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Orient trip report
BillDauterive
18 hours ago
Just now getting around to writing a brief trip report for our July 15 - July 22 visit. I travelled with a friend this time,
Flew AA. Arrival was on tarmac with stairs, then bus. We were smart: On the bus we stayed close to the door we entered, putting us among the first to exit the bus. We then walked fairly quickly, and entered the immigration area. While most people stood around scratching their heads, my companion and I headed straight toward the kiosks (all were unoccupied). Because we used entry.sx, our time inside the terminal was about 90 seconds (all carry-on, no checked bags). It's all timing... the previous large jet passengers had obviously had sufficient time to clear out, expediting our passage.
Although I thought I had reserved a car with Empress, I guess I didn't. Uh-oh. We shuttled to the Empress building, and ended up being charged just $250 for the week (incl liability) for an Hyundai i10 (smallest car). I expected worse. (EDIT: actually, it was $232).
ACCOMODATIONS: About a month before our departure, I reserved a 2br villa (with a pool) on VRBO, near Phillipsburg. Two weeks later, the host messaged me and said, "Sorry, this unit is not available for you to rent. Contact VRBO for a refund," Oh, no. I was imagining the worst, and immediately started searching for a similarly-priced, similar villa on VRBO. There were none for the same price, but a few more expensive (either much nicer or larger) villas available. So I called VRBO. The agent immediately refunded what I paid (most VRBOs require immediate full payment). Then... check this out... In addition to the refund, VRBO gave me a credit for the amount of my original rental, provided my stay included the days of the original reservation. So my original rental was $1,700. And I was able to start looking for a rental up to $3,400 for the week. Oh boy, this expanded my options. I was torn between an opulent two-bedroom in Sandy Ground with a huge pool and very private setting, and a more basic (but larger) four bedroom unit way up the hill in Orient. I opted for the 4br villa in Orient. While we didn't need all four bedrooms, the villa was near the top of the hill, with a beautiful view of Orient Bay and was also very private. It was incredible. Pool, outdoor shower, full security, Washer & dryer, snorkeling gear, pool floats 80-inch TV with Netflix... it had everything.
Lesson: If you reserve a unit on VRBO, keep your fingers crossed and hope that the host made a mistake!
FOOD: Regarding meals, Johnny Thinwallet here doesn't like to dine out a lot. I usually prefer to eat breakfast, skip lunch, and prepare dinner myself, dining out less than half of the time. We got pizza a couple of times (Pepe pizza (YUM) & Enzo (meh)). The rest of the meals were in the villa. Regarding breakfast, we went out for pastries (as mentioned in an earlier thread). Here is how we rated them, best to worst
1. Sebastian Quillere - the best
2. Good Morning - close second. Get the Swiss pastry.
3. Bisou Sucre - the cinnamon pastry was excellent. Limited quantities of everything.
4. L`Express - this is the only place where we had to queue up. Good, not great
We did not make it to Sucrier in Grand Case. That's on the list for the next trip.
BEACHES: We visited just two beaches. Obviously, Orient, and Happy Bay. Again, being the cheapo that I am, I rented chairs and an umbrella from Craig. The rest of the time was spent at the villa.
Regarding beach conditions on Orient, I'll echo the comments on other threads about conditions on the yellow-umbrella section. Lots of erosion and very rocky conditions in the water (we were slumming it with our rented chairs, either past the flagpole or on the far, far south end). Very little sargassum, though.
Happy Bay was busier than I've ever seen it. Though it was not crowded, there were several families scattered around (and lots of swimwear). It's summer, and the kids are out of school. But it's my favorite beach, undeveloped and mostly natural.
Not much else to report. Return trip through SXM airport was a breeze, with short trips through security. Gate area was packed, though. Not pleasant.
Random observation: My go-to beer on the island is Amstel Bright in cans. I had a very difficult time finding it. None at SuperU, none at Leader Price, and none at the bottom-of-the-hill Carrefour. On my last trip, I found it at Cole Bay Carrefour, but it wasn't worth driving there from Orient, so I settled for Heineken.
