Trip Report: 1/29 - 2/5

My wive and I have been going to SXM for the past few years after she introduced me to this island as she has been going since she was a child with her family. I decided to head down solo since I got some time off from work from my boss and she was called out of town for a few weeks for a professional conference.

*I’m extremely boring and the following report includes mostly food and relaxation. Continue reading at your own risk. You’ve been warned.

Saturday, January 29
Filled out the EHAS paperwork and received approval in about two hours. Arrived in SXM at 2:30pm and took about an hour to get through customs to pick up rental car. Did the usual ritual and went to Mary Boon beach to christen my vacation with a quick dip in the ocean with a Carib in hand.

Checked in at Flamingo Beach Resort to an ocean view. Awesome! Decided to stay local and grab dinner at Lee’s Roadside Grill. Grilled Mahi-Mahi cooked perfectly with double plantains. Always a solid meal with good cocktails here.

Sunday, January 30
Decided to try the Anguilla day trip after finding out this had opened back up. Used negative COVID test took Friday and vaccine card to receive approval to join ferry trip over. Actually was an easy process that took about 5-minutes and was on the way to one of my wive and I’s favorite spots.

Set up shop at Meads Bay after a quick taxi ride since rental cars are not an option for day trippers. (We were given an arm band that we had to wear the whole time, even while swimming to show that we were day trip people. Very small inconvenience but was kind of weird) Found a nice spot at Jacala’s that allowed a free chair and umbrella with meal purchase. Had a delicious grilled shrimp Cesar salad as well as some nice drinks. After a great day of swimming and relaxing headed back to the ferry to catch the last ferry out back to SXM. Watched NFL playoffs at Buccaneer Beach Bar. Good drinks and a nice vibe with lots of locals/tourists watching the games.

Monday, January 31
Decided to do some shopping in Phillipsburg. Bought some liquor for myself and others, and also bought some jewelry for the wive to maintain a happy home. After getting back in the early afternoon to Flamingo chose to stay “home” and hang out at the resort beach. Nice weather and had a front row seat!

Dinner was at Be Kool in Marigot. Marinated Crabmeat for appetizer which was okay. Had the Sea Bass with scalloped potatoes for an entree which was very good.

Tuesday, February 1
Went to Mullet Bay only to find unusual 6-foot waves that made hanging out there unbearable so decided to audible to go somewhere else.
Went to Friars Bay only to find unusual 4-foot waves that made hanging out there unbearable so decided to audible to go somewhere else.
Went to Grand Case to find unusual 2-foot waves that were bearable and later dissipated in the day, so chose to stay here and make the best of it. Hung out near LTC who had packed up all of their chairs and umbrellas because of the crashing waves to the building edge.

Had another favorite ritual by having lunch at Max’s Place to the right of the lolos. Smoked Salmon panini with a Carib and Rum Punch with fresh-squeezed juice. Sooo good!!! Left a little early to grab drinks in Maho at Tortuga to watch a few planes come in. Got a nice shot of KLM coming in.

Dinner at Moulin Fou in Maho. Lobster Bisque for appetizer and Filet Mignon with scallops and Foie Gras for an entree. Delicious!

Wednesday, February 2
Tried Mullet Bay again. Much better. Spent much of the low key day swimming and had dinner back in my room after splurging the last few days.

Thursday, February 3
Started the day at Happy Bay after making the hike. Amazing views as always and even avoided any startled iguanas on my trip. Decent weather and swimming turned into a quick downpour so decided to head over to Friars Bay for umbrella shelter. Settled in at 978 Beach Club. Decent spot that served food and drinks. Weather had gotten better but there were a ton of rocks at the water entrance that made going in to swim literally painful. Powered through and decided to mainly relax in the chair.

Dinner and happy hour drinks at Greenhouse in Simpson Bay. Stuffed Grouper with Mac & cheese and plantains. Very good but the sauce they served with the Grouper turned into a soup.

Friday, February 4
Testing time. Made an appointment at Medworks a few weeks in advance. Was in and out in literally less than two minutes. Awesome sauce!

Was pulled into an “emergency” 2-hour meeting with work (that shockingly ended up not being much of an emergency…but whatever) that ended my plan to head over to the French side, so decided to have another home day at Flamingo. Ended up being a blessing in disguise because I was able to get a couple hours of swimming and relaxation in before the skies opened up for the rest of the day and night.

Dinner was at Vesna Taverna. Grilled filet snapper with Mash and vegetables was just okay. First time there after hearing good things. Disappointed but might give them another chance down the line as they were busy.

Saturday, February 5
Got one last swim in at Flamingo and had lunch at the Simpson Bay Resort beach bar, (which personally seems much better than the Flamingo Bar) Fish Fingers and a final rum punch overlooking the ocean.

Lines at the airport were surprisingly short even at 2pm after mentally preparing myself for a clusterf*** and the entire process took less than 30 minutes.

Until next time SXM.

Sounds like an awesome trip!

Sounds like a lovely and relaxing visit - our kind of vacation.

One question - you mentioned 978 Beach Club at Friars Bay. Is this a new spot or a new name for the long existing Friars Bay Beach Club, a definite favorite if ours?

I’m sure your wife was wishing she was there with you, but in all honesty, after checking out your lovely photos, I’m thinking we all wished we were, too. Thank you for sharing your trip and taking the tine to do such a great write-up. 😊😊

I enjoyed your report and pictures. You obviously like plantains as do I. Lee's wife told me they use Goya frozen plantains and fry them. I was able to find them at our local Walmart Neighborhood store. Just as good as Lee's except just not in SXM and no fresh grilled mahi of course!!

What a lovely trip report and pictures! I was surprised when you said that you headed to Anguilla the first day, due to the requirement to test. However, that was very smart of you, to go when you could use the test you took to arrive in SXM! Just finished breakfast and those food pictures certainly made me hungry! Thanks again!

Great report and photos!

You covered a lot of territory and different beaches and restaurants.

it's unusual that the water was rough on so many beaches!
We always try for the calm ones, or I would never get to swim (get wet).

You mentioned getting a test before leaving for SXM---They keep saying you don't need a test, if you are vaccinated, but I know they wanted it at the
airport in November. Did they ask for it?

Thanks for that great detailed report. Hope you enjoyed the Flamingo. i own 4 weeks there and is my home away from hone in May.

"Lee's wife told me they use Goya frozen plantains and fry them. I was able to find them at our local Walmart Neighborhood store."
Thanks for that heads up. I'll look for them.

Nice report, thanks. You tried several places that we had meant to, but ran out of time (Be Kool, Vesna Taverna).

No it’s in between Kali’s and Friars Bay Beach Club. Looked relatively new with white and blue as its colors.



I actually only took the test to try to do the Anguilla day trip on Sunday as I’m boosted, so didn’t need it for EHAS approval. Almost chickened out at the last minute as I wasn’t sure if the card and test were enough after reading conflicting websites and didn’t want to get stranded in Anguilla, but the process was pretty straightforward.

Such an awesome report! Love the photos!