Rick Mollica
I originally posted this report on Prodigy's SXM bulletin board. We took our vacation several months after Hurricane Luis struck. Some of the information here is no longer accurate, but there's still enough info that might help first-time visitors.
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My wife and I took our second winter vacation in Saint Martin between January 13-21, 1996. I've divided my trip report into sections: transportation, beaches, restaurants, and miscellaneous.
On January 13, 1996 my wife and I took a non-stop flight from Baltimore-Washington International to Saint Martin on US Air. The flight took off at 9:00 PM EST and landed in Saint Martin at 12:45 PM EST (1:45 PM AST) , at a time when there are no other flights arriving. Luggage arrives without mishap and Immigration processing takes all of 10 minutes under those conditions!
We took a taxi to the Pelican for $8, but I would advise travelers to walk the few yards to the taxi stand (just to the left as you exit the terminal) to check the taxi fares posted there on a large sign before taking a cab anywhere. The fare to the Simpson Bay area is supposed to be $5 for two people, and a couple of bucks for each additional person. We only got ripped off for $3, but we spoke to one person who said the Cabbie charged each of the five people in their party $8 ($40 total) for the same trip. Buyer beware.
We wanted to reserve a car from Somerset because we were impressed with them last year; however, we forgot to bring their phone number with us, and not only couldn't we find it in the phone book or tourist literature in Saint Martin, but the telephone operator couldn't find the number either! Remembering recommendations from SXM regulars, we called Roy Rodgers as an alternative. They quoted a weekly rate of $315 for a jeep, but at my first whimper they came down to $280. They provided a fine Ferrazo jeep, but I strongly recommend that folks ask specifically for a Vitara jeep (the Vitaras sunroof and windows are about 1000% easier to remove than the Ferrazos). Regular sedans could be rented for weekly prices starting at about $135.
We checked out more beaches this year than last, probably 10 or 12, so here are our impressions of seven of them.
ORIENT Except for Club Orient, Orient Beach is back in high gear. The restaurants and concessions are going full tilt, and the beach itself seems better after Luis. Dedicated nudists continue to congregate in front of Club Orient, but the rebuilding has not progressed far enough to overcome the impression of destruction.
CUPECOY Not much beach left here, though I understand that might just be a seasonally recurring situation. The water struck me as being a little rough for swimming, but the caves are as pretty as the pictures.
DAWN BEACH What a nice place! We had wanted to snorkel at Dawn Beach, reportedly the creme de la creme of snorkeling at Saint Martin, but the waves were very rough on each of the three days we checked it out. There was a young crowd at the beach on the weekend.
GHANA BAY A security guard let us through the gate to Ghana Bay with a "No problem, Mon." We didn't think much of the beach, but were surprised to find David Brenner's and John McEnroe's estates in the local community. Strangely enough, it looked like the tennis court was in Brenners yard!
FRIARS BAY A nice little secluded beach. The concession was being renovated while we were there.
BAIE ROUGE We hadn't been there before, but now its tied with Long Bay as my favorite beach (my better half prefers the privacy of Long Bay). Baie Rouge is a gorgeous beach and a great place to swim. It is easy to access; there are chairs and umbrellas to rent; lots of shade; and plenty of food and drink at Gus's concession stand.
LONG BAY This is as good a beach as Baie Rouge, but the access road is long and rough and there are no amenities at the beach. On three trips I never saw more than four other people on the whole beach. That's why the place is so special. One morning at about 9:00 AM, as I floated on my back in the water at Long Bay, I saw in the distance a man sitting on the beach wall of an estate. I could see that he was wearing a straw hat and playing a guitar. Though I couldn't hear the music or the sound of his voice, I could see him vigorously strum the guitar and lift his face to the sky and move his head from side to side as he sang. He moved from the wall and danced a little jig on the beach as he strummed and sang. I floated in the warm water with the morning sun shining, and watched this carefree man enjoying life as we probably all wish ours could be. I'll have this memory forever.
