Our party with two couples will arrive from the states on Saturday around 3:30. We will then pick up our remtal car and head to our villa to unload our luggage and then head to Grand Marche for supplies. After returning our groceries we would like to get a bite to eat, and maybe a beer or two. Any suggestions on where to go Saturday night for dinner? Also which beach should we go to on Sunday as our first beach? Thinking Baie Rouge, Mullet, Friars, or Pinel. Would you choose any one over the other, if so why? Thanks so much! Oh one more thing, anything fun going on from the 10th through the 19th on the island? Can't wait to visit!

Where is your villa located?
We prefer to hit a beach close to where we're staying our first day. After a long day of travel and usually having too much fun our first night on the island we like to decompress. For that reason, I wouldn't be heading to Pinel. Same thoughts for a restaurant.

Same question as the other responder--where is your villa, as for me personally, I don't like to travel too far the first night.

As far as a beach on Sunday, I wouldn't recommend Mullet for Sunday. Wait till during the week, as it is usually very crowded on Sunday with locals. Hard to find a place to park, unless you get there way early.

We usually arrive on a Saturday and have our apartment prestocked with groceries by ShopnDrop, including a baguette and something we can toss together for a light dinner and fresh pastries for breakfast on our balcony on Sunday morning.

After we check in and drop our bags in our room, we usually change out of travel clothes and head out to grab a quick lunch and cold drinks and then return to our hotel to unpack, get organized and all that good stuff. We are usually spent by that time and totally content to have that light dinner and call it a day, getting a good nights sleep before we launch into full island vacation mode on Sunday.

Regarding Sundays at Mullet, Carol is absolutely right, you really need to get there early to find parking in the main lot and a nice spot on the beach.

We often make Sunday a pool day or a ride around the island day with an eventual stop at Friars Bay for lunch and beach time. I don't know why but on a holiday, Friars is often insane but we've not experienced the same thing on Sundays when we've been there and we don't usually have a parking problem there later in the day, but perhaps we've just been lucky. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

I am Bixa525 other half we are staying in Guana bay.

Guana Bay, wow that's kind of a hike from anywhere. For your first night, suggest Mark's. They have good solid food, not fancy, but good prices, and large portions.

Dinner in Philipsburg would be the closest. Chesterfields, L'Escargot, and the Green House come to mind. There is a beach right there at Guana Bay but there are no services and the surf can be quite rough. The closest other one is Dawn Beach. Also, you are in the perfect spot to make a counter-clockwise trip around the island on Sunday. The traffic will be light and there are some neat places to stop including the Sunset Bar @ Grill to watch the planes land and the nuts try to kill themselves.

Agree that Sundays on Mullet Bay bring lots of people, with many locals. It's a great beach with good snorkeling, but do it a different day of the week when less crowded. I would suggest happy hour at Sunset Bar and Grill after 4:00 on Sunday. It's a vibrant, happening place at that time, but not too crazy cuz cruise ship guests are gone. Food is pretty good too if you want to get an appetizer or meal with your drinks.

Suggest ANY day after 4 at Sunset, because of the crowds. I don't enjoy being jammed together with that many people, like it is earlier in the day.

Thanks for your suggestions!

You are just over the hill from P'burg, very convenient to all restaurants there. Also, Orient is just a short drive north as well as Oyster Pond. Not isolated at all......its a trip to Simpson Bay and Marigot but if you travel off hours not too bad at all. Guana Bay is a lovely upscale residential neighbirhood on the Dutch side akin to Terres Basse on the French side. We spent over 20 years renting there .....

I guess it depends where you like to be. Personally I would much rather be in Simpson Bay than either Oyster Pond or P'burg..

You are right, Everyone enjoys different places

Yes, if everyone stayed in one place, that place would be a madhouse. People like different things.

Thanks for your input NYCGAL, we are trying a new area this time around and it is nice to hear a good review. Any restaurants or anything in particular you like to do in that area?

You are in a residentisl area, no restaurants there. At one time there was a beach bar but I believe it has been gone for sometine. Youre close to Oyster Pond and all the great hotels and restaurants there.....and of course P'burgh is just over the hill.

Bixa,

We have timeshare on St. Maarten and have basically stayed in the same area for about 41 years now but that sure doesn't stop us from trying different locations across the island and truth is, we've loved each and every one of them for different reasons. To date, beyond our timeshare at the Towers, we've enjoyed staying at the now defunct Mullet Bay and Treasure Island Resorts, along with Mary's Boon in Simpson Bay, Sonesta Maho, Pasanggrahan on Front St., Philipsburg, and most recently at the Grand Case Beach Club as well as near island stays on Saba, St. Kitts and Anguilla so I truly get trying something out of your customary norm. Each one of these has been totally different and yet, great experiences, all.

But I will reemphasize what's already been suggested - you will be very close to Philipsburg and there are some great restaurants there. We particularly like Antoine's and Chesterfields to name but two and there are many more to choose from.

Enjoy!!

Have a great trip......