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“Stayed at the Concordia (A25), for our honeymoon (Oct 2nd-8th) the staff was so kind and helpful (Ms. Cladia and Patty!!). Our first morning we went to Salt Pond Bay, and enjoyed lunch and dinner in Coral Bay. We will definately be back as soon as we can! The condo was perfect, quiet and spacious!

I will highly recommend the Concordia to any and all I talk to! We checked out all parts of the Island, the North Shore is a great day trip. If you are planning a trip to St. John, pack the DEET!!! The no-see-ums are blood thirsty!! We loved the Aqua-Bistro, and Skinny legs in Coral Bay, Mongoose Jct in Cruz Bay for souvenirs(sp?), Jakes for breakfast in Cruz Bay as well. Concordia and St. John we love you and to all of the kind people we meet we will see you again soon! ”
— by Kate & Rocky D of Chester, NH, USA
(submitted on October 11, 2011)

“Just got back from a Maho Bay stay in the Harmony Suites A2 Unit.

Short summary -it was fantastic!

Long summary - steps galore, August is abominably hot, great food, great service, snorkeling is everything, and kayaking is a second best.

What we would like to have more of on our return trip is regular transportation to other beaches, hiking information, veterinarian care for the 20 some cats that live at Maho (and I was so glad to see them there!) and more interaction with the park service on education topics, like: things to look out for (like poison ivy and spiny sea animals), how the island arrived in its natural state (geologically as one perspective), how they overcame the abomination of slavery for another.

So much to learn and so little time to learn it in.

We loved it and look forward to our return trip!”
— by Diane and Mac McMahon of Pittsburgh, PA
(submitted on August 14, 2011)

“We stayed for 10 days in July and had a wonderful time! This is the most beautiful place i have ever seen, the waters are so clear and the reefs are very healthy!
All the staff were very friendly and helpful and made out time at maho bay camps even more fun!

Thanks everyone and we hope to be back!
Jay and Raven!”
— by Jay and Raven keim of lawrence, Kansas
(submitted on July 28, 2011)

“It was my parent's 50th wedding anniversary and they took us to Maho bay campground for a family vacation Jun 23-28, 2011. What an experience, specially for my husband and kids ( 17 and 12) who have never been camping. It was fantastic, great family bonding time. the staff was very nice, food was good and our cabin A-10, had the best view in the place. It was awesome. There were a lot of stairs but found that we got used to them. We spent a lot of time during the day exploring other beaches and snorkeling. The glassblowing demo was amazing. St. John will always be my favorite place. it is truly paradise. Thanks Maho Bay and my parents for giving my family such great memories. We can't stop talking about it. ”
— by Andrea LeSage of Springfield, Pa
(submitted on July 19, 2011)

“Came to Maho for our honeymoon, didn't want to leave! What a wonderful, beautiful, green place! The snorkeling was excellent, the food was so tasty and the people were so helpful. We hope to come back every year!!! I highly recommend this lovely place and I really, really hope it stays around and out of the hands of people who don't respect the eco friendly environment.”
— by Lory of Philadelphia, PA
(submitted on July 13, 2011)

“Stayed at Maho (F3) for 4 nights in June 2011. Had a great time. Loved the tent and especially the sunset/moonrise view from ours. The glassblowing demo. was very interesting. Bought a Christmas tree ornament in the Art Gallery. Rented a kayak for 7 hours one day to visit Whistling Cay and Cinnamon Cay. Parked our rental vehicle close to the tent and visited lots of beaches and enjoyed some great hiking and snorkeling. Maho is a very special place and I hope it doesn't go away! Would love to come back......
”
— by Karyn Alexander of Middletown, DE, USA
(submitted on June 22, 2011)

“My cousin Tracy and I visited Maho Bay from May 10 - 15, 2011. We had a fantastic time! Our tent (D-3) was up high and had spectacular views of Maho Bay.

Favorite things: Snorkeling was awesome! We snorkeled Little Maho (good for a start) then moved on to Leinster Bay and Hansen Bay. We signed up for a glass-blowing class which was very cool - I highly recommend! For $60.00 each, we made a sun catcher, a starfish (me), a paperweight (Tracy) and a rose. We took a day trip to Virgin Gorda BVI to see The Baths. It was beautiful - the granite is magnificent - but be prepared to get wet! There are lockers to secure your things when you first get to the beach. Also, you need to walk through the Baths barefoot and should leave your shoes on the beach before you enter. At Maho, we took a sunset sail on the Pepper and it was very pretty! I was able to take some amazing photos of the sunset and Fred and Renee were very nice!

Comments about Maho: There are A LOT of steps to get anywhere you need or want to be. (To go to the bathroom/shower from our tent was 140 steps round trip). The restaurant has good food - 10.00 - 12.00 for breakfast and $20.00 - $25.00 for dinner. Taxis will cost you a minimum of $10.00 (each way) anytime you want to go anywhere. The store is well-stocked with staple items but expect to pay triple what you'd pay at home. The beach at the campground has nice, beginner snorkeling. We brought our own snorkeling gear but you can rent at Maho for around $8.00 per day. The showers only have cold water which is surprisingly refreshing after you get used to the initial "Holy @#$% it's cold" feeling.

Bugs: Bugs deserve their own paragraph. I used OFF bug wipes with Deet and still came home with about 200 bug bites on my legs and arms. My cousin had about 600 bug bites. Not sure what to recommend for this but thought it was worth mentioning.

