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Trip Report Orient, Mullet, Grand Case. barryvabeach Yesterday at 11:37 PM On Saturday, only 600 cruise passengers were expected, so we decided to go to a long time favorite, Orange Fever at Orient Beach. Two chairs with pads on the front row were $10, which I thought was quite reasonable. We also had their BBC's , which are great, and their pizza, which is a crispy style, and my wife had a salad. JC was there and was, in his words, bombastic. The weather was nice, not as windy as Grand Case has been, and the water was great for swimming. I saw a tractor on the beach towards Mt. Vernon that was picking up the sargassum, but only saw some in the water right opposite Mt. Vernon, none near Orange Fever or the other restaurants. On the way back, we stopped at Sebastien Quillere in the Mt. Vernon shopping plaza opposite Leader Price, and exercised great restraint - we only bought 2 lemons, a chocolate concotion and a brownie. The Lemon was, as always , out of this world, and the brownie, while not a work of art, was fantastic. That night we had leftovers from our Orange Fever Lunch.

Sunday, there were no cruise ships on the schedule, so we went to Mullet. $30 for a pair of chairs in front of Rosies. Almost no wind, waves were gentle and swimming was fun and even saw a few fish snorkeling by the rocks on the left end of the beach. Lunch was Rosies - chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers - nothing to write home about.

That night we went to La Villa. We got a mushroom ravoli as an appetizer, it was great, and my wife got the shrimp and scallops which were quite tasty. Service was impeccable, and the place was packed by 6:30, not an empty seat .

Monday and Tuesday, we were a little under the weather, so stayed at Grand Case - again, very windy. Tonight we took a walk and surveyed the options, and decided to try Quintessence , where Pascuals used to be. We ordered a Ceasar Salad and two pizzas to go, so I can't say anything about the service. I got a margherita and my wife ordered the St. Martin. The Cesar came in a bread bowl made of pizza dough, and my wife loved it. The margherita was spot on if you like thin crust, a little char on the bottom, and a puffy rim. Unfortunately , while the St. Martin was supposed to have goat cheese, but the time we got home we realized they substituted barrata. Otherwise, that pizza was good, but a lot of food, especially the prosciutto,

Although it was Tuesday night, no sign of a Harmony night Les Mardis de Grand Case, nor has the street been closed to through traffic any night this week. I had heard that Harmony night had been postponed, but not sure when it will resume.

Traffic was light on both Saturday and Sunday, and while in years past, the scooters were horrendous, I only saw a few on each trip.
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New fee’s for USVI charter boats entering the BVI’s Andiamo Yesterday at 02:20 PM Morning! We are looking forward to our upcoming charter out of the USVI and into the BVI’s in June. Original plan was to spend 1-2 nights moored off St John before clearing into the BVI’s for the remainder of the week. Just stumbled onto the article below and wanted to see if anyone had any more information/clarification.

https://stthomassource.com/content/...-cripple-charter-industry-officials-say/

We’ve done the BVI’s 4 times now and chartered in the USVI’s during Covid. Was looking forward to bringing our kids to combine the two trips for a new experience…
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Martinique in Jan CrazyCanuxx Yesterday at 04:24 AM I am remiss in providing a Martinique travel report...and at this point, am relying on my old noggin.

Summary

Martinique is a lovely french island where locals share stories about Canadian visitors who were one of the first tourist groups to the island (I interpreted to mean Quebecers are an important tourist market), and others share how they have traveled to or lived in Montreal. The southern part of the island is served by a well maintained highway system flanked by sugar cane on both sides, and every so often a homestead on a hill, overlooking the fields. Shops and restaurants were very inviting with helpful and skilled staff, often sharing the source and uniqueness of their products. I did not see much chinese tchatkas here.

Go to Martinique if you are comfortable driving on long stretches of highways with many small villages to create interest. Food service was impeccable. It is so nice not to be interrupted mid bite and provided with ample opportunity to bask in the stunning sunset. As for the beaches, Plage des Salines is the most stunning beach of the south and worth a long lazy afternoon visit.