Surf Club South
SCS is more than a theme restaurant...it is an attitude. The place is politically incorrect for a vacation in a foreign country... go to SCS anyway. It's fun. As I mentioned in another note, Surf Club South relocated from the Grand Case beachfront to a nice spot on the road between Grand Case and Orient Beach - just after the intersection with the road to Cul De Sac (if you're headed from GC to OB). One reason they didn't rebuild on the original location, according to a SCS waitress, is that the church across the street from the old club made an issue of the bikini-clad women and all the carousing. The new place has lots of parking, more tables, a swimming pool, the feminine accouterments in the tree, and now a wall mural depicting the view from the road of the old Surf Club South. The place proved to be a pretty conveniently located refreshment stop as we explored the island. We ate three impromptu lets-pull-over meals there; two were great and one was quite an overpriced disappointment. We had a delicious mid-afternoon lunch of rotisserie chicken, fries, corn on the cob ($10.95), and a couple of beers. One order of the rotisserie chicken is a half- chicken, so in our case, one order was enough for two. Absolutely excellent. The other excellent meal we had at SCS was a breakfast...omelets, potatoes, real coffee: delicious way to follow-up an early morning swim. Joyce (wife of co-owner) introduced us to locally produced Guava and Passion Fruit Jams...we loved 'em and brought a few jars home with us! The disappointing meal? It was a simple lunch of beach food...hot dog, turkey club sandwich, onion rings, fries, a beer and a coke for $21. The dog was dwarfed in a loaf of French bread, the sandwich had little taste, and the order of onion rings was pretty small. Okay, so you don't order this mundane stuff...go to SCS anyway.
Felix [Now called Indiana Beach, and they don't server breakfast...Rick/1999]
Felix is located on the beach at the foot of the hill on the road up to the Pelican. We only ate breakfast there; the service was lousy but what a great breakfast! For $3.75 we had ham, potatoes, and a huge omelet. Surf Club South's breakfast was tastier than Felix's, but not by much.
Paradise Cafe [Doesn't exist any more...Rick/1999]
We had a dinner and a Sunday brunch at Paradise. For dinner we had NY Strip Steaks, salads, and wine for $62.25...which included a 15% gratuity that they add automatically (be careful; on the bill they add the tip on the line labeled TAX...don't add a tip on top of the tip unless you want.). The food and service were great. We went back on our last day for a brunch; I liked my standard ham-eggs-hash browns fare, but my Better Half's Joe Francisco Special (or something like that) wasn't very good; it was a mix of ground steak, eggs, spinach and onions...sounded delicious, but the ratio of ingredients was way off.
Mario's Bistro
Fantastic. We learned about this place from Hettie Maidman. I had grilled tuna, perfectly done; Pam had a scrumptious pork tenderloin with ginger and Szechwan pepper. We each had a great appetizer of 3-cheese ravioli (LARGE portions). We also had wine and coffee...all for $77. The restaurant is located in a neighborhood in Sandy Ground right by the bridge; opened in June of 1995. Mario's is Grand Case quality (or better) at a moderate price. The manager's name is Martine. She visited our table (and everyone else's) to chat three times. The service is the most attentive we received on the island. The ambiance is simple and warm, like you're eating in a comfortable place with friends. You might be able to get a seat without reservations, but don't take a chance. This place is too good to miss.
Bikini Beach Restaurant
Okay, I shouldn't talk about this restaurant in the same breath with Mario's Bistro...forgive me. Located right on Orient Beach, the BBR is a great people- watching place that also happens to serve decent food. For $20 we each had a tasty entree of meatballs and Spanish Rice, and a couple of Red Stripe beers. Of course, there WAS the 70- something man from a cruise ship who decided to sunbathe facing us in all his glory just 20 feet away while we ate......but then, THAT's Orient Beach!
Turtle Pier
This is a gem we heard about. Just down the road from the airport, this place is easy to pass by. Don't. The passageway from the parking lot to the restaurant is lined with parrots, macaws, monkeys, and if you look to the small mangrove swamp on your right, you'll see a gila monster in the trees. The dining area is over the water of Simpson Bay. We had a delicious lunch of Citrus Chicken Caesar's Salad, a Shrimp Salad Sandwich, and some beer and wine for $22.15. The food and service were great (and the rest rooms were spotless).
