This was our first September visit to the island and we were quite pleased with the weather, the warm temperature of the ocean, and the lack of traffic. The island was the greenest we’ve seen in quite a while. We heard that the island had some rain in recent weeks, fortunately for us, not last week. Even the golf course was looking “somewhat” decent. This was our “umpteenth” time to the island, so our main priority is relaxing on the beach, and that we did!
We booked our flight with FF Offpeak Saver miles (25,000 each ticket). All flights on US Airways (via Philadelphia) were on time and uneventful. The pilots flew around Hurricanes Hannah and Ike and we actually arrived on the island ahead of schedule. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />
We moved through Customs quickly, exited the airport and found the representatives from Ace / Panoramic car rental. Took a quick shuttle to their agency and learned that our car was upgraded from a compact to an intermediate at no extra charge. We soon found out that the car, however, was in dire need of a front-end alignment, so we promptly returned it for another intermediate rental. No problem. The second car wasn’t much better than the first, but we decided to deal with it for the week.
Drove on to Royal Palm where we rented a phone from the Queen of SXM. Pick-up and drop-off of the phone was easy, and the rates are very reasonable. Marc tried to retrieve his phone mail messages, but I don’t think the # key was working right, so he had no luck accessing his messages. It was nice having the phone, though, in case of an emergency.
Timeshare: We stayed at the Ocean Club Villas. There were a total of 3 couples staying for the week, so it was like having our own private accommodations. Our unit #12 had two bedrooms, 2 ½ baths, a washer & dryer and great A/C. This was our first stay at OCV and would not hesitate to rent there again in the future. The pool area is quite lovely and easy access to Cupecoy beach was another big plus for us. OC has 24 hour security, too.
We spent Sunday through Friday mornings on the beach at Club O. For the most part, there was one row of chairs set-up (only 35 yellow umbrellas on Monday). The days were blissfully quiet, with the exception of Thursday and Friday, when there were cruise ships in port. On those days, there were more clothed people near the Perch than unclothed, giving true meaning to “clothing optional”, I guess. We didn’t recognize anyone we knew from prior trips, but met Chris and Dick, a lovely couple from Florida, who also own at Club O. It was nice chatting with them a couple of days. I enjoyed a daily morning walk along the entire length of Orient Beach. Early in the week I saw quite a few jelly fish along the shore, mostly on the northern end. Most days were very clear and the view of St. Barth’s from Mount Vernon was absolutely breathtaking!
On Wednesday we ventured down to Philipsburg. Before we left the timeshare unit, Marc asked me if he should “bring the credit card” with him. What a silly question that was! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> Our first visit to SXM was back in 1993, when we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. We’ll be celebrating our 30th anniversary next month, and that warranted a trip to DK Gems. Deepti was out sick that day, but the rest of the staff was extremely helpful. I did speak with Deepti on the phone that day and she assured me that I was in good hands. The Heinekens kept flowing, and I kept searching for the perfect piece of bling, which I eventually found and am truly delighted with. It was a great shopping experience and it was nice dealing with the entire lovely staff at DK Gems – including the very personable security guard. We went back to the store the following day to pick up my ring and Deepti was there to greet us and to tease Marc!
Food / Restaurants, etc. – I had brought a list of places I wanted to eat at, but once on the island, the need for planning evaporated, and my list fell by the wayside. Many restaurants around the island were closed for vacation, but there were still many restaurants to choose from. This trip entailed a lot of casual dining, and, unfortunately, we never made it over to Grand Case as we heard that many restaurants there were closed for vacation.
Here’s a LONG rundown of where we dined. I kept track of the approximate costs in a daily journal for those of you who might be interested.
Lunches:
Dinghy Dock –Oyster Pond: Marc loves the ribs here, so that’s what he ordered and I selected the fried snapper plate. Both were delicious and came with fries & salad for $10 each plate. 2 drinks each – bill before tip was around $30. We enjoyed Cindy’s company, as always, and the place was pretty busy for a Monday afternoon. Glad we visited there early in the week, because they were closing on Wednesday (for one week) to “clean and repair” the place.
Get Wet Bar – Philipsburg: Ordered the poutine. For those of you who do not know what this is: French fries covered with cheese and gravy. An artery clogger for sure, but it sure tastes great! Marc ordered a burger and I had a Caesar salad, the best I’ve ever had on the island. No cruise ships were in port that day, so it was quiet on the Boardwalk.
Kokomarina – Orient Beach: This was our first visit, but it won’t be our last! The mussels and fries special was the most delicious food I had all week (large serving). Marc had a very good club sandwich and fries ($8). I had a very generous pour of Rose for $5 and Marc ordered a beer. Bill before tip was $35. Real tablecloths and cutlery, 1:1 Euro/$. Very good value for Orient Beach, in my opinion, and the friendly, fun service was fantastic! And last, but not least, the view from this restaurant is picture perfect! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />
Ric’s – Simpson Bay: Marc ordered the meatloaf special and I had chicken salad over salad. We enjoyed both of our meals. We each had one large draught beer. Bill was $28 before tip. Service was excellent. Great WiFi connection!