Things you should bring: Sunscreen. We only brought carry-on bags so we were limited with the amount of liquids that we could pack. Although we saved the $25.00 checked baggage fee, we spent twice that amount purchasing items we needed and sunscreen was one of those things. I am fair-skinned and even with 50 SPF sunscreen, I got burned. I even wore a sun shirt the entire time I was snorkeling. Bug spray (see above). If you drink coffee, bring a small can with you! The tents have small coffee makers (filter/cup method) in them. Portable clothesline. I purchased one on Amazon (Flexo-line) and it worked out great. There is a clothesline outside but it rained every day we were there so it helped to have another line inside. Comfortable shoes!!! I brought Keen Whisper sandals which I wore every day. They are waterproof hiking shoes and were very comfortable. I also packed flip-flops which I wore a couple of times.

I packed two pairs of shorts, two skorts one dress, five shirts, pj's, two bathing suits, one pair of socks, and personal items. I wore everything but one shirt. Make sure to bring one long-sleeve shirt for a coverup, evening sail, or to protect from the bugs. If I went again, I would make sure to bring quick-dry shorts. My cousin had two pairs with her and they were handy to wear snorkeling. I would suggest bringing your own beach towel with you for the beach since you only get one towel from the camp.

Rental scooters: My cousin and I rented scooters to tool around the island. BIG MISTAKE. The roads are ridiculously steep, curvy, and narrow with little to no shoulder. Also, you have to drive on the left side of the road and islanders tend to drive in the middle of the road which is a little scary. I flipped a scooter over in the driveway at Maho (slipped into a muddy pothole after moving out of the way of a taxi). My cousin, who has over 20 years experience riding motorcycles, said driving on St. John scared her.
The speed limit on the island is 20 mph which probably should have been my first clue to the dangers of the roads.

Make sure to bring a WATERPROOF camera! I brought an Olympus tough camera and although you need a PhD to work it, it took really nice pictures (underwater too!). My cousin brought her camera (not waterproof) and took about 5 pictures with it.

Credit cards: Hardly anyone accepts Discover cards. Make sure that you have a VISA or MASTERCARD with you along with cash. Also - make sure that you have enough cash on you for taxis and tips.

Overall, we had a great time! I had wanted to visit Maho Bay for over 20 years and received the trip as a birthday present. I was not disappointed. We met great people from all over the country and world! Thanks to the staff at Maho Bay for the great tent location and for being so friendly and helpful!
”
— by Daphne Sebelist of Shillington, PA
(submitted on May 23, 2011)

“I had the pleasure to have stayed at Maho Camps from May 5th to May 10th.2011What a wonderful place! I stayed at A-30 {tent cottage} Yes there's steps,but It was great work out.The tent had a knock out view of Whistling Cay.The watersports center was very helpful.Cottages and bathrooms-very clean.The staff-very friendly,including the owner-Stanley S. what a nice person he is! I hope Maho Camps can stay on for many years.Thanks to Stanley and his wonderful staff for the great memories!! Dan Benyi”
— by Dan Benyi of Edwardsburg, Mi
(submitted on May 18, 2011)

“We just completed our second trip to Maho Bay Camps, 4/2 - 4/9/2011 and I am happy to say I was not disappointed. My wife and I along with our 17 year old son and 15 year old daughter stayed in tent cottage A14. The views were spectacular. While on St Johns we rented a jeep from Courtesy Car Rental and visited Cruz Bay on several occasions as well as Coral Bay, Concordia and Trunk Bay. (Parking in Cruz Bay can be difficult but Courtesy Car Rental lets you park at their lot when you come into town) We swam with the dolphins on the island of Tortola (I would recommend this even though the price is steep. Don't forget your passport since Tortola is a British Virgin Island) and hiked the Reef Bay Trail. We also sailed on the "Pepper" with Fred and Renee and snorkeled in various locations. At Maho Bay camps my son did the glass blowing and my daughter and wife took a pottery class.
For those who have not visited Maho Bay and are considering it, I recommend you go soon before the lease is up and they have to close. Hopefully, the Trust for Public Land will be able to buy the property and extend Maho Bay's lease. There is no place on St John's where you have access to some of the most beautiful beaches (Maho Bay, Little Maho Bay, Francis Bay) at such a reasonable cost. You can cook in your tent cottage (which we did for a few nights), eat at the Maho Bay Pavillion (good food at reasonable prices) or go into Coral Bay or Cruz Bay for dinner. (In Coral Bay I would recommend Skinny Legs for great burgers) If you decide to cook in your tent cottage, I would recommend shopping at the Starfish Market in Cruz Bay.
There are plenty of activities at Maho Bay and you can charge everything to your tent cottage. This eliminates the need to travel with a lot of cash. The staff is very friendly and helpful.
My wife and I are looking forward to returning in a few years.”
— by Robert Colonna of Fanwood , NJ
(submitted on April 18, 2011)

“Hello! I stayed in Concordia in an eco tent at the top of the mountain! I was there for 10 days. My experience, while wonderful overall, had a few setbacks. First of all, these tets are very exposed to the weather, and it was so windy that sleeping was not always very restful...and the walk up the stairs was hard on my friend. When we were told we would need to walk our sheets to the laundry drop off prior to leaving very early for an early morning flight, that was a real turn-off. The penalty for not doing so was a $30.00 charge...which you are not told about prior to makeing reservations. On a more positive note, we spoke with the manager and explained our predicament, we were told we would not be charged and did not have to bring the sheets down, since we were leaving in the dark. I have to be honest and say I would not stay here again. Sorry.”
— by Deborah Camper of Greenville, USA
(submitted on April 16, 2011)

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