This is my second posting about our trip last week to St. Martin. Just some notes/observations.

It took about 12 to 15 minutes to drive to Grand Case from LeMeridian. Easy drive. Kind of hard to park in Grand Case - gets busy at night. One night, as we walked to LePressoir from our car, a guy asked for money and when we ignored him, he followed us closely all the way to the restaurant. I didn't like that at all. Be careful at night and always lock your car doors even when you are in the car.

Someone with our group was driving around in an open jeep during the day. At a stop light, a guy on a scooter pulled up and grabbed his swim bag from the back seat and took off. Luckily there was nothing much of value in the bag. So be careful. Just take common sense precautions.

L'Esplanade hotel looked very nice from the road and is withing walking distance of the restaurants in Grand Case. But at night, the area you have to walk by can be kind of creepy with locals standing around, etc. I would not like to walk there at night.

We ate lunch one day at LaSamana on Long Beach. The view from the upper restaurant is gorgeous. The food is a little pricey but worth the view.

We flew to St. Bart's one day. That was a fun flight!! Not that scarey. We ate lunch at the Eden Rock place on the beach. Excellent Food!! Pricey but we really enjoyed it. Looks like a fantastic place to stay. Driving around St. Bart's was scarier than driving in St. Martin.

DRove through Marigot 2 times - lots of nice places to shop and eat. Wish we would have spent an afternoon there. Traffic gets jammed up there all the time. Tough to drive around there.

Don't forget - you have to pay a $20 per person airport fee when you leave the island!! We didn't know this and luckily we noticed the signs. You pay it on your way to the gates. Give yourself a couple of hours to check in etc. The lines can be long.

Hope these notes help someone.

Ginny

Ginny,
I think in the future, if you find locals standing around "creepy," you might rethink your vacation destinations or pick a resort and not leave it. I found that remark to be quite insensitive.

I also took offense to the statement you made on your other post:

"There are many towns and villages on the island that are not very attractive - poor. It kind of takes away from the ambiance if you drive around"

These people LIVE on this island and cannot help it if they make less in a year than what most Americans make in a month or even a week.

The Caribbean islands were not created like Disney to be perfect just for tourists.
Real people with real problems (such as poverty and crime) live there - just like anywhere else.

You gave people interested in traveling there a lot of good information, but you spoiled it for me with your narrow views.

Glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip to St. Martin!

But, just a side note - in the 12 or so times that my husband and I have walked to the restaurants from L'Esplanade Hotel, I have never felt 'creeped out' by 'locals' hanging out. Some of those people simply live or work on that road, and I know that on more than one occasion I've seen the local gendarme patrolling that street. Once you get to the hotel property itself, it is also patrolled at night. And since Grand Case Beach Club is also at the end of that same street, unless you're there in a really slow season, it's not too hard to find someone else to walk with or near -- safety in numbers.

To Diana,

I did not say that the locals were creepy, I said the area was. It is a dark area with no lighting. This is my opinion after being followed for 3 dark blocks by a local who asked us for money. Perhaps if you had a similar experience, you wouldn't be so critical of other people's opinions.

As for my remarks about the poor villages taking away from the ambiance, that is a fact. Yes, the people are poor through no fault of their own. And through no fault of Americans, by the way. In fact, if it weren't for tourism, they would be worse off. I want first timers to know what to expect of the island so they don't come there thinking the entire island is going to look like paradise such as St. John's.

And I also said nothing about expecting a Disney Land. Just because I am an American does not mean that I expect everywhere to look like Disney Land.
If reading other people's posts "offends" you so easily, perhaps you should get another hobby.

I've traveled to 30+ Caribbean islands over the years, so I've had plenty of experiences with the people who live there.

In my opinion, all of your posts had content that came across as elitist and intolerant, and I am entitled to my opinion just as you are to yours.

gopack, Thanks for the trip report....I appreciate your honesty. That sort of information is helpful. I will have to check out your hotel since I am thinking of going to St. Martin.

To Diana:
Since when are you the moderator for content-appropriateness at Fodor's?
I use this website to find info detailing individual people's perceptions of what various places are like.
I want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Some people like to stay in small hotels with plenty of local character and like to spend their time experiencing what life would be like as a resident of whatever place they're in.
Some people are on vacation to get away from stressful lives and want to be pampered and avoid traffic, crime, stress and anything negative. The opposite of a cultural trip.

If I'm researching for a trip of the latter variety, then 'gopack's' input is very helpful to me.

Your heavily biased views would not help me at all, because you prefer atmospheres I'm trying to avoid.

There are many different types of travel agendas.

None is more or less appropriate than another.

Thank you for keeping this in mind.

The crime problem in St M/M rules it out as a vacation destination in my opinion. I've heard so many horror stories over the years, and, with so many great options in the Caribbean, why take the chance??

I have been to St. Martin six times in the past nine years and have stayed at Le Meridian each time. I have not witnessed or been the victim of any crime nor I have not felt threatened or been afraid of my surroundings. I love this island. It is beautiful (mountainous, lush, and tropical), fun (nude beaches, casinos, and plenty of beach activities), and the food is beyond compare. The restaurants on the stretch of Grand Case are unbelievable: Bistrot Caraibe, Rainbow, Little France, L'Auberge, Le Cottage....and on and on. Shopping in Philipsburg and Marigot. Locals are generally very friendly and accomodating, but as in all places, you should always keep your wits about you. Opportunists exist everywhere. Le Meridian is great (staying in Le Domaine). The staff is awesome and the grounds are very nice. Because the restaurants in Grand Case and Marigot are so good, however, we never eat there except for breakfast. I would recommend this island to anyone. (And remember to stop by Bay Watch aka the Surf Club on Orient Beach. Ask for Andy and Cheryl.....they are from New Jersey and have some of the best beach food ever.)

Nothing like a good cat fight (sssss). Sounds like these two are creepier than anything you could encounter on the islands or anywhere else (meow).