Nitty Gritty details

I arrived late at the airport due to Winair flight delay. As it was past 10pm, the taxi cost 140 euros to Ste Anne. They have an app they use on their cell. Ste Anne is a charming village with plenty of intrigue to capture your adventuring spirit for the day. There is a mid sized expensive grocery store with Canadian bread (what is that??? I think it had a blue maple leaf on it too lolol), a few restaurants and night time bars with a live band on the water near the pier. From the bus station you can take a bus to Plage des Salines for 2e10. The ride is about 10 mins or so. Last bus at 4:30pm.

At Plage des Salines you will find an unpaved road with a handful of beach bars. These line the road away from the beach providing ample shade and a relaxing atmosphere, no loud boom boom here. Walk through the narrow shaded area towards 2km of white sandy beach and calm waters to serenade you to dreamland. On the water side there are one or two big beach bars, and way down at the far end is a restaurant.

There are a few entertaining characters with creative flair selling their pareos, dresses, pants, tops, etc. It's a good visual distraction. They are non intrusive which is such a blessing. Looks like they made good sales on the day I was there as I saw them being approached many times as they walked up and down the beach in a fashion show attitude.

From here, due to an airbnb issue I taxied to Trois Islets (100e) which is very fun to explore. Creole village is a well placed plaza with unique shops (parfume, brazil hand made reed/mixed materials purses and jewelry, white linen store (same one as in sxm), etc. Nearby is a laundromat. The small beaches here are calm. Refreshing but nothing to write home about. Restaurants line the beach from Le Marin towards Creole Village.

Here you will find three ferry docks that will bring you to FDF in 20mins... if they sail, that is. When I was there, the pay machines were broke so it was free. I understand a new company took over. Two of the docks are a short walk apart, so I chose the marina ferry which I was told was more reliable - it was 1.5 hrs late.

There is a small, expensive grocery store here that carries so little, I wouldn't rely on it. This depanneur is near the casino - note you need id to walk in the casino.

In FDF is a large indoor market with mostly the same items found in grand case, marigot and p'burg. Spices, rhum, veggies, etc. There were some unique trinkets. Here there are a handful (including upstairs) restaurants with good local food and priced affordably. I think I paid 23e for fish, side, beer and simple desert.

I visited a small museum for 4e. This was worth an hour of so for a short study on the populations that arrived centuries ago. Do visit the historical library with preserved ancient titles. Here they also had a small art exhibition.

The taxi to the airport was 50e from Trois Islets...so you should rent a car... though you can take the ferry to fdf for a much more economical option and taxi from there, and when the ferry is on time, probably just as quick as a taxi at a fraction of the cost.

On my last night in Trois Islets, I heard loud noises in the distance. I could not figure out where the celebrations could be found... not to worry, the marching band came to me. They marched from the Creole Village to le Marin. There must have been 40-50 band members of all ages... dancers, conch, trombone, trumpet, and of course drums. The little ones were so cute. They were practicing for Carnival. They had events the first weekend of Jan in FDF for Carnival... so if you are looking for some fun, Fort de France is it!

Note about the airport. It is quick and efficient, very modern... though I was shocked at the few shops airside. There is duty free of course and a shop with hand painted ceramics, and such as well as a Love store. I think there was only one take out spot to eat.

Summary

Martinique is a classy french island where the service staff try to speak English with the tourists. Mostly, I recommend a google translator to make the experience as enjoyable as possible, unless you are french of course. The southern half of the island is a wide open space with low rises and a welcoming atmosphere. The restaurant experiences were exquisite. I had a fabulous tuna tartar (2 4 1 drinks from 5-6? pm) across from the Casino.

Many swear by Martinique rhum... I found it fortified to a % that was not to my liking though Trois Islet bartenders are expert Mojito mixers. I was addicted. Do you think it was the crushed ice?

Now for the Martinique or Guadeloupe question everyone contemplates at this stage. I like both. There is no clear winner.

Gwada

Much larger than Martinique
Frances 2nd? largest shopping mall. It was impressive with all the french fashions in one spot. A grocery store as well.
Deshaies is a small village. There really is no beach. Here I could not find a rental car the first week of dec as it is high tourist season. Rent your car from the airport at a higher fair to save yourself some time.
There is a large transport bus from Deshaies to a bus terminal. It was only a few euros for the fair.
The tropical rain forest has the most magestic leaves I have ever seen... larger than a standing human.
French is an asset.
Crime may be higher here (unconfirmed, thru discussions with the locals)
I heard alot of "toute suite" meaning right now.

