TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin St Martin newbie Questions

Hello All! Great site with lots of helpful info.
I am planning on taking my wife here for our 25th. Never been....was at St Lucia for our 10th.
I was thinking of taking another couple along and renting a villa right on the ocean with a pool. We will be there in mid July. Any places/beaches I should avoid?
Which side of island do you like best?
I have heard some complaints of lots of bugs...any more than say Hilton Head in midsummer?

That's just a start. I am sure I will have more ???'s

For starters - which side really doesn't matter too much. If I was planning a trip for myself, I'd work with a few rental sites and find a villa I like and go from there. There are some incredible villas across both sides of the island. Personally speaking, I really like the Terres Basses area for it's convenience and easy access to both sides of the island and still the fact that its not in the middle of a lot of congestion, but that's just me. We have timeshare so we stay on the Dutch side and enjoy all the beaches on both sides depending on our mood for the day. The island is a very easy drive but there are points of congestion and it does pay to know the bridge and causeway opening times just to make your life a little easier.

You may often have an issue with no-see-ums early in the morning and in the late afternoon, and right now the moskie concerns are plaguing the entire Caribbean so a good insect repellent is a must. That said, if it's dry and breezy you'll have less of a problem and if it's been rainy and humid, and there's a lot of foliage around your place of choice, you will probably have more problems with bugs. I've heard a lot of people speak of sand fleas on the island but in absolute honesty, we've been going every year for over forty now and sometimes twice a year and I have NEVER had a problem with them in St. Maarten/St. Martin.

Have a great time planning the trip - to me that's usually half the fun. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

What does everyone think of the all inclusive resorts on St. Martin?
Weighing all inclusive vs. villa rental.

St. Martin has so much to offer in the way of different beaches and fabulous restaurants, that I think all inclusive is wasted on St. Martin.

Don't do it. Please.....

St. Maarten/St. Martin is definitely NOT an AI island. Half the pleasure of this island is the option of dining around all parts of the island. The restaurants are all incredible and limiting yourself to all inclusive makes the trip almost not worth doing. Note I said almost - because if that's the only way you might come then AI would be okay. But certainly not the choice of most who visit the island. And if you might come on an AI plan, I'm thinking RIU in the Anse Marcel area of the island would be the better option of the few AI resorts on the island because of some on-going problems with the Sonesta Maho Resort, which is the only other AI island resort I'm personally aware of or might consider.

Another vote AGAINST going all inclusive in SXM. There is a reason why St. Martin is considered the Gastronomical Capital of the Caribbean. With zillions of GREAT restaurants....37 beaches.....and each one with its own ''flavor'', going to an all inclusive resort on the island IS the BIGGEST WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY!!!!!! Enjoy all SXM has to offer and don't be held hostage to an all inclusive!!

I agree with the above two posts...exquisite meals, roadside meals, lolo meals, casual waterfront meals, cook it yourself meals...absolutely zero reason to pay for AI

I'm really kind of confused, as to why you would be interested in either an a/i OR a villa rental, as they are such totally different animals... Unless you are looking at Shore Point, or whatever the heck it's called at Maho, which is supposed to be a 'deluxe' a/i. A/I's have a definite place in the world, but my personal perception is that 'place' is NOT on SXM, unless you are using it as a place to sleep and maybe eat breakfast and have some all inclusive drinks, and you get a good price on it. Many places other than SXM are better 'fits' for a/i, places where it is difficult to drive, or there aren't a lot of places to eat that cater to a more touristy palate, or places where frankly it is just really cheap to go there if you do a/i and all you want to do is eat (usually) buffet food, hang out on the beach and drink.

My perception of a villa vacation would be someplace where you have your own private pool, away from the hubbub of life, which is what you will more likely find at an a/i.

With regard to your original question, if you want a true VILLA, ON the beach, there are truly not that many of those on SXM and you will pay a pretty penny for them. Many places on SXM are called "Villas" though, when an American would more properly call them "townhouses" or "condos". There are a fair number of THOSE on island, ON a beach and those can be had for a reasonable cost. An example is my favorite place on earth Beachside Villas. www.Beachsidevillas.com They are what we would call townhouses, all 2 or 3 bedrooms, on a marvelous stretch of Simpson Bay Beach. They are NOT deluxe, in the manner of there are no granite countertops, etc., but the decoration is Caribbean casual and suits OUR needs perfectly. Your mileage may vary.

