Day 1 (March 23, 2019)

I Did: We arrived at Newark Liberty at 5 in the morning. Our flight left at 8:30. We ended up having a layover in Antigua for about 6 hours.
I Ate: I had sushi at a place called Big Banana during the layover.
I Bought: A neck pillow. I was up since 3!
I Wore: For the flight I wore jeans and a volleyball hoodie. It wasn’t quite summer weather in Newark!
I Thought: I’ve never seen so many stars! (A am a North Jersey girl, after all!)

I know that was lame, but it was only the first day. There will be more days reported, I promise!

Sounds good, Allison! Not the six hour layover in Antigua, but hearing that you made the trip. Definitely want to hear about the volleyball games you organized on Orient Beach!

Can't wait to hear more. Thanks for the initial report!

I love the format! Hope you continue it each day!!

Wear your sunscreen!

Lol. SammyM, I ended up not really organizing anything, unless a few rounds with my parents and boyfriend count.

Day 2 (March 24, 2019)

I Did: We went to Loterie Farm. Unfortunately, some parts were closed because of Irma. We first took a guided hiking tour. We then went zip lining. Finally, we spent a couple of hours in the pool.
I Ate: We had dinner at Le Piment on the French side. I had steak with a goat cheese salad.
I Bought: Nothing today. The experience was enough.
I Wore: I wore a pair of capris jeans with a tee for the hike and zip lining. There were some trees by the pool to give me shade so I was able to go full bikini there.
I Thought: Zip lining is awesome, but it’s no Six Flags. I loved the hiking tour, though. I didn’t expect to see such a thing on such a small island. I was also surprised that our restaurant didn’t open until 6. I figured there would be a few differences here.

Nice report. Hope you're using 50 sunscreen or higher! Last month, even after all these times I've been in the Caribbean over the years, the tropical sun got me in a few places where I applied the sunscreen unevenly. Sounds like you're having a great time, and keep sending your reports!

And reapply after swimming. Even waterproof comes off while swimming.

Was Antigua a planned stop? And if so, what connection (airline) did you make to get to SXM? Did you go to PJIA?

Isn't that the truth! My wife and I love to walk along the shores of the St. Martin beaches (especially Orient) and when the waves come in it always washes away the sunscreen. So, the tops of both feet got sunburned (again). Tried beach shoes in the past, but it just doesn't generate the same feeling when walking the shore, and they always collect a ton of sand in them. Oh well, my feet are tanned now.

I'm enjoying your reports and look forward to more. Did you enjoy Le Piment?

If you flew out of EWR, how did you end up in Antigua? I assume it was United and they are non-stop out of EWR. Were you on another airline? Curious to know. Thanks.

Curious about the Antigua stop as well.

If you are still on the island try the zip lines at Emelios...far better and higher than Loterie, maybe even Six Flags better.

LBI2XM, you’re right. It was United that took us to Antigua. Winair took us the rest of the way.

I did apply sunscreen. I did not get burned at all on the trip!

Day 3 (March 25, 2019)

I Went: My mom and I went to Tijon Perfume and did a perfume making class. It was a great experience. There were guys there, by the way. My boyfriend didn’t come because we wanted some mother/daughter time. We ended up making three perfumes, but, sadly, I could only keep the one I liked best. Later that day, we went to Orient Beach (Bikini Beach to be exact).
I Ate: I had a camembert and bacon salad at Bikini Beach Restaurant.
I Bought: Perfume made by yours truly!
I Wore: For Tijon I wore a summer dress (along with the lab coat they had us wear). And the perfume afterward. For Orient I wore a rash guard shirt and bikini bottoms.
I Thought: It would’ve been great if my boyfriend had a sense of smell. Oh well.

I must say Allison that I like the style of your reports! Concise and right to the point. Unlike mine that tend to ramble on-and-on. I might try your approach someday!

So you can only keep one perfume you make? Why not the rest?

SXMScubaman, that’s a good question. It would seem like a waste of perfume. Unless the bottles are really expensive, which I highly doubt.

Day 4 (March 26, 2019)

I Did: We spent the morning at Parrot Ville. These parrots were so FRIENDLY! The let you pet them and would even step up on your fingers! We were given small tubs of food so we could feed them. They birds would come up to us and perch on the tubs. My shoe came untied, and one of the birds even chased the lace on the floor! We spent the afternoon at Orient Beach (the south end). I didn’t swim this time; I mainly relaxed on the beach and waded knee deep in the water.
I Ate: I had a cheeseburger at Perch Lite.
I Bought: A magnet from a souvenir shop.
I Wore: I wore a tee shirt and a pair of gym shorts to Parrot Ville. I took the shorts off, so basically I just wore the shirt for the beach.
I Thought: Why are the parrots in pet stores always trying to bite?

