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A new advertisement on the subway luring
frigid New Yorkers to the US Virgin Islands reads, “Hang up your coat.
Forget your gloves. Here, ice is for your drink.” The accompanying photos
reveal everything that makes the Caribbean a winter paradise—an ocean as
clear as drinking water, secluded beaches free of litter, a mountainous
umbrella of green foliage. One photo shows a sweeping aerial shot of Maho
Bay on the pristine island of St. John, the smallest of the three US Virgin
Islands.
Maho Bay gained popularity from the Maho Bay
Camps, a name synonymous with environmentally friendly. Built in 1976 by a
very forward-thinking Stanley Selengut, the Maho Bay Camps provides “green”
travelers with a place dedicated to having a minimal impact on the
environment—a win-win situation for all.
View of the Virgin Islands National Park (J. Cangro)
“When I saw the pictures, I was totally
hooked. I just wanted a place that was quiet and relaxing and
unpretentious,” said Dawn Techow, a Maho Bay alumni who organized a trip for
ten of her friends.
The camps are located inside the Virgin
Islands National Park on St. John, which covers three-fifths of the
19-square-mile island. Its sister islands, St. Thomas and St. Croix, have
suffered more development, succumbing to the pressures of two million
tourists each year. Thanks to the protection the national park status
affords, St. John retains its lush beauty. There is an overwhelming feeling
to keep it that way, to “leave only your footprints behind,” as many trail
signs request.
Accommodation Basics on Maho Bay
Traditional vacationers might shy away from
Maho with the notion that environmentally friendly means boiling drinking
water and rubbing sticks to start a fire. Actually, Maho Bay falls somewhere
between roughing it and pampering. The tents resemble tree houses, elevated
with a wood base and supports. Canvas walls keep the bay breeze flowing.
Four adults can sleep comfortably, two on twin mattresses and two on a
convertible futon. A kitchenette (with propane tank) allows for preparation
of meals, but there is a full-service outdoor cafeteria open for breakfast
and dinner. The bathhouses, which can be quite a distance through a maze of
wooden walkways and stairs, take the most acclimation. It gives a whole new
meaning to a middle-of-the-night bathroom run.
Staying at Maho Bay gives guests a variety of
options to fill their day. The staff organizes a daily activities board
which includes water sports, hikes, glass blowing classes and seminars about
the local ecology. The beach shop offers long term rental of snorkel and
scuba gear as well as hourly sailboat and kayak rentals. Snorkeling is as
easy as wading into one of the two nearby beaches. “The snorkeling was
amazing. I saw sea turtles and so many different kinds of fish,” said Techow.
“And it was great that we didn’t have to go through the hassle of getting
new equipment every day.”
Ecoprogram Basics
It’s odd to think that water would be in such
short supply on an island surrounded by it, but fresh water is the most
precious commodity on St. John. Maho Bay addresses this by installing
cisterns on most of its buildings to catch rainfall and redirect the water
for use in housekeeping and bathhouses. Showers and sink faucets are
equipped with spring-loaded handles, making getting clean a bit of a chore,
but conserving 12,000 to 15,000 gallons of water per day. “Grey,” or
recycled, water is used for irrigation. The elevated walkways and tents
minimize soil erosion, maximizing the benefit to the vegetation on the
hillsides. In this way, Maho Bay is able to consume only 25 gallons of water
per day per guest, where most resorts use about 300.
Since St. John is such a small island, most
goods have to be shipped from the States, creating a lot of paper and
packing waste. At Maho Bay, paper is shredded and reused as packing material
for crafts by the camps and other artisans around the Virgin Islands. Other
trash is used in one of Maho Bay’s most noted programs: Trash To Treasure.
Bottles, cardboard and aluminum is recycled into fine art by master
craftsmen and sold to guests.
Stay in a treehouse tent on
Maho Bay (J. Cangro)
Nature Basics
While it’s reassuring to know the
accommodations are comfortable and the staff is dedicated to maintaining its
eco-ways, the true star of the show at Maho is nature herself. Take the
fruit of the manchineel tree, for example. A brush against the skin produces
caustic burns that make grown men cry. Irreverent iguanas sun themselves in
the middle of walkways. Insects large enough to require an entire can of
Black Flag go about their business. Even the most urban visitors quickly
realize that they are occupying nature’s space. Peaceful co-habitation is
what Maho Bay is all about.
Perhaps the most important discovery that
guests make at Maho is truly how little they require to get by. After
getting over vanity , the absence of television and unavailability of cell
phone signals, they enjoy the freedom of being completely unburdened from
the stresses of everyday life. And isn’t that what vacations are for?
If You Go
General Facts.
St. John is a United States territory. Don’t
make the mistake of calling its residents ex-patriots. They are US citizens
and speak English. The currency is the US dollar. The Virgin Islands are in
the same time zone as New York and Miami.
Getting There.
There is no airport on St. John, so visitors
fly to the St. Thomas capital of Charlotte Amalie. Direct flights are
available from Atlanta, Miami, Baltimore and New York via most major
airlines. Ferries operate regularly from the harbors in Charlotte Amalie
and Red Hook on St. Thomas to Cruz Bay on St. John. In Cruz Bay, Frett’s
Taxi Service departs every two hours for Maho Bay.
Reservations.
Peak season at Maho Bay is December 15 – April
30. Rates are $110 per night, double occupancy with the exception of
holidays when the rates are higher. From May 1 – December 14, rates are $75
per night, double occupancy. Additional guests are $12 per night. Request a
tent near the beach, bathhouse or cafeteria to avoid steps. Some tents can
be hundreds of steps away.
When to Go.
Temperatures rarely stray from the high 70s
and low 80s all year long. Stormy weather and hurricane season can dampen
visits in the summertime, when rates are cheapest.
What to Bring.
Two words immediately come to mind: bug
spray. It is a St. John traveler’s best friend. After packing, reopen the
suitcase and remove half of what’s inside. Many, many stairs and small
quarters make visitors hefting a heavy load regret the decision. Other
useful items include sunscreen, a flashlight for navigating the walkways
with no light poles and a padlock to secure the tent.
More Information.
Call 800-392-9004, or visit
www.maho.org.
Jacquelin Cangro has written several travel articles for
publications such as Travel-Wise and Go Nomad.com. She is the managing
editor for The Subway Chronicles website.
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