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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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Initially, my husband and I planned to vacation in St. Lucia from Thursday, February 18 through Friday, February 26 - 8 nights. We planned our trip from Michigan to Atlanta, Atlanta to Montego Bay- Jamaica, and Jamaica to St. Lucia. Our flight to Jamaica was delayed due to plane problems with Air Jamaica. As a result, we missed our flight to St. Lucia. We were supposed to arrive in St. Lucia on Thursday, February 18. However, we learned that flights do not go into St. Lucia everyday. The airline offered to fly us to Miami, wait 8 hours in the Miami airport, and then fly to St. Lucia Friday night. My husband and I simply did not want to waste vacation time in an airport. Our second option was to fly to St. Lucia Saturday morning from Jamaica. So instead of flying back to the US and waiting 8 hours, we spent two of our vacation days in Montego Bay Jamaica. We decided to make the best of a bad situation. Our time spent in Jamaica was fantastic. We arrived in St. Lucia Saturday afternoon. The phrase "Simply Beautiful" could not be a truer description of this country. We landed at the Hewanorra airport in south St. Lucia. We were visiting the northern portion of St. Lucia. Our tax ride was 1 and ˝ hour. This was a very interesting experience. Drivers drive on the left side of the road and the driver's seat is on the right side of the vehicle. The road to northern St. Lucia was curvy at times with many hair-pin turns along steep cliffs. While we were there, the only automobile accidents we heard of were by visitors who were used to driving on the right side of the road. We could have taken a small plane to the northern part of the country to the Vigie airport, but we decided that the ride to the north would give us a nice chance to see the county. There were many pot-holes in the road but coming from Michigan, this wasn't anything new. The cost of the taxi ride was included in the price of the resort at which we stayed. We stayed at the Orange Grove Resort in Bois d'Orange. The Orange Grove Resort is somewhat modest compared to resorts such as Sandals St. Lucia or the Wyndham Resort. However, the Orange Grove Resort was a nice place to stay. The rates at Orange Grove Resort were very reasonable. For 8 nights, we paid $788-US. This included taxes and transfers. Our accommodation was a very nice suite. The suite included a living room area, a large bedroom with a king-size bed, color television with cable, and a rather large bathroom. The suite also had a spacious closet, a safe for valuables, and a balcony. Our suite had a breath-taking view from the balcony. Many guest paid an additional $100-US, per person, per day to receive the all-inclusive accommodation. The all-inclusive accommodation includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and unlimited drinks at the bar during bar hours. My husband and I did not opt for this accommodation. My husband and I spent so much time visiting the country that we would have missed many of the meals at the resort. So instead of paying $100-US per day, per person, we ate our meals at numerous restaurants throughout St. Lucia. In addition, our daily expenses for meals and drinks were less than $100-US per day for the two of us. The Orange Grove Resort is very well-maintained and very clean. It is located on a hill that gives a spectacular view of the country. This resort accommodates about 200 guest and was always full while we were there. If you stay there and a bartender named Leslie is there, ask for the Leslie special which is a wonderful banana drink. The pool is very large and clean with plenty of lounging chairs and table. Also the Orange Grove had live entertainment on many nights such as steel drum and fire- eating performances. We had the opportunity to watch a couple get married at the Orange Grove Resort. The Orange Grove Resort is not within walking distance to a beach. The Orange Grove Resort offers a shuttle service to Wave Watersport Center. This beach is not a private beach and is open to the public. I found the beach to be somewhat untidy. I found broken glass and a lot of debris on the shore. I saw that this did not bother many people but I was very uncomfortable on this beach. The Orange Grove Resort offers free shuttle service to and from the beach at designated times. Since the shuttle bus seats approximately 14 passengers, there may be times we you may need to wait for the shuttle ride to and/or from the beach. Waves Watersport Center displays snorkeling and scuba diving on a sign outside the beach restaurant. However, when we inquired about either, we were told that this beach does not offer those services. The sign outside of the beach, in my opinion, is misleading. My husband is a certified scuba diver. I like to snorkel. We were able to both snorkel and scuba dive with a company named Dive Fair- Helen. Dive Fair-Helen is a very professional, knowledgeable, and experienced group of snorkelers and scuba divers. When you make arrangements with this group, they send a shuttle to pick you up at your resort. The shuttle takes you to their boat where you take a nice little boat ride to the snorkel and scuba site. My husband and some other men went scuba diving while I went snorkeling with the ladies on the boat. It's funny how the men went scuba diving and the women went snorkeling. After the snorkeling and scuba session, Dive Fair-Helen served us a wonderful lunch. After that, there was another session of scuba and snorkeling. A few people stayed on the boat and relaxed during