My wife and I just returned from our 1st visit to St. Martin. Let me first say thanks to all the TTOL posts & information. It was a great help to us, and to anyone planning a trip there.
We arrived and met Leslie from Kenny's Car Rental. We got a nice Toyota Corrolla with less than 18,000 miles (pretty new compared to most). I would recommend them if you want to rent a car, which I would suggest you do. I confirmed all our information with Leslie by e-mail, so no need to call by phone.
Driving in St. Martin is, well, a challenge but not too bad! As I learned from TTOL posts, be prepared for suicyclists and risk-taking motorcyclists! Just let them pass when they want. And don't be offended or upset by honking horns- it WILL happen! After a day or so you get used to driving a little wild like the locals! It took about 45 minutes to get from the airport to Alamanda. We went the rout through Lowlands to Marigot, then up by Grand Case to Orient Beach.
One concern I had before going was actually finding Alamanda once you get to Orient. It was not as tough as I feared. There is a residential area surrounding Alamanda, as well as Esmarelda, but it is not hard to navigate through. Once you see the Tap Five signs at Orient Village you are right behind Alamanda.
The staff at Alamanda were very nice, and even called me by name when we walked in! We had room 211, which had a great view over the pool as well as a view of the ocean at Orient. The rooms are spacious and clean. The shower was a bit tricky to maneuver, but not a big deal. The walk to Orient is no more than 100 yards. You cross a dirt road which is between Alamanda and the beach. Local day visitors to Orient drive this small road and park, but not alot of cars there usually.
For lunches, we ate at Baywatch 3 days, which were all great! Definately the best menu, and the owners & staff are super. They take $ = Euro. We had one lunch at Bikini Beach, which was ok but they don't take $=Euro.
Beach bar: I really liked GP at Kakao Beach Bar. He is very personable and makes a killer Chi Chi. Ask him for one and tell him "North Carolina" says hello!
Dinners: We went to Grand Case 3 nights. The worst part of Grand Case is the parking & tight streets to navigate, so be prepared and patient!:
La Marine: Excellent! Good menu and fair prices. They took $=E. The red snapper was very good.
Spiga: Very good. Pasta dishes are their specialty, and I had the lobster bisque, which was very good.
L'California: Great. Nice oceanside table with super food and wonderful ice cream desserts to choose from.
We also had dinner at Sol e Luna, which is near Mont Vernon area. It was very nice, good views of the bay, and affordable prices.
Our first night we ate in Orient Village at La Chappel. It was nice and cozy. Try the cheese plate - very yummy!
We are pretty much "beach bums" so sand gravity took big-time each day for us! Our only real sightseeing was a visit to the Butterfly Farm. It was ok, but they should call it the Butterfly Tent! We expected outdoor gardens full of flowers, but it is really a large tented area where the butterflys are housed. It was interesting, and we had a short guided tour of the site. Just don't expect a big outdoor garden/butterfly expereince.
Even though we didn't venture around the island alot, we were extremely happy with our visit. As I said before, we are pretty content to hang out on the beach all day, take a swim or two, and keep a cool beverage in our hands. Orient Beach is all you hear about, however! If you want activities, this is the spot. Parasailing, jets skis, windsurfing, etc. are all available. It is also the place to people watch. There are a fair amout of topless gals around, and you also see occasional nude man or woman walking the beach on the main beach segment (not just at Club Orient). So be prepared if that bothers you, but if not, it becomes no big deal after the initial shock/interest is over! Also, there were a few beach "salespeople" who bring there wares around the beach chair areas. They are not pushy,however, so just say a polite "No thanks" if you don't want to look at the merchandise.
For our return to the airport to leave we drove through Simpson Bay. There were a few traffic delays but not too bad. Leslie was there to pick up our car right on time.
We are already looking forward to going back! Thanks again for the helpful advice and suggestions from everyone on TTOL!
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