Heavenly Days: Supporting the Virgin Islands National Park for over 40 years

When you take a St. John day trip on Bolongo Bay Beach Resort’s catamaran Heavenly Days, you’re not only signing up for a great time — you’re also celebrating a unique part of U.S. Virgin Islands history.

In 1975, one year after opening, Bolongo Bay became the first hotel on St. Thomas with a sailboat to take guests to St. John.

The U.S. National Park Service celebrated its 100-year centennial in 2016, and visitors to the Islands have been exploring the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John — established in 1956 — for nearly half a century.

Ever since Bolongo Bay first opened its doors, we’ve been pioneers when it came to helping people discover the beauty of the Virgin Islands National Parks.

Living in the US Virgin Islands, we’re lucky to have one of America’s most beautiful parks right in our own backyard.

That’s why for over 40 years, Bolongo Bay has been sailing hotel guests to St. John to experience the natural wonders of our pristine national park.

Resort founder Dick Doumeng always wanted people to fall in love with the Virgin Islands, which inspired his vision to help guests see the entirety of the Virgin Islands, not just Bolongo Bay.

In 1975, one year after opening, Bolongo Bay became the first hotel on St. Thomas to hire a sailboat to take guests to St. John.

Ho-Tei sailing Bolongo Bay guests to the St. John National Park, 1970's

The sailboat, called Ho-Tei, was named after the god of contentment and happiness, also known as the Laughing Buddha. It had to cross the Panama Canal just to make it to the Virgin Islands. When the family who owned Ho-Tei moved to America one year later, we realized the only way to guarantee our weekly excursions was to purchase the boat. So that’s exactly what we did!

Bolongo Bay was the first St. Thomas hotel to sail guests to the St. John National Park, 1970's

Ho-Tei was in operation for some 20 years until we built the original Heavenly Days catamaran, designed and built locally by Gold Coast Yachts and Rich Difede, one of the world’s most famous and well-renowned multi-hull designers. Spend just a few minutes sailing the Heavenly Days at top speed and you’ll realize how awesome a boat she really is.

As the longest consecutively running sailing tour operator in the US Virgin Islands, Bolongo Bay has originated many of the islands’ most famous (and oft imitated) sailing excursions.

These trips include our original full-day sail to St. John, exploring pristine and protected beaches; our award-winning half-day sail to Buck Island’s turtle cove and bird sanctuary; and our famous sunset harbor cocktail cruise, a classic guest favorite.

The National Parks have been famously called “America’s Best Idea” by novelist Wallace Stegner. At Bolongo Bay, our best idea was being the first local company to let guests experience the beauty and wonder of the Virgin Islands National Parks.

About our St. John Day Sail:

Acclaimed as one of the best excursions on St. Thomas, the six-hour Heavenly Days cruise to St. John includes a sail along the shoreline of St. Thomas and across Pillsbury Sound to St. John’s quiet Honeymoon Beach in Virgin Islands National Park. We’ll anchor so you can enjoy hours of snorkeling and swimming over the coral reef, soak up the sun on the beach, and indulge in a deli-style buffet lunch and full complementary bar service.

Book Now for just $55!

For a limited time, you can enjoy this unforgettable journey for just $55 per person — that’s half off the regular price, so book fast!

Click to reserve your seat: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/bolongobay.

Bolongo Bay Beach Resort

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Located on the south coast of St Thomas, Bolongo Bay is an authentic Caribbean beach resort helping curious travelers discover life in the tropics.

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