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Would love to try to answer as many St.Maarten questions as possible...


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Thank you for posting such an open-ended thread.

My fiance (husband by then!) and I plan on renting a Harley for our at St. Martin. We would love to hear what your idea of the "must do" activities would be. Up until now, we have planned on visiting Orient Beach--but nothing else is particularly on our agenda. Do you think riding a motorcycle on our own is a good idea, and if so, what do you recommend as the must see sights/activities.

 

thanks!

Stasha

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DH & I are going to be in St. Maarten/St. Martin in November and would love to hear any recommendations for fun places to eat? Especially any place that's popular with the "locals"?

 

Thanks in advance!

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My husband and I were on a mountain biking trip last yr. in St. Martin that ended on Friar's Bay Beach for a quick swim. We both thought that it was the most beautiful, peaceful beach we had ever seen. We are planning to go back and spend the whole day there on this trip (next week:)) Can you tell me if this is a private or public beach? Hate to get there and be disappointed.

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We will be there at the end of August. Just my husband and myself this time. We want to go to a beach, not sure about where to go. Some info on some choices would be great. I have jsut read about Orient Beach, how far is the taxi ride, how long should be allow, how much are the taxi's?

 

Thanks!

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Thank you for posting such an open-ended thread.

My fiance (husband by then!) and I plan on renting a Harley for our at St. Martin. We would love to hear what your idea of the "must do" activities would be. Up until now, we have planned on visiting Orient Beach--but nothing else is particularly on our agenda. Do you think riding a motorcycle on our own is a good idea, and if so, what do you recommend as the must see sights/activities.

 

thanks!

Stasha

 

No problem. renting a harley here would be a great idea, especially since our roads are quite small and we only have one lane-traffic on most roads. It will surely be a new and interesting way to tour an island, just be careful on the roads because our driving population can be very careless at times. :o

Orient beach is definitely a must-do since it is a very popular beach here. Loved by locals and tourists equally I think. You might want to know that it is a nude beach where clothing is optional. Lots of people walk around buck naked :eek: but thats just their choice.

Other good visiting ideas:

Go to Pic Paradis on the French Side. It is the highest point on the island and has some very beautiful scenery of the the Dutch Side and the French Side. Also, the top of the Fort on the French Side in Marigot across from the Waterfront market has excellent scenery. You ahve to climb some steps up to get there though. It isn't a very long walk, maybe 4-5 minutes up depending on how fast you walk.

Another great place to see is Maho beach on the Dutch Side. Go to the area where Sunset beach bar is, right outside of the entrance of Caravanserai Hotel. Go there around lunch time between 1 p.m.-3 p.m. You will surely see several planes landing and they will be so low and close to you that you feel like they might crash into you! How's that for an adventure! :D

If you go after 3:00 p.m, you will miss the best planes to see for landing and take-off so try to get there earlier. beware of the sand blasts though during take-off of the large airlones like Air-France, American Airlines, Delta, Continental etc.

Hmm...another must-see, the main hill that takes you from Simpson Bay/Cole Bay to the Dutch Side, on the top of that hill, pull aside to the look-out point where there's a tiny trailor snackbar called Bethel and just stop to look at the view of both sides (the ocean side and the Simpson Bay Lagoon area...you will love it! Very beautiful!)

Also, another thing that you might like to do if you are a fan of strolling and shopping is to stop by Front Street in Philipsburg to check out some of the stores that sell everything you can imagine from liquer, jewelry, souvenirs, t-shirts, electronics etc.

 

Have Fun and msg me if you have any other questions.

Happy Touring!

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If you only had one day to spend in St. Maarten what would you do?

 

 

If I only had one day in St.Maarten, I would probably do most of the stuff that I posted above to mcbrides. Those suggestions I think every tourist will surely enjoy.

One more place that I recommend to go to is DIVI Little Bay Beach. Since I have another question about it posted below from someone else, please read on. I have to say that DIVI and Orient are my favorite beaches on the island. I love them! They are very different places though.

