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St. Maarten - any destination suggestions?

grateful1

Oh My!
Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
19,583
We may be heading down the weekend of the 17th....any suggestion for a stay/deals? *Thurs-Mon.

Also...any other islands that you'd recommend instead?
 
Check out Havana. It's a short flight away from St. Maarten aboard Cubana Air. You'll love it there! Very cigar friendly too. :D
 
Check out Havana. It's a short flight away from St. Maarten aboard Cubana Air. You'll love it there! Very cigar friendly too. :D

Hey didn't you hear they have a smoking ban there!
 
Check out Havana. It's a short flight away from St. Maarten aboard Cubana Air. You'll love it there! Very cigar friendly too. :D

Heck, while you're there you can pick up that truck you've been looking for.
 
Hey that picture looks like Don's old avatar!
 
St. Maarten is beautiful, I stopped there on a cruise a couple years ago.

Unfortunately I don't really have any suggestions on what to do or where to stay, but I do know you should have a good time.

Stay away from coobans in glass top boxes. :laugh:
 
Gary:

The last time we went we found a fabulous villa in Dawn beach through the VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner) website.

HERE is another place that is very close to the airport and has a very private beach. The last mile to this place is discouraging but upon arrival it is all good.

SMX Landing linky
 
where are the nude beaches? I need a vacation.
 
It really depends on what you're looking to do. You want to be active or just more r&r? St. Maarten has some great diving and fishing around, though depending on what month you are going, some fish may not be in season. Typical touristy types things to do (which I wouldn't necessarily suggest unless you really want to see them) are hitting the market and the old fort. A really nice spot to hit beach wise is Petites Cayes (actually a little island off the northern most/French side) it is spectacular. Usually not many people out there, but that can fluctuate. Long Bay is kind of like that secluded vibe as well, but on the opposite side of the island. If you don't want such seclusion, there's always more developed/crowded spots (Orient Bay)...but again, it's all depending on your style. I usually like to get away from people - save for a few locals - not flock to where everyone else is. But, some don't like the isolation/uninhabited type of scene, so go with what fits your style. Nettle is an ok spot to hit for ocean-based activities, kite surfing, etc. Orient Beach is also a great spot to hit if you want to see some stunning (and in some cases, not so stunning) eye candy. In addition to the eye candy, if you enjoy snorkeling, Green Key is right nearby Orient Beach and, as much of the islands, much of it is protected/national marine parks, so the snorkeling is unreal....the damn fish all know where to congregate, which sucks when I'm trying to spear 'em. You also get the elevation on the French side, which, at somewhere near 1500 feet or so, can make for some spectacular pictures.

Also, depending on what type of place you usually seek to stay, you can either go for some of the hotels or, if you want some more r&r, go for some of the villas. The villas are almost always gorgeous and many are found (as others have already suggested hitting), the French side...particularly Terres Basses. In terms of hotels...well, I don't much stay in them since I'm usually on a boat, but Le Domaine is always a nice, gorgeous spot. All the hotels are fairly similar to one another...the Grand Case, Wyndham Saphhire, Alamanda...I really wouldn't/couldn't suggest one over the other from that list. If I were staying on land, I'd definitely go for a villa.

I have no experience with the VRBO group, but this group has been, historically anyway, decent:

Caribbean Way

Other places...well, you're close to many gorgeous, wonderful spots...Antigua for some of the largest and finest lobster you'll ever have, then to St. Barts, St. Kitts/Nevis...all are nearby. Anguilla, Montserrat...all are awesome places to go and you'll truly need to spend some (more) time there, just going from one to the other.

Something to also keep in mind is that after November, it starts dipping into the high/tourist season, so things cost more, availability of certain things may be more limited, etc. The people are amazing, the food is generally great - try to hit off the beaten/local places though and it is absolutely gorgeous.

Tough to answer such a broad question, but without knowing what you're really seeking to do for this trip, hopefully this gives some ideas. Most of all just relax and enjoy your trip brother....then start planning your next one there. :thumbs:
 
Gary, you will absolutely love it!!! My boss has a condo there near Mullet Bay and we took some friends down with us last November. It was truly amazing and I can't say enough good things about our trip. Weather was perfect, people were friendly, and there were tons of things to do. I had never been snorkeling before so I spent most of the time in the water.

There are some great restaurants there, both on the French and Dutch sides. We went to several and spent way too much money (it's hard not to)!

Enjoy it!
 
We may be heading down the weekend of the 17th....any suggestion for a stay/deals? *Thurs-Mon.

Also...any other islands that you'd recommend instead?

I think you should do a google search for finding a good destination or vacation rental place for you. There are a number of helpful websites to consult when looking for your Vacation Rental. Many sites are just listing agents and do not vouch for the properties, so check what kind of support, if any, you can expect from the site if things don't go as planned.
 
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