Cappuccino’s – Simpson Bay: We like having our final lunch on the island here and usually sit at one of the tables along the streets. It’s somewhat noisy, but you can easily keep an eye on your vehicle (our carry-on luggage is in the trunk). Free We split an Italian meat pizza for around $12. Free WiFi, with a good signal and good service.
Dinners:
Pineapple Pete – Simpson Bay: Ate here the first night on the island. Marc ordered a pork dish and I had the Rum Jumbie shrimp. Both served w/ rice and mixed vegetables. Both meals were good. Had one drink each and the total bill was well under $50. Good value for dinner and the service was excellent.
Thai Savvanh – Atlantis complex: We did take-out from here. Every employee we met here seemed to be French (in a Thai restaurant?). We got a chuckle out of that. Marc had chicken and I ordered shrimp with noodles and vegetables. Both entrees were plentiful and OK (French Thai, after all?), but hit the spot for a reasonable price of $18 + tip.
Pizza Pasta – Maho: Take-out from this small restaurant is always on our agenda when we’re staying on the Dutch side. We ordered an antipasto and a plate of Spaghetti Bolognese for about $30. Large portions – we had leftovers. We shared a bottle of wine and ate a romantic dinner on our balcony overlooking the pool.
The Tides at Mary’s Boon – Simpson Bay: Let me preface this by saying that I didn’t make a reservation beforehand. We arrived around 7PM and could see that there was ONE table occupied with a party of 4. The bartender, finding out that we didn’t have a reservation, had to “check with the cook” to see if they could accommodate us. We consulted with the cook, and after a few minutes of discussion, she determined that they could seat us. It was comical to us when we found out later that they were expecting only one other party of 2 that night – it just adds to the charm of this lovely place. Anyway, we were seated at a pretty, romantic table overlooking Simpson Bay. We already had our order of Veal Dijonnaise “pre-approved” by the cook - LOL. The wonderful meal included a nice salad, large portions of tender veal, rice and mixed veggies, an excellent dessert and coffee. We each had one glass of French Rose. The cost of this nice meal with tip was just shy of $100. We’ve been dining at Mary’s Boon for years, and we love this quaint place.
The Stone – Simpson Bay: This is one of Marc’s favorite restaurants. They were advertising on the radio: a free appetizer with your meal if you’re seated before 8:00 p.m. We arrived at 7:50, and were warmly greeted by Walner. What a great personality that guy has! It was so nice seeing him again. Marc had the filet mignon and I ordered the surf (scallops) and turf. I think $29 and $30, respectively. We split the cheese fondue for two as our free appetizer. It was delicious and the best part of our dinner. Marc’s steak was just OK, but my steak, a smaller version, was better. I enjoyed a Mojito before dinner, and Marc had a glass of tap water. The bill was $68 before tip. There were two other parties dining there that night.
3 Palms – Simpson Bay: (located where Peg Leg Pub used to be). Marc had a chicken dish and I ordered pork wrapped in bacon. Marc’s chicken was over-cooked, but my pork was perfectly cooked (pink on the inside). The rice, however, was the favorite part of my meal – beautifully presented and very flavorful. We split a Thai salad and had one drink each. The bill was around $80, including the 15% service charge. Overall, the food was good, but we found the service was “off”. I’d probably return again though, to give it another shot. We stopped by Scoops Ice Cream, located in the same plaza, for one scoop of coconut ice cream for dessert. Delicious.
Mark’s Place – Grand Marche plaza - Went there on Friday night and the place was packed with many local families dining. We have always felt that this restaurant is a great value, and it still is. They have a varied menu, and serve large portions of reasonably priced food. I had the vegetable pasta special and Marc ordered the meat lasagna. I couldn’t even eat a quarter of my plate. Unfortunately we were leaving the next day so I couldn’t take the leftovers back to our timeshare – major bummer. We each had one soda and the bill was around $30 before tip. Service was very good, even though the place was busy.
Other Stuff
In the past we generally spent our first evening enjoying the Happy Hour at the Kissing Fish. We miss Chloe and Thierry dearly and we have met so many wonderful people at that bar. So around 4:30 we went down to check the place out, and learned that demolition of the old bar had begun that very day. Walked down to Deep Blue and had two drinks each (rum coke and vodka/Ting). Our tab was $24 before tip. Ouch!
Road House Bar – Simpson Bay: After our dinner at The Stone, we walked over to Road House and were happy to find Alice working that night. She’s a very friendly bartender we’ve had the pleasure of seeing on our past trips. She greeted us with a great big smile and introduced us to the new owner of the bar, a gentleman from Venezuela (can’t remember his name, though). Unfortunately, the new owner has instituted new, higher drink prices here too. Bummer.
Sunset Beach Grill. Went there one afternoon mainly for WiFi access, which was very SLOW and erratic. We each ordered a bear at $4 each. The place was like a ghost town.
So this pretty much sums up another fantastic trip to SXM! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />
Final Note: This is the first time in years that I do not have at least one countdown to SXM clock going. While we never personally encountered any crime last week, I was more nervous than usual and was always checking to be sure our room and car doors were locked. After all the recent crime reports Marc feels that it may be time to look for another vacation destination. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> Time will tell……
