Thanks to all the previous posters you’ve gotten some great island information. Take to heart what they’ve given you as it really is good info.

My standard rules for SXM:

Leave the valuable jewelry home and concentrate on wearing the costume stuff.

Leave nothing in your car anywhere that you would feel bad about losing. And keeping it locked at all times is usually suggested by the rental agency.

Stay out of ‘iffy’ looking areas. Particularly at night. If it looks iffy, it probably is.

I choose NOT to carry a purse at night but if I must, I carry a small hand bag with a minimum of valuable items in it and I leave all my cc’s at home but for two I might use on the island.

With regard to Mark’s restaurant that Carol mentioned, we find the mussels there to be some of the best on the island though IMHO, it’s hard to find a bad restaurant on SXM.

Many places, offer free beach lounges with the purchase of meals so it pays to ask. We usually stay on the Dutch side and beyond Mullet Bay which is our favorite island beach even when it’s not swimmable and which does NOT offer free lounges, we enjoy ElZafiro and Mary’s Boon, both offering free lounges with meals. I believe Karachter does, too, but we haven’t been there for a while.

If you would like a really high end beach day with comfortable beach furnishings and incredible dining, try the Anse Marcel Beach Resort. But beware, it can become a VERY expensive day. We usually rack up a hefty day charge and use a cc, charging it in EUs for the better exchange rate.

I think our favorite beach restaurant is Friars Bay Beach Cafe. Where else but on Friars Bay? The road to it is horrendous but the restaurant is lovely. Note, though, they do NOT accept credit cards. You will find that many of the best places are hidden away on lousy access roads but they’re worth the effort to find them.

If you plan a party evening around the island, it pays to hire a driver even if you have a car. Chances are your resort has preferred people they can recommend. My suggestion is negotiate a price and a pick-up time and arrange to pay them at the drop off at your home resort. Get their cell phone number, too.

I didn’t mean to become so long winded but after almost fifty years of annual visits I’ve found these things to work for us.

Wishing you a wonderful trip