the second session. Dive Fair-Helen is a wonderful consideration for snorkeling and scuba diving. I cannot describe all the beautiful fish I saw while snorkeling. During our stay, the temperature reached approximately 85oF each day. Since there was a constant breeze, the temperance felt very comfortable. It rained 4 times while we were there. The rain never lasted longer than 2 minutes or so. Since the weather is always warm, large bugs and insects are constantly present. I have an incredible fear of bugs and was jumpy quite a bit. We saw numerous lizards. Although there are bugs and lizards, we did not find even a mosquito in our suite at the Orange Grove Resort. Speaking of mosquitoes, they are everywhere and big. My husband and I packed electronic mosquito repellers with us and found that they worked wonderfully. The citizens or "locals" of St. Lucia are very friendly. Everyone speaks English and Creole. We ran into some persistent people trying to sell merchandise to us. Here's a tip. If someone is extremely persistent on trying to sell you something, simply say "No, Thank You." We learned that if you try to make up excuses why you don't want to buy anything, they will keep trying to talk you into buying it. Also, if you look like a tourist, anyone with a car will offer you a taxi ride. We walked down a street and received 7-10 offers for a taxi. We found that the taxi service provided by Orange Grove Resort was a great way to arrange transportation. We'd have them drop us off at any particular restaurant and tell them what time to pick us up. They were always punctual and always gave us the price up front. Be aware that the average taxi have rather small seats. I am 5 feet, 11 inches tall and my knees were always crunched. My husband and I dined at many restaurants in St. Lucia. Many of the fine restaurants were located in Rodney Bay. I recommend that reservations for your restaurant of choice be made early in the day. Every single restaurant we visited was fabulous. The San Antoine Restaurant is a must. This is considered to be a 5 star restaurant. The food, décor, and view is superb. It is located on a historic plantation great house overlooking Castries. The hostess is Angie from England and is very charming. Other restaurants we visited that have fine cuisine are The Bistro Restaurant, LaCreole, and The Lime. All three are located in Rodney Bay. While visiting St. Lucia, we took the Endless Summer Sunset Cruise that is an absolute must. This was our favorite experience of the whole trip. The cruise was $40.00-US per person. This cruise included great music, unlimited drinks at the bar, and delicious hors d'oeuvres. The staff was exceptionally friendly and led the passengers with great dancing. We saw a gorgeous sunset. This was a wonderful way to end our trip. My husband and I were extremely sad as we packed. We have vacationed many times and towards the end of the vacation, we are always ready to go home. This time, however, we simply were not ready to leave this paradise. I hated leaving St. Lucia. My husband and I are currently working on our next trip to St. Lucia.
Trip 12/98 This report covers my 2 week trip to St. Lucia in early December 1998 with wife, 19 year old daughter and twin boys aged 14. This was a truly wonderful holiday! The place, the people, the hotel - you name it and it was exceptional. We arrived at the main airport from UK at around 6.30 local time and were faced with the inevitable queue for immigration and then were loaded onto a mini-bus for the one and a quarter hour trip to the Wyndham Morgan Bay hotel, which is in the north western corner of the island. After such a long flight it would have been good to have been able to get a cold drink for the journey - I'm sure there's an opportunity for some enterprising young St. Lucian to set up a stall just outside the Arrivals hall! Having survived the journey (St. Lucian drivers' attitude seems to have a lot in common with the Arabs of the Middle East - "Insh'Allah" i.e. God willing, we will get there - whether or not I drive carefully!), we arrived safely at the hotel. Check in was efficient and we were made to feel very welcome. On entering the 2 rooms I had booked, we found a large double bed in one room and 2 singles in the other. Now, bearing in mind the adult ages of my family, I was unable to come up with an acceptable sleeping arrangement. So, back to Reception. No sooner had I explained the problem than a swift phone call was made and a third single bed was installed, and made up in a matter of minutes. No hassle. No argument. Just extremely efficient and exceptionally friendly service. And that set the scene for the rest of our holiday. I cannot overstate the customer friendliness and efficiency of the Wyndham Morgan Bay staff. The hotel is mostly on the flat (unlike others that we saw which seemed to be built on the sides of steep hills), with a good sized pool, huge numbers of sun loungers, beach volleyball and badminton areas and its own sandy beach. This really is an ALL inclusive hotel - as much Hobie cat sailing, kayaking, water skiing, banana boat and tube rides as you need. Rationing of facilities didn't exist. Food was always available and the 'omelets to order' at breakfast are out of this world! Lunch is a choice of restaurants and menus/buffets. Dinner offers a similar choice of restaurants but one requires long trousers and long sleeved shirts and is waitress service whereas the other is much more relaxed. We tried the more formal once and decided the effort really wasn't worth it! We had 2 'de luxe' rooms which had balconies overlooking the beach, were air conditioned and very well appointed. One