As stated, either side of SXM will work and since it is such a small island you will get an opportunity to see both regardless where you stay.
If you go in July there should be less congestion on the road and at the beaches as well as fewer folks at the restaurants.
No beaches to avoid and all beaches are public. Some are more accessible than others.
No bug problem to speak of. My sister lives in South Carolina and we have seen more there than in SXM.

Which side of the island? For me the French side has wonderful dining, no high rise condos and is near the beaches I like. Dutch side has lots of time shares condos, the cruise ship terminal and gambling. Driving from one side to the other is not my cup of tea especially at night. So there you have it. Both sides have lots of options for lodging. Be warned, St. Martin is habit forming; there is no known cure beyond another visit.

Hello, and welcome to TTOL. The island is easy to navigate - there is one main road that sort of circles the island. Hence, it is easy to travel from one side to the other easily. Both sides of the island have their own personality. We always stay on the French side, and dine there more frequently. We find that side less touristy, quieter and more laid-back. We have often gone in July and have never found bugs to be a problem. There is a product called mosquito milk available there which is very effective. I echo what others have said about AI - you probably wouldn't want to be restricted to one place. Car rentals are reasonable. There are no beaches that need to be avoided; our favorite is Orient, but try to visit as many as possible. Please let us know how it went. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Not sure if C/O is what you are looking for, but Club O has a Villa that has a pool, and you are within steps of the Beach. You can then venture off to other parts of the Island, depending on what you are looking for.

We like to stay on the Dutch side near Simpson Bay and then spend our days on Orient Beach. The area near Simpson Bay and Maho has a lot of night life and a lot of restaurants within walking distance. We also like to drive over to Grand Case at night for dinner as there are a lot of great restaurants in Grand Case. The casinos are on the Dutch side and they are always a lot of fun.


There are great beaches all over the island so you can explore and find the ones you like the best. we happen to like Orient the best. With respect to bugs, we ususally use Off and spray up before we go out to dinner but we have never had any real problems.

Divi has a A/I option but I can't recommend it anymore than any other AI option on Saint Maarten. There are just too many places you can go to get really good food that sticking with AI doesn't seem like a good idea.

Interesting that folks aren't coming out for one side of the island over the other. I think they are a world apart. We are die hard French siders, since we like to get away from the chains we see in the states. To us, the French side has a decidedly more European feel.

More specifically, we prefer the dining options all a stroll away that Grand Case provides. There should be plenty of options there. GCBC has two bedroom townhouses, and there are numerous other options for a great dining experience.

Want to dance the night away and gamble? Ignore everything above and go straight to the Dutch side!

Regardless, don't limit yourself to an AI. You can get that anywhere.

I think both sides of the Island have their good points. I have stayed on both but now (for convenience and the fact we have two weeks at SBR) stay (sleep)only on the Dutch side with MANY travels to the French side...but...we do not dance a lot and maybe hit the casino once or twice in two weeks. There is a tad bit more to the Simpson Bay area than that...

I would start by asking the question, what do you want out of your vacation? Do you want access to a lot of activities and nightlife? Then go with the Dutch side. If you want a quieter, more relaxed style of vacation with access to top notch restaurants, consider the French side. Grand Case (where some of the best restaurants are) has some beautiful properties that are not "villas" or A/I resorts but you may find suitable. As Carol stated, I'm not aware of any real villas with pools on a beach anywhere on the island, but there are some lovely vacation rentals. Check out TripAdvisor or VRBO for those. And keep asking questions on this forum! Even as a St. Martin veteran, I learn something new every time I log on.

No, not a lot of bugs on the Island. You may run into a few mosquitos (I haven't seen any in months). Goats, cows, pigs, horses, donkeys, birds, mongoose, iguana, monkeys (nothing dangerous or poisonous except one for of large centipede--not often seen). As far as A/I , I agree with everyone else. Not something you want to do. I prefer the French side, but the Dutch side is beautiful as well, just busier.


Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Sleeps: 4 Type: Apt. / Condo
CARIBBEAN PRINCESS B1... ground floor 2 bedroom beachfront unit with private yard, great for kids or 2 couples
Rates may vary depending on # of bedrooms rented.

TripAdvisor property ID 2107059
Some friends of ours own it, very beautiful, has a small pool, close to Orient Village, right on the beach behind Coco Beach restaurant on Orient Beach.

