This was our seventh trip to the island and the first time traveling with our friends, Ann and Roger. It was another fun and very enjoyable vacation.
Our 7:30 a.m. US Airways flights from Providence to Philadelphia to SXM were generally uneventful, except for a slight landing delay in Philadelphia. They were boarding our SXM flight when we arrived at the gate - not much time to spare, but we made it. Phew!
Arrived in St. Maarten at 1:40 p.m. We were the first ones off the plane (a benefit of exit row seats), we did not have to shuttle into the terminal, and there were virtually no lines in customs. Since we do not check luggage, we were out of the airport in less than ten minutes - a new record for us. Outside the terminal we were greeted by Joseph from Unity Car Rental. At the car rental lot we signed the paperwork with Michael and received a Burgundy colored Nissan. It was nice seeing Michael again.
Bob from Pack Light Rentals agreed to meet us at Unity. We rented two beach chairs, an umbrella, a cell phone and a $10 phone card (one-stop shopping). The beach chairs and the umbrellas work well for us, since Marc doesn't like to stay at the beach for more than a few hours at a time. We didn't use the umbrella much, since it was quite cloudy and rainy for most of the week. The phone was nice to have since my Dad has been quite ill in the past month and I was able to call home for updates. The call connections to the States were clear.
We stopped at the Food Express in Maho to pick up food supplies. The produce was very fresh, and the prices were pretty reasonable. We made one more stop at Cost-U-Less for beer, wine and a case of water.
Weather
The weather was a mixed bag. The first half of the week, Sunday through Wednesday afternoon was pretty good - a few passing showers and clouds. Wednesday evening through Sunday, however, were pretty rainy. By no means was the weather bad enough to ruin our vacation; we just had to change the beach plans a little. It rained all day on Thursday, and unfortunately, we had gone shopping on
Wednesday (two lost beach days). So we went bar hopping on Thursday and enjoyed ourselves despite the weather.
Accommodations
We are new timeshare owners (not in SXM) and traded our unit for a week at Le Cottages de Lonvilliers in Anse Marcel. The location is remote, but our unit was nice and the beds were comfortable (a good thing since Marc was suffering from a herniated disk). A pool at this place would be a wonderful addition, but Didier, the manager, states that all of the timeshare owners must agree to install one and he doesn't think that this is going to happen. Didier hosted a rum punch party on Saturday night - it was nice to meet other guests staying at the property. For the first time in all of our visits to St. Martin, we had decent TV stations - we were able to watch Games 5 + 6 of the Red Sox / Yankees games (in Spanish). We were a little disappointed, though, when Game 7 was not televised (rotten luck).
The road that leads to Anse Marcel is quite steep and the ride can be hair raising at times, especially after a couple of drinks. One rainy morning, our Nissan had difficulty making it up the Anse Marcel hill - we got stuck on a speed bump! Jo-Ann really thought she'd have to get out and push! We got lots of laughs over this experience. The drive over to Orient Beach took approximately 15 minutes - not too bad. The relatively low cost of timeshare ownership will allow us more trips each year to St. Martin, which is a good thing.
Royal Turtle: Stayed here on our last night. The location is convenient to the airport and our king-sized room was nice. The very reasonable room rate included all taxes and a full breakfast the following morning. We do wish, however, that the pool would be better maintained. This was the second time we were on the property and both times the pool was not very clean.
Beaches
We only visited 2 beaches during the week. Orient Beach was great as usual, with lots of sand and clear blue water. We did see a few jelly fish on Tuesday, but by the end of the week they were gone. We always meet so many wonderful people while on this beach. One day, however, we encountered a rather large group of really loud and obnoxious cruise boat visitors. They made such a big deal about
taking their clothes off! All that yelling and screaming was a bit much. Club O security always does a good job. One day they took a billy club to someone's disposable camera. That was entertaining! Never a dull moment on Orient Beach - we love it! The bathrooms in back of the Perch are a great addition. Another good point about Club O's beach is that you are never bothered by beach vendors.
Cupecoy: The beach was in the worst shape we've ever seen it. Very little sand, with room for only one row of chairs. But, from what we understand, all the sand could come back in a day. The water was rough and, due to many large rocks, we did not attempt to enter the ocean. It was overcast (but not raining), so we enjoyed the precious beach time and still find the beach very beautiful.
