I'm usually a hyperactive kind of traveler, the type who crams countless activities into each day. And by the time I return home, I need a vacation from my vacation. But not on St. Thomas. As soon as I enter Sand Dollar's doors, I know I am going to love the island without ever leaving the property.
Just a half-hour ride from the airport and 15 minutes from the capital of Charlotte Amalie, Sand Dollar is beachfront on Magens Bay. The villa, aesthetically framed with rich landscaping, lies at the end of a steep driveway that leads to the pink stone steps of the main entrance.
As soon as my friend Kendra, another high-energy traveler, and I drag our luggage through the door, we're all smiles. Standing on the second-floor landing, our eyes are locked on a vista of Magens Bay beyond the main living area. The view is, quite literally, presidential, as President Bill Clinton, his family and some select friends have stayed here.
Sand Dollar begs to be lived in. The four large bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths (including the mother-in-law unit near the pool) can accommodate eight adults and five children comfortably. In the main villa, the full kitchen and cozy living room in Caribbean-warm hues with whimsical trompe l'oeil murals - complete with an entertainment system - add to the luxurious, yet unpretentious feel.
I claim the largest of the three suites - Bill and Hillary's - which has a private Jacuzzi. Kendra stakes out the Chelsea suite - a smaller room across the landing that's comfortable with cool blue walls, splashy murals and loads of books on the rattan shelves.
After making a quick rum drink and setting out some fruit - the villa managers will stock the kitchen and bar upon request - we turn on the stereo, sink into the overstuffed couches and realize we don't have, need or want a plan. Instead, we head for the back yard.
Down the steps from the rear balcony is a private pool with an expansive wooden deck and gazebo. And just a flight of stairs beyond is Sand Dollar's private beach - powdery-white sand with teeny-tiny wavelets that break ever so softly in exquisitely transparent curls. During the next few days, we manage to leave the villa to shop for food, reel in some duty-free bargains in Charlotte Amalie, enjoy dinner and drinks - we even ride the ferry three miles to
St. John to have a blackened fish sandwich at Woody's Seafood Saloon - but mostly we remain at our base camp, catching sun, snorkeling right off the beach, reading and taking epic naps.
I know there are a million things to do on St. Thomas, from diving and sailing to golf, but all that can wait for another trip. For once, when I return home I won't need a vacation.
Sand Dollar Villa can be rented for $6,100-$11,875 per week, plus $75 per child. Rates include maid service thrice weekly, wet bar, answering machine, cable TV and air conditioning in every room. Call West Indies Management Company at 800-932-3222 (www.wimcovillas.com) or McLaughlin Anderson Luxury Villas at 800-537-6246 (www.mclaughlinanderson.com).
Posted online 03/01/01.
