St. Maarten Overview
Aug 19th, 2003, 11:25 AM
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St. Maarten Overview
My single friend and I just got back from 10 days in St. Maarten and it was great! We were there at the end of July and the beginning of August and there was a nice tradewind most of the time so the weather was not too hot. We stayed at the Great Bay hotel on the Dutch side of the island near Phillipsburg and the beach was wonderful but the property was somewhat in need of a renovation. We opted for the all inclusive package and the food and drinks were fine. But the hotel staff did claim at times that they didn't have a particular drink and we got a better drink selection on the French side of the island.
We took a day trip to St. Barths on the Voyager ferry and the ride over was pretty rough and a few passsengers were ill. We left from Marigot on the French side of the island and the people were much more friendly on the Dutch side of the island. Once we arrived in St. Barths, the beaches there were beautiful but most of the shopping was closed during the afternoon so there wasn't much to do after we left the beach. It was also much more humid here as there was no breeze. The Euro was the currency used here and the American dollar was the main currency on the Dutch side of the island.
Orient Beach (the clothing optional beach) was a great day trip and one of the more crowded beaches. It seemed like there were more tourists than locals. The beach had several bars and restaurants, massage therapists, some shops, and music later in the day. It was definitely worth the trip.
We went to some of the bars at night and had to be careful with people who claim to be taxi drivers and were not. We learned that we needed to use a vehicle that had TAX on the license plate, as the fare would be more regulated, and the fares increase after midnight.
We shopped for jewelry in Phillipsburg as the prices were pretty good and some of the vendors were willing to negotiate, as long as a cruise ship wasn't in town. We were told to stay away from Phillipsburg at night and we didn't listen and wish we had. It gets pretty seedy and somewhat dangerous at night, as there is alot of poverty on the island.
We would go back to St. Maarten for another vacation as it was alot of fun and I didn't even mention the casinos which appeared to be much looser than Las Vegas ( :
We took a day trip to St. Barths on the Voyager ferry and the ride over was pretty rough and a few passsengers were ill. We left from Marigot on the French side of the island and the people were much more friendly on the Dutch side of the island. Once we arrived in St. Barths, the beaches there were beautiful but most of the shopping was closed during the afternoon so there wasn't much to do after we left the beach. It was also much more humid here as there was no breeze. The Euro was the currency used here and the American dollar was the main currency on the Dutch side of the island.
Orient Beach (the clothing optional beach) was a great day trip and one of the more crowded beaches. It seemed like there were more tourists than locals. The beach had several bars and restaurants, massage therapists, some shops, and music later in the day. It was definitely worth the trip.
We went to some of the bars at night and had to be careful with people who claim to be taxi drivers and were not. We learned that we needed to use a vehicle that had TAX on the license plate, as the fare would be more regulated, and the fares increase after midnight.
We shopped for jewelry in Phillipsburg as the prices were pretty good and some of the vendors were willing to negotiate, as long as a cruise ship wasn't in town. We were told to stay away from Phillipsburg at night and we didn't listen and wish we had. It gets pretty seedy and somewhat dangerous at night, as there is alot of poverty on the island.
We would go back to St. Maarten for another vacation as it was alot of fun and I didn't even mention the casinos which appeared to be much looser than Las Vegas ( :
Aug 19th, 2003, 11:42 AM
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Thanks for the report. Sounds like you had a nice time.
I can't help but notice something, though.
Of the ~12 assessments you made about St. Martin/Maarten 6 were negative and 6 were positive. Included were comments about the poverty, lack of safety in Phillipsburg at night, untrustworthy taxis, the hotel you stayed at in need of renovation, food/drink which were "fine". Overall it sounds like you were satisfied with your trip, but the details suggest there were plenty of shortcomings.
Why would you want to return to the same island if there are other islands that have none of the negatives of S/M/M and many more positives?
(The last comment isn't rhetorical or critical, it's meant as a legitimate question).
I can't help but notice something, though.
Of the ~12 assessments you made about St. Martin/Maarten 6 were negative and 6 were positive. Included were comments about the poverty, lack of safety in Phillipsburg at night, untrustworthy taxis, the hotel you stayed at in need of renovation, food/drink which were "fine". Overall it sounds like you were satisfied with your trip, but the details suggest there were plenty of shortcomings.
Why would you want to return to the same island if there are other islands that have none of the negatives of S/M/M and many more positives?
(The last comment isn't rhetorical or critical, it's meant as a legitimate question).
Aug 19th, 2003, 12:15 PM
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Straightshooter,
Glad you enjoyed your time on SXM. As a frequent visitor there myself, you're assesment of the island is right on target.
I do find it odd, however, that you found the slots looser than LV? I visit Vegas frequently, as well, and have found the opposite true in my own experience. Wow.
Glad you had a great time. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed your time on SXM. As a frequent visitor there myself, you're assesment of the island is right on target.
I do find it odd, however, that you found the slots looser than LV? I visit Vegas frequently, as well, and have found the opposite true in my own experience. Wow.
Glad you had a great time. Thanks for sharing.
Aug 21st, 2003, 11:26 AM
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I'd go back to the island because I enjoyed it and the people were friendly. In my initial posting I was attempting to give a realistic overview of my experience and not necessarily a negative overview. I'm sure each island has its pros and cons.
Aug 21st, 2003, 12:47 PM
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SXM is one place where I'd never go all-inclusive; there are just too many great restaurants in ALL price ranges, from less than $20 to ...as high as you want to go. Try checking out the website for L'Hoste Hotel...www.hostehotel.com Can't say enough good things about this hotel. Have also stayed (happily) at Mercure Simson, Nettle Bay Beach Club, Anse Margot, Hotel Beach Plaza.
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