Restaurants
Le St. Severin - Marigot. While we were at Dinghy Dock bar, we asked a couple who live on the island for their recommendation of a good restaurant. They stated that they had never had a bad meal at Le St. Severin. So, for our 26th Anniversary dinner, that's where we decided to go. It was an excellent choice! We split an appetizer - homemade chicken ravioli in a mushroom sauce - fantastic. Jo-Ann had the Bouillabaisse and Marc had the filet with foie gras sauce. Two wonderful dinners, a bottle of wine, one appetizer and one
dessert cost $100. If you like seafood, visit at the end of the week (Thursday) when the food is flown in fresh from France. Excellent value. Highly recommend.
Grand Case Café - at the beginning of Grand Case across from Portofino's. It was late and we were hungry, but we weren't looking for a large dinner, just good local food. Veronica did a fine job in serving us. The hamburgers, salads and beers hit the spot. The customers at the bar were watching a version of America's Funniest Videos and the show was entertaining. Good food and drinks, nice people and a few laughs. Can't beat it!
Get Wet Bar – Philipsburg Boardwalk: We stopped here for lunch. The restaurant is owned by a Canadian gentleman. The food was good and the location is great for viewing the Cruise Ships in port. Place was packed as there were 4 ships in port.
Peg Leg Pub: One late afternoon we stopped by for half-price appetizers and a few dollar Heineken drafts. The coconut shrimp was good as well as the Peg Leg Platter and the Beef skewers. Jo-Ann was disappointed that Shawn was not there, but our friends knew the bartender from their prior visit to the island. Marc and Roger paid the tab without receiving a bill (mistake). On the drive back to the condo, Jo-Ann asked how much the bill was and we discovered that we were charged full price for the appetizers. Partly our fault, but we
felt cheated!
Les 13 Travels de Hercules – Cul de Sac: We weren’t very hungry one night and we didn't want to drive far, so we drove over the hill to Cul de Sac. This restaurant served good ribs and Marc enjoyed his spaghetti. Good place for a quick bite. Prices were very reasonable.
Halsey's - Located in Simpson Bay right next to the Lady C Floating Bar. Tried to stop by for dinner early in the week, but Halsey's was closed. Tried again on Friday night and they were open for business! Jo-Ann's tuna steak with sushi was fantastic (reasonably priced at $17). The chicken and steak dinners were just OK. Unfortuntely, the restaurant was shortstaffed and they were very busy. A friend of the staff dropped by to say Hello and found herself waiting tables! Jo-Ann would go back for the tuna, but Marc wasn't very impressed.
Baywatch – Orient Beach: Visited here a few times - once for Bloody Mary's in the morning (waiting for the rain to subside), again for lunch (had to have Andy's Mussels Marinara), and yet again for breakfast (waiting for the skies to clear). Andy and Cheryl are such nice people - they welcome you like family.
On our last night on the island, which was a Saturday, we headed to Grand Case, in the rain. We were planning to eat dinner at Bistrot Caraibes, but they weren't open. We ventured down the street a little further and discovered that L'Alabama was offering their early bird special for 33 Euros per person. It was 7:15 pm and the special ended at 7:30, so our decision was made. We were seated at a lovely table
and enjoyed fantastic meals of Red Snapper and Pork Tenderloin with Carmelized Apple Sauce. The special includes a glass of merlot, one appetizer, an entrée and a dessert. A very good value. The service was excellent and one of the best meals of the week.
Mary's Boon - Simpson Bay: Roger and Ann were leaving on Saturday and it was raining. So instead of stopping at the Sunset Beach Bar for lunch, we went to Mary's Boon. The food was a little pricey, but good. The atmosphere, despite the rain, was lovely. Service was good also. Marc did a fine job pouring drinks at the honor bar.
La Main a la Pate - Marigot Marina: We strolled around the marina and the lively young woman at this restaurant convinced us to eat there. The restaurant was busy, but the service was very good. Presentation of the food was lovely, but we found our meals to be bland. Both Marc and Jo-Ann ordered meals that included the word spicy, but the food was far from it. Ann's filet mignon, however, was very good. We did enjoy complimentary rum drinks at the end of the meal. It was an entertaining evening nonetheless.
The Calypso - Anse Marcel near Le Meridian. Had pizza and salad there on our first night. Good food and service. Convenient if you are staying in the Anse Marcel area.