nice thing about the Wyndham Morgan Bay hotel is that we were never asked for formal identification. Clearly, there must be some checking to exclude the unwanted but this must be done very subtly. We could have stayed in the hotel and had a fabulous time for the whole 2 weeks but we like to get out and see life as it really is so we first booked the Rain Forest Safari from the tour desk at the hotel. Big Joe seems to organize the trip which consists of 2 x 30 year-old Land Rover military jeeps that carry about 8 people each into the interior of the island. A word of warning - DON'T take anything that you would not like to get wet! It not only rains, but part of the adventure is a 45 minute 'gorge walk' that takes you, with a very knowledgeable guide, down a steep gully and through rivers. This is not a tour for wimps! But what a great experience. Lunch is served at the old sugar refinery, which you get to tour, and with a little luck you also get to see a boa constrictor or two. This is a tour not to be missed. Being keen golfers we booked a game at the St. Lucian Golf & Country club, again at the booking desk in the hotel. This cost US$75 each but included a taxi to and from the hotel, a couple of free drinks with a cooked lunch, hire of clubs and trolley, a free T shirt and 18 holes of golf on quite a challenging course. This is also worth doing if you like golf. Our third 'formal' trip was booked with a guy called Joy, who is an 'approved' tour organizer, but who does deals himself rather than through the established hotel tour desk. He can be contacted through the water sports activity desk and in fact makes it his business to be known on the beach. This was another 'not to be missed experience'. Joy picks up around a dozen participants in his very powerful boat from the hotel beach and takes you down the west coast pausing at all the places of interest like Marigot Bay and dropping you off at Soufriere. Here he has arranged for the group to be picked up by a mini-bus and taken into the volcano for a brief tour, then to the hot waterfall where everyone bathes in the pool - surrounded by wild hibiscus, oleander etc. Then down to an otherwise deserted beach where he lays on a super Bar-B-Q cooked by his Mum. Having been fed (and all drinks are free, by the way), it's back into the boat for a look at the Pitons and then to Anse Chastenet beach for a wonderful hour snorkeling on the reef. Take a tip and ask Joy for the Bar-B-Q scraps to be put into a plastic bag so you can feed the fish. A stunning experience. Don't miss this tour, it is exceptional. Cost is about US$70 per head, but it is worth every bit. We also took some taxi trips into Castries to look around the town and the market - market worthwhile, town not, and to Rodney Bay marina where you can see some really good looking boats. There is also a neat crazy golf setup there and a good few eating places. The total holiday was wonderful and I think we'll find it hard to beat.
Here's a quick update from last year's report. Hotel: Grand Case Beach Club was very comfortable and well maintained. They have added some extra security measures to ensure that guests feel totally at ease. The management was especially flexible and accommodating in the midst of the American Airlines flight cancellation turmoil, and the staff was friendly and efficient. Restaurants: We returned to some favorites and tried some new ones. Our findings: Price Ranges (meal for two including aperitif, two courses, shared dessert, coffee, bottled water, nice bottle of wine, tax and tip): Very Expensive - $200 and up Expensive - $150 - $200 Moderate - $100 - $150 Mario's Bistro (Sandy Ground) - Still our to pick on the island for food quality, menu variety, professional service and all-around dining experience. We went there twice and were never disappointed. The early (7:00) seating gave us a waterside table and unhurried, attentive service. The appetizers are especially innovative and delicious. My husband, the wine guy, raves about the breadth, depth, and quality of their wine list, and the fair pricing of their wines (considerably below prices in Washington D.C. restaurants). An added plus: they were very flexible and helpful in assisting an elderly couple who had dietary restrictions. Reserve far in advance! Expensive to Very Expensive, depending on wine selection. Le Pressoir (Grand Case) - A little disappointing. Went there on Valentine's Day and the place was full, however it's not that large and they should be able to handle high season booking levels. The service was alternately inattentive and rushed, and the food was not top quality. This is a costly night out, and the product was not up to the price. Downgraded from our last year's rating. Very Expensive. Piccolo Café (Cul de Sac) - Excellent quality and a great bargain. Innovative, tasty French/Continental food with an island flair. Menu and wine list are fairly limited, but we had absolutely no trouble finding things we liked. Located somewhat off the beaten path in an unpretentious setting, but prices are half what you'd pay for a comparable meal at a waterfront restaurant in downtown Grand Case. Note: reserve far in advance (popular) and they DO NOT take credit cards! Moderate. L'Auberge Gourmande and Bistro Caraibes (Grand Case) - Two old favorites that were still excellent. L'Auberge features classic French cuisine, well prepared and professionally served. Bistro's specialty is lobster, and they prepare it exceptionally well. They also feature excellent salads. Expensive to Very Expensive. Sebastiano (Grand Case) - The service suffered last year when we arrived on the same evening they were hosting