Heading to SXM for the first time next month and would love insight on this loose itinerary I have planned. We are staying at the Divi and plan to stay on the beach at Little Bay unless noted. Would love ideas for a dinner spot on our last night. Thanks!

Sat – arrive @ 230pm, late lunch at gizmos, sunset and drinks at the infinity pool, dinner at Toucan’s (if time go to store this day)
Sun – breakfast, store, Sunset bar and grille to watch planes/have lunch (maybe stop at Dream), 730/8pm Dinner at Le Pavilion by the Sea (Oyster Pond) , Dancing at La Bamba or The Red Piano?
Mon – light breakfast, massage at 10am, lunch in room, beach until 3:30, leave by 4:45 for drinks and sunset (630) at Sunset Café Grand Case, 7:45pm dinner at Spiga, dessert at la crepe & rose
Tues – beach/pool or shopping in morning, lunch, beach/pool, Dinner (?)
Weds – beach in morning, lunch, leave

missing out on a lot of beaches. We stay at divi every year for 2 weeks and we usually only spend maybe 3 tops at the beach. The rest wounds great but i am not sure i would be able to stick to a schedule in my humble opinion. Just an FYI, there is no bar at the infinity pool so get to the store to stock up before hand!

If you want to go back to Grand Case I would definitely go to Le Cottage !! Great food, great wine and fantastic service !
If not, try Bluefin at Cupecoy ! You'll have fresh local fish and lobster and the decor is beautiful!
<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />

We always enjoy Antoine's in downtown Phillipsburg for a special dinner. They have valet parking too! Must try their soufflé for dessert!! YUM!!

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> I've got to say, if that's a 'loose' itinerary, would hate to see a tight one!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> I guess you mean that you're not set on doing any of these particular things??? Regardless, it's good to have plans, but understand that you may well toss everything in the dumper when you arrive. I have to say that most people who vacation on SXM rarely spend time at the beach at their hotel, as the other beaches are routinely much better. The same is true with restaurants at the hotel, most aren't that great. Divi's restaurants historically have been horrible, but I guess they are making an effort there to upgrade their restaurants. However, Divi is somewhat isolated from a lot of different restaurants, so you may end up eating there at least for the first night for sure. Get up the next morning and drive around to orient yourself, and look for places to eat, etc.

Especially since you're going to be there for such a short time, you might want to check with Jeannie at Shop n Drop (check the TTOL sponsors list) and order some drinks and snacks etc., to have in your room when you arrive. If your plane lands at 2:30, by the time you get through immigration, get your luggage, get your car and get to Divi, I would guesstimate that it will be 4 PM. So, either get some lunch to eat on the plane on the way down, or snacks, etc. for lunch, as it will be too late to think about 'lunch' by 4 PM. Depending on how you feel by that time, you may well want to stay at Divi for dinner, yes.

As far as the rest of the itinerary, I'm exhausted just looking at it, but then, I'm probably older than you. Enjoy your trip!

i kind of thought the same thing carol. looked very busy fro my lazy vacation self. As to Jeannie, i believe she is not allowed to deliver to Divi. They have there own store on site that offers the service but very confident not as well.

We almost always eat dinner first night at divi since we have travel burnout but thats usually about it.

Oh, didn't know that about Divi, as far as the delivery service. That stinks.

I guess the loose part is that I didn't plan for other beaches during the days as I'm not sure how much driving around the other folks want to do. If I were planning it just for my husband and I, we would be at a different beach each day and one of those days would be in Anguilla! I'm trying to find a balance where we aren't sitting looking at each other saying, what do we do? where do we go? and being completely booked up. We all have little kids (ages 1 - 6), so really just want to sit on the beach/by the pool and read, drink and sleep, then go to dinner And yes, I did know about the no bar at the infinity pool and was hoping to stop for some wine or something on the way in.

Will Jeannie deliver to the Divi? I thought I read she won't/can't because of the onsite store.

Great insight into the timing of things on Sat. I forgot about customs/immigration We went to Aruba last November and were on the beach within an hour/hour and a half of landing, so was hoping the same for SXM!

Not sure on Jeannie, check with her.

