|
|
Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
| CTR Homepage | Island Index | Search |
It was our first trip to the island The Royal Islander was very nice and the beach there was fine. The help is wonderful. Jets landing and taking off and the noise from Cherie's were the only drawback, but not too bad to put up with. We visited Mullet Bay beach and really liked it. At Cupecoy by the Ocean Club, there was no beach and no way to get down there if you wanted to. Baie Rouge was one of our favorites. There was a beach at Baie Long up from La Samanna, but was only rocks leading to the water. We didn't stay there. We stopped at Friars because the books had said how photographic it was. While it was nice, we elected not to stay there. Orient was very, very windy the day we went there and there was a lot of seaweed on the beach. We didn't stay there either. I know this all sounds negative, but it's our observations about these beaches. Being beach people we like beautiful beaches. Our favorite was Dawn Beach and Mr. Busby's. Really a great spot for swimming, snorkeling and eating. Our favorites of the ones we were able to go to were Dawn, Rouge, Mullet, and Maho. On Anguilla, we went to Shoal Bay East, which is magnificent! The burgers on the beach at Rouge were really good! The restaurants were all super except possibly for Cherie's. It was too much like a fast food place for the price, and definitely do not try their striploin steak! There pasta was very good. Again, it's our taste. The Boathouse for dinner was excellent and we highly recommend it. Same goes for Turtle Pier and Lynettes. Also, we just wanted pizza one night and hit Sambuca's. It was excellent. We were very lucky in that it was Carnaval time and we got to see the parade. They really go all out and it was spectacular! We went to Philipsburg one morning and it was packed with the people from the cruise ships. UGH! Put a damper on our morning. We loved Marigot! What a great little town with excellent shops and of course great bakeries. Took the ferry from there to Anguilla for the day and had a very nice day at Shoal Bay East. Also to the Edge to Saba and highly recommend it for an really different day. The people are wonderful and we had a really good time sampling the Sabian Spice. Don't miss Peggy's shop for lace and the Spice, and absolutely don't miss Adele's which is right next door and down an alleyway. She is just a lovely lady and she'll show you a picture of her in a 1966 National Geographic. She'll also keep pouring the Spice!! We can't wait to get back to St. Martin because I know we only experienced a small part of it. Thanks again for all the tips!
Greg (my husband) and I just returned from St. Martin (French side; Sint Maartin is Dutch). We stayed at Mont Vernon Hotel located on a hill overlooking Orient Bay. Orient Bay is a crescent shaped beach located on the north east side of the island. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Memorial Day week is also a low period for the island. It is not a European's holiday/vacation time period. The north end of Orient Bay is completely different from the south end of Orient Bay. Because of wind directions, the currents' condition and its clothing optional feature, south Orient Bay is very popular with all nationalities and all types of people. The cool breeze provided a welcomed relief from the usual hot-n-humid under the sun and flat-as-glass water scenario. Orient Bay Naturalist Resort, which is not completely finished with its restoration, is significantly different from the old resort's rustic units. The new studios, mini-suites and chalets have either white or stained-wood exterior. And they have air-conditioning! The resort's new appearance is more inviting than the old units. When dining out, be sure to verify with the restaurant if gratuities are included. Most restaurants includes the gratuity and it is usually printed (not always) somewhere on the menu. Saturday, 5/24. By the time we arrived at the hotel and unpacked, all we could do was to have dinner at the hotel restaurant. The salad portion cost $11/pp, entrée is $13/pp and the complete 3-course dinner, which includes dessert, cost $24. This was their standard price structure for dinner every evening. Dessert alone, salad & dessert or entrée & dessert options were not offered. The first night's dinner was very good. I had grilled lamb chops, scalloped potatoes and green beans. Greg has endive salad, snapper Creole and some pastries. I have to say the French do believe in using real butter... no margarine, no fat-free or reduced imitation of any kind. The hotel also provided a daily complimentary breakfast buffet of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fresh fruits, croissants, rolls, pastries, coffee and juices as part of the package. There was no lunch service at the main restaurant but burgers & fries can be purchased at the grill by the pool. Sunday, 5/25. The next day we tried out the hotel's beach and the pool. Orient Bay had more waves and breezes than the last time we were there... nothing really intolerable or unpleasant. Because of the northwest wind and water currents' direction, Orient Bay north end was the recipient of sea weed; mounds of it would accumulate on the beach. Although the resort would scoop the sea weed into piles, it would be the next day or two before they would remove it. But the cool breeze was certainly a welcomed delight. This was the first time I ever experienced such a constant cool breeze in the Caribbean. Every day and night the breeze would bring such relief that it felt like there was no humidity. Couple of nights, we had pina coladas at the hotel bar that overlooks the bay. The wonderful drinks, cool breezes and incredibly beautiful views are what Caribbean vacations are made of. Areas away from the coast are still hot and humid. Monday, 5/26. We rented a car (from Roy Rogers car rental for $160/wk) and went traveling through Cole Bay Lagoon and Philipsburg Front Street areas. We had lunch at Too Cool. It was your typical burger place with frozen mixed drinks as their specialty. Afterwards we went grocery shopping at the Food Center near Philipsburg which is one of the larger and more modern stores. The hotel presented a special cocktail party & dinner by the pool with entertainment. They provided free rum punch; alas, I was hoping it would be pina coladas. The entertainment was a fire show around the pool. It reminded me more of the Polynesian-type fire show. Tuesday, 5/27. We took an all-day sail trip (9 AM - 5 PM) to Anguilla with snorkeling and a picnic lunch on the SeaHawk for $60/pp. Starting out the trip, it was fun and easy sailing. Upon departure, we noticed that a nasty, rainy storm was brewing over SXM. The trip stopped at Cove Bay in Anguilla. Beginning snorkelers were urged to snorkel around the shoreline and experienced snorkelers were taken out to a small reef. We found fish there but nothing to write home about. One of the reef snorkeler had her first encounter with the mustard coral. She was completely unaware of the existence of mustard coral and the detriment of its contact. The captain nor his first mate issue any warnings about mustard coral contact, attempts to bring anything live back or spitting into your mask to defog it, keeping a safe distance away from coral when the seas are choppy or rough, etc. A bus trip around Anguilla was offered at additional cost. Most of us declined except for one couple who took it said '... it was a waste of time and money.' The remaining time at Cove Bay was very relaxing and fun. The sail back to SXM was the adventure highlight of the trip. We ran straight into a torrential downpour. The captain started passing out rain slickers. The rain started stinging and the waves started to really toss about. Greg and I were situated on the netting between the pontoons. I laid down flat with my knees up to cover myself completely with the slicker. Greg sat up and crouched over. One woman who situated herself on the pontoon just froze, scared to death. She could not or would not move to a more stable area. She sat still in her spot and silent throughout whole downpour. About 100 ft from the docks, she spoke and moved. Everyone else thought it was really exciting to sail through a storm. We went to Le Tastevin, located in Grand Case, for dinner. St. Martin/St. Maartin is supposed to have more 5-star restaurants than any other island in the Caribbean. Dinner had all the elements of a 'chic-chic' restaurant... the location (by the water), the food (beautifully presented, excellent preparation and taste) and stuffy waiter & maitre' d. I had lamp chops and Greg had snapper then dessert of fresh fruit & sorbet. The food was very good. The only problem was the mosquitoes. We had a table next to the waters with stone rail/fence separating the dining area and the bushes/trees on the beaches. The bushes was filled was mosquitoes. The mosquitoes and lack of breeze was irritating enough to impact the enjoyment of the dinner and evening. Wednesday, 5/28. From Wednesday to Friday, we would go to Orient Bay in the morning to relax, sunbathe and read. Around 5 PM, we would return to Mont Vernon to shower and change for dinner out. Wednesday night we had planned to go to Lynette's for dinner but ended up at the Maho Reef Plaza. We decided to just find some place there to eat dinner. We found La Rosa Too and it was splendid. Greg had the red snapper with scalloped potatoes and grilled zucchini. I had the orrechetti pasta with broccoli rabes and shredded Italian sausage. It was so good we made reservation for Friday night. There was a good crowd at Cheri's outdoor dining area with music and dancing. Thursday, 5/29. Orient Bay in AM... , back to hotel, shower & change... onto Sandy Ground for dinner at Mario Bistro. It was the best. Mario is located near the blue bridge going to Nettle Baie; so it has an outdoor dining patio next to the channel that opens out to the bay. There was a wonderful breeze, excellent service and recorded piano music playing. Greg had snapper with and I had lamp chops with couscou. We both ordered the marbled cheesecake made with white chocolate and marscarpone cheese. The total tab was around $84.00 with tip. Since our table was next to the water, we saw many fishes that were swimming below the patio. They did not care for any pieces of bread, as they were more interested in following the order of the food chain... small fish was being eaten by the medium fish, the medium fish was being eaten by the big fish, etc. Mario is definitely worth trying. Friday, 5/30. Orient Bay in AM... , back to hotel, shower & change... back to Maho Reef Plaza for dinner at La Rosa Too. We both had soup (minestrone [not good, his] and pasta e fagioli [good, not excellent, mine]), the red snapper and it was wonderful. Greg's red snapper was prepared with tomato sauce and mine with garlic butter. Dinner came to around $85 w/ tip. Saturday, 5/31. Left SXM where daily temperature ranged from 85 to 88- degrees. And weather back in Richmond, VA this week is around 60- degrees. Today's high will be in the lower to mid-50's. What am I doing here? Oh, yeah! Mortgage, car payment, utilities, etc.