If you are looking for a crowd for some people watching, go to Orient. Its a lot more crowded because it is a public beach that is divided into portions for convenience i.e. Bikini Beach, Kontiki Beach, Kakao Beach etc. One thing that everyone should know, there are usually a LOT of vendors that walk the beach trying to sell you stuff and they can be a bit annoying so if you are not interested in buying anything, tell them so, but try not to ignore them because they get irritated sometimes.

DIVI is a great beach for a more relaxing and quiet mood and atmosphere, DIVI to me is a lot more laid back because it is a beach that belongs to a hotel/time-share so its private but anyone can use the beach. More below about DIVI...

Let me know if you have any more questions.

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DH & I are going to be in St. Maarten/St. Martin in November and would love to hear any recommendations for fun places to eat? Especially any place that's popular with the "locals"?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Ooh a food question, I love this! LOL! :D

 

My personal favorite picks for fun/nice places to eat are:

-Cheri's Cafe: located near the airport, in the Maho area. Cheri's is a nice place, with so many tourists and locals on the weekends especially. It is an outdoor restaurant with so much live entertainment. There's several performing employees, live music, they involve the crowd and ask everyone to participate and always look for volunteers to do fun stuff and there's a dance floor. The music is mainly Caribbean-ish music with a twist. I think you'll like it. Cuisine is mainly American, they serve Pastas, Salads, Sandwiches, Meat, Sides, Desserts, Drinks etc. They are closed during one day of the week which is Tuesdays or Wednesdays (I think?!?)

 

Jimbo's: Contrary to Cheri's, Jimbo's is a quiet place but their atmoshere is their ambiance. It is located in Simpson Bay in the road across from Pelican, at La Palapa Center its called. Its a little hidden but very cozy. The cuisine is Mexican...Enchiladas, Fajitas, Nachos, Chimichangas, Burrito's and Taco's etc. Nice food, and its a dim outdoor place but surrounding you are trees, a small pool that reaches around the whole restaurant with its water, and there's a small waterfall at the front.

 

Rick's Place: If you are into American food, with mainly tourists surrounding you, and you like to watch sports, go here. It is also located in Simpson Bay after the bridge. Most customers are tourists from the USA and the restaurant has tv's to show you sports when the big games and tournaments are on tv. I have been here a few times and I think its pretty nice.

 

Pizza Pasta: Also another restaurant loved by tourists. It is located right behind Cheri's Cafe. Of course, as the name suggests, it is Italian food. The owner, Ilde, is a really nice lady. She loves to greet her guests as if they were her family. The only con to this place is that it is too small (but I think it is rather cozy). She is usually full to capacity so you may have to wait for anywhere between 10 minutes to 1/2 hour to wait for a table. I got to say though, the Italian food here is the best!!!! Most of her customers are guaranteed repeat customers because the owner is so nice. Indoor Dining place.

 

Sugar Cane Cafe: If you are in the mood to just dine with your sweat pants and t-shirt on, go here. LOL! It is located outside Atlantis Casino in Cupecoy which is a 5 minute drive from Maho. It's opened pretty late on weekends (till 4 a.m. I think) and it is usually busy around the clock, especially at peak hours. Very laid back outdoor dining. They serve up wraps, sandwiches, drinks, burgers, appetizers, salads etc. And they have a big screen tv on which they play anything from the news to sports, depending on the crowd. Lots of younger people (in their 20's) hang out here though you will still find anyone old or young.

 

Lido's Barbecue: outdoor area in Simpson Bay, across from Marshall Motor's. Very reasonable prices for barbecue. But its a very cheap-ish atmosphere. Most people buy their food and take it home to eat but it is a local favorite and my pick for best barbecue here. They barbecue ribs, chicken and got only knows what else. They also serve barbecue food with rice and beans, scalloped potatoes, salad, and/or macaroni pie.

 

Tropicana: Outdoor restaurant in the French Side's Marina. Love their food! French food mainly. Not as expensive as Temptation but still a bit pricey. Good food, the greatest desserts too!!!! I love their profiterol and chaud froid. Try it!

