We are going to Sint Maarten in october. What
condition is the Pelican in? What about personal
safety in terms of wandering around? How easy
is car rental? Do you recommend any places
to eat?
Thanks

My husband and I were in St. Martin in Nov. '94. It is a very safe island but I wouldn't wander around on beaches at night alone but then I wouldn't do that at home either. We stayed at Mullet Bay which was hard hit by the hurricane so I'm not sure if it's opened yet. Don't stay at Maho Beach-the airplances come in right over the beach. A very nice beach to visit is Oyster Pond.

A good place to eat on the Dutch side is a cafe called Cherrys-cheap. On the French side we tried a place called La Vie en Rose-very good-expensive-ask for a table on the balcony upstairs.

Renting a car seems to be a problem once in the Carribean so I would rent from home next time.

St. Martin is great and we plan to go back. An excellent tour is the catamaran to Prickly Pear. I would definitely do it again.

Have a great time!

We cruised in April and one of the stops was St. Maarten. I recommend the French side of the Island. The beaches are beautiful. You will see a good portion of nudity. Parts of the beaches are nude and others clothed. Orient Beach is the beach we went to and it is 1/2 and 1/2. The Mullet Bay resort has not reopened since the hurricane. When we were there some locals advised us that they were going to do a multi-million dollar rehab. I don't think the Pelican is totally back to normal since the storm either. I wouldn't wander around on any of the islands. Do your exploring during the day and stay close to the resort at night. This island was the nicest one we visited out of our whole cruise. Have a great trip!!

Went to St. Maartin this summer. Best vacation I
ever had! I also recommend La Vien Rose in Marigot. A
nice escape for lunch after market day (Wed. & Sat).
At the market, you can get local spices, crafts, art
and cheap T-shirts for everyone back home.
Stayed in the Simpson Bay area and ate at Turtle
Pier which was very good and reasonable. Also
Cheri's, which is next to a casino and several shops.
Also, behind Cheri's is an Italian restaurant. Can't
remember the name, but had excellent pizza there!
If you have a car (and you will need one to see
everything there) go to Grand Case. It has numerous
excellent restaurants. Also, Sambuca in Simpson Bay
area. In Phillipsburg try the Kangaroo Court if you
like pasteries and coffees. It's down the side street
from the courthouse and pier. They had a lunch menu,
but I didn't have lunch there. Also in Phillipsburg,
there's a great little bar called "Everyting Cool"
which has pretty good food, but specializes in fruit
smoothies/ daqueris. They have about 50 varieties!
Have a great time!

Was just in St.Martin/Sint Maarten mid-June. The island was beautiful and the people were very friendly. Had dinner at La Vie en Rose in Marigot (the French captial). It was fabulous - on the expensive side, but great. Balcony seating is a must - make reservations. The diving was great. Went with The Sea Dolphin Dive Center at Le Flamboyant Hotel - Owner is Thierry Girard. A must try is the Guavaberry Coladas. Very refreshing. Hot spots are: The Green House in Philipsburg (Dutch side) on Tuesday nights, The Boat House (French side) on Wednesdays and Idianna Beach on Wednesdays (Dutch side), Cheri's Cafe (Dutch side) is good for Sunday nights since everything else is closed. Definitely rent a car in order to really explore the island. We rented a car after we got to the island, with no problems - worked out a deal with M&M Car Rentals (Michael) in Nettle Baie. US$30-$35 per day. Hope you have a great time. I look forward to returning to the island.