Martinique

Very similar to Gwada
I preferred Fort de France to Basseterre for the daytime vibes.
Ste Anne is for quiet and quaint getaways
Trois Islets is for the later evening crowds (though it didn't seam to go to all hours of the night like Simpson Bay)
Food and service were top notch
French is an asset
Don't rely on the busses on the southern half
FdF has modern city busses with a lovely park/beach near the Fort Louis
There is a section for alcohol drinking which is self serve. The food tables are full service. Please observe this if you want proper service.

Regrets

I didn't get to to St Pierre, the Savanne des Esclaves, Mount Pelee, or a distillery. So, Martinique... I will be back.

I hope you enjoyed the read and this helped with your next journey to Martinique.

Thanks to ttolers who provided suggestions many months ago. I appreciate you.
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Random Qs - Tortola and Jost Jerseyshoregal 02/17/2025 06:46 PM We are heading down for a week in March - 3 nights at the Hideout and 4 nights at Long Bay. The cruise ships will be there in full force. My understanding is that the Long Bay beach isn't great for swimming because of the reef, so we are looking for a very swimmable beach on Tortola other than CGB, which will be packed - preferably with chairs and at least drink offerings. I think Brewer's fits that bill but I'm not sure if it has chairs, and not sure how crowded it gets when ships are in. And would love some other suggestions. We don't mind waves, just can't deal with the reef bottom.

Also wondering if anyone has tried the new restaurant f/k/a Quito's - forgetting the name - looks like it is going for similar vibe with live music. We'd like to go for a late afternoon into cocktail hour and dinner, once the cruise shippers are gone.

Also, any recommendations on Jost for the daytime when the cruise shippers will also be swarming beautiful White Bay (ugh, so so sad) - I'm hoping we can deal with it, but if not, we might need like a half day trip on Jost.

And last question - this will be my hubby's first trip to Foxy's - what is the best night for LIVE music (as opposed to DJ) - we will only be there Sat, Sun, Mon nights. I don't know if those are great nights on Foxy's b/c the sailors are generally there more like Weds-Thurs.

Very, very excited to head down, just wish the cruise shippers were not coming - my earlier trips to the BVI 20 or so years ago did not have this problem!!
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cupecoy beach club sxmmimi 02/17/2025 05:13 PM Has anyone stayed here recently? Thank you in advance for any and all info
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Grand Case restaurants RonDon 02/17/2025 02:42 PM Any info on new restaurants in Grand Case? All searches found old info including places that have closed.

Has anything opened where Piazza Pascal used to be? How about where Le Bistronome was?

Based on Jazzgirls description we may try JAVA. A definite repeat for us will be La Berge Gourmand. Toss up between Bistro Caribes & Le Cottage. Used to love La Villa but since Christoph & Florence no longer run it I've removed it from our list based only on price increases.
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Any place for good crepes ? bbeach 02/17/2025 01:19 PM On orient and a little drizzle and clouds so crepes are on my mind this am. Any suggestions appreciated !
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Documentation? Phyllis 02/16/2025 11:20 PM Hi, all - we'll be coming to the island in July, and wondered if there's any additional documentation beyond a US Passport that we will need? Thank you!
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More to see jeepers 02/16/2025 06:58 PM Scallops & shrimp cream sauce & flank steak with spicy pepper sauce (la main a la pate) relish!
Dump truck entirely painted with Hulk pictures.
Lobster hot dog with homemade bun declared delicious by my hubby. 978 on friars bay
Also my flank steak with vegetables with veg & red curry sauce. Homemade pineapple cake. A big hit!!
La favela orient stuffed zucchini & tomato with beef & tomato sauce. Very nice!
Yummy rum with pineapple & vanilla in bottle from Guadeloupe.
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More various pics jeepers 02/16/2025 06:40 PM Photos
Bamboo house we enjoyed the locale. Korean stone pot rice $36 US very nice. Angry dragon shrimp.
Cruise ship passing as seen from bamboo house & their comfy area on a different level.
Orange fever chicken & shrimp with curry sauce. Orange cat there also
Swings at kontiki & 978 friars bay. I purchased the coverup on the kontiki photo at club o boutique that day it needs taking up. lol
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