STUNNING, PRIVATE ESCAPE

If your looking for breathtaking beauty, total privacy and peace and quiet this is the St.John villa for you. The house is tastefully decorated in beautiful soothing tropical colours with very comfortable furniture and some great local pottery sconces on the walls. Everything is screened so all the fabulous island fauna stays outside but the breezes come through and keep everything cool. We never even considered air conditioning although it's available in the bedroom. The views are truly stupendous and as it's on the top of a ridge you get sunrise from your bedroom and deck and sunset just out the gate (keep it closed because of the donkeys) by the road. We had breakfast every morning on the deck and there's a patio set down by the pool that sits under a palm tree. Can't say enough about the pool (very private) and the view from the pool deck out over the Caribbean to the BVI'S. On the same level there's a great outdoor shower we used the entire week. If the wind picks up there's a lovely patio with table and chairs on the other side of the villa surrounded by trees and flowers. The grounds are very pretty with a wonderful assortment of tropical plantings. There is only one other house visible from the villa which is great. This location is as far away from all the busy as you can possibly get on the island, which is what we wanted, so we didn't mind the 15 minute drive into Coral Bay. If you haven't driven on St. John be prepared, the hills and turns are really something but it doesn't take long to get used to it. Cathy and Clark, the managers, were so helpful right from booking through to the end of our holiday. They picked us up at the ferry, took us to the grocery store and then got us all set at the villa. Going home they took us back into Cruz Bay to catch the ferry. Mid week Cathy even met us in Coral Bay to loan us some DVD's. Gotta admit most nights we were so tired out from all the snorkeling, swimming and hiking we were asleep by 8:00. Don't miss the Annaberg sugar mill ruins and there's a great coral reef right there in Leinster Bay. Shipwreck Landing, Island Blues (say Hi to Collette for us), Skinny Legs and Aqua Bistro are all fun restaurants on the water in Coral Bay. Around every curve in the road there is another spectacular view and after a Canadian winter it was hard to believe it was real. This is one of those never forget it holidays and we can't wait to go back.