tree frogs sang us to sleep and the
brilliantly named pearly-eyed thrasher bird stole every morsel of neglected
food.
In the restaurant, the buffet food was filling, and although the menu was much
more American than Caribbean, it was good value. There were glass-blowing
demonstrations (a Maho speciality), plus yoga, diving and boat trips.
Thousands of happy campers buy into the Maho ethos of DIY holidaying – the
resort’s return rate is more than 80 per cent and it spends almost nothing
on advertising, such is the power of word-of-mouth recommendations. Its
green credentials are impressive – it is the only American entry in Alastair
Sawday’s Green Places to Stay.
But all this did not grab me. We were told by other parents that one of the
best things about Maho was the freedom to let children run wild on the
walkways and beaches, knowing they would be safe. But our boys were too
young for this and the schlepping up and down the staircases to tent-cabin,
restaurant and beach became annoying. Perhaps I just like my creature
comforts too much.
After four nights at Maho, we moved to its sister resort of Concordia on the
other, drier side of the island. Here, in more modern cabins perched high
above the surf, we felt immediately at home. The cabins were beautifully
constructed from recycled materials, with hot water from a solar shower and
a composting lavatory. There was a pool for the boys, and it all felt much
more intimate and stylish. For the thousands of Maho fans, Concordia is the
future. The lease for the 13-acre (5ha) site at Maho is due to expire in
2012 and although there is a possibility that the camp will be able to
continue, at the moment it is unlikely.
Beyond Maho, the island of St John has some of the most beautiful beaches in
the world, including Trunk Bay – a picture-perfect spot of white sand, palm
trees and coral reefs for snorkelling. The bay was 15 minutes by winding
coast road from Maho (you definitely need a hire car for your stay) and well
worth the visit, although the excellent facilities (café, showers,
lavatories, bar etc) made it feel sanitised after the wilder charms of the
forest campsite.
A little farther down the coast is the main St John port of Cruz Bay, a great
little town with a good choice of restaurants and bars. We also spent a day
at Caneel Bay, the luxury resort founded by Laurance Rockefeller, which a
few weeks before our visit had hosted Angelina and Brad. I could see why
they chose it – their children loved the Turtle Town kids’ club and so did
ours.
Relatively few British tourists visit the US Virgin Islands. I suspect this is
mostly because there are no direct flights. We flew with British Airways to
New York and on to St Thomas with American Airlines, then took the ferry to
St John. It was a good way to add variety to the holiday, even if the
freezing temperatures in New York bulked up our suitcases.
The island of St Thomas had little to recommend it compared with St John,
apart from the shopping. The main town, Charlotte Amalie, plays host to huge
cruise ships and the duty-free malls are endless. We did not visit St Croix,
the third and largest island, which is supposed to be more laid-back.
Would we go back to Maho? Yes, when the boys are older, but it will have to be
soon before it closes. Would I recommend St John? Yes, without hesitation.
Need to know
Getting there: Fares to St Thomas on American Airlines (via New York)
with Trailfinders (0845 0505892, www.trailfinders.com)
start at £741 (children under 12, from £595). Ferries to St John take 25
minutes.
Staying there: At Maho Bay Camps a tent-cottage costs from £40 a night.
At Concordia an eco-tent costs from £48 a night. Children under 15 sharing
with parents are free. Details: 001 340 715 0501, www.maho.org.
Further Information: US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism (www.usvitourism.vi).
Reading: Caribbean Islands (Lonely Planet, £15.99).
We used the excellent travel guide Explore the Virgin Islands by Harry S. Pariser during our visit. It has a lot of wonderful background information and great colour photos! You can order it from any bookshop or through Amazon. It's tremendous value for the money.
George Fowling, Leeds, England