Going alone to St. Maarten and need your advise....

This is a bit difficult to answer without knowing your age and sex, whether you want to sun tan all day and then go wild at night, and also what you are expecting to pay for nightly accomodation, etc. etc. !!

However, in the order of your questions, here are some VERY GENERAL pointers :

1) Yes
2) Pretty much anywhere except in the large hotels - or just hit any the better beach bars, or selected night clubs and you will find them !
3) Access is a problem without a rental car. If you intend to lie on the beach all day, then go 'clubbing' every night, it might be better to use taxis, as the driver will probably not be drunk like you !
4) The nightlife is definitely better on the Dutch side of the island, but the French side is far less commercialized, and Americanized, and has a totally different (in my view much nicer) atmosphere.
5) Quite a few to choose from. You need to narrow down a bit where you want to be - Dutch side, French side, beach area etc.
6) There are, I believe, 37 beaches of different types throughout the island (though I haven't counted them personally !) some are quiet others lively. Some have water sports some do not, so you have a very wide choice. They say that there are 365 'restaurants' on the island - and they are working on one more to cover leap year - but, again, it depends on what you want, as they vary from fast food (KFC, Burger King etc. on the Dutch side) to sophisticated gourmet restaurants in Grand Case (on the French side) with a few also excellent up market ones - mainly in Maho casino area, on the Dutch side.

The island is only 37 square miles, but it has a lot to offer, and something for most people.

I am sorry not to be of more help, but more detailed information from you would help other posters too I am sure.

Thank You DavidSXM for taking the time and the information. To be specific - My name is David, 39 yrs - Male from Toronto, Canada.. never travelled alone, therefore looking to stay in an area in which i can meet single travellers. I am there for 5 nights and would like to be around mostly with adults. Not into extreme nightlife, definetly white sandy beach is a plus as well hotels where there are less traffic. Any specific recommendations? Again, thanks for the advise.

Hi David..Cheryl from Toronto. I'm leaving for SXM this weekend..and have been there numerous times.

There are several AI's on the island..Sonesta Maho, Sonesta Great Bay..(just to name a few), and both of course are large (and quite popular with the Canadians and Americans for AI's), and there's a lot more nightlife at Maho than Great Bay, but you will definitely meet people anywhere on the island.

There are lots of smaller places on the island, you might be interested in like Grand Case Beach Club, on the French Side. It's quiet, off the beaten path, close to restaurants, and you will meet some people, but perhaps this might be a little too secluded for you? (We've stayed here several times, but it is out of the way). Do a search online to see if it's for you.

Some other smaller places, that I have heard great things about, but we have not stayed...are The Turquoise Shell, The Horny Toad Guesthouse, The Holland House, The Pasanggrahan Royal Guesthouse..just to name a few. Just depends what you are looking for, and where you want to be. Search them online.

We now stay privately in condo on Cupecoy Beach, and just love it.

Either way, wherever you stay, I'm sure you will love the island, and will meet lots of people wherever you go.

Sorry, that was addressed to Starz04.

Thanks Cheryl, i will definetly check out the ones you mentioned. Have a wonderful and safe travel. Should you find time on your return, do update me as to where to stay to meet single travellers.

Hi, My Wife and I are visiting from New Orleans. Of course living in vacation land, you would think we would know all the rip offs. St. Maartin has come up with a very easy to detect scheme. Watch your food bills. At every restaurant we have had to look over our bill for drink, and food we have not ordered. Be very careful not to leave anything at your table, and expect to retrieve it the next day. The so called "cleaning crew" will wear your things home.

I'll write more as the trip progresses.

surfwooder
I don't quite understand your post.
I have never been overcharged at any restaurant and I have always able to retrieve items if I left them.
what on earth are you talking about?

surfwooder.

I absolutely agree with Barbara.

I live on the island - on the French side - and, like her, I have NEVER been over-charged in ANY restaurant, nor have I ever had any difficulty retrieving anything left behind (possibly after imbibing a bit too much and maybe not being too sure exactly WHERE the items were left !).

Maybe you are unaware that there is a difference in the value of the US$ and the Euro. On the French side of the island, the official currency is the Euro (though Dollars are readily accepted - subject to a conversion rate applied by the establishment).

ALL PRICES on the French side ARE SHOWN IN EUROS, therefore your restaurant bill, if paid in US currency, will obviously be a figure up to 50% higher than the Euro figure shown. As a courtesy, some restaurants also show a US$ figure to save their clients having to indulge in mathematical calculations after a good meal.

The Euro / Dollar conversion rate applied by the retaurant or shop owner is frequently rather better for the customer than the current official rate of $1.49 = Euro 1.00, but it is NEVER, in my experience, a rate which is disadvantageous to the client.

I am totally amazed by your comments, and would be most interested to know just WHERE your alleged unfortunate experiences occured. Also, whether these happenings were on the Dutch or French side of the island is unclear, as you refer to St MAARTIN - which is neither the Dutch side - St Maarten, nor the French side - St Martin. Perhaps you could clarify that.

If you make 'blanket' comments of this nature, you ought to be prepared to substantiate them - at least for the benefit of, and as a warning to, other readers of this forum.

Perhaps you will be good enough to do so. Your input would be most interesting.

Oh, and by the way, I was 'ripped off' in New Orleans many years ago, but I was much younger and inexperienced then ! It happened on Bourbon Street but, after all this time, I no longer remember the name of the establishment, and even if I did, I would not dare mention it to my wife !!

Let's have your response please.

Come on SURFWOODER, please RESPOND to the above.

You should know that nobody will take your comments seriously unless you are prepared to substantiate them.

Yep agree with above... never had any problems with bills in restaurants. Some people do get confused with the euro dollar difference, so this may have happened to the person above??
If you're looking for some quiet cheap places to stay, try Turquoise Shell Inn or Azure Guest House and Art Studio. Can't guarantee there will always be singles though...
If you want to go out at night to meet people, then yes, dutch side is best (simpson bay & maho).
This ebook guide will give you more advice and vouchers for the island:
www.st-martin-maarten.com
Enjoy!

Thanks all for the advise. I've decided on staying at the Divi Little Bay Beach Resort because its close to all the amenitites. Hope I made a good choice by means of meeting up with single travellers and minimizing cost. Feel free to comment further - the more I know the better. So if any single travellers out there travelling between Dec 13 - 17 and would like to meet, do let me know. Thanks

if you are at Divi, there are fun bars on the boardwalk in town where people hang out
the get wet bar comes to mind.. mostly during the day.. kind of quiet at night.
be sure to rent a car ..so you can get around. lots of fun bars in Simspon Bay and Maho areas too.

Wish I could meet up with you Starz, but I'm looking at February. Please let me know how you liked Divi because I'm considering staying there. Have a great time! I've never been to St. Martin, (either side) but know several people who have gone and loved it there.