We just got back from another vacation on SXM and although the weather and traffic didn’t cooperate, we still had a good time. We stayed at the Simpson Bay Resort and, other than the time to check-in, everything went fine.
The weather:
We have been vacationing on SXM for the last 8 years, and this is the first time the weather was an issue. We left PHL at 9:30 AM, on the 27th, and arrived in SXM at 7:30 PM. Our USAIR flight 1209, tried to land 2 times at about 2:30 PM in a terrible storm. The storm was so bad that the pilot couldn’t land and the airport then closed so we were sent to St. Thomas, where we sat on the runway for 3 ½ hours.
On Monday the 28th, it was cloudy all day but we went to Grand Case for dinner. We always try to visit SPIGA on our first night on the island but since we got in so late on Sunday, we went on Monday. On the way back to the Simpson Bay resort, it rained so hard that you couldn’t see the road. By the time we got to Cole Bay, the roads were all like rivers. I have never seen so much water on the roads. The water was flowing so fast and high that there were times that we thought the little car was floating. The water was above the bottom of the door line as water was coming in through the crack. By the time we turned in to Billy Folly Road, the pond in front of the Atrium was another flood the car experience.
Of the 9 days we were on the island, almost every day was partly cloudy and some type of rain. Because of all the storms, there was a lot of seaweed on the beaches and in the water. But even with the rain and clouds, a day on SXM is still better than a day in the office.
The restaurants and meals:
One of the reason we love SXM is all the wonderful restaurants. We always try to have our first and last meal at Spiga and again the meals were wonderful and Lara made us feel welcome. In Grand Case, we also visited Piazza Pascal, Donna is a great host, Spicy, Sophie was back from france, Bistro Caraibes and Calmos Café and all were wonderful meals. We always like stopping at Calmos because Emily makes the best margaritas.
In the Simpson Bay area, we tried Toppers, Hideaway and Buccaneer Beach Bar (BBB) for the first time and had good experiences at all three. The Hideaway was a wonder meal sitting around the pool. The burgers at BBB were very good and reasonably priced. We also eat at the Peg Leg Pub and had a very good steak but they are a little pricey. We also grabbed a burger at the Sunset Bar and Grill and found their burgers to be marginal, overpriced, and they wouldn’t accept their Caribbean Card, or allow a credit card charge unless the bill was over something like $40. By far, the SSB&G was the biggest disappointment on the trip.
We ate most of our breakfasts at Zee Best in Simpson bay as we really like their pastries.
The Traffic:
The traffic was the worst we have ever seen it. The construction and the rain made traveling a nightmare. We eventually determined that leaving the Simpson Bay Resort before 7:30 AM, and driving through Phillipsburg to get to Orient beach, was our best option. We couldn’t drive through Marigot as it too had construction going on in the Sandy Ground area. In addition to the road construction in Marigot, the circle heading out of Marigot for Grand Case is so bad that traffic comes to a complete stop. Coming home from Orient beach we found that driving through Marigot and Cole Bay was our best option.
However, it does look like they are near completion of the road work on Welfare Road. They were paying it on the 6th.
Beaches:
Orient Beach was still one of our favorite beaches, with warm water and lots of sand, but a lot of sea weed on the beach and in the water... Spent most of our time at Ka Kao and Karl was still there... We went to Palm Beach on the days that there were several cruise ships in Philipsburg. The Palm Beach was good, but expensive. Attended the Sunday night party at Palm Beach and it was a lively party. The party had a DJ playing lively music and it real got lively at about 10:00.
Met up with old acquaintances Ann Mary, Tommy, Lou Anne, Eddie, Peggy, Tim, Mark, Mya, Janet and Tim at the Sunset Bar and Grill. Drinks are overpriced and they were playing “elevator music” every night. No wonder they were closing at 9:00PM.
Misc:
Also picked up some common alcohol to bring home from the Prime. Great prices but they have reduced the amount and types of alcohol they are carrying for retail sales. We also stopped at Bacchus, behind the US Market in Grand Case, to pick up 8 bottles of wine to bring home.
Played cards at the Hollywood Casino almost every night and broke even.
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