Took City Bus to Sapphire Beach

Just got back from cruise. Took local bus from Havensite to Sapphire beach. No problem. $2.00 each way. Small beach with excellent snorkeling.

Where exactly did you catch the bus? Will be there in May and would like to do the bus to sapphire.

We would like to do this as well, and would love any details especially on how and where to take the bus. Do they have snorkeling equipment to rent there? Trying to decide if we should take ours or not. Thanks!

We would like to do this as well, and would love any details especially on how and where to take the bus. Do they have snorkeling equipment to rent there? Trying to decide if we should take ours or not. Thanks!

I have read on other reviews that yes they have snorkel gear to rent at a dive shop on the beach.

We were on the Regal which was first one into dock. When you come out of Havensite go straight. We went right the first time and it was the wrong way. When you turn around you will see the bow of the ship. Walk up the road and you will see the kmart sign but you don't need to go there. You will see a bus stop and directly across from it you will see a road that forks toward the hospital. We were told by a local where to go which we did and the Safari bus pulled up and said where are you going. Said Saphire beach and driver said get in this is the $2.00 bus. It was not full so we were not taking seat from any locals. Took about 30 minutes to get to Saphire beach resort. You do walk down a steep hill to beach. No problem at all. You do sit on your towels. I did see a sign that said $9.00 for chair for day and they did have snorkel equipment. I took my own. The snorkeling was really good. When we were done we walked back up to the top of the hill and waited for the $2 bus. Keep in mind the regular taxi drivers will also try and pick you up but of course charge more. We would ask if it was the $2.00 bus. Took about 45 minutes to get back again we did not take a seat from a local. I do have to say the local's on the bus were friendly and very kind. They did not hesitate to ensure we got off and on at the right spot. The beach was also small but nice and not crowded. We have been to Water Island many times and have loved it there but it is getting busy and we had a a scare on our last trip with the ferry boat captain not leaving the dock until a couple of workers who budded got off. It was a bit of a stand off and it was us who would have missed our ship. We would go back to Saphire beach.

Thanks so much for the info. How far is the walk to the bus stop

Sounds easy enough. Thanks......:)

Thanks for that info! I'll try the $2 bus on my cruise next week. Local buses are always more fun than taxis!

I don’t post very often but I live here and travel this way frequently. I am happy when I see visitors enjoying the local travel experience, but for every visitor who has enjoyed the freedom and adventure associated with travel via the local safari (described as the $2 bus) there is also one who has really not appreciated this island mode of travel and has ended the day frazzled and stressed out. Each party must evaluate their own level of comfort for traveling this way.

The local safaris do not take passengers directly from point A to point B and they do not go directly to any east end beaches. It is necessary to walk the last ¼ to ½ mile to the beach. These local safaris follow a route circling the east end of the island on the main road and they make frequent stops but they do NOT follow a schedule or have exact pick up times for any point. The amount of time one must wait for a safari to come by varies by day of week and time of day. Especially during mid to late afternoons I have waited as long as 35 minutes at a pick up stop until one came along that had room for additional passengers. Vehicles are often filled to capacity with workers and students returning home. You might have to wait for more than one vehicle to come by to find one with room for additional passengers.

If you enjoy an adventure and are NOT on a tight schedule this might work for you. If you consider yourself a nervous traveler or on a tight schedule I would not plan on using this method of transportation unless I carried enough cash to get my group back to the ship by taxi if time ran short. Hope this helps everyone have a relaxing day in beautiful St. Thomas! :)

andyc222/Livethelife - Planning to spend some time on Sapphire on our Oasis cruise. Any place to get drinks on Sapphire? Thank you.

As I mentioned we waited on Water Island for the ferry boat captain to get going as he waited for some bidders to get off. Any where you travel you can find yourself in a situation you don't like. There were lots of regular taxi going by and stopping. One stopped and said if you are waiting for $2 bus they are on strike. We can not get over how nice the locals were on the bus. Don't worry. Yes there was some place to buy

drinks. Sapphire is nothing like Megan bay. Smaller and less crowded and only $2 to get there and no admission fee.

As I mentioned we waited on Water Island for the ferry boat captain to get going as he waited for some bidders to get off.

What is a bidder?

The taxi drivers do NOT like the safari system and will tell you all sorts of things. The $2 safari drivers are actually licensed taxi drivers who are illegally doing the bus route. P.S.There is no strike, as the drivers are all self-employed...

Sorry spell check. Should have been budder, as in bud in line.