Lolos
Lido Parking Lot – Cole Bay: We like the Ribs here. Prices are excellent. A dinner plate is $5 and a side order of ribs is $3. The dinner plate consisted of ribs or chicken, each served with huge side orders of scalloped potatoes or macaroni & cheese and excellent cole slaw. We had plenty of leftovers for the next day.
Bars
Kissing Fish Bar @ Summit Resort: Our trip would not have been complete without stopping by to see Chloe & Thierry. Chloe remembered us from our last visit and we were warmly greeted. The kitchen was closed for renovations. The new kitchen and expanded seating area by the pool will be a great addition to this property. We will be back in May for hamburgers and the wonderful popcorn!
Dinghy Dock Bar, Oyster Pond Marina: This bar has a great happy hour and the atmosphere is laid back. We mixed our own drinks for $2 and enjoyed the company of many nice people who live on the island. Even though is was raining, the bar was busy and the drinks were flowing.
Ric's Place - went here to watch Game 7 between the Red Sox and Yankees. The place was packed and fortunately Clem and Paulette had a few extra seats at their table and graciously invited us to join them. The table was right in front of the big screen TV. It was great watching the Sox win! It was a fun time.
Bucaneer Beach Bar: Stopped by on Thursday during the rotten weather. Met Neil for the first time. Great location and the bar's roof overhang allowed us to stay dry while drinking. The BBC's were very good. We all enjoyed a complimentary shot (Thanks Neil); it helped us "warm up".
Mr. Busby’s, Dawn Beach: Nice setting, $0.75 Caribs. Bartenders were friendly this visit! Beautiful views of Dawn Beach and St. Barts.
Sunset Beach Bar: Stopped here on our last couple of days in SXM. The bar was packed on Saturday afternoon and the entertainment very good. Air France came in, but could not land (misjudged the runway?) and had to fly back up and around and land again. The passengers must've been a little on edge after that experience! We ate hamburgers (in the rain) on Sunday - WOW - they were good.
Paradise View: We stopped by for a drink. Very good Guavaberry Coladas. The woman tending bar was pleasant to talk to. We find the prices in the shops to be reasonable and Jo-Ann and Ann bought several souvenirs. The view of Orient Beach from this location is gorgeous!
The Perch @ Club Orient: Stopped here a couple of times during Happy Hour 12:30 – 1:30. Willie mixes great drinks and the location can’t be beat.
Shopping
It was our intention to visit Deepti @ DK Gems just to say hello (yeah right). However, Jo-Ann found a lovely ring that matched the pendant she purchased last year and "just had to have it". Deepti is such a lovely woman and it's truly fun to shop with her. No pressure. Jo-Ann tried on a gorgeous emerald cut diamond ring and Marc almost had a heart attack when he heard the price. Maybe we'll buy it next year (yeah right)! Thanks, Deepti, for spending the time with us even though the store was jammed with cruise ship passengers.
We were able to shop at the Ma Dou Dou store after our third attempt in driving there. We enjoy the Vanilla Banana flavored rum in the painted plastic bottle.
Marc always buys his Cigars at Lucky Too in Philipsburg. Nice humidor and the owner is very knowledgeable about cigars.
We picked up a Rotisserie Chicken at Bounty in Grand Case. It was wonderfully roasted with lots of Rosemary - very good. The desserts we purchased there were yummy too.
Stopped at Prime, which is located behind the Harley Davidson shop in Cole Bay. They have a wonderful Liquor and Candy room. They had a nice collection of fine wines. Cartons of Marlboro (medium) were $9.20.
Miscellaneous Notes
It was wonderful to see Clem and Paulette again this year. They introduced us to Jack (aka Mr. St. Martin). It was nice to meet you Jack!
We do not gamble much, but visited Casino Royale one night. It was the first time we saw the dancers out on the street. We enjoyed the show. The slots were not good to us, so we left within an hour or so.
The trip home, on US Airways via Charlotte, was uneventful. Customs was very busy and we had to stay on the plane an extra few minutes, no big deal. We only travel with carry-on luggage, so we had plenty of time to make the connecting flight to Providence.
For those of you staying at Le Galeon / Caribbean Nature, a lovely naturist hotel near Oyster Pond. We drove by the property and noticed For Sale Signs on the fence. We did not stop by, but if anyone has information regarding this, we'd like to know.
Again, it was a wonderful trip. We love SXM and look forward to our next trip in May.
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