This was our first visit to this island. We departed 26 April 1997 on an uneventful direct American Airlines flight of 2 hrs from Miami. After clearing immigrations, which was not much of a problem, although the lines were somewhat lengthy, we got a cab and proceeded to Divi ( Cab was $12.00). Somewhere on the net we heard that you couldn't rent a car at the airport without first going to the resort. This is not true. All the rental companies are at the airport and you could just as easily get a car right away. As a first timer to the island I was glad that we got a cab first, I would have had a difficult time getting to Divi Little Bay as its located on an isolated spit of land dividing Little Bay from Great Bay. The check in at Divi was handled very professionally, and we were introduced to Pat Hunt, a resort director and a helluva a great gal, who gave us a layout of the property, events that would be going on during the week for guests both at the resort and around the island. We and our luggage were put on golf carts and we were taken to our unit. Rental cars are not allowed to drive through the resort, they are parked at the entrance, and you walk to your unit or jump on these little carts if they are available. Thrifty had a representative at the property and we opted for a sub- compact 4 door Suburu for $22 per day. We picked up the car right at Divi, and at the end of our stay dropped it off at the airport which was very convenient. First a little bit about Divi. Its a beautifully landscaped and maintained time share resort and hotel. We had a studio apartment which was just perfect for the two of us. A huge living area which had a king size bed, sleeper sofa, dining table and chairs, large dresser, personal safe, T.V., V.C.R. phone , etc. A small completely furnished kitchen, with microwave and refrigerator, a huge bathroom with walk-in shower and also a large Jacuzzi tub. Our living area had two large French doors, that opened out on to a small balcony and overlooked Little Bay, with its azure blue water and green mountain in the backdrop, just a lovely sight at morning and evening. The resort is still in the rebuilding process from the damage created by Hurricane Luis two years ago. The time share area has been completely redone and refurbished. The old hotel area was still closed and is scheduled for demolition in June of 1997. The area will be completely rebuilt with a new restaurant, small casino, small shopping area, hairdressers etc. They are expecting to start construction shortly. The old restaurant was destroyed, but they have redone the pool area and provided an outside bar and restaurant co-located right by the pool, which really was quite nice, as you could look over the pool and Little Bay as you dined. The breezes kept the insects away. They served breakfast, lunch and dinner at very reasonable prices, which were well prepared, presented and served. Breakfasts...$3-$6 each; lunch menu $6-10 each and dinner $8 -$20 each. Much....much less then the rates for meals in Philipsburg, Marigot or Gran Case. The management provided a welcome party on Sunday, and a managers appreciation night on Thursday with free drinks, light snacks and drawings for free meals and other gifts on both occasions. There was a happy hour each night with special drinks of the day and island steel drum entertainment (singles and trios) each evening between 5-7 P.M. There is a nice beach at Divi, beach chairs, umbrellas and towels are provided. I was surprised to find that the snorkeling was good. Again we had read on the net that there are no reefs around St. Maarten and snorkeling would be terrible. The coral around Little Bay is in very bad shape, but there were plenty of fish of all colors, sizes to make the snorkeling interesting, though not as good as on some of the other islands. St. Maarten Carnival 97 was in its last week during our stay and we participated fully. This annual event which started on April 17th with the first "jump-up parade" ended on May 3 with the burning of King Momo. In between there are gala events, parades and entertainment. We went to the Carnival Village three nights, entrance charge $10. The village had 100 different eatery booths serving local food and drink, along with local and international shows. We ate Johnny Cakes, salt fish, bull-foot soup ,conch soup, barbecued ribs, chicken and shrimp, bush tea, all of this prepared on outside charcoal grills.....but you couldn't beat the price. We had a full plate of ribs, chicken, rice, potato salad and carrot salad for $6 !!!!. All beers were $1.....mixed drinks $2.50. The entertainment started between 10-11 P.M. and lasted till 2-4 A.M. Besides local groups there were bands from Barbados, Trinidad, Dominica, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Port of Spain and France. On the nights we were there we saw Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires, SOCA music, which seemed to be a favorite of the local crowd, which numbered about 5,000 packed into the Carnival grounds, another evening we listened to "ZOUK" music with Kassav from France and finally a Latin Show night with Fernandito Villalona, who was really popular with the ladies in attendance. During the day we attended the Children's Jr Carnival Parade with kids ranging from 2-16 years of age with their own theme, colorful costumes, floats and music which lasted about 1 3/4 hours past out viewing area. It amazed me that these kids danced and performed the length of this parade which for them lasted about 4-5 hours during the heat of the day. The following night, following the performance at carnival village we participated in the Jouvert Morning Jump-Up March which started at 4 A.M. and lasted till 10:30 A.M......with free drinks to all who participated......No we didn't last ! After 45 minutes we were dying from dancing and jumping....but at least we tried....not bad for a couple of 60 year olds. And then finally another afternoon the Grand Carnival Parade with its Plumes, floats, live bands, and hundreds of participants in their colorful costumes "wining-up" to the Caribbean music. A parade that lasted about 2 « hours past our viewing point, with again free beer being tossed off the floats if you were lucky enough to catch them..( We caught four) Needless to say our first trip to St. Maarten was pretty much tied to the Carnival which left us with little time for much else. However, we did drive to Marigot for breakfast four mornings, found a place called "Zee Best Breakfast" near the Marina, run by a couple from Montreal which had the greatest croissants. When sitting at the typical outside table, you would receive a basket of 6 to 8 different croissants and would pay for those that you ate. We always had croissants, coffee and juice. They also served a three egg ham & cheese omelet for $4. Spent 2 mornings at Cupecoy Beach, a clothing optional beach, although most of those there went for full nudity. Beach Chairs & Umbrellas rented for $5 each, cold soft drinks and beer were also available, and the fellas there would make you lunch if you desired. I also found the snorkeling to be pretty good there. Went to the Butterfly farm just south of Orient Bay on the Le Galion beach one morning, admission $10. An interesting way to spend an hour or two. Get there at 9 A.M., when they open, and you can watch the butterflies emerging from their chrysalis and taking their first flight. They also have guided tours at regular intervals which are very informative. Once you buy a ticket you can come back for free during the rest of your vacation. On the way back to Philipsburg from the butterfly farm we stopped off at the Arawak Pottery where the owner showed us around his facility where he & his wife faithfully uphold the tradition of making Arawak indian pottery. They have also re-created a small Arawak village. No charge for this except if you want to purchase some pottery or icons. They're really a nice couple and he shared some stories over a beer. The island is in a drought period and the usual green & lush mountains and valley's are now brownish in color. In driving around the island it appears there are still some areas, including some of the hotels and resorts that are still closed from damage received from Hurricane Luis. I'll not report on the island restaurants. St. Martin is well known for its excellent cuisine especially on the French side and there is plenty of information in the Forum library about that. All too soon our trip ended. The Divi Little Bay resort had a system where all your bar & restaurant costs could be charged to your room, so we settled that during our check-out, which was again very professionally handled by Divi staff and we were off to the airport. Now this was a kick. Most time shares on the island are Saturday to Saturday....so the airport is jammed. 2 hours ahead of time is almost mandatory. There was a long line checking in tickets and baggage at American. Once through there you must go to another window to pay a $12 departure tax, (don't forget your immigration ticket that you got when you arrived) then clear through security and wait for your plane, which will probably be a little late.....but no fear there is a small bar there and we had our last bottle of Caribe beer and I'll tell you... the best damm hot dog we've ever had.......Adieu I hope this file will benefit anyone going to Divi Little Bay Resort
Just a short summary of recent trip to St. Martin: Food is great at Turtle Bay Restaurant. In general, food is really good at lots of place on the French side; more than 250 restaurants on the island!! Didn't eat a bad meal the whole time. Green Cay Village is an excellent place to stay, absolutely top notch, private, private pool, new, clean, friendly folks, beautiful view, near beach but not walking distance, full kitchen, stereo with cassette and CD player, VCR, cable TV (didn't use either), BBQ pit, maid service. June rates were $420 per night for 3 bedroom condo ($140 per couple per night). Thanks to Fabienne and her crew for a great time! Duty free shopping is really good, but mostly upscale stuff. Prices on liquor and cigars are good, but take time to shop around for best deals. Even if you have to pay a duty on some of your purchases, it will still work out cheap in most cases. Try to visit Philipsburg when there are no cruise ships for a more leisurely experience. Try locally produced guavaberry liquer. The Dutch side is a much more urban experience, but still OK. My recommendation is to try and stay on the French side, dine on the French side often, and visit the Dutch side for shopping, casinos, and some beaches. Larger hotels and all casinos on the Dutch side. Rental car is almost essential. Taxi service is too expensive for regular use, especially if you are traveling from one side of the island to the other often. A few slightly negative comments: There is still noticeable hurricane damage from two years ago (Luis). There aren't many large trees any more and the island does not have much lush vegetation. I am not sure how much of this is due to the hurricane. The snorkeling we found at Orient Bay and other areas was not great. According to the locals, the hurricane damaged many reefs and the area has been generally over-fished for many years. However, the snorkeling is still decent and you can find many interesting sights with a little effort. Prices for watersports were pretty high and the vendors would not negotiate. Examples: jet skis at $45 per half hour, para-sailing at $45 for a 15 minute ride, small hobie cats at $50 per hour. But some day sailing was available at around $60 per day, including lunch, beach umbrellas, booze etc. This was generally perceived as a good buy. See Guillaume at the Orient Bay Resort. Overall, a great vacation spot. Have lotsa fun because going through customs in Miami will quickly put you in a bad mood!
