St Maarten for week between Xmas and New Years 2007?

First off, any Caribbean island (note the Bahamas are not in the Caribbean) destination will have relatively warm waters during the time your are considering. The further south you go the warmer the water will be. St. Martin is in the northern portion of the Leeward Island chain and you can expect water temperatures during the week between Christmas and New Years to be in the high 70's to low 80's F.

St. Martin appears to be a good choice for you given the fact you want to stay in a condo (there are loads of them on that island). The island has scores of restaurants in many different price ranges (budget to ultra expensive) so you should have no trouble finding places to dine on the budget you have set (assuming the dollar amounts are per person). This island has casinos, plenty of shopping, a very active nightlife and it is generally easy to get around. I'd recommend you consider a rental car rather than relying on "public transportation" - taxis will get very expensive and trying to take buses will limit your mobility.

Regarding saftey, St. Martin is a busy island and there are occasional reports of petty thefts. Use common sense (don't flash large amounts of cash, don't leave valuables unattended, don't venture into dark alleys alone at night, etc.) and you should be just fine.

I agree with A Traveller that St.Martin would be a good place for you. The beaches are absolutely beautiful and it's true that you can dine well in any price range. We take a fold-up cooler with us and pack it in the morning for a day at the beach:water, juice, pop,fruit,cheese,ham...whatever you desire. Add a fresh baguette and you're all set. If you go to the lolos (rib shacks)in Grand Case 2 people can eat for $20; ribs, salads, johnny cake and a cold beer or pop. There are cafes where you can dine in your budget range, especially if you forego the expensive drinks and fancy desserts. Many serve pasta or great pizzas or have a special like "moules/frites". The last 2 years there have been some restaurants and shops which give euro = dollar. We're Canadian so that makes a great difference to us money-wise.

Shopping is varied; know your prices before you go. Liquor is cheap and many people go in for jewellery and electronics.

Remember if you stay on the French side the voltage is 220 so you need a 110/220 hair dryer although most hotels have a small one in the bathroom.

Rent a car; we get ours from Budget.You pick it up right close to the airport.

You can also travel easily to Anguilla and St.Barths for a day.

I agree with all of the above and you are not booking too early. I was there for New Years night day before yesterday and had a very hard time finding a room beforehand. That is the busiest week on St. Maarten/St. Martin out of the whole year, so don't worry about booking too early.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. St Maarten it is!!!!! Just one more question, how crowded was it? For those that have gone during that time of year, did you have to wait to get into the restaurants?

The week of Christmas is crowded, heavy traffic and whatnot, but you CAN get around. However, I can tell you that on New Years Eve it can take over 2 hours to drive just 2 miles....at least in the more popular areas. Everybody on the entire island is out that night so my suggestion would be to find a resort that is having a New Years Eve function or else find a restaurant of your choice and plan on parking it there until well after 2 a.m.

Statia
you celebrated NYE over here? were you on the boardwalk or the toehr side of the hill?
The fireworks at the boardwalk were great and the place was packed..

as far as need totrqavelasap, I think you would love sxm.. maybe consider staying in the Maho or Simpson Bay area...... that's the heart of the night life on the island.