Glad you had a good time at Parrot Ville. We were hoping to do that on this trip. Today is our last full day so we decided to just beach it today. Next trip for sure.

Really awesome, Allison that you got to take a vacation like this at your age. Definitely would have enjoyed that when I was younger, and I wish that I had discovered St. Maarten back when I was in my 20's! If you're like the majority of us on this message board you'll always want to return in the future and see things that you didn't on this trip. Glad you enjoyed Parrot Ville with all those crazy conures and caiques landing on you. And, how did you like the cheeseburger at Perch Lite? It was way bigger than I expected (but, I ate every bite!).

SammyM, that burger really made me miss Champps back home.

No, I didn’t die; I just had three tests to study for.

Now, to continue.....

Day 5 (March 27, 2019)

I Did: My boyfriend and I took a snorkeling tour! The tour was about eight hours long, and we spent most of our time in a boat, with stops in Happy Bay, Grand Case, and Green Cay. Some of it was swimming and some was actually snorkeling. The water was clear and we could see EVERYTHING! The tour provided all the equipment.
I Ate: I had a salad baguette on the tour. We then returned to Le Piment and I had another steak without the salad this time.
I Bought: I bought the tour. It was a present for my boyfriend’s 19th birthday.
I Wore: I wore a rash guard shirt and bikini bottoms on the boat, but was able to go full bikini underwater. I wore a summer dress for dinner.
I Thought: Yay! No jellyfish!
Quote:

BF: I see a jellyfish! (knowing I hate those things)
Me: I see a cat! (knowing he hates those things)

Day 6 (March 28, 2019)

I Did: This turned out to be a sports day. My boyfriend and I took an hour tennis lesson. I was kind of nervous because I never played in my life, but it turned out to be great. Our instructor, Oliver, evaluated us before practicing, followed by fine-tuning. Afterward, I needed my volleyball fix, so I returned to the south part of Orient Beach and played a couple of games with my boyfriend and parents.
I Ate: I had another cheeseburger at Perch Lite.
I Bought: Nothing today. Did I mention I’m a poor girl?
I Wore: I wore a crop top shirt and a pair of really comfy cargo capris pants until we returned to Orient where I just wore the shirt.
I Thought: It would’ve been great if they had volleyball lessons as well.

I'm having a hard time buying the "I'm a poor girl" comment. Kind of doubt poor girls vacation in the French West Indies! But, I'll take your word for it. Thanks for your reports. I think we all found them 'refreshing'. I love it when younger folks discover St. Martin like you have. Would you believe our youngest son's girlfriend (in California) is from Utrecht, the Netherlands and she's never been to St. Maarten (or any of the islands that comprise the Kingdom of the Netherlands)? So, I said to them last fall when you two finally decide to make it "official" I've got the perfect place for your honeymoon! P.S. -- Of course, she did introduce me to 'stroopwafels' a few years ago!

I can believe the poor girl comment Sammy! Merely because your parents have the means to take you to the French West Indies does not mean that you yourself have the funds to spend!

Relax, Kitten ... just a joke! At her age I didn't have any money either so I know here she's coming from!

Like your trip reports! Thanks!

I think we’re making a mountain out of a molehill with reference to the ‘poor girl’ comment since I believe it was the OP who said it in the first place.

BeachKitten, you are correct. My parents paid for everything except a few souvineers I got and the Tennis lesson.

Day 7 (March 29, 2019)

I Did: It was a quad day! We started in Philipsburg, where we were given (thankfully clean!) helmets. We first stopped at Maho Bay, where we saw planes flying over us. We also stopped at Marigot, where we were given time to shop, and Rotary Lookout Point, where they let us dip our feet in the water to cool off. We finished off the tour at Great Bay, where we spent an hour or so on the boardwalk.
I Ate: There was a Hard Rock Cafe in Philipsburg! I have chicken Fajitas.
I Bought: A bracelet at Marigot.
I Wore: I wore a tee shirt an gym shorts.
I Thought: Please don’t let me be achy all over tomorrow!

Day 8 (March 30, 2019)

I Did: We went horseback riding! We went to Lucky Stables and had a trail ride with Amber. Unlike what I’ve heard about Caribbean horses, these ones looked like they were healthy and cared for. The horses even went in the water! It was a great surprise, even though my pants ended up soaked at the legs! By the way, if you want pics, they can text you them directly. Afterwards, the four of us went to Orient Beach (the south end) one last time, where we ate at Perch Lite, and my boyfriend and I took a stroll on the beach.
I Ate: I had one last cheeseburger.
I Bought: Nothing. I’m still a poor girl!
I Wore: I wore jeans and a tee for the horseback riding. I planned a crop top to wear for Pedro’s and the beach, but since it was in the shady, I ended up spending my time there in my birthday suit!
I Thought: It was no doubt a great trip, but I was even more psyched when I found out we’re coming back for my birthday in July!