It seems my husband John and I have joined a club: the St. Martin Fan Club. This was our second trip to the island (the first being just 6 months earlier) and we noticed this time around that practically every other tourist we talked to had been there AT LEAST once before; some were on their eighth or ninth visit. Something about St. Martin just seems to inspire a longing to return again and again and... Our trip (May 26-June 2) started out on a good note...and for the most part only got better and better. I had booked our flights from Chicago on American with connections in BOTH Miami and San Juan. This itinerary saved quite a bit of money. If it had been only a few dollars, the extra stopover wouldn't have been worthwhile, but the savings came to about $100 per person. Well, when we arrived in Miami, we checked on a direct flight from Miami to SXM leaving shortly and were given boarding passes for it right away. (Of course, the only way this was possible was because of our cardinal rule of travel: CARRY-ON BAGGAGE ONLY. Fortunately, this is a point on which we both agree, though it certainly wouldn't work for every couple or for those with kids in tow. But for just 2 people, how much does one need for a week at Orient Beach, anyway?!) So we arrived at SXM a good 4-1/2 hours earlier than scheduled, and to put the icing on the cake, we breezed through customs in about 2 minutes! Next was a stop at Avis to pick up our rental car. When they gave us the car, a very basic (and very purple) Hyundai Accent, we noticed the radio antennae was broken off. The Avis rep assured us this wouldn't be a problem, so off we went. Well, it only took about a mile for us to realize we could tune in just one station and only then if there wasn't a hill nearby, so back to Avis we went. Fifteen minutes and one wire coat hanger later, we were on our way, this time with tunes. Ah, island ingenuity! We spent the balance of the afternoon settling in at the St. Tropez Hotel on Orient Bay. If one wants to stay on Orient Beach, I can't imagine a better location than this one, and in fact this was the same place we stayed during our first visit. Their rooms offer exactly what we wanted: a king-size bed, a sitting area with small couch and chair, a small refrigerator with freezer that comfortably accommodated 2 ice trays, a hot pot for morning coffee (St. Tropez provides packets of instant coffee, tea bags and sugar) and a good- sized balcony with a view of the ocean. The property also has a fresh- water pool, which it shares with the L'Hoste Hotel, along with a small restaurant/bar that, at least during the off-season, is only open for breakfast and occasional cocktail hours. The restaurant had a lot of grills, however, so I assume they do lunch and dinner during busier months. Overall, I think St. Tropez offers a lot of room for the money and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone, with the caveat that you'll really want to have a rental car to stay there (or anywhere in Orient Bay, for that matter). There's no reason to hesitate to rent a car on St. Martin, anyway. The roads are mostly in good shape and the drivers are relatively sane, even if they like to pass a lot. After unpacking, we went for a stroll down the beach to get one of those delicious tropical cocktails at Papagayo. We noticed two major differences on the beach from our trip last November: there was a strong and steady (though not unpleasant) breeze and this time there was almost no seaweed washed up on the beach, compared to bushels of the stuff last autumn. In general, we got better weather this trip than in November. Back then, we experienced a fair amount of rain, which all the locals claimed to be unusual. Proving that St. Martin truly IS the friendly island, several shop clerks and waiters actually apologized profusely for the rainy weather, as if they personally were somehow to blame. This trip, we got only one good mid- afternoon storm and a few brief, 15 minute showers during the week. For our first dinner, we headed to Marigot and a Creole restaurant called La Creolienne. John and I both had conch soup that was very good. For his entree, he had a sort of surf-n-turf dish: filet mignon with coconut shrimp. I had chicken columbo, which was accompanied by 7 or 8 tasty little Creole-style side dishes. We topped it all off with our favorite island dessert: an assortment of fruit sorbets. Throw in a couple of rum punches apiece, and you get about $80 for the evening. The next morning, after a slow start getting out of bed (this was a vacation, after all), we headed out to grab a late breakfast and buy our supplies for the week. We stopped at La Croissanterie on the harbor in Marigot for an inexpensive brunch of filled crepes. Then it was off to Match, our favorite grocery store on the island. Lo and behold, Match was closed! Turns out it was a French holiday to celebrate the abolition of slavery, and all the stores had buttoned up at noon. Ah ha ... the advantage of a two-nation island ... 15 minutes later we were shopping to our hearts' content at a supermarket on the Dutch side, stocking up for the week. Rather than have breakfast out each morning, we like to buy French bread, cheese, fruit and juice and enjoy something light and leisurely on our balcony. Saves a few dollars, too. Once the supplies were put away, we had every intention of heading out to the beach, if for nothing more than a long stroll. But just as we prepared to leave the room a fairly heavy storm rolled in, knocking out the electricity in the hotel for an hour or so. Oh, well, that's why one always brings a good book on a trip, right? Coincidentally, one of my co-workers was vacationing in St. Martin at the same time and we arranged to meet Helen and her husband, Ken, at Surf Club South for a drink. We ended up staying for dinner, which I would rate as OK, not remarkable, but good if you have a hankering for some good, old-fashioned American food. They do serve up a fabulous cheeseburger. We also watched the Utah-Houston semi-finals NBA game and, being Chicagoans, were excited to learn Surf Club would be showing the Bulls-Miami Heat game the following evening. Wednesday, John was determined to be, in his own words, "the first guy on the beach." I can't say we were out quite that early, but by 10:30 or so, we had planted ourselves near Papagayo's at Club Orient (so as not to have to walk too far for those delicious tropical libations), and it's a good thing we did arrive on the early side: one of the big cruise ships was in town and by noon, Papagayo Watersports had run out of beach chairs. That night, we headed to what's probably my favorite restaurant in St. Martin, Le Taitu. This is a low-key place in Cul de Sac, not far from the Mt. Vernon Hotel, that delivers a great value. Their cuisine is mostly in the style of Basque, a region far to the south of France, and is heavily influenced with tomatoes and other vegetables. John had a tasty curried conch, one of their Creole-style dishes, and I had delicious, tender, moist chicken brochettes ala Basquaise. All this, plus soup for appetizer, dessert (more sorbet) and drinks for $50! Moreover, the restaurant is architecturally interesting, with the feel of a multi-level terrace in a garden. We left Le Taitu and stopped at Surf Club South again to catch our Bulls in action. I had thrown on a Bulls t-shirt so there'd be no mistaking whose side we were on. If you've been to Surf Club, you've seen the collection of t-shirts from around the U.S. hanging from the rafters. Well, Pascal, our favorite bartender there, made me promise that if the Bulls clinched that night, I'd add my shirt to the collection. It was no contest...the Bulls were hot, the Heat were cold and if you go to the Surf Club South now, you'll see my shirt hanging there with all the rest. The sun(burn) we had gotten Wednesday was intense enough that we decided to make Thursday a sightseeing/shopping day and stay off the beach, plus it was overcast and windy besides. We started the day at one of my favorite stops, the Butterfly Farm. Now, before