Hi. I'm not sure where you copied and pasted that whole listing from, but I'm sure it is copyrighted, so I removed most of the info. Should be easy enough for them to find if they're interested.

WOW!!!
Thanks so much for all of this info.
I was just considering A/I since we have never done it and thought it might be convenient. but seeing as there ARE so many great places to eat on SXM, that is OUT!!!!
Have found some private "villas"....look like homes actually with a pool right on the beach. Some are a little pricey, but splitting with another couple, and our 25th only comes around once.
the more I read, the more excited I become about the island!!

Both sides of the island are great but both are very different. If you want quiet, good beaches and fine dining, I would choose a villa on or near Orient Beach on the French side. If you prefer good dining. good beaches and night life, then the Dutch side is the place to be. I would suggest renting a villa on Simpson Bay, Maho or Pelican Key on the Dutch side. We have stayed on both sides of the island and enjoyed our stays very much.

Good thinking! I forgot - Happy 25th.

We visited friends who were staying in a second floor unit at Caribbean Princess and it was beautiful. Very spacious and well equipped. Not sure who they booked through. The previous year they stayed on the ground floor and found the cats to be a problem. If you leave the patio doors open they come in.

You have to be reeeeeally careful! We planned to go for our 25th and ended up going later - but we have been back every year since that first year! It is very addicting! I am not complaining as we are now in love with the island.

We prefer the French side since there is very little night life and is quiet. We stayed at the Caribbean Princess the first year we were there and it was very nice. The one we stayed in was just a few steps from the beach and had complementary chairs at Waikiki. It had two bedrooms, but since we were there alone they locked one side. The glass doors were 16 feet wide that provided a wonderful view every morning! The one comical thing was that they had a huge tv cabinet with a 19 inch tv. It didn't matter to us since we were there to get away. we turned it on once and shut it down after a few minutes. We have only been on the French side so cannot comment on the other. I agree with all of the others that AI is not the way to go since there are many great eating places on the island. Enjoy your 25th!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

We've stayed on both sides of the island over the years and to me the 'which side question' has never been terribly important. And when we purchased our timeshare weeks we chose a very quiet little corner on the Dutch side that allows us relatively easy access to BOTH sides of the island and all that we enjoy about the island.

We enjoy beaching on both sides so again, the 'which side to stay' question is really not very important to us. But we do enjoy a certain amount of night life so staying on the Dutch side works better since the drive to some of the more remote beaches during the day is easy, but driving around at night for many of the incredible dining spots - not so much. We're not really into the casinos but as a change of pace after dinner, they're fun, too, and they're only on the Dutch side.

It's really all about you and what you enjoy......over forty years of annual visits I can tell you absolutely - both sides are great and I doubt you would be disappointed on either one.

And for personal recommendations, if you're looking for a laid back resort atmosphere, IMHO, Grand Case Beach Club is awesome on the French side, and if you're more the independent type - the Beachside Villas are terrific, too. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Oops sorry. I did have permission from the condo owners since they are friends. Didn't realize it would be a problem.

How about Plum Bay.
what is that area like?

I've sent you a PM. (a little long to post here) Look for a flashing envelope beside your name. Click on it to open.

I personally would not consider an AI on St. Martin because one of the big draws for us is the food. That being said, a friend of mine recently stayed at the Sonesta AI in Philipsburg. I tried to talk her out of it but she felt it would give her the kind of vacation she wanted. She loved it. She did take my advice and rent a car and see the island and had some meals out. She had gotten a great deal and the cost was not much different than somewhere else where the food wasn't included. She made it sound so great that I told her I might try it for a girls long weekend away when she comes back.

As far as the villa option goes, we have rented all over the island for many years and have come to love the Cupecoy area best. We love the French side but our vacations always require some work time and we found the internet service to be much more reliable in the Cupecoy area than at the villas we rented all over the French side. There is also American TV on the Dutch side if that is at all important to you. The vast majority of villas on the French side have very limited TV to watch if you get a nasty day. There is no traffic in the Cupecoy area and it is very close to the border of the French side. If you are looking for a villa on the water there are several in Cupecoy at Shore Pointe and there are lots of lovely condos at the Cliff. All are oceanfront. We found our rentals on VRBO but there are many sites you can find rentals on.

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy!!

