TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Saba Visit

Hi everyone. I am visiting in November and and planning a 2 night stay in Saba before our week in St Maarten. This is my rough plan:

Arrive SXM on Thursday (2:35pm) and spend one night in Simpson Bay
Take the Edge ferry to Saba on Friday (arriving at 10:30am)
Spend 2 nights in Saba
Return to St Marteen on Sunday either by Winair or Makana ferry

I am looking for overall advice on this plan along with:
A place to stay for 1 night in Simpson Bay
A place to stay in Saba
How to get around in Saba
What to see/do in Saba other than hiking (no diving).

I'm sharing a pic of our visit to Saba by sea earlier this year. The seas were too rough to dinghy in and we were not comfortable staying overnight on the mooring ball, so we spend about 3 hours and set out overnight for St John USVI. So now I need to get on this island!

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Hi Rebecca. I can't really help that much with Saba, but your dates are off. If you arrive in Saba on a Friday and spend two nights, that would be Friday night and Saturday night. Yet you state that you will be coming back to SXM on Tuesday??

Do you have a timeshare week you're working around? To ME, I don't think I'd want to travel again, the next day after arriving in SXM, but it's your choice.

Thanks for catching that. You are correct - we would be returning on Sunday, not Tuesday. I updated the post.

Yes, we have a Saturday to Saturday timeshare week at La Vista so this would put us in the timeshare 1 day late.

OK, that makes more sense.

For one night in Simpson Bay, I would choose Mary's Boon. Smaller place, so no big drama getting checked in, right on the ocean, you can eat there or next door at Karakter. Pretty cheap cab ride. They have some budget rooms, which would be good enough for one night.

I would spend a night with the idea of getting to the airport for an early flight, so I suggest you don't go to the Red Piano with Bill and Elaine the night before you fly out! Lucky for you they are not on island to be a bad influence. Fly over and back, easy to do. Stay at Queens Garden, do some hiking and pick a good place for dinner and relax by the pool. Cabs are easy there. Key item restated, great place to relax so don't forget to do that!

Enjoyed our stay at cottage club last year in saba.

Convient to hiking trail.
Not sure i would stay anywhere else.

One gas station on island.

Quick walk into "town" with 2 grocery stores and pretty much most of the restaurants on the island.

Lounging by the pool we're banana, mango, papaya and avocado trees with a orange tree just outside our balcony.

Guavaberry on walk to town.


We were transferred by our island friends but traveling is short distances by taxis.

No crime on island and 10 minute walk home at night after dinner was pleasant and safe.

After 3 days you get to know everyone along your walk.

Island etiquette is to great everyone even a passing vehicle while you are walking.

Loved walking into "town" to bakery for morning pastries.

Highly recommend the Hideaway to eat.
Never would guess how good the food is.
Very talented chef in such a casual place.
Wife recalls having the best chicken wrap ever and I agree it was awesome.

Besides hiking and diving, really not much to do besides relaxing and dinning.

People very friendly.

Enjoyed our visit.

If you elect to hike up Mt Scenic take plenty of water. While I was diving my wife made it to the top with a friend and got severely dehydrated. We took the Edge over and back.

Thanks, everyone, for the info. Mahokid, are you referring to a Hideaway restaurant on Saba or the one at La Vista?

I hear you on the water! Thanks for the reminder. We hiked Gros Piton on St Lucia this year and thought we had enough water, but our guide made us buy more and we were glad we did.

In Saba stay at Juliana’s. The rooms are great and has nice pool and restaurant. It is walking distance to town.

The hotel has driver to take you around and tour island. They will book you snorkel trip that I highly recommend.

Sorry, last reply. Look at Horny Toad hotel right on beach in Simpson Bay. It is another option to Mary Boone. All the rooms have ocean views and walking distance to Mary Boone and other restaurants

The first time we went there we fell in love as day trippers. Our tour included lunch at the Queens Garden Inn and between the island and the lunch we knew we had to return for a stay overnight - we were so glad we did. We did d a three night stay-over and absolutely loved it - what a great place to chill out:

There is a casual Hideaway on Saba which kicks it a bit for the dinner menu