you dismiss this as a dorky way to spend a morning, give it a try. It's run by a British fellow with a terrific sense of humor. Along with his staff, he leads an informative tour that gives some laughs, too. They've created a screened-in garden with hundreds of butterflies flitting all about. There are a few small waterfalls inside and pleasant new- age music plays in the background. You come out of there feeling like you'll never have another care in the world, particularly after the rum punch that's included. The rest of the day was spent exploring some areas of the island we never got around to the first trip (how can an island that's so small seem so large?). For lunch, we returned to a spot we had discovered on our first trip, Rosemary's Waterfront Shack, facing the outdoor market in Marigot. Rosemary makes traditional creole dishes, and we each enjoyed conch creole and 2 beverages apiece for well under $20, plus we got to hear Rosemary tell of her work as in extra in the film Speed 2. During our first trip to St. Martin, parts of the movie were being filmed on the island. An entire set had been built along the waterfront in Marigot. It looked so realistic, in fact, we thought it was a row of cute little shops until we walked closer and saw it was nothing more than plywood facades. The filming actually created some controversy in Marigot, not only because of the extra traffic and congestion it caused, but also because the cast and crew stayed and dined not in local hotels and restaurants but on a cruise ship floating about a mile off shore, not contributing to the local economy at all. And why you would ever pass up a chance to dine in St. Martin is a complete mystery to me! This trip, if we hadn't seen it with our own eyes last November, we never would have believed the Speed 2 set ever existed! Everything had been torn down and hauled away, as if it was never anything more than a dream. Later on Thursday, we tried to catch the sunset at Cupecoy beach, but somehow passed up the turn-off, so we continued on to Prune Bay. Beautiful, until the mosquitoes decided it was dinnertime, and we were the all-you-can-eat buffet. Eventually, after getting good and lost in the Terre Basse area, we ended up back at the Maho complex and spent an hour or so at the Casino Royale, not doing much to increase our life savings. Dinner that night was at Grand Cafe Europe, where we both had an Indonesian-style curried chicken. John also had a bowl of French onion soup; he had actually ordered lobster bisque, but when it arrived at the table, we both thought it didn't smell or taste quite right. The waiter graciously replaced it with the onion soup, even though it was clear he didn't agree with our assessment. Along with the food, we each had a drink for a total just under $50. Friday was another day for the beach. We had scheduled to take the Club Orient cruise on the catamaran Tiko Tiko that day, but Guillaume called the day before to say it had to be rescheduled for Saturday because Thursday's blustery weather made them push that day's St. Bart's trip to Friday. This was OK with us, but if you plan to take the nude cruise, stay flexible. Late in the afternoon, we took a walk down the beach and ended up having lunch so late it really was an early dinner. We stopped at Bikini Beach to grab just a tapa or two as a snack, but ended up ordering much more than that. You wouldn't expect a beachfront place to have such good food, but Bikini Beach's tapas could rival anything we've had in Spain, particularly the gazpacho soup. And when I say we ordered a lot of food, I mean it: the final bill was around $50. So Saturday we finally set sail on the Tiko Tiko. This is different from the other catamaran cruises you see advertised around the island. For one, the boat holds only about one dozen people, compared to the swarm of several dozen on a big cat like the Lambada. And, in the tradition of Club Orient, you leave your swimsuit behind. Those who have taken the nude cruise in years passed will notice a big price jump, but now you get a full sit-down gourmet lunch, served on the boat. You have your choice of sirloin steak, mahi-mahi or chicken breast, with champagne, French wines and after-dinner drinks, not to mention a day-long supply of rum punch, pina coladas and beer. The sail is to the nearby, deserted island of Tintamarre, where Guillaume and his assistant Phillipe provide umbrellas for shade, floats for fun and snorkel gear. After almost 8 hours in the sun, along with our share of the libations, we had no choice but to go back to the room and collapse for a few hours. Not wanting to miss out on another gastronomic experience, however, we managed to drag ourselves out for a late dinner at Messalina, on the waterfront in Marigot. This is a very good Italian restaurant (if perhaps a little pricey) that seems to get overlooked when St. Martin's Italian eateries are mentioned. John ordered pasta with a porcini mushroom sauce and I had an eggplant and pasta dish, plus we both had huge gourmet-style salads as appetizers. Don't miss the tiramisu for dessert. We spent $125, and it's worth noting that the check here includes a 15% service charge. Sunday was our last full day, and we spent it tying up loose ends, getting our souvenirs bought. John's a chef by trade, so most of our purchases come from the grocery store, in the form of exotic preserves or the Ma Doudou flavored rums that are produced in St. Martin. A handy tip we learned: while Match and the other supermarkets on the Dutch side close by noon on Sunday, there's one on the west side of Marigot (on the road to Sandy Ground) that's open all day. It's called US Import Export, but don't let the name fool you...it's very French. Across the street is a sports stadium where we stopped for a while to watch a few rounds of an inter-island cricket tournament. We made one more stop at the Surf Club South to say good-bye to our new friends there. This is quite THE place to be late on Sunday. They have live bands starting in late afternoon and the crowd (which probably got up to about 200 people) seems to lean more toward locals than tourists. And if you're there early enough, they offer free Bloody Marys and Mimosas poolside. (Yes, this is a bar/restaurant with its own swimming pool!) Wanting a special dinner for our last night, we went to L'Astrolabe at the Esmeralda resort. I had coquille St. Jacques and John had a bouillabaisse that was so hearty, it could have easily fed four. The highlight of dessert was the lavendar sorbet, with actual bits oflavendar flower in it. At $125 (before tip) this was the most expensive meal we had, but if you enjoy really well-prepared French cuisine, it's worth every dollar. Sadly, Monday, we had to leave. Our flight left very early, before 8 a.m., so we knew we had to be at the airport by 6:30. (They tell you to get there 2 hours before departure, but that seems excessive and unnecessary.) However, when we went to return the car at the Avis drop-off place, there was no sign of them opening anytime soon, no box in sight for express return and no shuttle available to the airport. John ended up dropping me off at the American Airlines check- in area, then went back to Avis, filled out the paperwork, left the papers and the key in the glove compartment, and walked the 1/4 mile back to the airport. I was a little worried about this, but when we got back to Chicago, we called Avis, got connected directly with the St. Martin office and were told everything was OK, in order and a receipt was on its way (probably worth noting that, nearly 3 weeks later, we have yet to receive it). Our return trip home had us scheduled again with stops in both San Juan and Miami. Still traveling carry-on only, we switched to a direct San Juan-Chicago flight (although this time we had to do it stand-by and were the last 2 people to get on), getting us in our own front door hours earlier than scheduled. That left plenty of time to get ready to return to work the next day...and, as we all must do after a wonderful vacation, return to reality.