a large tour group, but we tried them again this year, REQUESTING A NIGHT WHEN NO GROUPS WERE EXPECTED. Happily, things went much better. The Italian menu is large and varied, and the food and service were excellent. A nice change of pace from French/Continental food. Expensive. Note: A number of the larger Grand Case restaurants now regularly take tour groups - they arrive by the busload! If you're interested in a relaxed dining experience, check ahead to avoid the extra confusion this can bring. Claude Mini Club (Marigot waterfront) - My husband was hungry for a plain, grilled steak, and this place was recommended. A good choice! Pretty balcony dining room overlooking the harbor. Limited menu and no- frills presentation, but well-prepared food and pleasant service. Several delicious creole dishes, plus both main course (lobster) and dessert (chocolate, Grand Marnier) souffles are also featured. More economically priced than the top notch Grand Case places. Moderate. We still love the island (much prefer the quiet and laid back feeling of the French side) and will absolutely return.
Trip 2/99 Edie and I hugely enjoyed our 19th trip down island to a place we more and more are coming to see as our second home.Each trip is very special and this one also proved that axiom. Two unique items on this trip, were 4 of us couples going down which was the largest group ever. One of those couples was my brother and sisterinlaw! As many of you may know, Edie and I are planning on moving down island in a few years. As part of that dream/plan we hope to have relatives visit us. I hoped that my brother and his wife would also find in SXM that certain, something that has tugged at my soul since we first met. Did they like the island? Read on..... First some general impressions of the island since our last visit in July/98...The island was the greenest I have ever seen it during the last 9 years. The extra recent rain storms have only added to the islands charms <s>. I also was surprised (on a number of occasions) at the extent of the changes on the island which seemed much greater than normal. A myriad of little things like Hooters in the Simpsos Bay, a new Shell gas station near Sambucca, new beach resturant (La PLaya) next to L'Hoste to name just a few. I'm not saying that change is bad, but I must admit being somewhat taken back at the amount of changes in only 7 months! Perhaps more frequent trips would remedy this problem...I'll have to talk to Edie about that. Another first on this trip was taking Royal airlines down from Toronto. Unlike Canada 3000, this airline was late going down and late coming home and quite frankly was 2 of the worse flights I have ever experienced. It gets 2 thumbs down and will be avoided in the future if at all possible. At this point, I will switch to a daily account as I parse through my notes to aid an ever increasingly frail memory: Sat. 2/13 Arrived in SXM, 1.5 hours late on Royal at 5:30 PM..really wierd to get there at this time of day. I really love the changes they are making to the airport. New murals and A/C in the area awaiting immigration! Very nice improvement! Through immigration in under 5 minutes without hardly enough time to look around at the changes! My God! Luggage in under 10 minutes?!? This place is getting civilized. Felt bad that Joe (from Unity Car Rental) had to wait around the extra time, but wait they did. These guys are great and I certainly can't say enough about their service and reliability. Gosh they even gave me a 99 to drive! Tele. # 011-590-87-34-97! Tell them Bruce (a satisfied customer!) sent you. Ten minutes later both cars taken care of and all 4 couples off to check in at L'Hoste. We checked in in a short time and I must say that all couples enjoyed our accomodations there with not so much as one complaint. This was my 3rd stay at L'Hoste and I have always found the staff, location and accomodations to my likings. This trip was no exception! The best surprise is no surprise...That night we all wandered down the beach and ate at Kakao's on Orient Beach...another surprise...Kakao's has switched to a Vietnamese menu in the evening. A good meal of spicy curried chicken for me and Edie devoured the Chicken and vegetables. With drinks only $25...Yep this stay is starting out real good. Afterwards I took my brother and his wife up the beach and we sat down on the sand and just stared up at the stars so close you could almost touch them. My brother was fascinated at the sight of Orion overhead... To be continued Sunday, 2/14 The morning started as nice but very windy and became overcast and windy in the afternoon. This would prove to be the only day that was less than 'St. Martin perfect' during our week long stay <s>. So what to do about our 1st breakfast on the island....hmmmmm I Know! Le Croissanterie! Approaching my favorite table, I made the sign of the croissant in deference to this holy of holies. Curiously enough this act of devotion did not seem to appease the croissant gods on this day. Although the chocolate croissants were the truly religious experience they always are, the regular croissants were somewhat over done. How can this be. Although a true believer, Zee Best did cross my mind. Forgive me father for I have sinned ala Jimmy Carter <g>. But I digress.... Next stop was at Bae Rouge where we enjoyed the beach but rough water prevented us from what can be the best snorkeling on the island. Later we went back to Orient Beach and walked up to Club Orient. Is it my imagination or is my brother's skin color a little redder than normal? We continued on and walked Coconut Grove beach which is a great stroll for people who love to walk. That