Return-Path: Received: from ARES.NECTAR.CS.CMU.EDU by K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU id aa00308; 16 Dec 94 14:18:41 EST To: Robert Frederking Cc: bovik@cs.cmu.edu In-reply-to: ref@CS.CMU.EDU's message of Thu, 15 Dec 1994 16:00:35 -0500 Subject: Camping in the Carribean? Date: Fri, 16 Dec 94 14:17:52 EST From: tomstr@ARES.NECTAR.CS.CMU.EDU Sender: tomstr@ARES.NECTAR.CS.CMU.EDU Robert Frederking writes: >I'd like to find out whether it's possible to camp somewhere in the >Caribbean or Bahamas, or make some other fairly cheap living >accomodations; Last fall (November 93) we got an extermely pleasant experience camping on go old Uncle Sams own land in the Caribean US National Park, San John, USVI (fly into Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas, take bus, ferry, taxi shuttles to St.John). The island is only partially developed so expect much nature, hiking and snorkely but little to no nightlive. There are two possibilities: a) US Park Service Campground at Coral Bay. They got camp sites for around $12-$14 a day and cottages for $40. As far as I remember there were showers, a store and a restaurant. This is 3 miles outside Cruz Bay. The area is flat near Coral Bay. b) Maho Bay, Cottages and Villas, a private camp-ground operated by "enviro-green" inpired Manhattan developer. Maho Bay is 5 miles outside Cruz Bay. They have around 100 canavas cottages (sleep 4, rent for $55-70/night depending on season) and 10-12 luxury villas built alledgedly 100% from recycled materials (they rent for too much, price was not set but expected to be at $180/night). For the tents there is supposed to be a student-construction program where you can trade a half day woodworking and remodeling against free accomodation in low season (Aug-Oct). The older tent village is clean and elevated on wooden platforms and wooden walkways. There are bathhouses with clean but cold showers (Caribeen cold = much warmer than Rocky Mountain cold). Long warm shower with a lot of soap/shampoo would endager the coral reef downhill because water/sewer could not be dealt with. The new villas are wonderfully overlooking the bay. They did them with all luxury you could imagine and - grrrr - they have electricity, dishwasher, cold and hot water (I had my reservations against that project... but they are extremely proud of it! I remains seen is whether that is still sustainable development in a National Park?). Maho has a store and a wondeful patio restaurant overlooking Maho Bay and with a view towards the British Virgin Islands. Happy hour with $1 drafts and bread baked in a solar oven are like in paradise and the daily menu are a good value for $10-$12. The place is kind of self service, bus your own tables, but no paper plates or cups - of course! In the evening they got a park ranger having a nature talk or similar events. The tents have a deck, two beds, a couch, gas range, pots an pans, electricity and table to sit and eat (all inside the nets against sand-flies and mosquitos), each tent comes with one or two resident small iguanas to round up bread crums and insects. Both campgrounds have direct walking access to a beach with a coral reef and a walk to seveal interesting cays (little island surrounded by corals). The park service campground is not too far from Trunk Bay where we found the only National Park Service underwater nature trail. You can walk it but have to swim it. I will send in the phone numbers of Maho and National Park Headquarters as soon as I find them. Thomas M. Stricker