Customer Reviews

St. John Off The Beaten Track

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am very pleased with this book's mixture of island history with excellent descriptions of the diverse trails and sights found throughout the National Park (which makes up 2/3 of this island!)

We moved to St. John a few months ago and the book is now dog-eared from use while packing it along with us. It is definitely worth carrying along because you will miss so much without it.

My only negative comment is that the author did not show pictures of the different fauna that he describes. Enjoy St. John and please respect the fragile environment!

As marine aquariasts and avid snorkelers, this book led us to the greatest snorkeling spots and some beautiful secluded beaches. Our favorite was Yawzi Point and Little Lameshur Bay. We arrived at 10:30 and were among 4 people on the beach. The waters were turquiose and the beach beautfully sandy like Trunk Bay but without the crowd. We enjoyed the right side of Yawzi Point accessible from Little Lameshur as the waters were calmer than the left hand side with similar reef to explore. Leinster Bay/Waterlemon Cay was another great find. The thing the book didn't mention was to hang your bag as Mongooses can unzip and will eat your lunch! The best, most useful book out of the three we bought. The maps are terrific as well.

Mr. Singer does a terrific job of detailing St. John's numerous hiking trails. He even gives concise, clear directions on how to get to each one. Thanks to him, we found our way to the America Hill trail with ease, and I must say the view from that vantage point was certainly worth the arduous hike up that mountain! He even gives advice on the best snorkeling spots as well as snippets of St. John history. After perusing this book, you feel as if you've been to St. John even if you never have! An absolute must for properly and thoroughly exploring the island. The only drawback is the lack of color photographs of the vegetation he describes. Also, the maps are very helpful.

I thought I had seen it all. Then I found St John Off the Beaten Track. Gerald Singer has chosen to share the hidden treasures of St John. St John is full of history, plantation ruins, nature walks. They will make your trip special.

I could not get past the lack of photographs which would have depicted what the author was discussing. The book is filled with drawings, some look like the refrigerator art we all collect when our children are in elementary school. It was like reading an article discussing colors and all the pictures were in black and white. The book discusses plants and there is no photograph of the plant. There is one section in the middle with approximately 6 to 8 photographs. I wanted to see photographs of the stinging wasps and the poisonous plants. I didn't find them.

the book was in good condition and it was very helpful. I learned more about the island than I could ever imagin.

I read a bunch of guide books before my trip, and this one was my favorite. It even beat ou the ones from the big boys. St. John Off the Beaten Track captures the local feel and flavor perfectly. I was able to discover more, and enjoy my time on St. John with this book by my side. I also picked up the National Geographic map of St. John to take with me.

Get this book, along with "St John, Feet, Fins, and four wheel drive" and get the most out of your trip to St John. Great book!

We have spent many years sailing in the Virgin Islands, and St. John has always been a favorite. This book is a great guide to where the good snorkeling is, where the good beaches are and to the St. John Trail system. It is also an excellent guide to information on this island that I have not found anywhere else nor in our somewhat *extensive* Virgin Islands library we have accumulated over the years.

That all said, this is not a book for the timid. If you want to really see this island, it takes some sweat and some work. Many of the beaches and snorkels described in this book require some work you the reader's part to do the hike, scramble along the shoreline or get to the spots described. On St. John, this in many cases is not a simple task. You will need to your own transportation if you are staying on the island and you will need to be prepared for a serious hike up steep hills carrying your gear to get to many of these places. If you are coming by boat you will need to be able to plan a bit of an expedition to get to the bays and beaches listed. In many cases, it will entail a hike from the most popular anchorages to the spots listed.

We like it like that. The snorkels are worth it - and would describe most of them to be non beginner-cruise-shipper-with-life-preserver sorts of snorkels. You should be prepared for a bit of exertion but the results will be well worth it. You should also not do these alone (of course, never snorkel alone).

All in all, great background on the island and good information on the stuff that most tourists never see. This is not a book for tourists, but a book for travelers - if you get the distinction. If you do, this book is highly recommended.

I had read this book and Singer's book on St. John's beaches prior to a family trip to St. John. Contrasted with the more commercial guide books, this book provides details on the history, geography, and flora of the island.

I found it well written and researched. It can be used as a reference, but has longer sections that read nicely. The book helped us plan our excursions with a group that included senior citizens and an infant. The discussions of the attractions gave us the information on difficulty of beach access, restroom availability, and directions.

Our favorite attractions that Singer guided us to were Leinster Bay and Salt Pond Bay. At Leinster Bay, my 6 year old daughter snorkeled with turtles, sting rays, baracuda, squid, star fish, conch, and more in a very calm grass bottom bay. This, while my infant slept in the shade of sea grape trees. We might have missed this magical spot without the recommendation.