evening we wanted to go to the casinos and the group decided to eat at the buffet at Atlantis. Another big change...The area behind the Caino is being refurbished. It has a new Michael Jordan bar and the buildings are being all redone. Very nice indeed! The central open area is now filled with tables and is where the buffet is served. The buffet is OK and is reasonably priced. First timers to the casino were gettingthe buffet for free by being given $20 in free quarters with a coupon. As it turned out we all came out a few dollars ahead after about an hour in the casino, which is always a good way to part company. Today was also Valentine's Day and L'Hoste had prepared a complimentary gift of chocolate for all its guest. This was a nice touch and was appreciated by all. Monday 2/15 Breakfast at L'Hoste. Overpriced and nothing special. Next stop was at the Butterfly Farm where we once more received a personalized tour by the staff and spent an enjoyable and informative hour among the butterflies and breath taking foliage. After the hour of soothing music and back to nature surroundings, its "White Knuckle time" as we drive up to Pic Paradise for a view to die for and a drive to match <g>!!!! In keeping with my tradition of pig-headed stubborness (as in stupidity) we drive all the way to the top with both rental cars. I make it a rule not to mention this fact to my good friends at Unity Car Rental. Its a great way to maintain good relations for future trips! A gorgeous view on a gorgeous day. With a little walking we can see about 75% of the island. With the proper head bowing and gesturing, we convince a nice Japanese couple to do a group photo session. Being from Rochester, I secretly get a thrill from having Japanese use Kodak film. Good for the local Rochester economy. Keep those cameras clicking! That evening we take Jim Rous's advice and go to Camallo's Cafe in Grand Case, just east of the Talk of the Town lolo. What a marvelous resturant! Feet in the sand, overlooking the water, and the food is delightful and reasonable. Thanks Jim! I owe you one! A very good Goat cheese for me, a wave burger for Edie and a couple of drinks came to a very reasonable $27. A good time was had by all. What more can you ask. That evening (as we did most evenings) the guys paired off against the gals in a series of games of sequence. This board game was very popular in the evening with the mandatory wine, red stripe, cheese, munchies, etc. Life is good and no one cares if they win or lose in paradise.... Tuesday, 2/16 Breakfast was croissants from the small store on the main road above L'Hoste. Good not great. Because the wind is a little stronger then our liking, we decide to go to Cupecoy for the day. The ever shifting beach is only about 150 yards wide and the waves are about 6 feet. Only strong swimmers are venturing out and are being cautious of the rocks on one side. Still the wind is blocked and the view is stupendous. The white cliffs offset the beautiful topaz water. Edie and I have grilled ribs and a hamburger at the small lolo on the beach for $15. The food may be nothing special but talk about the scenery. As we get ready to leave in late afternoon, I do something that will leave a lasting impression on me and serves as a lesson for future trips. As we were getting ready to go, I decided to take a quick last dip to cool off. Now please understand I am a strong swimmer. I should have known better as the waves were now over 7 feet and crashing. I got out about 50 feet in the water and knew I was in trouble. The current was heading me towards an outcropping of a 10 foot rock and the undertow was incredibly strong! I swam as hard as I could but could make no progress against the waves. I knew I would soon begin to lose ground so I made a decision to go in with the wave even though I knew I would be periously close to the rocks. In a matter of seconds I would have no option whatsoever. I missed the rocks by about 2 feet. Nearly exhausted, the undertow very nearly took me out again and would definitely hit me up against the rocks. I barely was able to stop myself from being dragged back out and was able to crawl up to the beach where I collapsed due to the exertion. No one on the beach even knew how much in trouble I had been. I don't tell this story to spice up a trip report but rather as a caution for others who will visit this beach. If there are big waves and nearby rocks DO NOT go into the water. I don't mind telling you it was the biggest scare I have had in a number of years. This time the gods of SXM gave me a second chance. Those that are foolhardy seldom get another break. I for one have learned a lesson for the future. That night I sleep poorly thinking of my narrow escape. On the plus side, dinner that evening was at the Konga Cafe in the French Cul De Sac. I had the Green peeper steak and Edie had her Hawaian sandwich which was huge! Two luscious homemade brownies with ice cream brought our meal to $25. Once again this trip, this was the best meal of our trip. This place is a must for SXM local atmosphere and great home cooking. Wednesday, 2/17 We visited another of our favorite breakfast spots: St. Germain next to Le Croissanterie on the Marigot marina. Edie had her favorite fruit plate (very good) and I had the crepes with sliced pears in a chocolate sauce with whipped creme which was simply fabulous. Total bill was $20. I never eat crepes anywhere else now because they do not begin to compare with those at St. Germain. Toss in the pretty view and the mandatory pet (this case a cat who likes crepes) and you have the making of a great breakfast. After walking around the harbor market day