Obviously no strike as got $2 bus. Point is the taxi drivers may heckle you but they are harmless. Honestly didn't care about them being legal. They were friendly and took my $2 . If someone is concerned they should get in the $10 per person taxi rather than the $2 bus. I was a little nervous to do it but no problem at all. There was 3 of us so we saved 48 US which is about $65 Canadian. I can wait a few minutes for the $2 bus. The bus stop is only about a 10 minute walk from ship. You wait longer at the pair for the taxi to fill up.

Andyc222 - No foul, no harm. I'm glad it worked for you but you missed the point I was trying to make. Getting out to the east end early in the day is not a problem; it's getting back into town mid to late afternoon on the "$2 bus" that can take some time because of the number of local workers and students traveling this way. No one can reliably depend on being able to get on the first "bus" that goes by and making it back to town in 30-40 minutes. The tourist safaris that line up at the beaches whisk passengers directly back from beach to pier. They are usually quicker than local buses and the drivers are well aware of sailing times. Also the local bus drops travelers off along the route and individuals will still have to walk the last couple of blocks to the pier. All this takes time.

Should anyone think I am promoting the taxi business let me assure you I have no financial interest in either the taxi or the local safari business but I have seen far too many visitors who have greatly underestimated travel time and who have been absolutely stressed out worrying they aren't going to make "all aboard". Yes, you saved some money because you didn't cut return time too close but I only made a suggestion for groups to bring taxi money in case time ran short and they decided on direct transportation via taxi. I don't want anyone's last memory of St Thomas to be colored by stress! ;)

I was wondering if the $2 bus system was still in operation. We've taken it a couple of times on past trips and look forward to using it again. We always get an early start and return in early afternoon to avoid stress (and too much sun). The fares charged by regular taxis are outrageous.

The safari system is still operational. Because of some road work on St Thomas, they may change their route over the next 6 months. Yes, the taxi fares are outrageous. It is the only way some local people feel they can make money. They are a strong voting block and they make sure that the fare structure remains in their favor.

Where is the road construction and how is the safari route likely to change?

There is currently construction on two roads - the one going to Coki and the one on safari route return. The detour road to Coki is a much longer walk - way too long for almost everybody in the heat.

With the construction, the $2 safaris are even less reliable than before, because when there was a heavy rain, the road was totally blocked so you never know from day to day.

I realize that road construction can drag on forever but any idea on a time frame for the disruption? We'll be back at the end of November and might want to go to Coki Beach.

Estimate is one year so no time soon.

Thanks so much for the information.

Andyc222 - No foul, no harm. I'm glad it worked for you but you missed the point I was trying to make. Getting out to the east end early in the day is not a problem; it's getting back into town mid to late afternoon on the "$2 bus" that can take some time because of the number of local workers and students traveling this way. No one can reliably depend on being able to get on the first "bus" that goes by and making it back to town in 30-40 minutes. The tourist safaris that line up at the beaches whisk passengers directly back from beach to pier. They are usually quicker than local buses and the drivers are well aware of sailing times. Also the local bus drops travelers off along the route and individuals will still have to walk the last couple of blocks to the pier. All this takes time.

 

Should anyone think I am promoting the taxi business let me assure you I have no financial interest in either the taxi or the local safari business but I have seen far too many visitors who have greatly underestimated travel time and who have been absolutely stressed out worrying they aren't going to make "all aboard". Yes, you saved some money because you didn't cut return time too close but I only made a suggestion for groups to bring taxi money in case time ran short and they decided on direct transportation via taxi. I don't want anyone's last memory of St Thomas to be colored by stress! ;)

While staying at the Sapphire Beach Resort we've driven into red Hook for groceries and back an hour later and have seen folks still waiting at the top of the hill for the $2 bus a few times (after a hot climb). If we had been going into CA we would've offered a ride of course. But just be aware that you can get passed by a few full buses and budget your time accordingly. And of course if you get to the road early with that in mind and a bus comes right away you've lost all o that time you could have spent staring at the islands...:rolleyes:

Live the Life, that is some very helpful info! We won't be there until the first week of December, but I like to research early. So if we take Safari to Sapphire, it would be easy to catch a cab back? Are the taxis prices regulated, or do they negotiate? I think someone said it's $10 per person each way. I can swallow a total of $24 to get there and back, but $40 is a little steep!:eek:

Cost for two is $40.00 round trip by taxi. We spent $8.00 by using the bus and experienced no problem at all.

Cost for two is $40.00 round trip by taxi. We spent $8.00 by using the bus and experienced no problem at all.

That's great that you had no major delays and wait times. Nice way to travel when it works! We followed the buses last time we stayed on STT and saw many day visitors getting passed up by full buses so again, just that caveat for folks.