Travel Day
Our sojourn started with a four hour drive to Minneapolis to catch a 5am flight. We flew US Air MSP>CLT>SXM. Uneventful for the most part. We did have a couple of delays due to lightning when landing in Charlotte. No big deal….and we arrived about about a half hour late in SXM. Lesley was there to meet us at the airport and we were off to Flamingo in no time.

Flamingo/Simpson Bay
Went to check in but was a bit early and decided to pick up some groceries while the room was being cleaned. I requested top floor in building 7 after reading a post here on the forum. At first it didn’t look like we were going to get it, but the clerk pulled some strings and found us a third floor room overlooking the pool and ocean….perfecto. After we checked in and put away groceries we headed down to the beach to unwind and have a couple of drinks. We’d both been up for 36 hours so it was an early night for both of us. We stayed here for three nights and for the most part, enjoyed the property. Staff was outstanding and very accommodating. Within walking distance to everything we needed. We did the casino thing at night and popped into the Red Piano for some late night fun. What a great time!
Went into Maho one night and had appetizers at Cheris and watched the show. Hit the casino for an hour and then headed over to Sopranos for a drink, but we were the only ones there. Ended up going back to the room and calling it a night.
We stayed here our first three nights and then moved to Club F with Chloe and Thierry for our final four nights. Despite what others have said about split stays, it really worked well for us. We enjoyed having casinos and nightlife for a few nights before moving to a quieter more laid back 4 days in Orient Village.

Club F/Orient Village
Had breakfast at Toppers and then arrived at Club F mid-morning and were greeted by Chloe, Thierry, and Bella. As anticipated, the doggy treats we brought for Bella made us fast friends. She also let us know which part of her back she liked scratched….what a wonderful doggy she is….we loved her. Chloe and Thierry showed us around the villa and we chatted for a bit before heading down to the beach for the day. It was so nice coming back from the beach and winding down at the pool with a drink in hand, or sitting at the bar visiting with our hosts. I don’t know what else can be said about Chloe and Thierry other than they are two of the warmest and kindest people you will ever meet. They both go out of their way to make sure your stay is a pleasant one and that you want for nothing. We arrived as guests and left as friends. We loved this place and our new friends.

Activities
Thanks to a fellow ttol member who was able to get enough people signed up, we were able to do an around the island snorkel trip with Paul and Carol. Wonderful time as usual with a bunch of great people. It was especially nice to see a repeater from our trip last year trip to StBarths and chatting with him. Perfect weather and very good snorkeling.


Food
I know dining reports are popular on the forum for many, but we are not foodies so we really don’t have much to report. Ate a couple of breakfasts at Toppers and it was just okay. While at Club F Thierry made us breakfast that consisted of eggs, bacon, potatoes, and fruit…..it was fantastic! Thierry also made a pasta dinner for us and another couple that was outstanding as well. We did eat at Andy and Cheryl’s one morning which was good….but expensive. We made deli style sandwiches and packed them in our cooler for lunch at the beach….good stuff.

Leaving
We left on a Thursday morning after bidding Chloe, Thierry, and Bella our goodbyes. While departure day is never easy, it was especially hard saying so long to our new friends. We both look forward to a longer stay with them in the future.

Here’s a few pics

Drinks at Toppers


Breakfast of champions


Happy wife….happy life


Beach slug


Da plane


Paradise