booths, we climbed up to Fort Marigot for the 2nd best view on the island. Dinner that evening was at Braisserie de la Gare. Two large thin crusted pizza with ham and wine came to $31. The food was only OK as the French seem to always burn the thin pizza crust. I must also admit that I prefer our thick crust pizza. The meal was memorable when my brother brought a rose for his wife and put it in the empty white wine bottle. I quipped that how you turn a white wine into a rose <g>. Wednesday nights at the marina now feature live bands which are a real treat during dinner.... As this week is carnival week on the French side, we decided after dinner to go to the nighttime carnival parade in Marigot. Visions of exotic costumes lit with thousands of light bulbs dancing in our brain, we strolled to Rue Republic to watch the pomp and pageantry of Carnival. This is what we actually got: A Marigot city water truck led the "parade" mainly because it had big flashing lights in front.Following that was one (count 'em) truck with the band "Nuff Respect" playing on the attached flat bed followed by about 50 young people doing a "jump up" and a greater number of gendarmes to make sure the "crowds" did not get unruly. This gathering proceeded through Marigot disrupting traffic for about 10 minutes. My brother looked at me as if to say "That's it?". Ahhhh...once more the local charm of SXM has left a lasting impression. Barely containing our excitement (yeah...right), we made our way back to L'Hoste.... Thursday, 2/18 We ate breakfast this morning at Passagran Guest house which was built in 1905 and is the oldest of its type on the island. It commands a beautiful view of gardens overlooking Great Bay. The staff is very cordial and over our full American breakfast which were very good and cost $20, I tried to imagine sitting at this very table at the turn of the 20th century. What a different place Phillipsburg and SXM must have been in those days. After some shopping in Phillipsburg, that afternoon we went back to Orient Beach and played volleyball. I can never decide which is better, the games in the sand or the "water breaks" between games. Both make a lazy warm afternoon go by much too quickly. Dinner that evening was at La Plaisance in the Marina in Marigot. Spaghetti Bolognaise, Lasagna and wine came to $35. The food was fine but the service was poor due to the crowds. Friday, 2/19 Today is Edie's birthday so evrything must be special. I picked up pastries from Portifinos bakery in Grand Case and we had breakfast on our balcony at L'Hoste. Next I took Edie shopping at the mall of shops overlooking Orient Beach near the former "Cloud room". Edie picked out some birthday gifts including a lovely Caribbean blue pareo. That morning the group went over to Pinel island which was more crowded then I had ever seen it. We decided to go over to the "other beach" which was uncrowded. We all spent the morning and afternoon snorkeling and enjoying the underwater natural "aquarium" in and among the coral formations. Edie did not want to take the boat back that day as she was having such a great time...Oh well...Back at Orient Beach, we had another rousing series of volleyball games. Dinner that night was at Paradise View (formerly the "cloud room"). Claudette (the owner and lovely hostess) served us complimentary swordfish cakes and Johnny Cakes along with the history behind both local delicasies. This resturant is worth the price just for the friendly historical commentary from Claudette. The good meal of Beef Stew, grilled salmon, carrot cake, bread putting and drinks came to $43. On Friday nights, this resturant has a live band, this week it was a group called "Expressive" which played a mixture of island and American popular music. Every trip there always seems to be one memory that stands out above all others and this was to be it for this trip. After we requested several Bob Marley songs and I seemed to know all the lyrics, the band invited me to sing "No woman, no cry" along with them. What I lacked in musical ability I made up with knowing all the words. The band was really amazed I knew all the words and could tell I'm a Bob Marley fan..It was very special..To be continued Saturday, 2/20 Where did the week go to already? Breakfast was at Surf Club South which serves a very generous full American breakfast with a big cup of American coffee. Breakfast only cost Edie and I, $13, a good bargain. Unfortunately at this point in the trip, I was coming down with the flu and really couldn't fully enjoy our last partial day on Orient Beach. That afternoon, we packed up drove to the "bad airport" and dropped off our car...It was time to catch the airplane back on what would be a long, delayed uncomfortable ride back to my other home in the frozen tundra of Upstate New York. So how did my brother like St. Martin? I guess his question to me as we boarded the airplane pretty much summed it up: "Now you're going to have an extra bedroom, when you move down here, right?" In the intervening 3 weeks, he is already making plans to revisit the island as soon as possible. Sounds like another convert to me....... Bruce and Edie