My wife and I spent a week in St. Martin in mid June. We have been going there periodically since about 1977, and have seen significant changes, many of which do not add to our enjoyment of the island, but we know it well enough to still find a lot of attractive features. However, this is not the spot for someone looking for an unspoiled Caribbean island. The Dutch part is overbuilt and strictly American Tourist atmosphere. The French side still has some French character, but unfortunately is moving in the same direction. Personal opinions, of course. We arrived from St. Barth's so had no crowds to contend with at immigration, picked up a car (Nissan Sentra, $135/wk) from Budget, who are very good at meeting you at the terminal. We stay at Grande Case Beach Club in a studio with kitchen - newly re-done as a consequence of Hurricane Luis. This is a well run and friendly place on the beach at the end of Grande Case. The long beach in front of the main buildings has been washed away to a very narrow strip, but widens out as you go toward the village. The main beach activity is now on Petit Plage on the other side of the hotel. The restaurant at the hotel is the Sunset Cafe (replaces Waves, which burned several years ago) but except for the continental breakfast included, we did not eat there and can make no recommendation about the food in general. In driving to Grande Case, we noticed that a lot more signs have been put up giving directions, which is helpful if you do not know your way around. We also noticed (you can' miss it) that Portofino restaurant at the entrance to Grande Case now sports a monstrous and obtrusive sign that I sincerely hope isn't the harbinger of bad taste coming to this part of the island. Signs for Carib beer are ubiquitous. Some comments on specific aspects of the island: Driving - Roads are in excellent condition. many seem to have been widened, and even have lane markings. Far different from our first visit, when the road around the island was not completely paved. A road with a white line down the center loses its standing as a Caribbean road by my definition. Traffic can be bad around Marigot, and based on previous experience also on the Dutch side, although we did not go there much in the daytime. We did find a traffic jam on Bush Road one evening, but the trips to and from the airport had less traffic than anticipated. There are the usual risks of being caught behind a truck or a tour bus. The latter can be numerous when cruise ships are in town. I counted six simultaneously in the parking area at the Cloud Room where they stop for the scenic overlook and the T- shirt shop. These were not mini-busses, but full size. Philipsburg - The first time we went to St. Martin, Philipsburg was a hot, busy, somewhat dilapidated place with the typical character of a Caribbean town, but you could find a place to park on Front Street. It then became more built up, hotter (as larger buildings stopped the breeze), more crowded (from more cruise ships) and less interesting. There has been a lot of rebuilding in faux-Dutch style which looks nice but gives the impression of a theme park/shopping mall combination. We avoid Philipsburg except for some favorite restaurants at night, but noticed a lot of new businesses replacing the old familiars and a great deal of neon. Most striking is a huge 4- story building at the end of Front Street where the old Sam's Restaurant and more recently Shiv Sagar used to be. The building itself might be tolerable, but the hideous lighted sign for the casino inside is jarring. Marigot - The marina area is much the same as it has been. Many restaurants and shops, but a few vacancies. We got the impression that menu prices are higher at the marina than at restaurants near the waterfront. The waterfront has been further "improved"; that is, filed in and developed. You used to be able to sit outside the Vie en Rose and overlook a street and the ocean. Now you overlook a street, a large parking lot, T-shirt vendor stalls and if there is an ocean, you'll have a hard time seeing it. The new museum in Marigot is very well done and worth a visit. It shows the prehistory and history of the island, and incorporates a small gallery of local artists. Beaches - The first time we went to Orient, there were two other people on the whole length of it. That shows how long it's been since our first visit. After it was "developed", it became more crowded but still was attractive. However, the ranks of beach chairs and umbrellas that now line much of it, including the area in front of Club Orient, soon lose their charm. I don't want to think of it on season! Dawn Beach is much nicer now, even though the hotel is closed because of hurricane damage. We had in fact stayed there when it was new, and it was sad to see it in its present condition. The beach is best accessed via Mr. Busby's Beach Bar. Another nice beach with refreshment stands is Friar's Bay. Maho looked to be in good shape, but we were not on it. We didn't get to any others this time. Butterfly farm - Well worth spending a little time in. Mornings are said to be best -the butterflies are more active then. The $10.00 admission is a little steep, but it includes a pass for further visits during your stay if yoy want more photo ops. The guides are knowledgeable. Restaurants - One of the disadvantages of being a long time visitor is that we have found several restaurants that we have become very fond of, so we tend not to try any new ones. Here are our favorites. Mark's Place. Originally in Cul de Sac, he closed after hurricane Luis but has now re-opened in a shopping center on Bush Road on the airport side of Philipsburg. Tha atmosphere is much different - definitely busier. It is attractively done with potted palms to screen out the parking lot, but it is now a "city" restaurant. The menu is much the same, and the food and prices just as good as before. Appetizers entrees, glass of wine, coffee for 2, about $50. We can only speak for the Creole dishes, but the octopus and conch stews are great. If you liked the old Mark's you should try the new one, but be prepared for a different ambiance. Mark himself seems very happy with the new operation. Wajang Doll in Philipsburg. Great Indonesian Rijsstaffel; we have been going here since the year after it first opened. Make sure you try the mango dessert. A large and a small rijsstaffel, glass of wine and shared dessert about $80. Shiv Sagar. Also in Philipsburg. This is in a new location and is very attractive. Excellent Indian food with a good variety of vegetarian dishes which pleased my wife. Also about $50. Bistro Nu. On a back street in Marigot. French/Creole; it has some unusual items. Very good. About $70 for 2 large salads, entrees, glasses of wine, coffee. Don Carlos. Had breakfast there before leaving, after checking in early to avoid the crowds. It is convenient to the airport and a pretty good breakfast. While most of the island has fully recovered from the hurricane damage, we got the impression that tourism is hurting. Apparently travel agents are looking up Mullet Bay, finding it is still closed, and telling customers that St. Martin has not recovered from the hurricane so don't go. We were told this in St. Martin, and saw similar statements in postings on the web. The only major hotels that I know of that are still not repaired are Mullet Bay and Dawn Beach, but I'm told that a couple of others, Belle Creole and Point de Pleasance, are closed for other reasons. All of these closures seem to be due to owner/management machinations or insurance problems. There are plenty of other hotels to choose from. While we were there it was announced that the upscale Romana shops were closing because of lack of business. Philipsburg clearly has set itself up to depend on the cruise ship passenger market, and there are signs that Marigot may try to follow. Meanwhile, many stay-over visitors may be put off by the crowds from the ships. In my opinion, St. Martin was at the peak of its attractiveness maybe 10 - 15 years ago, but then we prefer a more low key and laid back atmosphere. Still, we know we will return for the restaurants and some of the beaches if nothing else.
We had dreamed for years of finding the perfect Tropical Paradise. A small island just large enough to walk around with a wonderful white sand beach. An Island with accommodations and amenities that we could die for. We never believed that we could find such an island. Not only did we find this island but we found a whole chain of Islands. One island more lush and wonderful than the next. It all happened three years ago, on our first trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. These Islands represent to us the true Caribbean. No casinos, No phones, No TV, No AC, and not a shopping mall in sight. A place where we can say, "Stop the world, we want to get off." A good book, snorkeling equipment, and a few clothes and just the two of us is all we need. We are completely and totally lost when we are in this Tropical Wonder Land. A place that we can forget the hectic business world back home exists. We have just returned from our fourth trip to this Tropical Paradise. Each trip is better than the last. This year was our second trip to Petit St. Vincent and cottage #18. This resort just seems to get better all the time. The small touches of service are unmatched. From the start to finish of our eight day stay, service was impeccable. It started off by going directly to our cottage from the dock. We had the usual tropical drink in hand. This is a wonderful relief, after hours of traveling. We did not have to stand in line waiting for a rude desk clerk to check us in, or imprint are credit card. Arriving in our room, we found afternoon tea and a plate of cookies with champagne on ice. A welcome card was in the bedroom with a box of fabulous chocolates underneath. The small touches make us wonder why we would ever want to choose another resort. The cottage itself is a wonderful two rooms of pure enchantment. It was equipped like nothing we have ever seen. It had an abundance of towels, C D Player with CDs beach bags, beach chairs, beach mats, iron, ironing board, insect repellents, bug spays, mini bar, books, cotton balls, Q Tips, loofas, Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries, flash light, and night light. The light is great for reading. Three way bulbs illuminate every room. The resort supplies floats, snorkeling equipment, and many different kinds of water crafts. In the gift shop are board games, tennis rackets, and library all for the guests to use. Day trips are to be arranged at the office. We went deep sea fishing with Chester. We were delighted to have met Chester. He has worked with PSV since it opened. His family came from Scotland over 200 years ago settling on Petit Martinique. This is the island directly across from PSV. It belongs to Grenada. He has a wonderful knowledge of the Grenadines. He does charter to other surrounding Islands and the Tobago Cays, as well. His motor craft is well equipped for a convenient day and includes a head. The resort offers room service for all meals. New this year, drink and meal service is also available on the beach. Just put up the "Yellow Flag." We loved our early morning coffee arriving around 6 AM and left outside the cottage gate. The dining room service and food were outstanding. The deserts were awesome. We thought the food and the food service was much better than our pervious visit. They still have two BBQs on the beach each week that we could do without. Departure now has its own added touch of class with each cottage being given a small aqua tote. The tote contains sandwiches, bottled water and desert for the long trip home. PSV was wonderful and no trip to PSV would be complete without the company of our delightful four legged friend Hera. We have stayed or visited four Islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Our two previous vacation holidays were on Young Island in St. Vincent. It too is a wonderful tropical paradise. We stayed in Cottage #10 with its plunge pool. It does not quite have the amenities, and touch of class that is available on PSV. We visited Palm Island and found it to be a little bit to touristy for our taste. They seem to have many day trippers and boats. The beach however is long and wonderful. We spent a delightful day last year on Mustique at the Cotton House. We had decided to make it our destination this year, however it was sold and is under new management. We could never get any information after the sale, thus we canceled our plans. We have heard from a few people that the Island of Canouan should be watched carefully. We hear they are putting in a golf course and adding to the hotel. These Islands vary vastly in appearance. most are hilly. St. Vincent is Large and lush with its volcanic soil. The smaller islands will become lush again during the rainy season. We find the people friendly and very helpful and they do everything possible to make our holiday perfect. These groups of islands are very clean and show little poverty. It is a very conservative area with a staid English culture. If you are a true Caribbean fan, put St. Vincent and the Grenadines on your wish list. We can not wait to return. We have already booked our reservation at PSV for >98 The time we spend there is delightful and tears are in our eyes when it is time to leave. The Richardsons and their dedicated staff has created a wonderful resort. It is a truly first class act, with solid steady management. It continues to get better and better. See you in a year PSV! Take good care of the Dogs and give them our regards!--Zeus, Hera, Dotty, Daisy, Ducky, Mr. Green, and of course the babies Hercules, and Delphi.
