by Rick Mollica
I wrote this travelogue soon after returning from our first trip to Saint Martin. Hurricane Luis had not hit yet. Naturally, some of the information in this travelogue is outdated now, but there are still some good tips for visitors.
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I traveled a sizable chunk of the world while serving in the U.S. Navy for 24 years, but I had never had the good fortune to visit Saint Martin. So with the wisdom garnered from the bulletin boards of America On Line and Prodigy (which at the time represented everything I knew about Saint Martin), my wife and I went to Saint Martin at the end of January 1995.
For perspective, we are in our mid-forties, and traveled without our three children. For $862 per person, we arranged a five-day package through Tourscan International which included:
In retrospect, we think Tourscan's package was an exceptional value, and the Grand Case Beach Resort is just about as perfect an introduction to Saint Martin as one could ask for. We requested accommodations that were neither 'economy' nor 'luxury'...something in the mid-range. I'll devote a section of this report to the hotel, but for now, I'm certain that anyone who chooses the Grand Case Beach Resort will be very pleased.
The airport is a small zoo and we were the animals. Several flights arrived at about the same time, so the line at immigration took about 45 minutes. Passports were easy to use, but Immigration accepts birth certificates accompanied by a picture ID. The area outside is small and the transportation concession was only a dozen steps away. As I mentioned, we had vouchers for transportation between the airport and the hotel. We exchanged our vouchers for seats in a van, where we sat for 15-20 minutes while other voucher-holders finished their processing and filled the remaining seats; but the wait wasn't unpleasant; we watched, smelled, and listened as Saint Martin started to fill our senses.
Many people pick up rental cars near the airport and drive themselves to their hotels. You can peruse the bulletin boards with your computers to get wise counsel on that process, but we recommend that first-timers use transportation vouchers or simply rent a taxi. Why? Because your flight arrives in the mid-afternoon, so why pay for a whole day's car rental when you only have part of the day left' It's your first time in Saint Martin, you don't know what you're doing or where you're going; why not get the lay of the land by doing a reconnaissance of the area from the back seat of a taxi? No fuss, no muss, and much less arrival stress. The seeming drawback to using a transportation voucher is that the other passengers in the van probably have different hotels than you do - hotels closer to the airport than yours; so you might have to take a 90-minute tour of half the island to drop off the other passengers before you get to your hotel. Relax. This is not a bad thing. You are getting a 90-minute introduction to Saint Martin's roads, traffic patterns, and resorts that will reward you later
You're likely to be disappointed on your first ride from the airport to your hotel because there's a huge standard-of-living gap between the USA and Saint Martin. You probably will be startled by the ramshackle poverty and dinginess you see, and you'll wonder why so many Americans hail Saint Martin as a paradise. In a day or so you'll become sufficiently acclimated to the poverty that it won't be the only thing you notice, or even the first thing you notice. No social statement here; just an observation that I experienced in Saint Martin and in other third world nations.
We rented a jeep from Sommerset Car Rental (011-5995-54138) about a week before we left the States. The fellow at Sommerset just wanted to know our last name, the hotel we'd be staying at, the date we'd be arriving, and the type of vehicle we wanted; no mention of credit card numbers or paperwork. We showed up at the Grand Case Beach Resort to find the keys to the jeep we requested at the front desk (the jeep itself was parked in a no parking zone near our room). We checked in on a Tuesday and didn't see a Sommerset employee until Friday. Vincent (the Sommerset employee) arrived at the hotel with paperwork (which he filled out) and a credit card machine. He chatted with us for a minute, told us where to leave the jeep at the airport, and where to hide the keys in the jeep. This was the easiest, most hassle-free car rental I've ever experienced. The jeep had an automatic transmission which cost $65/day; a manual would have been $55/day, and I didn't ask about a conventional car. You can certainly rent a car cheaper than we did, but let me pass this tip along: the jeep added a joie de vivre to this vacation that actually surprised me. It was perfect for the roads, and the convertible top and windows added a youthful, invigorating, wind-in-your-hair jubilance to island travel. I think the price was too expensive, but renting it sure was hassle-free and driving it was an absolute blast!
More points about renting a vehicle:
This delightful hotel is located at the north end of Grand Case Beach. It has a restaurant called Panoramic which sets on a nicely decorated deck overlooking the beach. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and an excellent menu at night. During the day a waiter walks among the sunbathers to take drink orders. There is ample shade and plenty of beach chairs. Sunbathers and swimmers wore swimwear within view of the restaurant (just to the north of the restaurant); topless sunbathing was common in front of the resort's ocean-view units on the portion of beach to the south side of the restaurant (away from the view of diners); and topless and clothing optional was the norm starting at a point about 100 yards to the north of the restaurant. Grand Case Beach is a 'no-gawk zone' because the cruise ship passengers don't get this far. Everything is very tasteful, discrete, and quiet. Nothing seedy or distasteful about it.
