I'm planning a trip to St Maarten/Martin later this year and would like personal viewpoints/recomendations. Strongly considering getting a villa (one or two BR w/pool) for privacy,enjoy snorkle,beaches,power walking/jogging areas,resturant,and casino recomendations. Any hassel from the locals? Any crime concerns?

My sister and I went to St. Maarten in February. It was fabulous. The people are very friendly and helpful. We stayed in a hotel in downtown Phillips- <BR>burg,and walked about all hours of the night with no problem. We didn't spend any time in the casinos, so no help there. Snorkeling is great, go to Ille Pinel on the northeast end, or go to Marigot and take the ferry ($20) over to Anguilla. Jump in a taxi and have the driver take you to one of the beaches. It doesn't really matter which one. You can snorkel right off the beach. Fabulous. Go back? In a minute.

Thought I posted a reply, but its vanished into cyberspace. St Martin/Maarten is a terrific island. We plan to go back, having spent a week there in Oct '97. You might like renting a villa around Dawn Beach -- hillside locations looking out over the ocean, nice beach with a good beach bar/restaurant, near a marina. Obviously rent a car. The whole island is easy to explore although there seems to be a lot of traffic! We liked the French side, but stayed on the Dutch side. Avoid the Mullet Bay area on the Dutch side as it has never recovered from a hurricane several years ago, and there were some incidents reported on the beach there. <BR> <BR>You may also enjoy the Baie Rouge area, or Cupecoy. We loved Grand Case. That is where the best restaurants in the Caribbean are. Recommend: L'Alabama and L'Hibiscus. We don't do casinos, would rather spend the money on good restaurants (like those!)

Dale, <BR>We were there twice in '98 - first time at Royal Islander (timeshare), second time we rented 2 BR villa on Terres Basse (Bay Rouge). It was truly an experience we will never forget! Though it costs a little more, having a private terrace & pool set on the hill with an absolutely incredible view was priceless. Sometimes we went out (fabulous restaraunts in Marigot and Grand Case) but we also had some meals brought in to our villa by a wonderful little catering company nearby and dined on the terrace. You won't be sorry if you rent a home, I assure you! Feel free to e-mail if you have specific questions. <BR>Have a great trip (there's no way not to!) <BR>Emily & Bob

Emily: Could you provide the telephone #/address or fax # of the villa you rented? We also loved St. Matin & are wondering how much a villa would cost to rent in Jan. 2000? Are you recommending the villa at Bay Rouge, rather than the Royal Islander? We'd like to rent a house, with pool, but near the beach (big enough for 2 couples).Thanks in advance for any advice. <BR>For Dale, I would assume that if you're looking for $$$ value, the Blue Moon Village (I think it's called now; formerly Mount Vernon) is right on Orient Bay beach (voted among top 10 beaches) & it is now All Inclusive as of this year. As someone else said, you would be directly opposite Ille Pinel for snorkelling. Orient Bay beach is probably unparelled in terms of beauty. The island is over-developed, but we appreciated the safety factor, rented a car for the day & toured the entire island. I would also recommend taking the boat trip for snorelling to Anguilla or St. Bart's---don't wait too long---the good tours go quickly. <BR>

Becky, Yes, for us, the private home (villa) with the pool was much nicer than staying in a timeshare (although we liked Royal Islander as far as timeshares go). If split between two or more couples, the price is comparable to a hotel room or condo and well worth it. (However, I see that the prices are at least triple for Millenium New Years!) I tried to e-mail you with several Web sites where we view the villas, but the e-mail was returned to me, undeliverable. <BR>Other: Mont Vernon is Blue Bay now but I can't imagine going All-Inclusive to St. Martin - best restaurants in the Caribbean are there! I couldn't begin to name my favorite - I'd be here all night just trying to decide! <BR>ENJOY! <BR>emily

definately go <BR>fun, enterteinment, shoping, beaches <BR>stayed at le Flamboyant, loved it

definately go <BR>fun, enterteinment, shoping, beaches <BR>stayed at le Flamboyant, loved it

We have rented a villa in St. Martin twice in the last three years, the most recent time being last week.What a great island. We love the food and the wonderful french wine at incredible prices. Villa rental is certainly the way to go. We three couples rented a gorgeous mountaintop house on the french side of the island. It has four bedrooms, pool, maid and panoramic views and rents for $4500 a week. The beaches are quite beautiful. Our favorite one is at Pinel Island. All are topless and many are clothing optional so don't spend too much on a new suit before your trip. You may not need it.

I LOVE St. Maarten! Bought a week at the Atrium in Simpson Bay (Dutch side). Recently returnedbin February (a week ago) and bought another week. Now I get to go every six months. Tried ALL the casinos. Stay AWAY from the Golden Casino at the Great Bay Hotel and Casino Royale at Maho Beach. BOTH are rip-offs. The best ones (in order of preference) are: <BR>Atlantis <BR>Pelican <BR>Diamond <BR> <BR>The food at Le Charolais (2 locations-one on French side as well)is to die for. The BEST French Onion soup I have ever had. Order the Mixed Grille (5 different steaks). FABULOUS! The beach at Cupecoy is the best and is clothes-optional. The restaurant, Kon-Tiki, at Orient Bay, is over-priced ($90 for lunch) and you go away starving. The only attraction they capitalize on is the fact that Orient Bay is popular. Buy a timeshare on St. Maarten and trade if you have to for Hawaii. Otherwise, the people on St. Maarten are very friendly (license plate states "the friendly island" and the food is GREAT! e-mail for more information.

Each year we visit a different island in the Caribbean. St. Martin was last year and it was wonderful! Be sure and rent a car so that you can travel completely around the island both the Dutch and French side. Both were great, the people friendly, the beaches great. <BR> <BR>We found the best snorkeling at Dawn Beach. There were more fish and better reefs there. Ans Marcelle was not bad either. The Marigot market place was a "must see". Check out Orient Beach too. <BR> <BR> There are neighboring islands that are also worth the trip, depending on what you like to do. And certainly very reasonable to get to. Anguilla has a pristine beach area, and SABA has some of the worlds best scuba diving. Go back? In a New York minute!! Go and have a wonderful time, I envy you.

My long reply got lost in cyberspace, but we recently spent two weeks at St. Maarten so would be glad to answer any specific questions. We stayed at the Cupecoy Beach Club - two couples. Very nice, private, clean, quet, good security, good maid service. Nice pool with swim-up bar. The beach was not there when we arrived but returned by the second week. <BR> <BR>Drive carefully. Don't leave any valuables in your car or hotel room. Visit as many of the 37 beaches are you can....they are all beautiful. <BR> <BR>Have fun! E-mail me for other details. <BR> <BR>