Seriously? You're coming back in July? When I mentioned 'returning again in the future' I sort of meant like next year or down the road. Coming back in 3 months is awesome! Our fastest return visit was five months apart, so you got us beat. Honestly, what could be better than being in your birthday suit on Orient Beach on your actual birthday! And, now that you got to see what St. Martin and Orient Beach are all about share the word with your friends and encourage others to make plans to visit SXM. Thanks again for your daily reports.

I'm enjoying your updates. And you're lucky enough to be returning in just 3 months. My birthday's also in July & we've been on the island numerous times then. Some places are closed for low season, but we never had trouble finding a place to eat. And, as Sammy says - Birthday/birthday suit/Orient Beach - what could be better?

I know, I had no idea we were coming back for my 18th birthday until it was announced at Perch.

I will not be spending my birthday in my birthday suit, though. July’s Trip Report will explain everything.

Sounds good. I always said that any trip to St. Martin is way better than just sitting home! I don't have a birthday in July, but my wife and I are heading back to Spain's Balearic Islands (Mallorca & Ibiza) for nine days that month so we can compare vacation notes when I return. One thing that I have learned over the years from traveling to St. Martin multiple times is that it can inspire you to reach out and travel to other exotic or tropical destinations when you have the means. We'll never stop coming to St. Martin (especially during the cold weather months), but taking a second or third vacation during the year to places like the Balearic Islands, the Cote d'Azur, the Greek Isles, etc. adds variety to your travels. We both look forward to your future reports!

It’s possible I’ll go to other places in the Caribbean down the road, but I’m still taking St. Martin in. I mean, I played volleyball without any pants on, which is kind of a hard experience to beat.

Of course, what happens in July is going to top out everything....

I wish we would have experienced the clothing optional beaches when we were younger. I'm glad you experienced it and enjoyed it. It will be hard to top this and any other place(s) will probably not be the same. Hope your July trip is unforgettable. We'll be there in June, will miss you by a month

You don’t have to be young, trust me. My mom is 42 and had a blast.

42! That's young! I'm 62. Unfortunately we in the USA are brought up that nudity is wrong. My wife of 40 years (Been married almost as long as your mom is alive) and I experienced public nudity for the 1st time last year and regretted not experiencing it earlier. You'll forever be able to understand how liberating it is.

Great trip report! Going for my first time in July with boyfriend. Can't wait to experience Orient and the other CO beaches. USA attitudes towards nudity is lame, probably why I find myself continuing to explore French islands!

It’s funny that was brought up. Before we went to St. Martin, nobody had seen me naked since I was six but me behind closed doors. Now that I’m back, I strangely went back to being concerned about my privacy again, including locking doors around the house when I change. I guess it’s a local vibe or something....

I think it's just the culture we live in. I seem to recall that you and your family stayed on the French side for this trip. The beaches may be less restrictive than the beaches where you live in the states, I know they are much less restrictive than here in Florida.

Having said that, the Dutch side is much like the USA in that "European" or topless for women is frowned upon.

The reason I bring up your accommodations on this trip was for comparative purposes. When you were at your vacation rental unit, you and your family may have felt less inhibitions and were comfortable in various states of undress. That didn't continue outside until you got to the beach(es) where the norm of the culture is European or clothing optional. When we were on the island last year, it was just my wife and I and we always nude in the condo but once we were going out we got dressed. As I said before that trip was the first time we had tried public nudity and it was something that we both enjoyed. Having said that, now that we are back home, other than getting dressed or showering, we are always clothed in the house. (We also have a house guest-my older sister that we rescued from an abusive relationship).

I really agree with Alexander in that the USA viewpoint on nudity is lame and there should be clothing optional areas at EVERY beach in the states.

Interesting points, Deputydog! But, I think your opinions have been clearly shaped by all the Amish people you have met there in Sarasota! Just joking, though I did see an Amish family of ten on Siesta Key once taking in the beach! That was really interesting.

In all seriousness, it is a shame that our culture in the states doesn't match that of Europe or St. Martin. But, there are many places in the states and Canada where you can go for this. Just not enough of them. For the folks from Canada I'm curious how many have ever visited Hanlan Beach on Centre Island off Toronto? And, those from Florida actually have multiple choices. Haulover Beach and South Beach are almost legendary, but did you know there's a clothing-optional beach on Hutchinson Island near Port St. Lucie? I actually have a whole bunch of cousins who live in the Ft. Pierce/Vero Beach/Pt. St. Lucie area who at first were concerned about this, but now it's something they are proud of! And, for Allison you indicated you are a north Jersey girl. For your family there is Sandy Hook Beach on the north Jersey shore. But, although there are options closer to us nothing really compares to St. Martin and Orient Beach.