Trip 2/20 - 3/6, 1999 Note: There is an HTML version of this with pictures at http://www.isd.net/msp00050/sxm/ Every thing was great! The weather was perfect. We had only very, very brief showers on a couple of occasions. The mixture of wind and clouds kept it from getting too warm. There were only a couple of nights that were only slightly cool. We thought that it was much more crowed than two years ago, however, we talked with someone that said it was much less crowded than last year. We had a direct Northwest flight from Minneapolis booked through MLT Vacations (www.mltvacations.com). Both ways were 'worry free'. We will definitely go to St. Martin again! Hotel: Two years ago we stayed at Maho for 4 nights, this time we stayed at St. Tropez (www.sttropez-caraibes.com) on Orient Beach (www.orientbeach.com) for 14 nights. The room was kind of 'utilitarian', meaning that there were no frills, but it served us well. We didn't spend much time in the room. It was about 50 yards from our door, past the pool, to where we could put our feet in the sand. The hotel is located in the middle of the two-mile beach, so getting to any one of the establishments was easy. The extras that the room had were as follows: small refrigerator, hair dryer, and a 'hot pot' like appliance that we supposed could be used to heat up water for coffee or tea. The refrigerator was essential! We used it extensively. There was a $1 soda machine on the premises that included Heineken cans. This was a great deal compared with anywhere near by. There was also an ice machine that cost a quarter, but we didn't use it much since we had a refrigerator at our disposal. The electricity is 220v and has the two round holes so you'll need both a converter and adapter. We bought a kit that had 50-watt/1600-watt converter with all kinds of adapters from the Urban Traveler. Voltage Valet (www.voltagevalet.com) made it. The room was very quiet compared to the one we had at Maho that overlooked Cheri's. Our only complaint was there were a lot of ants in the room. Car Rental: We rented a car for 10 of the 14 days; a Hyundai Atos. We had originally called St. Louis Car Rental (stlcr@powerantilles.com) after getting an e-mail quote of $210 per week ($35 per day with the 7th day free). However, we didn't decide to get the car until three days into our stay. In searching for a car, Island Trans Rent-a-Car found a one- month-old car with A/T & A/C for $42 per day with the 10th day free. Everything worked fine, they dropped the car off and picked it up at the hotel, no problems. We had tried AAA (800-592-6110) after getting such high recommendations online, but they didn't have any available. We also talked with Best Deal Car Rental (800-621-2865 or bestrent@sintmaarten.net), which was also recommended. We think next time, we will make arrangements a head of time to get a lower rate guaranteed. There was a web site that we found that had about 50 car rentals, but all the numbers were local. It would be nice to see that with toll free numbers or better yet e-mail addresses. Restaurants: First some overall comments. Many of the restaurants did not take credit cards. This was troubling since we were expecting to pay by credit card for most of the meals. We'll try and explain the credit card policy if we know it when reviewing them. Also, some that did take them, did not allow you to add the tip onto the credit card, so you had to tip in cash. Others made you determine the tip prior to the charge slip being brought to you for signing. Despite all the warnings we had heard, we think there was only one that had a 15% service charge. You still should be watchful. Orient Beach Restaurants: Since we didn't have a car for the first few days, we explored the various Orient Bay beach restaurants. This was nice as we could simply walk out from our hotel onto the beach and then walk, without shoes, to the restaurants. However, we thought that for the most part, these beach restaurants were very overpriced. The food was good, but not a good value. Many had bands playing on different nights. ˇ Bikini Beach (www.bikinibeach.net) -- Served Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner just about every day. We had one of each, plus an appetizer once. Credit cards accepted only if total is over $25. The bartender said they made the best Pina Colada's on the island, and although we didn't go on a lengthy search, they were the best ones we had. ˇ Kakao -- Served lunch & Dinner. Good food. Saturday night is a Vietnamese night with an excellent crab soup. On other nights of the week, the menu consisted of Fish, Pizza's and salads. Good, not great. Credit cards accepted. ˇ Kon Tiki -- Good food. Slightly expensive. Wild night on Sunday nights. Credit cards accepted. ˇ La Playa -- Favorite lunch spot. The beer was relatively cheap and the food was good and a much better value than some of the others on the beach. Overall good service. Kitchen closed around 4:30. They've done a great job landscaping with palm trees. It makes the view idyllic. It was a nice afternoon hang out when you wanted to get out of the sun. Credit cards are NOT accepted. ˇ Waikiki -- Never ate there. Think it was lunch only. The drink prices were much higher than elsewhere on the beach, so we assumed the food would be as well. The menu confirmed that fact. This was the place where we rented chairs from the most because they had thick cushions and it was close to La Playa and our hotel. ˇ Coco Beach -- Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner. One of the better values on the beach. Credit cards accepted. ˇ Breakfast Restaurant at pool between St. Tropez & L'Hoste -- Food was OK, but the service was lacking. It was run by the same people as La Playa, but not the normal level of service as La Playa. Orders were never written down, so often the final check was wrong. The main things this place has going for it location to the two hotels and the fact that it opened at 7:00 and some of the other beach restaurants did not open that early. ˇ Peanuts -- One of the many small lunch restaurants between Kon Tiki and Pedros. Good food and good value. Many of these smaller places had good drink