Tutta Pasta
If you're in the mood for Italian food, find this place. It is located at the Simpson Bay Yacht Club, but there's only one barely visible sign. In fact, one diner said to the owner while we were there that he had "...lived in St. Martin for 15 years and didn't know this place existed." The owner responded that many folks said they ought to advertise more, so maybe they better start. Turn in at the sign for the pharmacy or Goodfella"s Restaurant...right across from Taco Bell...park anywhere in the shopping area there and walk around until you find Tutta Pasta. It's upstairs in one of the buildings. With Pavarotti singing in the background, we had the best freshly baked bread we tasted on the island, appetizers, a main course, dessert, and wine for only $56. All of the appetizers are $5; all of the entrees are $10-12. All of the food was outstanding. The place is small and friendly. The manager visited every table and the waiters were very cordial. This turned out to be my wife's favorite find.
Le Pressoir
Wow. Le Pressoir is a Grand Case restaurant located in one of the oldest houses in St. Martin. The house is elegant in its simplicity - so fine that we actually took a picture of the interior. The food was exquisite and the service was just right. I had a Mahi-mahi fillet with light citrus sauce and my wife had Purse of Poultry with mushroom sauce. We also had French onion soup (delicious), a house salad, and wine...$74.60. We've eaten in several Grand Case restaurants, but none better than Le Pressoir.
Now for the things that I forgot to mention elsewhere or that just didn't fit neatly in the other categories... I was impressed by the quantity and appearance of vehicles at Adventure Car Rental. I've tried Somerset and Roy Rodgers (liked them both...Somerset better than Roy), but think Ill try Adventure next time.
I "invested" at Casino Royale and the Pelican Casino...liked Casino Royale's atmosphere and seemingly higher pay-out rates on the slots. My Blackjack skills seemed better at Casino Royale too (g).
Pam and I thought the most helpful tourist booklets (available at hotels and restaurants) were Ti Gourmet, St. Maarten Holiday, and Focus (contained self-guided driving tours and driving directions to beaches).
The selection of just about everything was much better at Food World (on the road from Cole Bay to Philipsburg) than at Food Center (on the road from Cole Bay to Marigot). The traffic in the parking lot was not nearly as "intense" either (g).
Cuban cigars at the Cigar Store in Simpson Bay were quite a bit less expensive than in Marigot. For example, I bought a box of five Monte Christo #4 for $30 in Marigot and $26 in Simpson Bay...the same box was $35 at the airport!
Forgot to mention: we ate lunch at Le Plaisance at the Marina in Marigot. Nice enough place, but spent $17.50 for flavorless food. The Marina is a great place to have lunch while you imagine what it must be like to live aboard one of those yachts in St. Martin...but try one of the other spots.
The Shipwreck Shop on Front Street in Philipsburg is a great place for gifts and souvenirs...we bought far more there than in any other shoppe.
Do you know how many speed bumps there are between Maho Plaza and the Ocean Club?? Ill tell you at the end of this article. Can you believe how many they put in the short stretch between Sapphire and Ocean Club (4!)??
Things we wish we had brought: Half-and-half for coffee (we ended up mixing milk with heavy whipping cream); a Walkman radio (to catch the local news).
Get one of the local newspapers and listen to the radio stations now and again. The island's problems can be rough, but often they're a little different from the ones we face. For example, one day we read about an immigration official at the airport who took bribes and who claimed "my wife made me do it!" (Well, maybe their problems AREN'T so different from ours!).
On the radio we heard the Police Chief describe how one man gave another a good throttling, but his face was known to the police, so they took him into custody"... Now, when's the last time you heard of a good throttling on the radio in the U.S.?
What a great vacation...and there are 19 of those &^%$ speed bumps between Maho Plaza and the Ocean Club.
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