Our room at the Grand Case Beach Resort was spacious and spotlessly clean. It had an efficiency-style kitchen, air conditioning, Cable TV, and a phone. And our garden-view unit truly had an outstanding garden view. We did not feel at all deprived for not choosing an ocean-view unit.
Another very strong advantage of the Grand Case Beach Resort is that all the Grand Case restaurants you read about on the bulletin boards are just a pleasant 10-minute walk from your hotel. And I was thankful for the 10-minute walk back to the hotel after some of the meals we had!
One of my favorite moments at the Grand Case Beach Resort was the last hour we spent there. I laid in a hammock under some grape trees looking out over the beach and the ocean. The weather was perfect, the scenery was perfect...and our flight was leaving in three hours.
We tried several of the places discussed on the bulletin boards with good results (except for one). We also went to several no-name restaurants that happened to be in front of us when we were hungry. We ate in Philipsburg and Marigot, but did our best eating in Grand Case. Here is a sampling of what we tried in Grand Case during our five days, starting with the only complaint we really had.
The quality of the food was average, the service was pathetic, and the price was $133 for two (not including tip...what tip?). To give you an idea of what I mean: the lobster was overcooked and priced about $15-$20 higher than other restaurants we visited; portions were fairly small; the coffee showed up 25 minutes after we finished the meal; dessert, a tasteless mousse we ordered BEFORE dinner to allow for proper preparation, showed up 40 minutes after we finished the meal. We couldn't get the waitress's attention to save our lives.
I normally am not a complainer, but for $133 I was compelled to complain to the manager. He ignored my comments about the food and blamed the service on the waitress. Other folks speak well of the Fishpot, but we think the place is considerably overrated. We would not spend that kind of money there when there are so many other places to try. Incidentally, this was the only downer on our five-day vacation...not bad at all.
Now this is a great Italian restaurant. Make reservations or get there very early. The restaurant overlooks the Grand Case beach, so our view was postcard-perfect and the ambiance was great. The owner's name is Ramon, and he is a real character - full of good humor and great personality. His waiters are also lively and attentive. The food and service were simply outstanding. The portions were so large that we had to take left-overs back to the hotel.
They served us complementary glasses of Sambucco after-dinner drinks - a very nice touch. We paid $106 for two people, which included appetizers and drinks (who had room for dessert?!) and put a hefty tip on top of that. We recommend El Nettuno strongly and would spend our money there again.
A very good restaurant overlooking the Grand Case Beach. Make reservations so you can request a table closest to the beach. The sounds of the surf and the balmy breeze set the ambiance for this restaurant. We paid $90-something for a very good meal (including appetizers and drinks).
We waited until the night before we were to leave to try this French restaurant...too late! The hostess said they were booked solid for two nights ahead. They must be doing something right in that restaurant, so I include it here so you can plan ahead with your reservations.
Very fairly priced restaurant at the Grand Case Beach Resort. As mentioned earlier, the restaurant is on an open-air deck overlooking the ocean, so the ambiance is very casual. There's nothing casual about the food, however; it is as good as Rainbow's and less expensive. Service is excellent.
These are ramshackle, open-air, barbecue shacks clustered along the road in Grand Case. The food is great and inexpensive. The Talk of the Town always seemed to be fullest (and it IS good), but we liked Cheryl's better. Menus are on chalkboards and food is either cooking on a barbecue or spread out on tables right alongside the road. Prices are on the order of $15-$20 for two (including drinks) for a hefty plate of good food. Also, order some 'take-out' potato salad or pasta salads to put in the fridge at your hotel.
We only went to two beaches: Orient and Grand Case. We saw several others from the ocean as we traveled to Anguilla on a snorkeling trip. Cupecoy, Baie Longue, and Baie Rouge all looked good from our boat.
Some say it's a zoo and some say it's great. We found it can be both. At 8:00-10:00 AM, the beach was quiet and uncrowded, and the weather and water were warm enough to sunbathe and swim. Starting at about 10:00 AM the late-sleepers started showing up and the pace of activity picked up, but not objectionably. The beach is in full-swing in the afternoon, so if you like the high energy levels, stay; if you prefer quiet, leave.
