loislynn,

This is just my personal opinion and I know many others may think differently, but IMHO, AXA is not a place to go and to do, but more of a place to go and to chill and enjoy the wonderful and equally beautiful beaches and dining ops across the island.

The first time we went we did an island sight-seeing tour but that was probably 35 years ago, and for the next few years we were pretty much content to just go and enjoy the beaches - each one is just a little different from the one before and they're all gorgeous.

Then we started doing 3-4 night stay-overs and that was really the best of the best. We didn't do anything there that we couldn't do on St. Maarten/St. Martin but it's a very different vibe there as far as I've experienced. It's way more laid-back and much calmer than many of the islands we've explored, but if you're not into the water activities or the simple acts of beaching and dining, we never found much more to do. It's not a shopping mecca, for sure, but it's a great place to chill and enjoy.

We never bothered with renting a car but I know it's a very easy thing to do - there will be people there right outside of immigration and at one time, you could even make the arrangements on the ferry over. You do have to get an island driving permit - basically show your license and pay the fee - and remember, it's opposite side of the road drive from in the States. Not much traffic but just be careful on the roundabouts and watch for wandering animals darting in front of your car.

As for the ride over, unless the seas are very rough, I truly doubt you'll have a problem with seasickness but wrist bands would probably help if you think it necessary, and if the seas are that rough, you probably don't want to go anyway.