Staying on St. John can be very expensive. There are only two hotels/resorts on the island, Caneel Bay and the Westin. The lack of resorts is also what gives St. John its charm. The island is not developed, and has preserved on the most part its natural beauty. One of the better ways to get back to nature is a stay at the Maho Bay camps above the beaches of Maho Bay. I stayed 4 nights at Maho during my vacation, and was generally pleased with both my “Eco-Tent”, and the overall facility.

The Maho Bay camp was established in the 1970’s by Stanley Senegult, a pioneer of Eco-tourism, on privately “owned in holding” land within the U.S. Virgin Island national Park. The land is currently leased through 2012, and there is much speculation that the lease will not be renewed. Stanley Senegult has also established a sister site on the other side island called Estate Concordia. Personally I’m not sure what to make of Stanely. Is he an environmentalist or businessman? He says’s businessman first. Of course he could easily be both. The only thing that sort of bothers me is that Maho Bay tries to hide behind the veneer of being some kind of non-profit do good organization, hence the maho.org web address. Hopefully my questions regarding the nature of the organization hasn’t affected my review of the camp.

Maho Bay has 114 Eco-Tents, and 8 Harmony Studios. My girlfriend and I stayed in one of the Eco-Tents. Though advertised as capable of sleeping 4 by using the sofa and a pull out cot, it would’ve been very cramped for 4. I don’t recommend trying to put more than 2 people in each tent. The size is perfect for two people. There are two individual single beds which can be moved together and latched to make a single full size bed. Given both the lack of adequate sound proofing, and the warm temperatures, the only real point of latching the beds together is to keep your loved one close. Maho provides clean sheets, and blankets with the beds. The tent is completely self-service, so staff will not come and clean the tent or change the sheets. Maho does have laundry services where you can turn in towels (which are provided) and I assume sheets (I never exchanged sheets).   The harmony studios are intended for families or larger groups.  I can’t comment too much on them since I never ventured into one.

The Eco-Tent contains inside for use a propane stove, a large cooler, utensils, a broom, lights, and power outlets. The windows consist of mosquito netting with additional shades than can be lowered. Each tent also has a small balcony that doubles as an area to dry clothes (a clothesline with clothespins is strung across) - very useful for wet bathing suits. What is not included is a bathroom. Bathrooms are communal but are scattered to make them a short walk from any given tent. The bathrooms are clean and fully functional, though there is no hot water. To conserve water, the camp asks that people not shower between 10 AM and 3 PM. The showers are operated with a pull leash which releases room temperature water. Given the tropical climate, a lukewarm shower is actually quite comfortable.

Beyond providing lodging, Maho is like sleepaway camp for grownups. They have activities available such as yoga, glass-blowing, crafts, snorkeling, and sailing. Some of these activities cost extra. A daily snorkel rental is $8 a day which is more expensive than the $5 a day that the beaches at Trunk and Cinnamon bay charge. At a resort like Caneel the equipment is complementary. If you’re going to do a ton of snorkeling, I would consider a weekly rental which runs arounf $30 at the Trunk bay both for potentially a cost savings and convenience. I went on a all day snorkel snail on the Magic Carpet, Maho’s captive catamaran. We only ended up snorkeling a little over an hour, but we sailed for most of the day in between the islands St. John and the British Virgin Islands. Katie and Kendall, who own the boat,  sail the ship - all you need to do is sit back and enjoy the great views. They also provided drinks and lunch. At $95 a person (plus tipping), the snorkel snail wasn’t the cheapest thing to do, but I think well worth the money for what was an all day sail.

One of the best things about the camp is the Pavilion Restaurant. The cafeteria style restaurant serves excellent food at reasonable prices. Dinner entrees come with access to the salad bar and range between $15-$25. Given how expensive food is general on the island, these are great prices especially considering that you get spectacular view, and don’t have to worry about tipping. Buy a six pack of beer from the Maho Store, and you’ll have one of the best meals on the island for under $30 a person. If you choose to cook yourself in the tent, the Maho convenience store also sells groceries. They Pavilion also plays host to movies and special talks. Sadly enough, I didn’t attend any. My girlfriend and I ended up watching DVDs on the computer back at the tent, mostly because after full days in the sun we were just plain exhausted.

My only real gripe about Maho is the mosquitoes. Maho is located in the mountainside above Maho Bay deep in the woods. During our stay at the camp, we were ravaged by mosquitoes. The tent does a good job once it’s been evacuated by mosquitoes, but opening door always lets more in. Given the public areas are no more sheltered, mosquitoes will follow you every where. Apparently there were heavy rains before we arrived which contributed to high levels of insect penetration. In Maho’s defense, we were bitten anytime were outdoors including any restaraunt that had outdoor seating.

I whole heartedly recommend Maho, but be prepared for what it is. It’s camp - it’s not a hotel or even a run down motel - it’s better and worse depending on what you’re looking for. As long as you’re prepared for that, I think Maho is an ideal place to stay on St. John. It’s a great launching point for enjoying the natural beauty of the island. Depending on which tent you’re located at you’re anywhere between 1 minute and a 15 minute walk (down many many steps) to the beach. Shuttles are also available to take you to other beaches. We had a rented Jeep which was very convenient. The drive up to the camp is steep and unpaved, would definitely get a 4 wheel drive if you decide to drive.

If you do decide to stay at Maho, don’t forget to bring the following:

  • Insect Repellant
  • Flashlight(s)
  • Padlock (to lock your tent, though my feeling is the area is quite safe)
  • Beach Towels