TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Planning to return

We would like to return in December or January. In the past we stayed on the French side at Mt Vernon, spent most days at the Club O Beach, most evenings in Grand Case and a few evenings in Moho. Is it safe to drive late at night through the island's interior to and from Moho from the Orient Beach area? We usually spend 2 weeks on the island with 3 or 4 nights visiting Moho. I could start out staying at a Hotel near Moho for 3 or 4 nights, get our Moho visits out of the way, and then finish the stay near Orient with no late night trips other than to Grand Case. I know it will be years if ever before the island returns to its previous ways, but we really miss it and would like to return and spend some of our vacation $ there. We just returned from Aruba and it wasn't close to being the same.

The area is called Maho not Moho. Just so you know.

We do the reverse...stay in MAHO and spend our days usually at Orient....and then go back to Grand Case for dinner. It is a very safe and usually a quick ride, especially since the causeway was built. Used to be sketchy at night going threw the lowlands...but not anymore.

What were you looking forward to doing in Maho? It was pretty much wiped out in Irma. Loads of destruction.

I wondered the same, BeachKitten.

We are staying at orient and just came back from simpson bay area, roads are good but dark areas where roads not marked well. I wouldn't think there is any more of a problem now as before the storm. We have been here for two weeks and have not felt unsafe at all. I see no reason for u not come back, but orient is nothing like it was, hardly anything left and it has been very windy and yesterday was rainy and cold, I have never been cold here but was yesterday was bad but today was windy but wasn't a bad day at all.

In the past (pre hurricane Irma) we'd drive from Divi to Orient Village , Grand Case, Concordia for dinners and found middle road very busy. Hubby calls that road LeMans. We were even forced off the road once. During the day it's fine.

Maho area won't be a viable choice due to damage. Consider Simpson Bay or Philipsburg area. Divi & Belair located just out of town expect to reopen this May. Grand Case lost a lot of buildings but there are a few reopened. Perhaps more will by the time you visit.

Maho is currently looking pretty much like a war zone. That said, I had a very good dinner at Le Moulin Fou last evening. The poster referred to coming in Dec/Jan, and I believe both the Royal Islander and La Terrasse expect to be open by then. There's lots of work going on on the shopping areas on both sides of the street now as well, but very few places are currently open.

I'm not sure if you were asking about French-side places to stay or not. Just in case, while I haven't stayed there yet myself, the following place gets good reviews. It's on the road to Friars and is extremely reasonably priced.

Mon Reve

Check out "so chic villas" they are in the village. Great operators and with recent events they are now beachfront.