TRIP REPORT


November 26, December 10, 2003

FLIGHT

Booked US Airways out of Newark with Priceline.com at ½ of the advertised prices. No delays at Newark or Charlotte or St. Maarten in the air or on the ground in bound and a ½ hour delay at Charlotte on the return. We made the connecting flight but the baggage did not. It is out for delivery this afternoon.

HOTELS


We spent time at three properties this trip. Cap Caraibes at Orient Beach was our first stop. A lovely small hotel located just a few feet off the beach. They advertised an ocean view however we were given a ground floor unit. This was just as well as there is no ocean view from the units on the first floor (one flight up) and we did not wish to climb the stairs. Our unit faced the pool so we could step out onto the patio and walk across to the pool. The entire Orient Bay Village is lovely and self contained with restaurants, minimart , security gate and so forth however it is becoming over commercialized. Beach front two-bedroom condos go for 700,000 euro and up.

Overall experience was excellent.

Next we stayed at Oyster Bay Beach resort at Oyster Pond. This is a grand property with, in my visual estimation, about 40% of the units facing the ocean and St. Barths, another 40% facing Oyster Pond, 10% facing Dawn Beach and 10 % facing a garden, which is a nice way of saying a parking lot.

Lots of find dining in the general area at the resort which was not as good as the nearby eateries on Dawn beach or the Pond. A water taxi is available to take you over the Captain Olivers Marina.

The road leading to the gate house is now fully paved and the resort expects to open a casino on the Pond side, no date for completion as yet.

Our unit 2120 faced Dawn Beach with views end to end. TTOL member Marvin was in 2121 but we did not meet until the next to last day.

Overall experience excellent.

Lastly we moved over to Atrium in Simpson Bay area, a nice hotel with a great location for fine dining and casino action with a small man made beach and small pool.

Overall experience was excellent.

DINING

The list is long and my comment will be short:

Bikini, excellent food and location
Breakfast in the unit catered by a local shop was average.

Mr. Busbys was excellent as to food and location, Caribs 75 cents all day long at the bar or $1.00 on the beach.

Did not dine at Barefoot Terrace or Ms. Bs but do recommend them from positive comments from others. There is a well stocked mini-mart next to Barefoot Terrace.

La Croissanterie, Zee Best , (both locations), Chesterfields, Pasanggrahan (excellent Caribbean breakfast), Rics, and Captain Olivers all great for breakfast and lunch.

La Petit Auberge, Marys Boon, La Vista, Rays Townhouse, Divi, and the newly opened Cigals Garden Le Charolais in Maho, and Boathouse all excellent for dinner.

We experienced three private parties with our friends from years past and new ones too, although we all missed Carl Stone this trip.

BEACHES

Orient, Dawn, Mullet and Indiana, no need to comment on these fine spots.

CASINOS

Diamond, Paradise, Dolphin and Casino Royale, all fun, won some, lost some.

A PERSONAL NOTE

My personal thanks to Ray, Vlasta, Alan, Sherrie, Mike, Susan, Steve, Maria, Keith, Carol, Rae & John whose company helped to make this a wonder full vacation.