In addition, for us St. Martin is far more than going without clothes. It's also the people, the cultures, the year round perfect weather, and maybe the most important thing of all ... the restaurants!

I'm originally from North Jersey and I LOVE Sandy Hook!! Was my first nude beach and I immediately knew it was something I liked when I first tried it. It's how I ended up googling "best nude beaches in the Caribbean" which brought me to Guadeloupe and Martinique and now St. Martin!! I'm a little curious how it'll be in a much more tourist catered island. Martinique isn't really a tourist hot spot so none of the nude beaches had any amenities like I'm hearing St. Martin does. Or cruises full of tourists who wanna catch a glimpse of some skin lol. Either way, I cannot wait for July!

Oh yes we have a whole contingent of both Amish and Mennonite folks. They make great furniture and their home cooking restaurants are always busy and yummy. The pies that Mrs. Yoder makes and sells at Yoder's restaurant is to die for! If you ever watched the shows on cable TV like return to Amish or something like that, they actually filmed here in Sarasota which they call the Las Vegas for Amish people! It's far from Vegas. One year during spring break that franchise "Girls Gone Wild" was here on Siesta Key and other locales. I ran into one of the crews while working and started talking to the crew. I asked them what they thought of Sarasota and they said they'd have to change those videos from Girls Gone Wild to "Grannies Be Mild".

In reality though I was born in Queens NY, and grew up in LonG Island (Hard G, lol) until I transferred to New Hampshire when I was 28. Lived there for 8 years and realized I went the wrong direction and at 36 (25 years ago) moved to Sarasota, FL.

Yes there are some beaches in Florida that allow clothing optional but they are all on the east coast which is a 3-4 hour drive. Looks like there's a posting in the nude forum where one of the Florida beaches is under attack by the commissioners to remove the C/O designation. Too many people with Victorian ideals. Prior to my older sister moving in with us we would sit on our lanai (patio) and use the pool au naturel every opportunity we could, but lt year was the first in public.

You are going to leave us dangling for three months? Cruel!!

Actually, inside we were all fully dressed and only changed in private. I know that sounds weird, but it just didn’t hit me until I got to the beach. Other than the three times on the clothing optional area, my mom and I kept our clothes on, and my dad and boyfriend kept their clothes on the entire trip, even on that beach.



Marvel made us wait much longer. But feel free to speculate.

I was surprised to read your reply that it was you and mom that went nude. It's usually the other way around. As for your trip, o speculate would be just plain foolish on my part but seems that you'll be enjoying the C/O experience again. Maybe this time you'll get the boys to join in.

I did notice there were more men than women there, but none of them seemed to be gawkers, and certainly no comments came out of their mouths. We didn’t come here to go nude and I wasn’t even expecting it to happen until I hit the beach. It’s definitely not the reason we’re going back, but, as with the first time, if it happens, it happens.

"We didn’t come here to go nude and I wasn’t even expecting it to happen until I hit the beach".

Same here, wish we had done it sooner. Paraphrasing the old Honda commercial - "You meet the nicest people on a c/o beach".

.

And, did you know there a several health benefits associated with going nude at the beach (and other places, where it is acceptable)? My friends think I'm making this up, but seriously most people tend to wear clothing that is too restrictive and this impedes circulation in some people. Without clothing, circulation improves and this can only be a good thing. In addition, skin allergies from different types of clothing and/or detergents do not develop. Without clothes, but with the proper sunscreen, the sun provides needed amounts of vitamin D thru skin absorption. Many people, and especially adults over age 50, have vitamin D deficiencies, and in some cases there levels are very low. Proper levels of Vitamin D help our immune systems.

Sleeping nude, whether on the beach or in your bed, provides deeper most restful sleep because your body temperature is slightly lower without pajamas, cover-ups, etc. on. Deeper sleep helps improve overall health.

These are just some of the reasons that I am aware of. Probably most important is simply being comfortable in your 'own skin.' I have this dumb saying that goes ... "you've got nothing to hide when you have nothing to hide."

I think that works for some people, but not for me. I’m not a naked person at all except for the shower. Yeah, I do live within a couple of hours of Gunnison, but nobody I know has actually been there; it’s mainly been the butt of a few jokes in the hallway. Of the people I know, I know one person who went topless on a cruise to Hamaica, but that’s really it. I don’t know if it’s an American thing, either. When I was down there, I met quite a few people. There were some people, like me, who just wanted to try it, there were a couple of regular nudists, but most of the people I encountered simply weren’t interested.