I just got back from my first Club Med vacation at Turquoise and as promised I said I would share my experience. I went for ten days. TURKS & CAICOS The waters around Provo are pristine. I’ve been to Mexico and some other of the Caribbean Islands and must say that the waters and beaches in Provo are some of the most gorgeous. The island is mostly brush. Although big hotels are starting to line the beaches in Turks & Caicos, it still is far from being a Jamaica or an Aruba. Hopefully, it won’t get too build up and take away from the island charm. ACTIVITIES I have to disagree with the advice regarding the excursions. The excursions were the highlight of my vacation. Club Med does most of their excursions through an operator called J&B. They have natives taking you to secluded beaches, snorkeling at unspoiled coral reefs with lots of fish. The amount of life I saw on the reefs was much better than Cozumel. You can dive for conchs and eat it the same day. The water at many of the beaches on the nearby cays have much clearer and bluer water than the water in front of the Club Med. You can do half day tours for around 42 dollars and I did an all day tour for $78. $78 is a great price for being on a boat all day, eating BBG Chicken, Lobster, Mahi Mahi, Conch and drinks. I Snorkeled great reefs, visited Iguana Island and had great fun. The free Club Med Snorkeling excursion pales in comparison to the excursions . Plus it gives you a chance to get away the Club Med facility to get a break from the repeated daily activities. Some people never venture outside Club Med which is a shame because the natives in the Turks are some of the nicest people I have met in the Caribbean. Its the first place I’ve visited that I’ve not been hustled on the beach. CLUB MED PHILOSOPHY For my taste, the activities are bit goofy and at times childish. Sometimes I felt like I was in a camp atmosphere. I’m not much for the silly songs and dances but if you are into that sort of thing than you’ll enjoy it. If I have to hear the sundance song one more time in my life, I think they will have to commit me. They also have this picnic every week where they play drinking games at 10:30 am in morning. It was entertaining, because The GO, Red, who performed his last picnic for us was very funny. But I can’t understand how grown adults who pay $1000 plus for a vacation, most who are working professionals, get a little liquor in their bodies and have to resort to childish antics like removing their bathing suits and mooning people. That was funny when I was 10 years old. THE GUESTS While I don’t know the exact numbers, I sat with at least one New Yorker every meal. There are more New Yorkers there than from anyplace else. So if you are from New York and don’t want to go on vacation with a bunch of New Yorkers than this club is not for you. The GO’s told me there are almost always more New Yorkers than from anyplace else. This is mostly a singles club but there is increase in the number of couples according to the GO's. While I was there it seemed liked their were more single woman than man. Which obviously was great for the guys. There is plenty of opportunity to meet new people and make new friends, but if you choose you can find an empty space on the beach and be left alone. FOOD Wasn't bad and wasn’t great. After a couple days the food choice became very repetitious . Although I didn’t partake, the desserts looked fantastic and everybody seemed to enjoy them. People I met said that the food was not the best of the Club Meds and not the worse. Somebody needs to tell the omelet woman to lay off on the butter. The table wine was excellent and included for both lunch and dinner. They also have two other restaurants where you need to make a reservation. I didn’t eat at them so I don’t know but some of the GM’s told me they weren’t spectacular. As another option, there are many native restaurants that serve native food that will also give you a break from the Club Med Scene. SharkBites has a live band on Thursday night and everybody on the Island is there. JoJo- JoJo is still around. I saw him pass once on the beach. He is getting a little older and less playful. Check out the JoJo slide show and the video portion from the PBS special with Robin Williams. Its fascinating.
(Ed note: The following comments are copyrighted by Karen Jones and David Foster.)
For the first time we flew out of Washington National, rather than our usual departure from BWI (Baltimore). As the Miami layover was so much shorter, we decided to try this route. American was late leaving Miami to pick us up, and as a result we nearly missed our connection from Miami to Provo. First time that has happened. The flight to Provo was the shortest we've ever had -- only 55 minutes. We picked up our rental car and drove to our hotel "Le Deck". Although we'd dined there before, we had never stayed there. Le Deck is beautifully situated all alone on gorgeous Grace Bay beach. We got a great deal from Go-Go, through our T/A, so the room was only $122/night, including all taxes. Although the room was fine, after the first night we elected to upgrade to the upper floor, which was well worth the small fee (Rm# 204). Le Deck is a small hotel, only 28 rooms with lovely established gardens and a friendly staff. There is a restaurant with bar on site. The food is decent, but we feel it was better in the past. Stateside I teach horseback riding lessons, and except in Grand Turk, had never seen a horse in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). Imagine my shock when we ventured down to get a Coke and found a Caribbean Cowboy mounted on a barstool! Sure enough, down to his boots, hat and spurs, he was the real deal. Just outside the bar stood his mare, hitched to the hitchin' post, her filly frolicking around the grounds on her own. It was a surreal moment. The Cowboy/Architect and I had quite a conversation! As it was Sunday night, the traditional Sunday BBQ was being offered for dinner. We decided to try it ($25/pp), and though O.K., it was not better than average cuisine. The local band "Tropical Soul" began to play softly in the background, and what better song to start a vacation than "Groovin'". The night was almost painfully beautiful, so we adjourned to the beach loungers surfside and with the sounds of song and surf intermingling, watched a spectacular celestial show. Views of Hale-Bopp were clear and never had we seen so many falling stars. Day 2 saw us attempting to play tourists (we generally do a lot of business), as we departed for a trip with J&B Tours. We'd chosen their "Beach Cruise" boat trip, which would include both land stops and snorkeling stops. Our Captain "Sweat", as in nothing is any sweat, picked us up at the hotel and drove us to the departure point at Leeward dock. Two other couples joined us, and despite a windy day with somewhat choppy water, we had a marvelous trip. As reported by others all season, the islands have been rather windy this year. Sweat did an excellent job of decision-making, and tour guiding. On a calmer day we would have gone slightly outside the reef to snorkel, but instead we stayed inside and played it safe. There was still plenty to see, and although in the past I've been prone to seasickness, I never felt at all upset. We visited Little Water Cay, where the endangered Rock Iguana have a sanctuary. We handled the little dinosaurs, and witnessed a few territorial skirmishes. The TCI government has set up a very nice sanctuary, with raised wooden walkways for visitors to use. There is also an observation platform that gives a panoramic view of the island. We also visited Ft. George Cay to snorkel and go shelling on the beach. Though in the past sand dollars were like leaf litter in this area, sadly they have become much harder to come by. In all, it was a great trip, and well worth the $42/pp. Each couple tipped Sweat heavily, as he made for a wonderful time. It was somewhat past the traditional lunch hour when we returned, so we kept fingers crossed and went to Smokey's on Da Beach, just west of Le Deck. They were still serving and we had a most memorable time with Smokey, and his friend, local musician Chris Rigby. The lunch special ($10/pp) was served with copious amounts of joking and laughter.