11 days this year, late feb.
This is our 4th trip in 5 years and each time we’ve spent our time based in Orient Bay. We rent a studio in the upper bay, close enough to walk to the village at night, but in a quiet residential area.
Weather/water. 86 or so every day, some days with passing clouds, some with full sun. Maybe 30 minutes of rain altogether over 10 days. Breezy every day, but the umbrellas were up every day, so not whistling wind, as it was some days last year. Water was refreshing when you first got in, but felt warm 2 minutes later. In other words, just about perfect for a couple escaping the great plains winter.
Grocery stores
We got in Sunday afternoon, so no grocery shopping on the way in. Monday morning we visited Leader Price and Simply both in/near Hope Estates.

As has been noted, Leader price is smaller, very much like an ALDI – lots of private label canned and packaged goods. Some fresh goods ( butter/milk/cream…) and a limited supply of vegetables. No fresh meats, but good frozen sections. I compared canned goods between Leader Price and Simply, and you can save money at LP if you are going to buy food to make/have during your stay. For example, Maille cornichons at Simply were around 2.5 euros, while the LP cornichons were 99 euro cents.

Simply is larger, with both some Auchan private label goods and some French Name brands. Also fresh meat counter, very good cheese dept, extensive wine selection.. We lived in France, like cooking and like shopping for the French foods and goods on SXM. Merguez, magret de canard, scallops, shrimp, a cheese selection, a half-case of wine… we were happy. The produce at Simply is strikingly better than last year – last year everything looked, pale, wilted, faded and tired. This year almost all the fruits and veggies looked fresh and appetizing, with a broader variety of both fruits and veggies. Big progress!
Tap 5
Last year Tap 5 was in the middle of a re-set and it looked half empty. This year they’re back to full speed – “convenience store” level of selection of foods (i.e. limited), plenty of alcohol and sunscreen, but also a great pastry display, including a half-dozen store-made salads you can buy (most are 4 euros) to take home or to the beach for a lunch. We stopped in most every day either for morning pastries (including savory ones stuffed with ham or spinach) or a baguette for lunch or dinner. Some days we bought bread from Tap 5, some days from Bread and Cake, which is the bakery in the orange strip inland from Tap5.
Beach
Basically there was as much sand as last year. Wider beach towards Papagayos, thinner in front of the Perch and Pedros.

Still, there seemed to be plenty of room. I’ll address this again below in the “Chicken Little” section, but the January reports on TTOL of the beach’s imminent and permanent demise seem to have been premature. It is striking how quickly things can change: One night the weather changed and we walked down to a changed beach – there was a 1-ft shelf in front of the chairs, whereas the day before the beach had had an even slope. From Papagayos to the Perch, the front beach lost a foot of sand. Conversely, the rocks section in front of Pedros picked up at least a foot of sand, covering some of the rocks we had had to stumble over the day before. The next day, much of the change had been reversed.
Peggy and Pauls snorkeling trip
Carol (Paul’s wife) was filling in for Peggy, and we had a great day with them. Snorkelled for the first time, fun powerboating on calm seas, nice lunch, a good group. Highly recommended.

Food
First, let me say that IMHO there is no subject on TTOL where there are more different points of view than those regarding food on the island. What some posters love, I would consider swill, and stuff I like would be considered by others to be swill or pretentious crap. So, yes, our reviews are biased and may not agree with yours. Generally, we plan either to make our lunch and take it down to the beach with us, then eat out that night, or we do the reverse: eat at a beach bar, then cook in at night. BTW, on recommendation from people here on TTOL we bought and took down with us a polar bear soft cooler, and it’s the cats meow. I used it as carry-on while travelling.
Aloha lunch
Lunch there on Sunday, when the local French frequent the beach, and the menu tilts more French, with a better (and pricier) and longer list of specials on the board. We shared a mixed grill plate (duck, beef, chicken), smashed potatos, small salad, extra fries, and a bottle of rose. Well-prepared, well-presented, well-served. $60 or so, 1:1 IIRC.
Perch lunch
Ribs and fries, and swordfish and fries, about 12 euros each, $33 with lunch and a beer. Ribs were flavorful, tender and sauced. Good. Grilled swordfish was fine, for beach food.
Paradise View, lunch
First time here. Standard (good) creperie, fantastic view of Orient bay, Gallion, Coconut Grove. Savory crepes run 8 to 12 euros, with a little salad. There is a handful of stalls in front of the restaurant where you can buy trinkets, island rum, etc.

Calmos evening
Our first time there, with the intention of having dinner watching the sun set. Got set in the sand, ordered drinks and appetizers, ribs and chicken satay. View and drinks were fine, but the ribs were dry and tough, and the “satay” consisted of 1” cubes of chicken grilled two-to-a-toothpick, then slathered in a sauce that could best be described as the sauce drained out of a can of Van De Camps canned pork and beans, then sprinkled with crushed peanuts. If you were expecting “Van de Camps chicken McNuggets”, it might have been fine, but for anyone who has ever had Thai satay…. Yuck! We paid and left before ordering entrees. I don’t get the appeal of that place.
Pizza
Tap 5, and from le Piment. Tap 5 makes classic European “street pizza”, about 11 euros on average. Good enough for what it is. Le Piment makes the classic French pizzas (4 seasons, etc) but some more modern combos as well. Le piment’s versions have more, and more interesting, toppings, very good pizza. Same price as Tap 5 within a euro or so. Better pizza.
Le Piment evening (Orient Village square at night)

5 years ago le Piment seemed basically a sit-down pizza and pasta joint; now they have a specials board that encompasses 30 items, pricier than pizzas, but very good. We had a perfectly-grilled hanger steak (amusingly translated on their board as “anger” steak) covered with caramelized shallots, accompanied by a pot of good roasted veggies, and a Salad Landaise, (fried potatoes, confit gizzards, sliced duck breast, bacon, on a large nicely dressed salad); 2 desserts, bottled water, a very nice 29 euro Bordeaux and the total was 96 euros, $125. Best meal of the trip. AND, a simple walk up the hill after the meal, no driving required. Chocolat fondant and crème brule.

Security
Saw no crime, felt no threats. Saw no roadblocks for DUI, although others we talked with had experience with them. That’s one of the advantages of liking OB and staying in Orient village. Left our car unlocked and empty on the beach, as recommended by the rental company.
Chicken Little Vs Doris Day (“Que Sera, Sera”)
We’ve only been coming to St Martin for 5 years, so we don’t have the long perspective. Still, we see that things are changing – more development around Orient beach, the “No nudism north of Pedros” sign, the evening congestion on Grand Case’s restaurant row road, the sluggish Dutch-side traffic, the locals’ talk of problems in schools with so many kids who don’t want to learn, who have never been to the beach, who don’t know how to swim, who don’t seem to see or care about a better future… That bodes ill for the future of the island.
All the same, people are uniformly open and friendly to us during our visits, helpful in the stores (including Simply and Leader Price), on the beach and in the streets. The sun still shines, the water is that indescribable blue, the food is great, you can still go naked on Club O, and rum punches still taste great.

So I guess we disagree with those few TTOL “Chicken Littles” who seem to consistently say “the sky is falling” in St martin, whether it be DUI or nudism crack-downs, scarcity of 1:1 exchange rates, “the beach is permanently washing away” or whatever else isn’t as nice as they think it ought to be. As a wise Frenchman I once knew said, “Dans la vie, il faut s’adapter.” “In life, one must adapt.” We go to St Martin, have a great time, try to look for the good in every day, and regret leaving. As long as it’s that way, we’ll probably be back, and happy to be there.