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Joined: Feb 2015
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This was our 7th or 8th trip to the island, but for the first time we had another couple join us. It was their first trip to the Caribbean, so it was fun introducing them to all the things that make it so magical.
We departed from Boston on Delta, through JFK, and then on to SXM. We had been forewarning them about the expected lines and wait times (after all, we were arriving on a Saturday), but lo and behold, we breezed right through. Picked up our car from Michael at Unity and headed to our villa in French Cul de Sac. Again, we had warned them about the probable traffic jams through Marigot but (yep, you guessed it) we breezed right through without any slowdown. I think they were beginning to question our island knowledge. LOL
Our villa was one we had never rented before. It was right on the water with clear views of Pinel and Anguilla in the distance. It had a small private pool which we enjoyed immensely during our stay. The owners had provided Kayaks for our use, but I’m embarrassed to say we never used them. Overall, it was a nice villa. I guess our main complaint was a lack of comfortable seating.
Our mornings usually consisted of one of us going to the Bacchus Express patisserie in Hope Estate for their incredible Almond Croissants and daily baguette. That, with strong French coffee helped get us up and going. Several days we went to Orient beach. Others, we explored the island and showed our friends around. One day was spent in Phillipsburg. It was VERY quiet in town.
We enjoyed a lot of our favorite restaurants; Orange Fever on Orient (twice for lunch), La Villa, Le Bistronome and Talk of the Town Lolo in Grand Case, Le Piment and Yellow Sub in Orient Village, Le Taitu in Cul de Sac and Caribbean Blend on the boardwalk in Phillipsburg. We also spent an afternoon at Driftwood Beach Bar watching the planes. We got lucky on the parking. I must admit; I was one of the ones pulling up on the sidewalk. There was a space. I took it. Got to see both KLM and Air France arrive. Our friends loved the experience.
Oh, I almost forgot. One night we went to Yvette’s in Quarter D’Orleans for dinner. One of our most enjoyable evenings. Fun setting, great local cuisine, good service. A great experience for someone new to the islands. I had oxtail stew, my wife had creole chicken, our friends had mahi mahi along with conch fritters. Just a really fun time.
Most evenings were spent lounging by the pool, watching the boats in the harbor come and go, seeing the moon rise, maybe drinking a Pina Colada or two…………….
Observations: It was windy the entire 10 days. Normally we come in late March or early April and have never experienced the wind as we had it. We were told by locals that it is normal for this time of year. I think we are going to return to our April timeframe for our visits.
The sargassum was not an issue. We were really worried about what we would encounter as we had continued to read about it on TTOL; but it was fine. The last 2 days we had some at Orient Beach but overall, it was not bad at all.
The repairs on the Front Street pavers in Phillipsburg were well done. Very easy to navigate on foot. The shop owners were nice and tried to be upbeat, but you could tell they were depressed over the lack of business. We tried to leave a little money in town but it’s going to take a lot more than us to really bring back the vibe that once existed.
Not going to spend a lot of time talking about the hoops you had to jump through to get on and off the island. It wasn’t bad and hopefully it will be relaxed in the future.
Finally, I apologize for no pictures. I’ve just never been one to take a lot of photos.
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Joined: Jul 2008
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We have been coming to the island for 20 years at this time period. This is the windiest and rainiest we can remember. Dec. is usually windy--they call it the Christmas winds. Normally after the middle of Jan. it dies down.
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Joined: Aug 2000
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Thanks for the report. Do you have a link to the villa you rented?? (Oh and you need to remember to take pictures next time! )
Carol Hill
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Joined: Jul 2011
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Thanks for sharing your experiences. I can relate to not taking pictures…too busy just relaxing and enjoying the island!
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Joined: Feb 2015
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Carol: Here is the link: https://www.vrbo.com/6670524haIt's called "Ma Cabane" As I said earlier, the location and views were great. There wasn't as much privacy as I would have hoped, but it never felt like we were being watched. The beds were comfortable. Our main complaint was with the seating. Chairs just weren't comfortable for longer than a few minutes. It's right on the water with Kayaks available for guests to use.
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Joined: Feb 2011
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Thanks for the report. We overlapped a bit, and went to many of the same restaurants ( Orange Fever, La Villa, Talk of the Town, Le Piment ) What was different is that we were stuck on the road near Marigot several times, and going through customs and immigration at SXM took forever, though we had the misfortune to be the 5th jet to land in a very short time. Glad your experience was better.
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Joined: Aug 2000
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Thanks for the link. I do see what you mean with regard to the seating. That does not look comfortable at all to me. The whole place seems to be going for the kind of 'driftwood' vibe, which actually I wouldn't like, but that's just me. The beds don't look comfortable either, but glad they were at least comfortable.
Carol Hill
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Joined: May 2008
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Thanks for the report, and I'm happy that Caribbean Blend is open for business. They have the best grilled grouper filet, basted in a spiced butter sauce. That and a few Ti Punches sets up an productive experience for my wife when we then visit Vince at Royal Jewelers.
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,689
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It’s great to be able to share the island with first-timers. Seriously hope they enjoyed it as much as you do. Thanks for sharing your thoughts abd experiences……
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Joined: Feb 2015
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Pat.........OMG they loved it. They are already asking us when we are planning our next visit. It's so much fun to see people's reactions to the beaches, the food, the weather, etc.
We didn't have a bad meal the entire trip. Actually, one of our friends said their favorite meal was a night when we just had a bunch of leftovers (with wine of course) by the pool.
The fun part is there is so much more they didn't get to see. I think they're hooked...................
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