As far as your itinerary, what's happening with the kids in the evening? Can't imagine a 1 year old is going to stay awake through that evening itinerary in Grand Case..

If you have dinner at Spiga (which I loved) then have dessert there too. The cheescake was one of the best desserts I have ever had. I like cheescake but it's not usually my first choice, however, this cheescake was unbelieveable.

Kids aren't going Should have said we all have kids at home!

Oh, I misunderstood! Good for you, thanks to grandma or whoever! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

Just saw that you have kids ages 1-6 with you. I am not sure Spiga is a good idea. If they are anything like my kids at that age, by 7:45pm they wouldn't sit so nicely in a restaurant. A better option might be a place that isn't so quiet and lacking in space for little ones to run around if needed. Another thought is Orient Village if you want to have dinner on the French side. Some great restaurants in the village and they are all open to the little square where the kids can run around and make noise while you sit at an outdoor table enjoying your food and drink.

oopss, ignore my last post! Good for you and enjoy Spiga!!

We did a similar thing earlier this month, where we went to SXM for 4 nights with another couple and left the kids at home with grandparents. We stayed in Orient Beach and did a day trip to Anguilla but I have to say we managed just fine sitting on the beach all day, eating, sleeping and certainly drinking and nobody complained of boredom. We took walks on the beach (and to various beach bars) and it was a nice break form the fast-paced routine we all live daily.

We stay at Divi and the beach there is fine and there are always plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas available. That said, it would still be fun to see one other beach, such as Orient, where you could have a great lunch at somewhere like Kakao, or Mullet, just for the waves and view.

Unless you have some special reason to go for dinner at Oyster pond, maybe you'd want to consider dinner that evening somewhere in the Simpson Bay Area or Maho, so it would be closer to Red Piano. It's almost 30 minutes one way to Oyster Pond, so that's going to be an hour driving that night, as well as the night you to go Grand Case.

For your last night's dinner, Antoine's in Phillipsburg would be close and very good.

If this was my itinerary eat before you get to Divi. Check-in is 4pm. They seldom, if ever, allow earlier. And sometimes they run so far behind you may not get in until 6pm.

Spend time on the beach then go out to eat elsewhere. If you think you'll be tired go to early dinner at Antoine's close by P'burg or to Mark's Place in the shopping center for great fish or ribs. Then go next door to Grand Marche for groceries. Back to unit, relax, pool or a drink at Gizmo's.

We usually arrive 12:30 go to Grand Case for lunch then back to Divi for check-in, drinks on the beach and then to bed. if not---even if we don't feel that tired, then the next day you're trying to catch up or dragging.

Instead of meals at Divi spend a day at another beach that has food, example Baie Rouge or Orient. You can always spend early am or late afternoon at Divi. Or lunch there at Seabreeze cafe poolside.

One evening try one of the many great restaurants in Orient Village., example Le Piment. Or after shopping in Marigot go to Marina Royal. There are a few good restaurants there. walk around read the menus then choose.

Bottom line is: there are too many great restaurants on SXM to spend meals at Divi.

For that special 40 b'day meal try Ocean 82 or L'Estaminet in Grand Cse. Ocean has great food lovely ambiance on the water. L"Estaminet is unusual---lots of herbs, flavors to die for. Not your common food restaurant.

Great restaurant on Front St, we always use for our last night.
L'Escargo, they have parking and the food and ambiance is great. Have been going there for years.

You are absolutely right out of all the places I have delivered DIVI is one place that gives me the most amount of headache...

Yet I have delivered there after the guest arrives only because some of the guest are my long term clients and I just don't want them to not be able to enjoy their vacation stress free...

As you know the walk to the units is not a short one and cars are generally not allowed to go through the passage... so not only do the guest have to come to the front they then have to figure out away to take the groceries from the reception to the units ...

So all in all i discourage people from shopping with me for DIVI deliveries even through I am told their store has very limited stock ...

I am sorry i don’t have better news so I can assist...

Thanks
Jeannie

Jeannie - thank you for responding! I wish we could use you, I have heard so many wonderful things about you! We will have a rental car, so don't anticipate using the Divi store as I have heard they are limited in stock and overpriced, would much rather go elsewhere.