I noticed a big difference in attitude between Orient Beach and Grand Case Beach. Orient is so famous that there are lots of folks who plan on spectating without 'participating'; so there's a certain amount of apprehension built into the scene there. On the northern section of Grand Case Beach (and others, I'm told), I didn't detect a 'spectator' mindset; or at least the spectators were also participants, which makes a difference in attitude.
Diversity is Saint Martin's strength. It's not just beaches; or shopping; or restaurants. It's all that and more. Day trips to other islands are easy; snorkeling and scuba diving are readily available; casinos and nightlife are abundant. We didn't have time in our five days to do everything, but here are some descriptions of activities that we enjoyed.
Grand Case Beach Resort (and others) offers snorkeling trips. We took a trip to Creole Rock, which is visible from the resort and is only a five-minute boat ride. The one-hour excursion cost $20/person and includes snorkeling gear. The snorkeling at Creole Rock is exceptional. Our guide was a young English-speaking Frenchman who led us through the coral formations and explained what kind of fish we saw. He also used our disposable Kodak underwater camera to take underwater pictures of my wife and me - what a nice memento!
Whereas the trip to Creole Rock took about 90 minutes from start to finish, the snorkeling excursion to Anguilla took all day. We boarded the Santino, a 40-foot power cruiser, at 9:00 AM, at Pelican Resort's marina on Simpson Bay (near Phillipsbug). We were back by 5:00 PM. The cost was $15/person if you went to the Pelican's 90-minute timeshare presentation, or $70/person if you did not. We opted for the former, and yes, we ended up buying a timeshare (more on this later).
The trip to Anguilla took about 90 minutes. The first half of the trip provided great views of several resorts and beaches on Saint Martin, and the last half gave us a nice 'tour' of Anguilla. We had free access to the beer and soda throughout the trip. We stopped first in a small bay to announce our presence via radiotelephone at the British-controlled island and , more importantly, to place our lunch orders for Roy's Place. We moved on to Crocus Bay, a secluded underwater marine park, where we snorkeled for about an hour. Snorkeling here was excellent, but not as good as Creole Rock. We reboarded the boat and headed for Roy's Place, a great little restaurant on the beach. Whether you order the fish, chicken, or ribs, you won't go wrong. This is one fine little restaurant (included in the price of the trip, by the way).
After lunch we headed to Sandy Island, better known as Gilligan's Island. Honest, it actually LOOKS like Gilligan's Island. I counted 14 palm trees and an open-air restaurant/bar on this little spit of land. You just have to go here. Oh, and the snorkeling' Magnificent! As you view the island from the boat, anchored in the tiny bay, there are coral reefs to the right and left; they are both outstanding, but the one to the left is absolutely fantastic (in my humble opinion). We returned to the Pelican Resort, drinking beer and covering up from the sun all the way. It was an absolutely wonderful day.
Could we impose on you? If you DO decide to listen to Pelican's timeshare spiel (which is not unpleasant, actually), and if you DO decide to buy a week there, would you please say that Rick and Pam Mollica referred you' (This is a blatant commercial announcement on our part because Pelican-owners are awarded a bonus week for each person they refer who ends up buying a week.) But what the heck? We're nice folks, and writing this first-timer's perspective is taking much longer than it will take you to write down my name!
Incidentally, we found out about the Pelican and the Anguilla trip by stopping at one of the Tourist Information booths in Philipsburg (which I think are actually low-pressure fronts for timeshare selling).
Capital city of the French side and just a laid-back place to view the world from street-side restaurants near the marina or open markets. Marigot is supposedly the equivalent of Saint Tropez in the south of France. I believe it. More than anyplace else on Saint Martin, Marigot has the feel of French colonial rule on a Caribbean island. Don't be in a rush. Feel free to speak English, but dare to try your high school French. Daydream about moving to Saint Martin, like some of the folks in the market have done. Get out of the big-name shops that advertise in the tourist pamphlets; shop in the back streets where you can buy shoes and fancy china in the same store...at much better prices than in the flashy places.
Capital city of the Dutch side. We only spent a few hours in Philipsburg, but it had the 'feel' of port towns I sometimes visited in the Navy...a little heavy on where's-your-wallet commercialism ...maybe because the cruise ships dock here? Still, it was a nice place to visit.
In addition to the activities we've talked about already, here are some fun things we would recommend to first-timers (you eleventh-timers don't need any advice from us!)
There's nothing fun about leaving Saint Martin. We have only two observations based on our first experience:
We liked Saint Martin enough to buy a timeshare there.
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