 

Temptation: Located in Atlantis Casino behind Sugar Cane Cafe (go through the rear entrance). If you want upscale pricey/expensive dining, this is your #1 place to go. I have only been there once for dessert, and it has got to be the BEST dessert I have ever had on St.Maarten (other than Tropicana which has excellent desserts too). I had the wet chocolate cobbler, chocolate cheesecake and strawberries with toppings. Don't worry, I didn't eat it all by myself but I was with a group and we all shared dessert.

My cousin went there and said that everything that they virtually make tastes great. Also, I believe that they have a different dinner menu every night of the week. You should see the chinaware. Very pretty, but what else can you expect from such a pricey place? Choice of indoor/outdoor seating.

 

 

I think you'll love these suggestions! Enjoy!

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Which beach for a family w/11 yr old?

 

I think that the best beach for an 11 year old would be both DIVI or Orient beach (I am not being partial even though I think these are my favs).

 

It actually depends on the 11-year old. If he/she likes to be among lots of people and wants to meet and hang out with other kids his/her age, then Orient beach would be good (though I am not sure you want your child to see people walking around nude! :rolleyes:)

But if the 11 year old likes to do things on their own, then DIVI is a great choice. It is more quiet.

 

Whatever you decide on, I am sure you will love it!

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I have read posts about DIVI little bay and it sounds like a great inexpensive option for a family to do on our own. Can you please give details. We will be in St. Martin in Sept. on the CP.

 

 

Hi, I just realized that you asked me these questions in another post and I will reply here about DIVI.

 

DIVI is the best place to go to if you are on the ship. It is close by, about a 10 minute drive away from the cruise pier. It is a private area since it is a part of the DIVI Resort but anyone can access the beach for free (only if you don't rent any umbrellas/chairs). Here's some info based on your questions from the other post about DIVI:

Food - food is very reasonably priced, though frozen drinks are $5 per drink. Food is your basic and usual menu but tastes good. Fries, mozzerela sticks, chicken fingers (they call em' that!), wraps, salads, sandwiches, drinks.

Taxi's - taxi's are usually readily available but if you can't get one at the reception area, ask the receptionist to call for one. No problem.

Rental Fees - I think that beach chairs cost maybe $10 per chair but I am not sure since I have never rented their chairs before.

Staying Length - I think that you can easily spend at least 2-3 hours here. It depends on what you want to do. If you want to take your time and relax here, you can spend half a day here easily. They have water sports too! I can easily spend 4-5 hours here lying in the sun doing nothing and I love it.

Shopping - DIVI has several shops at the front all lined up. They have a jewelry store that sells liquor too, t-shirt and souvenir shops, a convenience store so your kids will find something. Oh and they even have a coffee/snack shop.

 

Post back of you have any other DIVI questions but I am sure you will like it.

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My husband and I were on a mountain biking trip last yr. in St. Martin that ended on Friar's Bay Beach for a quick swim. We both thought that it was the most beautiful, peaceful beach we had ever seen. We are planning to go back and spend the whole day there on this trip (next week:)) Can you tell me if this is a private or public beach? Hate to get there and be disappointed.

 

Unfortunately, I have never been to Friars Bay. My best guess is that it is a private beach but if you can give me until tomorrow, I will be able to find out for sure. I work on the French Side (temporarily) and one of my employees knows the French Side pretty well so I will ask her and post back tomorrow from work.

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I know I asked this on another thread, but I will post here too because you are looking here. :D

My boyfriend and I want to do some jet skiing on St. Maarten, did it last year on Costa Maya and loved it. Any recommendations for the best place, reasonably priced and with enough water space (no boats around) to make it worth it? Thanks!

Also, have you been to Baie Rouge beach?

 

Julie

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We will be there at the end of August. Just my husband and myself this time. We want to go to a beach, not sure about where to go. Some info on some choices would be great. I have jsut read about Orient Beach, how far is the taxi ride, how long should be allow, how much are the taxi's?

