This is going to be long…..we were on the island for 25 days. Flew from MIA on AA on March 5.
I may be repeating some of my report from some daily reports I tried to do for a couple of days…but between lousy internet connections, and not being allowed to ‘’log on’’ at Saphire, and then not being able to post new posts at Royal Islander some of this may be repeated from previous posts. Sorry…but will try to keep it to a minimum.
When we arrived we were greeted at the airport by Myra from AAA car rental. I booked with Alain for the first time this year, due to some great reviews from members of this forum. He did not disappoint. Had a very nice Corolla, plenty of power, and a great price!!!! We were on our way immediately after we got our luggage. From there to Sharon’s to get our phone. And then on our way.
Our first week was at Saphire was a true adventure in ‘’camping’’. We were supposed to stay at Pelican for our first week, but due to the circumstances we were changed to Saphire. The view from the room was nice, but the Saphire needs a ton of work. (It really should be taken out of the RCI system, since they have neglected the maintenance issues for a long time). Our second floor room had a nice ocean view, but was way outdated with old furniture, a rusted refrigerator, a terrible mattress, and a few maintenance issues that took forever to fix. The entire week we had no room telephone, was missing the remote for the tv, and most of the amenities in the kitchen that we are used to were missing. After complaining EVERY day we were there to the front desk, most of the issues we had were rectified on Friday…the day before we were moving to the Royal Islander. The pool at Saphire needs a lot of work since the tiles are falling off the walls, for four days the lights were sitting out on top of the pool waiting to be serviced, and as you walk around the pool, the pool floor is actually crumbling under your feet!!! Landscaping is horrible, with weeds growing everywhere, and it appears that the exterior of the back part of the property hasn’t seen a coat of paint for twenty years!!! They really are letting the place go to hell. It really is too bad, since at one time it was a FABULOUS property.
First week, we went to Granduca, and Enzo was a great host as always….and the food was great. Also had to go to Mullett to get my Rosie’s fix of ribs, Toppers, to get my brisket and calamari, Brother Jimmy’s to try it…(wont be going back anytime soon), Mark’s Place for the first time, since it has gotten such great reviews here, and have to agree…YUMMY. Also one nite went to Abu Ghazzi for a cheap nite of food, and found it very tasty and reasonably priced…and we discovered one of Saint Martin’s newest must do place…the CAROUSEL!! Hands down, this place has the largest display of Gellato I have ever seen, and the pineapple Gellato is to DIE FOR!!! We ended up back there five times!!! Also did Pizza Pasta a couple of times to get the best lasagna known to man. And of course we hit Orient , and had my fix of Andy’s famous mussels. Also, have to mention that during the first week, went to the TTOL party at the Greenhouse and had the pleasure of meeting a lot of you there!!! Thank you for making my wife and myself feel so welcomed, and we did enjoy our time with the people there.
Finally the following Saturday we were able to go to our ‘’second home’’…the Royal Islander LaPLage. It was so great going back there again, for our twentieth time. Talk about going to the worse run timeshare ever to the BEST run time share anywhere!!! Found everything working great, the property in SUPURB condition, and was pleasantly pleased to find that the TV’s were changed since last year, to flatscreens probably 42 inches. They also improved the cable system there, and got more channels with a great picture. Here we had a fully stocked kitchen with plenty of glassware, plasticware, utensils, and super clean. There is no place like home!!!!! Only thing lacking this year at LaPLage was our beach. So far it still is almost non existent…but it did seem to somewhat start to come back last week a bit.
Dinners second and third week consisted of another trip to Granduca…a fabulous steak at Bajatsu, a great meal at Fusion, and three trips to Le Moulen Fou. For those who have never tried it, it’s a must do. Don’t know why people flock to Grand Case, when the Maho restaurants are just as !! Also the best ossobuco I’ve had at LaRosa. Another meal at Pizza Pasta, and after another recommendation we went back to Lee’s, and loved it…and found the Hideaway at LaVista. Food at Hideaway was pretty good, BUT we ended up going on Wednesday nite, not knowing it is Kareaoke night there. ATTENTION TTOL’ERS…..DO NOT…I REPEAT…DO NOT GO TO HIDEAWAY ON WEDNESDAY NITES. The couple that runs it have to be the WORST singers we ever heard…in fact, it was on the verge on painful. Even the waiter commented to us that they really are horrible, and he has to put up with them every wed nite. I bet that there are no dogs at all around Pelican Key on Wednesday nites, because I am sure the sounds that they hear would keep them away!!! LOL
Now, for some new beaches we went to this year. Dawn Beach near Mr. Busby’s is a great beach, good food, and very reasonable. They charge a whopping ten dollars for two chaises and an umbrella. And…the food at Busby’s is fabulous for lunch. We really enjoyed ourselves there. And the piece de resistance is that we finally made it to Karakter for the first time. Wow…what a great stretch of beach, very comfortable free chaises and umbrellas….and without a doubt…THE BEST BEACH FOOD….EVER!!!! The Coconut Shrimp appetizer, their huge frozen drinks, the ‘’chicken skewers’’, and even the tuna sandwich my wife had were absolutely FABULOUS!! And…I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the entire staff there, from the cook to the bartenders, to the beach staff make the day most enjoyable. Only problem we had was that we didn’t make it to our next to last day….but next year will be a lot different!!! Our new favorite hangout!! Also had a few lunches at Tortuga at Royal Islander, a pizza at Driftwood, and a lousy hamburger there too. Also a great lunch at Sunset!!! I am sure I am missing a few places, but after three and a half weeks….without taking notes cant think of them now.
As I posted before, had the pleasure of seeing the vintage ww2 planes come and go a few times. They truly were awe inspiring!!!
This year, I saw more people on the island, than probably have been for at least ten years. The restaurants seemed busier, the stores more bustling, and the island was ‘’greener’’ than it has been for years. Probably those rain showers that some people complained about a few weeks earlier played a part in that. There still is plenty of construction going on everywhere, but the roads seemed to be in better condition this year. Also…the police presence has improved on both sides of the island. This year they seemed to be everywhere…but still plenty of storied about theft, carjackings, and trunk break ins. Thankfully we didn’t encounter any troubles.
We finally made it back home Monday nite after being ‘’held hostage’’ for a couple of extra days due to the MIAMI airport gas explosion. I am sure this was a huge inconvenience to a lot of people both needing to leave…and the poor people sitting in Miami for extra days trying to get to their vacations, but we didn’t really care when we got home. It was horrible spending an extra full day at Orient, having two extra great meals both at LaGondola, and LeMoulen Fou, etc. If I were to be stranded again, I hope its in paradise at the end of vacation…instead of being stranded in a lousy airport trying to get to our destination!!!!
And for the final comment…Miami International Airport has always, and still totally sucks!!! We must’ve walked ten miles to get to customs, and it is still a joke. Very user unfriendly. We had an awesome three and a half weeks….and I am sure I am leaving out more stuff, but probably have used up more than my allocation of space.
49 weeks before we can do it all again….(with the exception of the sapphire),but who’se counting????
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