specials. Other Restaurants: ˇ Le Taitu - French Cul de Sac -- On Mont Vernon Road: Specializes in French and Creole. Our second favorite French restaurant behind Fish Pot, but at about one third the price. Excellent fettuccine with scallops. Very friendly service. Credit cards accepted. ˇ Le Piccolo Café - French Cul de Sac: We tried twice to make reservations, but both times they were full. We're more spontaneous than most, so we didn't try until 5:30. Must be good if they're consistently that full. ˇ Surf Club South - French Cul de Sac intersection: A New Jersey steakhouse. Reasonable U.S. food, but nothing to get excited about. Credit cards NOT accepted. ˇ Talk of the Town - Grand Case: A beach side BBQ. Very reasonable. Good food. You could get BBQ chicken, a plate of rice, and a beer for $5. ˇ Fish Pot - Grand Case: This was our one night out at an expensive French restaurant. This was the only place where we could have worn long pants, but we weren't the only ones in shorts. Service and food were excellent! Watch out for the champagne special. We had one that had a fruit juice in it that tasted great, but was $10 per glass. Credit cards accepted. ˇ Michael's - Grand Case: Very good food at a reasonable price. Limited menu for dinner and lunch. There weren't that many people there the night we went, so we were able to talk with the couple from Boston that owned it. Very friendly. Credit cards NOT accepted. ˇ Brasserie de la Gare - Marigot: Good food and good view of marina. Had a very good pizza there. Credit cards accepted. ˇ Zee Best - Marigot: Had a great breakfast here. They had omelets and crepes. They specialized in pastries, but we didn't have any at $2-3 per. ˇ Le Croissent (sp? next to St. Germain) - Marigot. Credit cards NOT accepted. ˇ Chez Raymond's - Baie Rouge: One of two beach side BBQ's. Good BBQ at reasonable prices and friendly service. ˇ Rics Place - Phillipsburg: American sports bar. Good American food at reasonable prices. Nice view of harbor. Credit cards NOT accepted. ˇ Cheri's - Maho: Extensive menu. OK food at reasonable prices. Fun atmosphere. Credit cards accepted. ˇ Sunsets Bar - Maho -- Take the road at the beginning of the runway to the other side of the beach from the Maho complex: We only had drinks here. They do have a grill where you can get a limited menu. Great fun. The crowd gets bigger as the day goes on. And yes they still have their special "Topless women drink for free". ˇ Cliffside Bar - Cupecoy Beach -- On far West side of the Cupecoy Beach Club, follow path down to beach: Great place to watch sunset. Laid back atmosphere. No real food here. . Le Bistrot Gourmand - Cupecoy Bay: We got a take out sandwich and salad that was very reasonable, good, and filling. Grocery Stores: ˇ Food World & Food Center - Phillipsburg: Large American style super markets. We did not try the Match in Marigot. ˇ Convenience Store at Orient Beach top of hill between Boo Jam entrance and the Esmerelda entrance. It had a sign on it like "Rancho de Sol", but we think that was left over from another venture: We went here a lot for supplies. You could get great sandwiches made to order; add in chips and a beer and for $5 you've got yourself a good picnic meal. Note: to get drug store type items, you must go to a pharmacy. They don't have much besides food in the grocery stores. The most difficult item to find was cough drops that we finally found at the Simpson Bay Pharmacy. Dress: The dress was casual in all restaurants that we went to. We were able to wear shorts, casual shirts, and sandals everywhere. Beaches: ˇ Orient - This was by far our favorite spot. We spent most of our 'beach time' here. It might not be for everyone, but we enjoyed it for its beauty, length, chairs to rent, and plenty of restaurants and restrooms. (Plus the 'people watching" is great!) Very busy on most days. ˇ Baie Rouge - This was our second favorite. Very nice. Chair for rent, plus two beach BBQ restaurants. The only draw back is there are no restrooms. Very steep drop offs, so might not be ideal for those that are not strong swimmers. A lot less crowded than Orient Beach. ˇ Anse Marcel - Very picturesque. The road to get there climbs up a winding hill and provides a great view of this tiny bay. Had a very gentle incline into water with very small waves, so it was ideal for the not so strong swimmer. ˇ Cupecoy - The cliffs make this a pretty spot, however, when we visited there wasn't much beach that wasn't under water. We saw one couple that had rented chairs nearly get swept away to sea as a large wave came up and floated their belongs out. ˇ Dawn Beach - Rather ordinary, but the roads to get there are fun and provide good views. Nearby Oyster Pond was pretty. ˇ Long Bay - Disappointed in this beach as there were rocks at the water level almost the entire distance of this long beach. Cash Machines: We never found any on the French side that worked and would dispense US Dollars. We found plenty on the Dutch side. Specifically we found one at Maho (next to the casino of course), in Phillipsburg on the tender peer, and in Simpson Bay. Generally on the Dutch side it was easier to find American conveniences. Jewelry Shopping: AMA in Phillipsburg and the airport. This was highly recommended to us by someone we met that was on their 8th trip to St. Martin. Seemed to us like the best deals. Bought a lovely gold San Marco bracelet at a reasonable price. Beer: Our favorite local beer was Carib (www.carib.co.tt) with a lime in it. Very refreshing on a hot day. Here are my more than 50 St. Martin/St. Maarten links: http://www.isd.net/msp00050/paulpick/sxm.html
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