 

Thanks!

 

Hope you have a good visit here. Beaches -- virtually any beach that you will visit here thats well known, you will like! Orient beach details...my first post reply above may help you a bit. It is about a 30 minute drive with a taxi from the cruise pier. Getting there is a pretty nice drive out. You can see beaches from the drive, hills, and nice scenery. I think you can use from any where between 2 to 3 hours to about a maximum of 5 hours there. There are a lot of water sport activities if you are interested. Or simply rent a chair and tan in the sun! :p The cost of the taxi's is a tricky question. I am not sure about that. Let me take my best guess and say that it should be about $20-$25 one way. Maybe a bit cheaper, I don't know exactly.

 

I will be on tomorrow morning and suggest other beaches to you. But think about DIVI. Read some of my other posts about it. I love DIVI, I think its great.

 

Hope this helps! I will post more suggestions for you tomorrow.

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JuJuBe, Snorkelcat, Disneycruiser,

 

I owe you all some answers as promised. Will post back tomorrow morning asap when I get to work. I am happy to help but I am really tired now.

Snorketcat, I will try to try to find some snorkel info for you since I haven't done it myself. JuJuBE and Disneycruiser, I have some great suggestions for your questions.

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Thanks Snoopygirl! We will be leaving tomorrow night to fly down to San Juan to catch the boat:D Can't wait! We will be in St. Martin on Friday! You should check out Friar's Bay Beach if you want peace & quiet. There were no vendors or beach toy rentals...but there was a nice bar (I think they had food too) with bathrooms and nice shaded tables and beach chairs with umbrellas. We thought we died and went to heaven! :) We will take our chances and try to spend our day there this time!

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I know I asked this on another thread, but I will post here too because you are looking here. :D

My boyfriend and I want to do some jet skiing on St. Maarten, did it last year on Costa Maya and loved it. Any recommendations for the best place, reasonably priced and with enough water space (no boats around) to make it worth it? Thanks!

Also, have you been to Baie Rouge beach?

 

Julie

 

Jetskiing on St.Maarten can be a LOT of fun if you do it in the right place. Orient Beach would be fine because of the nice crowd but I think that for water sports, especially on the weekends, it may be a bit too crowded. Also, in addition to jetskiing, people are windsurfing, parasailing, banana boating etc so it can get kind of crowded.

Other than Orient, I have jetskiied in DIVI and that was the best choice. The beach is pretty big, you have lots of open space in the water to move around in and its much less crowded. I think you might enjoy jetskiing here more because of the room for more movement without 'bumping' into someone.

Pricing is a bit expensive but I am not sure how it is compared to other places. DIVI charges about $45 per half hour I think. It is a bit on the pricey side but with all the fun we usually have, its well worth it.

Oh and no, I have never been to Baie Rouge. You know, you would think that just because I live on an island, I go to the beach a lot, but I really don't. LOL! Though I would love to go to the beach every weekend. I have barely been to many of the beaches here. Just a few of the regulars.

 

Hope you have a great visit here. Enjoy!

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Can you line up a job for me in St. Maarten? I'm tired of the real world.

 

I would love to trade with you, or find you a job here. I am so tired of the life here...in such a small place. I want to go to a nice big city where everything is different and loud. *sigh* LOL! We have such limited things to do there and such limited opportunities. But I am sure that you probably coming from a city, would want to go somewhere peaceful and small, like here. I gotta say though, pay isn't great here, but that highly depends on what industry you are working in.

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My husband and I were on a mountain biking trip last yr. in St. Martin that ended on Friar's Bay Beach for a quick swim. We both thought that it was the most beautiful, peaceful beach we had ever seen. We are planning to go back and spend the whole day there on this trip (next week:)) Can you tell me if this is a private or public beach? Hate to get there and be disappointed.

 

Okay I gave you wrong information. Sorry about that. According to my friend and co-worker, Friars Bay is a PUBLIC BEACH. I didn't know that, I always thought that it was private. Oh well, enjoy! :D

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