(see TR#2) Smokey was a wonderful host and has a legendary Wednesday night beach BBQ, but we were slated to move on Weds. morning. Dinner that night was at the Caicos Cafe. The food was excellent. I had a very nice spinach salad with a salmon entree, and David had a HUGE conch salad with a Mahi-Mahi entree. With appetizers, and several mixed drinks and beers, the tab, including tip was $75.00. Day 3 saw us playing road warriors, as we caught up with the building projects and other island events. We ate breakfast at Angela's Deli, which was good and reasonably priced. We put many a rental car mile on our tired little Suzuki! We "worked" through lunch, and dusty and hot we stopped at the Tiki Hut on Turtle Cove for refreshment. While we were there, we went upstairs to the Terrace Restaurant and made dinner reservations. The chefs, Clive and Stuart were formerly the chefs at the Grace Bay Club, without question the most elegant and upscale property on Provo. Stepping out on their own about 18 months ago, they opened the Terrace. Dinner was wonderful, and the service matched the overall quality. When I casually asked the server how long they'd been in business, she whisked away to ask Clive! A full-course dinner for two, with drinks and tip came to $78.00 total. The next morning we were scheduled to leave for our next stop on Middle Caicos. I'd always wanted to snorkel to reef in front of the "White House" on Grace Bay, so we got up early and were in the water by 7:00a.m. The reef there lies no more than 30 feet from shore, and even for the less experienced is an easy snorkel. Although we'd heard that in recent years more traffic was exacting a toll, I have to say, it is a wonderful snorkeling spot! We saw nearly every kind of fish found on our reef fish chart. Several varieties of the beautiful Parrot Fish were there, both adults and babies. I had to smile when I saw their comical little grins, which of course sent me sputtering with a leaking mouthpiece! Fairey Basslets were everywhere, as were Queen Angels, Squirrelfish, Triggerfish, several varieties of wrasse, hamlets, and other smaller species. David spotted a baby Trunk Fish, but I missed him! There were some small whitish colored fish that we can't identify that were very aggressive, nipping at us if we came too close to their habitat. If you made a fuss, they became MORE aggressive. We were glad these little man-tasters were so small. In all, we saw more in this tiny area than anywhere else. If there has been degradation in this little reef, I can only imagine what it must have been like in the past. It was well worth getting up early for! We hurried back (too soon!) to the hotel to shower and prepare for our next journey, our short flight to Middle Caicos. This trip we'd arranged to have a private pilot, Farrington Gardiner, pick us up. It was very nice as we could arrange any time that suited us. We'd no sooner parked the car, when a man came up to us and asked if we were headed to Middle Caicos. It was Farrington's brother, who acts as his mechanic and guest wrangler. He took charge of all our bags, immediately locking them in the plane. David returned the car, and we were off, exactly at the appointed hour of 11:00 a.m. The trip cost $35/pp each way, and was well worth it. TCA, the national airline is a risky bet these days, as sometimes they fly and sometimes they don't. From now on, it's Air Farrington for us! A few stray thoughts about Provo this trip: Although not unpleasant, this was the windiest we've ever seen Provo. The weather was gorgeous the whole time. It appeared that rainfall had been light of late, as things were looking a bit dry. PLEASE remember to drive on the LEFT! A local pilot was killed just before we got there by a tourist driving on the wrong side. We never have enough time to do all we'd like! Oh well, time to plan the next trip! Karen Jones Middle Caicos After our time on Provo, see separate trip report under Turk and Caicos, we spent five nights on beautiful Middle Caicos. Middle, or Grand Caicos as it is sometimes called, is our favorite island in the TCI. 48 square miles and only 270 inhabitants, that's how we like it! The topography of this island is very different from elsewhere in the chain, as the north coast has beautiful high cliffs, rather reminiscent of Scotland. We stayed at gorgeous Mudjin Harbour on the Northwest Coast. Without question, this is the most beautiful location in the TCI. We stayed at Blue Horizon Resort, which is a work in progress right on Mudjin Harbour. A few small cottages have been recently completed and are available for rental. There are also a few private homes springing up that may be available for rent. It was the first time since we've been visiting that we could stay on site, as previously there were no buildings there. The development is proceeding very tastefully and thoughtfully, with an eye toward impacting the land as little as possible. The Witt family, owners of the resort, are the guardians and shapers of the project, and strive to ensure that the natural beauty is not compromised amid the development. While there, we snorkeled everyday, usually twice daily. We were pleased to see a lot of new coral growth, and many more fish than we'd ever seen there before. As the area known as Mudjin Harbour is essentially the old reef, now acting as the land, the surf is stronger than in areas inside the reef. It is a slightly more challenging snorkel than Grace Bay for instance, which lies inside the reef. The payoff is that at Mudjin there is wave activity not seen on Grace Bay, making for a much more scenic view. We caught up with old friends, took in the changing sights, and never turned down an invitation. While based on Middle, we took a day trip to East Caicos (see separate trip report under "East Caicos" topic), took an unplanned trip to North Caicos, shot tons of video and generally wore ourselves out! As there are no restaurants on Middle Caicos, you are obliged to self- cater. We always bring some food from home, and then flesh out the menu with shopping on Provo. While on North Caicos, we were able to tour the local food marts where most of the residents of Middle do their shopping. We took the ferry over (cost $1/each way), and rode with our friend Mike Witt who was picking up supplies and doing other business on the island. We had quite a tour as we made stops that included the sadly now-defunct North Caicos Mariculture Center, formerly a farm raising king crab. Another good idea apparently sunk for a number of reasons. There were many new homes on North Caicos, built since we were last there almost four years ago. We also stopped at the local building supply which had a rather impressive selection of basic building materials. We stopped at the "Aquatic", a local bar, to buy sodas for our group. There was a nice bandstand there, and it looked like the place where it happens on North Caicos. After stopping yet again to replenish the flagging Middle Caicos beer supply, we got to the ferry landing and went back "home". Lying on the beautiful rock wall that runs in front of what we hope will be our future home, we spent every night stargazing. With the ever-present shooting stars and clear views of Hail-Bopp and the Southern Cross as entertainment, we could not ask for more. After eight days in the TCI with warm, perfect weather, we flew out in a downpour. With so much to do, and never turning down an invitation, we arrived home completely exhausted! One of these days we'll go to the islands and learn to fall asleep on the beach reading a book! But maybe not in this life....