And I'm already planning my next trip.
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Iquanas - Lots of them
TJTrippe
Yesterday at 12:54 PM
Maybe it was just us and where we went but we encountered large numbers of iquanas this trip.
Saw them everywhere sometimes a dozen in a group. Granddaddy’s to babies.
Anybody know if there is a population explosion?
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Sunset Beach Bar
0810
08/01/2026 09:38 PM
Is something going on there? I understand there is no beach, but there are no people either. That bothers me. We went on Wednesday night this week for the sunset and there were only 2 other people there and that’s all. It was not the best sunset, but when we left, there was none??
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Entry Form Question
Phyllis
07/31/2026 09:13 PM
Hi, all - we have completed one entry form successfully. With the next family member, when indicating the expiry date of passport, a message comes up with an exclamation point, "Expected string, received date." The date is accurate, however. And it does not let us advance to the next step. If we put in one day prior, then it does let us proceed.
Has anyone else had this happen?
Thank you!
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Best food of the Trip
TJTrippe
07/31/2026 03:25 PM
Candidates:
Talk of the Town
Reveil Martin
Chez Fernand
Good Morning Cafe
Rancho Del Sol
Mt Vernon Pizza
Bistrot Caraibes
Perch Lite
Yellow Sub
Marks Place
Green House PR
The Winners in Order:
1) Rancho Del Sol - Went Twice - Steak, Salmon, Tapas, Pizza, Martinis, Peacocks, Great View and Breeze, Great Service (ALL EXCEPTIONAL)
2) Good Morning Cafe - A little Bit of Paris with Palm Trees - Well prepared French breakfast,Squeezed OJ, Expresso, Consistent, Quiet setting, Friendly
3) Perch Lite - Mahi Burgers, Hamburgers, Fries always well prepared. Good drinks
4) Chez Fernand Bakery - Marigot - Very interesting Pastries/Good Coffees - Went back 2nd time enroute to Airport - Walk thru Line tables after cashier.
5) Marks Place - Two trips - Pasta De new, Ribs, Chicken Parm. Good value. Service tad slower than past. Might need decor refresh.
6) Bistrot Caraibes - Consistent Food - Same as always - Why mess with success - seemed uninspiring this visit - we may skip every other trip and we never have skipped.
7) Green House Prime Rib. Pretty good but I suspect prepared Sous Vide - Small to non existent outer ring. Meat/Salads all arrived in like 5 minutes. We weren’t there 30 mins.
8) Mt Vernon Pizza - Very good French pizza, caprese salads, and sunset on mountains looking towards Grand case. Good price.
9) Talk of The Town - Food Ok, Service Slowest ever and not too busy. Probably last trip to a Grand Case Lolo.
————————-Not recommended below ———————————————————
10) Yellow Sub, said why not after avoiding this place of past disappointment. Sat quickly, never took our order, we bought a sandwich at Petit casino. This place could be a mint.
11) Reveil Martin -Undercooked poached eggs led to Benedict Soup and no offer to correct Eggs Benedict Soup and 15% cash only service charge.
Your mileage may vary.
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JP From Pizza Galley
ruralcarrier
07/31/2026 11:53 AM
According to posts on Faceboo, JP from Pizza Galley and Lady Mary prior to that has passed away. Lots of fun and sometimes loud times at Pizza Galley. I ran into JP 6 years ago. I was in the water near The Horny Toad and saw him; we had a nice chat.
LINK
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Palm Springs Clothing Optional
SouthCalCpl28
07/31/2026 06:41 AM
Now that Desert Sun is closed, what are some nude or clothing optional hotels/resorts in Palm Springs that are not lifestyle focused? A quick google search brings up Mi Kasa with some good reviews so I like to hear some opinions and recommendations on Mi Kasa and other surrounding area options.
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