Been there at least 20 plus times, but only as a conduit to get to St. John. Always had to fly to Puerto Rico, then to St. Thomas, then take a cab to either Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook, then take a boat to Cruise Bay in St. John, and pick up a rental Jeep and drive to Maho Bay. In my opinion, St Thomas is overcrowded and overbuilt, mostly impoverished low income, relatively unsafe, and not overly appealing. St Thomas depends a great deal on cruise ship stops and those folks spending while on the island. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful island, but unless you are in a gated resort, you better watch your back. St. John on the other hand is absolutely beautiful, relatively undeveloped, and pristine. But it’s definitely not for everyone. If your thing is fancy dinning, nightlife, casinos, and being around action, forget it. It’s more about beauty, pristine beaches, relaxation, snorkeling, reading a book, and playing some cards or other games. All that being said, we haven’t been back since Maho Bay closed down and we bought a home in the Villages. From what I understand, both a string of devastating hurricanes and Covid has really set the area back to third world status. It’s a part of the world that is unfortunately poverty stricken and is totally dependent on tourism dollars. My wife and I have returning to St. John again on our bucket list, but it’s hard to do with the dog.
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