Baie aux Prunes is expansive, beautiful and secluded. There are no facilities there so you have to tote refreshments, towels, chairs etc. in. This can be a short walk if your villa is right on the beach or a good walk if you are staying up on the hill. It is a great spot if you want beauty and privacy.

Try La Samana

Actually saw an "experiment" by reporters for the Today Show. 2 people went to an AI in Mexico? and ordered the same food/drinks/activities all day long. The person ordering on their own saved $375 over the AI price, so times 2 is a lot of money. But I do agree with previous posters that St Maarten has a LOT of great places to dine. Found it to be true in Aruba as well but do have some friends who do AI there. We are always out and about too much to want to limit ourselves to one AI place. Beachside Villas is very nice, all on one level, not like the townhouses around here. Popular place and only 13 units so sometimes hard to get a reservation. Feels like home for us! We make a lot of our own meals and eat on the beach. Good luck with your decision!!

Sent you a PM as it was a long message.

HI, lots of good advice given.
My comments
To a 1st time visitor, there is some acclimatization needed, once you’ve been 2 – 3 times, all the suggestions and locations make more sense than not having visited or even one time for a week, so I’m guessing some of the advice can be overwhelming in choices given.

AI – our first 2 visits were to the Sonesta Maho, 1st time a last minute radio contest win, we were basically clueless about the island, two nice ladies from Rubbermaid helped us out with info. Second time we had done some homework and came armed with a map and took a car ride around the island checking out locations to stay, eat and beach.
The following yr we stayed at the Royal Islander LaPlage next to the Maho hotel [found the previous yr!]and have gone from there, now liking staying at Orient village. It’s all a matter of taste of what you want in your visit.

If I had only a wk and had a deal at the Sonesta Great Bay n P’burg I might consider it, using it as a base to explore. Bkfast no fuss, lunch out, some dinners in after long beach days. Not for everyone but might be workable.
Suggestions – not sure length of visit or budget, but my suggestions based on a one wk stay.

I notice on the owners assoc page the Royal Islander LaPlage has a 6th floor 2 bed penthouse for a wk in July for $1500. I would consider that for a 1st time visit. The location gives you some immediate beach, easy access to Mullet beach [walk or drive], walking distance to several good resto’s and an easy drive to more great resto’s in Cupecoy and into Simpson Bay. Easy day time drive to other beaches to try like Baie Rouge [a new fav of ours] and Orient. It’s also minutes from the airport and has change facilities for your last day when you have vacated your room. Casino is across the street and cabs are easy to get if needed from the Maho hotel next door.

My other choice would be something in Orient Village, easy drive or better yet a walk to the Village sq, lots of excellent resto choices, easy cab ride to Grand Case for more resto choice’s. Either easy drive or walk to Orient beach, lots of choice on the beach for food and rec. Many villa choices with pools for you to choose from in the area. Loved walking on the beach in the morning and stopping to get croissants for our breakfast on the way back.

Those 2 choices would suit us, but you need to decide what is for you.

Note, unless staying in the Maho area, less than 5 minute cab ride [lots of cabs at the airport no need to prebook] and you want a car, I would arrange a cab to pick you from the airport the 1st day, have your rental delivered to where you are staying the next day – way easier and feels luxurious to us! Try Wilfred Brooks a sponsor. Also, if your unit allows it, suggest to use Jeannie from Shop n Drop to stock your unit with food and drink before your arrival – it’s your 25th, cab ride to the love nest topped off with a cold bottle of something special waiting for you hmmm...

You can’t lose on this trip
Enjoy
J&B

Some very good suggestions here.

I would second Royal Islander Club Le Plage for a first visit and also the idea of getting your car the day after you arrive. I believe there is a Hertz office right there and there are countless eating and drinking places across the street and adjacent to the entire Maho Village area.

I also suggest the ride around the island as one of your first best things to do. There is so much to see and experience on this island and it really is a very easy drive with basically one main road that goes around the entire island. Familiarizing yourself with the bridge and causeway opening times is also a good thing to do to make your drive more pleasant. Traffic around presumed 'rush hour times' - I know - hard to think of rush hour on an island, but people do live there and have to get to their jobs - can be heavy so keep that in mind, too.

Michael and I did some math and found out that going to an A/I resort was not a financial gain at all for us. We figured out that we had to drink HEAVILY in order for it to be worth it. We drink a bunch of wine but not enough to make the A/I worth it.