Glad you've decided to go; wish I could get on a plane tomorrow, I live near Toronto and it's FREEZING here and expected to be the same for the whole week. But, someone at the gym commented on my tanned legs...and in 6 weeks I'll be going back again. If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

Janna--<BR><BR>You will have a WONDERFUL time. If you hadn't already planned to, rent a car. Stop at Zee Best in Marigot and pick up some pastries, and at the small store in Grand Case for cheese, wine and whatever other supplies suit your fancy. L'Esplanade is absolutely wonderful. Our days consisted of having a leisurely breakfast on the balcony, driving 10 minutes to the beach (Orient and Baie Rouge were our favorites), sunning, having a great lunch at Kon-Tiki at Orient or the lolo on Bair Rouge (Chez Raymond's, I think), a little more sun, back to L'Esplanade for a drink at the pool and then a short nap, then a 5-minute stroll into town to pick among at least a dozen top-tier restaurants for an amazing meal. Then back up the hill for a late-night dip. We did not meet a single rude person, nor did we ever feel threatened in the least by crime. If you are looking for Disneyland (a made-up place where nothing is ever out of place and everyone paints on a smile), you have made a bad choice. But if you are looking for a place where real people actually live and work, but do so on island-time on a lovely island with great beaches and top-notch restaurants, you will have an absolutely great time.

I'm an avid scuba diver and have been to just about every Caribbean destination. Yes, SXM is quite the dump, and I won't return. My rental car was robbed (and trashed), but fortunately I only lost snorkeling gear, sunglasses etc (from the trunk). For some reason the thief or thieves found it necessary to urinate in my rental car! Gross! With so many great places in the Caribbean, I'm not sure why anyone would want to go to St. Martin/Maarten.

I really hate to see posts like this; I sympathize but these things can happen anywhere. Don't let the actions of a few colour your impressions of the whole island and its people. I could tell a story of how we got a flat tire and a gentleman came to our rescue, getting a jack, changing the tire, getting filthy in the process...and refused all offers of money. Or the time we arrived but our luggage didn't and the hotel manager offered a change of clothes and/or cash to buy what we needed. You know, last year in Paris I had a man come up and for no reason punch me hard in the side of the face. Does it make me dislike Paris, Parisians or never want to return? Of course not because his behaviour is not indicative of all French...and I look forward to returning in June. Yes, nasty things happen to good people, but I've had nothing but wonderful times on SXM and look forward to a return trip in March.

spend the extra cash and hop a plane to st. barts. affordable accomodations can be found. magnificnt quiet beaches, beauty galore. dutch st martin is for the birds

You are so right Linda. We had our Palm pilot stolen from a hotel room in New York, we've been pick pocketed in Spain, does that mean we will never return to Spain or to New York? Of course, we will!! Those are just some unfortunate things - shit happens!! And it happens everywhere and everyday!! So I think it is ludicrous to write off a destination because of a little bad luck happening to us. Try and put things in perspective is what these people who criticise St Marteen and other places need to do. Or at least if you have no intention of returning, there is no need to bad mouth the place on a public forum like this. Geez!!

I just came to this site looking for a car rental on St. Maarten. I felt I had to respond to Is St Maarten terrible? My husband and I love the island so much that we purchased 2 weeks time share there about 7-8 years ago and then another week 2 years ago. We have been to many islands and we generally like them all, but the two we really love are St. Maarten and St. Croix. I guess you can find crime on all of them. We were robbed in Puerto Rico (where, for the record, we feel is the dirtiest island we have ever been to.) The great thing about St. Maarten is the fact that you have two destinations--French and Dutch. The food at the stands in Grand Case is just wonderful. There is even a beach shack/bar where you can get a table and chairs right on the beach and your lunch and drinks are delivered to you. We are going for two weeks in March and can't wait.

We have vacationed in St. Martin several times at Orient Beach. I personally would not stay in Grand Case, we would not feel comfortable after touring the area. Orient Beach was just ranked as one of the ten best beaches in the Caribbean by Caribbean Travel &amp; Life Magazine. <BR>It's true that some people on the island are not overly friendly like in Aruba but we still always have a very nice vacation. <BR>There are larger properties at Orient Beach such as Esmeralda resort where we have stayed or more intimate hotels like L'Hoste, and villas such as Green Cay on the hill.<BR>Please use common sense when on this island and you will have a good vacation. <BR>Some of the best dining is on the French side of the island, our favorites were Le Pressoir and Rainbow Club in Grand Case, and the Mini Club (Weds &amp; Sat. only-buffet) in Marigot. Match is a nice market in Marigot for snacks, food items.<BR>There are five beach bars at Orient Beach with numerous watersports and activities. A short drive to Grand Case and Marigot for fantastic dining. <BR>If you can change your reservation, please do so and you won't regret this decision.

hi-- enjoyed the responses...stick with the middle of the road ones..been to St.Martin--enjoyed it, esp. the open air Sat. market on French side..Be sure to visit Anguilla and see all the beaches there...quite magnificent...also take a day/lunch trip to a tiny island where they cook fresh spiny lobsters, serve great drinks and you spend the day under thatched umbrellas...just remembered the name ---Scilly Cay --it's on the north side of Anguilla...ENJOY!!

Scilly Cay is the closest one comes to a tourist trap on Anguilla right behind the dolphin swim. It's expensive and you can get as good if not better at some of the local spots like Smitty's with a view of Scilly. It is a &quot;must&quot; for some but for others it is a very expensive day with lunch upwards of $50 a person. Sunday and Wednesday they do have music and make a day of it.

Reading these posts have been insightful and interesting. I have a &quot;special&quot; occasion coming up in May and decided to stay in St. Martin. I did the research and wondered if I'd made a mistake. Decided to go with an open mind and try to relax. I'm staying at La Samana. Read good/bad post about that place also. What the heck. Life is short. Wish me luck. BTW. Has anyone been to the Butterfly farm there? I'd like to make it a part of my visit. Thanks

Butterfly Farm was really interesting and informative when I went, but it's been a few years. I know it got pretty wiped out during &quot;Lenny,&quot; but I'm sure it's recovered well by now. I'd say make a go of it.<BR>

My husband and I visited last year and loved it! And that was despite getting our luggage stolen (see post regarding car rentals and don't do what we did). Everyone has their opinions; I wouldn't get too worked up about the negative ones.<BR><BR>We thought the beaches were gorgeous; food was wonderful (especially on the French side); shopping was fun. It's easy to get around and there's plenty to do. Only thing I was disappointed in was the snorkeling, but we only checked a couple of spots. Oh, and other than the desk clerk at our hotel, the people weren't rude at all.

St. Martin is one of our favorite islands. I think you would be in for a real treat if you could spent part of your time on the island of Anguilla, but if you don't, then at least take the ferry over for a day. It's not as lively as St. Martin, but it's absolutely gorgeous and the people are all very friendly. Hope you have a great trip!

Anguilla &quot;a real treat?&quot; &quot;Absolutely gorgeous?&quot; NO, I don't think so!! NEVER in a million years!!!