Hello All, I just returned from two weeks at Club Med Turkoise, May 7 - May 21. This was my fourth trip in four years, all in May, so I have some comparisons to make to previous visits. General Info about Club Med Turkoise: This Club Med is primarily a "Sports" village, with a lot of different sports. Scuba, Waterskiing, Tennis, Golf, Sailing, Windsurfing, etc. And a lot of people interested in active sports, i.e. we could get good basketball games organized almost every day. While the beach is great, etc., doing things seems to be the main reason people come here. The rooms, etc., are slightly nicer than the older Club Meds (i.e. Martinique) since the village was built in 1984. However, I won't claim it is "nice", or "upscale", but it is acceptable. Rooms have A/C, but much of the village is outside (i.e. Main Bar). They have recently painted the outsides of the buildings with the guest rooms, in moderately bright "primary" colors, I think this is an improvement over the awful faded pink color of the past. In general, the current Chief, Hammer, has made some noticeable improvements to the infrastructure. [I have since heard from a guest that Hammer is only "acting" Chief.] (although this may be more a result of some changes at the top levels of Club Med, who may have finally figured out that they need to maintain their facilities, more on that later.) One thing he has done is removed most of the undergrowth between the beach and the village, leaving only the palm trees and some of the vegetation, and added a bunch of hammocks. This has created a lot more space to "veg out" or lay in the sun, especially if you want partial shade, under the palm trees is nice. The crowd is slightly "older", i.e. it is a 25-45 old crowd, with a good mix of singles and couples. This year the crowd was older than any of my previous visits. There were noticeable LESS people in the 18-24 old range, and noticeably MORE people over 45. Also, in previous visits the ratios of guests was about 1/3 single women, 1/3 single men, 1/3 couples. This year there were a lot more couples. At least 45%, maybe 50% or more. Didn't seem quite as friendly as previous visits, but wasn't really a problem. On to Specifics, Sports: Scuba Diving: Some Background: On previous trips, Club Med has had three dive boats, a 45' catamaran (Bat Ray), and two smaller V-hulls (the Abyss and the High Rider). A 4th boat, the Santa Fe was no longer in use. Approximately 4 weeks before I arrived, the Bat Ray had broken mooring in a BAD storm and been beached, damaging the shafts. At the same time the Abyss was destroyed (details unknown). The Santa Fe was put back into service, leaving Club Med with only two boats, their smallest. The day after I arrived parts to fix the Bat Ray arrived, and was back in service one day later. Although the boat still needs more repairs, it is functional. Also, many of the moorings at NW.Point and Grace Bay are missing. (I believe the same storm took out many of them.) I did 24 dives with Club Med in 13 days (12 days on the 8:00am two tank dive). Most of these dives consisted of one dive at Pine Cay/Paradise Cay or NW.Point, followed by one dive at Grace Bay. (I assume) due to a lack of moorings at NW.Point Club Med is only diving there ~3 times a week, on previous trips the dove there 5-6 times a week. More dives are being done at Pine Cay/Paradise Cay. The diving at both locations is very good, but I think NW.Point is more dramatic, and wish we had gone there more. However, I will point out that on the days we DID go to NW.Point there didn't seem to ever be more than one other dive boat there. The lack of moorings may be the problem. Also, there seemed to be less dive boats than before. The diving in general was good, visibility about 100' at the farther dive sites, and 70' at Grace Bay, with a few dives being worse. There was a lot of organic matter in the water, which obscured visibility some. Most dives were fine, but I am a bit spoiled. About every third dive there was something "big", i.e. shark, turtle, eagle ray, etc. Sailing: The Sailing instructors were very helpful. I had sailed a little before, but was not comfortable. After one lesson, I felt confident, and had a great time. They have Hobi 12s, which are very easy to sail. The wind was erratic, but not a problem. Wind Surfing: I didn't. But this is run by the same people who did sailing, and many people had good comments. Waterskiing: The lines looked long, so I didn't bother. They had two boats. I thought I remembered three from before, but I might not be remembering right. Tennis: They have nice courts, but I don't play. Circus: Not my thing. But they have a good setup. There are people who come here JUST to do Circus. Fun to watch. I should try and learn to juggle one of my visits. Golf: Expensive? I don't golf (anymore), so I can't rate the course. But I didn't hear any complaints. Basketball: We had enough people to get good games almost every day, even when it wasn't scheduled. Just went out every day at 5:30 and got a game going. They have one pretty nice outdoor court. Had enough people for 5x5 many days. Or rotated 3x3 games. My feet are killing me... They also have Aerobics, an OK weight room. And probably more things I am forgetting. Oh, snorkeling for sure. Softball, soccer, bocci ball, volleyball (hardcourt and sand), and a water volleyball pool. Not every organized sport happens every day, but the equipment is available, and you can organize up your own if you want. The guests here seem to be a lot more interested in "doing things" than laying on the beach. More Specifics: Food: The food was very good this trip. Probably the best I have had at Turkoise. I only ever ate in the main restaurant. But the selection was good every night. I didn't eat at the annex restaurants for dinner, so I have no info. In the past they were fine. I did eat at the annex restaurant for "late lunch" twice, twas horrible, basically no selection at all. Just sandwiches/hamburgers/hotdogs/fruit, worst selection I have seen at a Club Med for late lunch. I avoided it as much as possible. [Last year at Club Med Columbus Isle, the late lunch was very good.] Bars: There is one main bar, outside near the pool, it is open from morning until midnight. Nothing fancy, but functional. Drinks at Club Med are not included (except beer/wine at meals), and are reasonably expensive. But EVERYTHING in Turks and Caicos is expensive, the prices outside of Club Med aren't any better. A drink at Club Med is about $4.00-$4.80. However, a six-pack of beer outside the village runs $13.50, i.e. cheaper, but still expensive. Just before midnight the disco (and bar) open, but hardly anyone goes before midnight, when the main bar closes. There is a new bar near the beach (and sailing/windsurfing), call "Sharkies", with a nice deck, picnic tables, and lots of hammocks. This replaces the tiny little beach bar from before, it is an improvement, although you can't get drinks while standing in the sand anymore! It is open at various times during the day, I was never sure when! Entertainment: In general, my least favorite part of Club Med. The "basic" Club Med pattern of entertainment is a "show" of some type after dinner, running 9:45 to 10:45. At 11:00 there is usually some further entertainment, usually around the main bar, followed by the disco about midnight. The "show" can be a variety of different things, "musicals", skits, the classic "GM" (guest) show, etc. Club Med has a bunch of these, but there reuse them a lot, so after a while it is like watching reruns of bad TV. Because Turkoise has Circus, two days a week the show is "Circus", one day indoors, one day outside at the trapeze. While the Circus shows are interesting, after seeing them once they lose their "newness". However, many of the guest participate in the Circus shows, and this can be fun if you know them. One day a week they have a local Reggae band play (at Sharkies), both times (different bands) they were quite good, although I am not really a fan of Reggae. Also, Club Med had brought is a Rock-n-Roll bad, which played one night a week, plus one night late at the disco, unfortunately, they were not that good, and played VERY loud (which inside the Disco made it EXTREMELY loud). Additionally, there was a professional magician visiting, who did his act about once per week. Given all the "non-standard" entertainment, there was only about two nights a week of "normal" Club Med shows, the GM show and one musical. After the show, there would be some attempt at entertainment around the bar, i.e. kareoke, trivia, "silly bar games", etc., followed by opening the disco. The disco just opens too late for me, I think they should skip the after show entertainment, and just open the disco. [However, I know why Club Med will never change, by forcing everyone to hang out around the main bar for an hour they sell a LOT of drinks!] Disco: Well, the DJ was stuck in the 70s. Same place he was stuck last year. Plays the same 70s disco songs every night. I am getting very tired of "I will Survive"... Yes, people go and dance, but at least as many people hang around outside talking. Wish he would learn that people would prefer 80s and 90s music, I remember disco, and I know why it died... [Note: A friend of a friend just came back from Turkoise, and thought the DJ was great. Different tastes I guess!] Lots of Rumors: The BIG rumor at Club Med this year (among the staff) is that the new head of Club Med is going to shut down a BUNCH of Club Meds, including 7 (?) in the American Zone. Basically, Club Med has been losing money for years, and he is going to shut down all the villages that lose money (or are old, and need lots of maintenance). The list of villages that seem to be closing (based on various opinions, of various people): Copper Mountain Haiti Dominican Republic Sonora Bay Martinique Guadeloupe This is only six, maybe the seventh was Playa Blanca. However, different people had different stories. Another "rumor" was that one of the boats at Columbus Isle sank, but that it had temporarily been replaced by a V-hull, but that a new boat was "on the way". And that possibly the V-Hull will then move to Turkoise. Overall Opinion: While I had a good time, this was not my favorite trip. I need to learn that nothing really useful (unless you like hanging out at the bar) happens after dinner. The weather was awesome, in the 80s with a light breeze every day. Basically, this is a very good Club Med if you are into sports. It is a pretty good place if you are into partying, but things don't start until late.
The Caribbean Travel Roundup is available worldwide via Compuserve and INTERNET and is distributed internationally through the facilities of America Online, GENIE, The Travel On Line BBS (Lake St. Louis MO 314-561-4956). Selected features appear on Prodigy.
Contact:
Paul Graveline
9 Stirling St.
Andover, MA 01810-1408
USA
Home (Voice or Fax) 508-470-1971.
WORLD WIDE WEB SITES:
http://www.gobeach.com/ctr/
http://www.slmtravel.com/~slm
E-mail via CTREDITOR@aol.com or CTREDITOR@compuserve.com : On Prodigy - MKWC51A: Travel Online BBS paul.graveline@travel.com.
| CTR Home | << Back | ToC | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Search |