Paradise in Sint Maarten

The beaches are incredible. Each has its own charm. Cupecoy Beach (Dutch side) is a beach with sand. It is at the foot of small cliffs. Mullet Bay (Dutch side) has beautiful scenery and warm water. Many locals take their children to this beach because there are no waves. Another popular beach is Orient (French). This is St. Martin's famous clothes optional beach, however it isn't necessary to take off your bathing suit to enjoy the area. This was our favorite beach. The water and view is awesome. We also enjoyed watching people parasail and windsurf.

Our favorite day was spent on the Swaliga II snorkeling. We were stopped at three different areas to dive. We saw many colorful fish and then stopped at a private island for lunch.

You can try a different high-class restaurant each night. We really enjoyed dining at Captain Oliver's. There are live animals and a plexiglass floor, so you can watch the sea turtles.

Quick Tips:

Make sure you visit a variety of beaches, don't just stay on the beach at your hotel.

The Dutch side operates on 110 volts AC, the same as in North America. However the French side operates on 220 volts AC, so you'll need an adapter and a converter for North American appliances.

The roads are very bumpy and people drive like maniacs, so beware.

Best Way To Get Around:

Renting a car is a must. Taxis are expensive, and you can get good deals on rental cars. We found better deals with local St. Maarten rental agencies, and the quality of their cars were better than the national chains.

Best Things Nearby:
Belair Beach Hotel is situated on a beautiful white-sand beach. Philipsburg is less than a mile away. The French side is less than a half hour away.

Best Things About the Resort:
This resort is wonderful because it is off the beaten path; you have privacy. Each room has a balcony with a marvelous view of the ocean.

Resort Experience:
Belair Beach Hotel is on the Dutch side of the island. The hotel provides complimentary beach towels and umbrellas. On Monday the resort hosts a wine and cheese party for their guests. The resort staff is hospitable. The lobby is open, so there is no air-conditioning, but each room has it's own unit. Each room has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a dining area. The rooms are in good condition. There is a restaraunt (Boardwalk Cafe) and a store on-site. You can hear the ocean from your room even when it's all closed up. There is a pool, but the water is very warm, so we enjoyed the ocean much more.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Good

Best Things Nearby:
Simpson Bay, Maho shopping area, Phillipsburg, the Hollywood Casino.

Best Things About the Resort:
Location in Simpson Bay, so everything was close by and we stopped almost daily at the Aqua Mania Adventures next door to book a cruise or some type of activity.

Resort Experience:
The hotel has every amenity you could possibly think of. We did eat at the resort several times, but were anxious to try out all of the recommended restaurants on the island. There is a small grocery store across from the resort. We drove to RAMs, a large supermarket about 5 minutes away on the Dutch side.

The front desk was disorganized when we arrived, but I reminded myself that we were in the Caribbean and there is a different sense of urgency in the islands then what we are used to back in the States.

The resort has recently added more units on the backside and is expanding a little more. These units are very modern. We visited a couple staying in the new units and the top floor units have their own private hot tub on the roof. Had we known about that feature, we would have definitely requested a lockout unit. The only disadvantage is that they are not right on the beach. We stayed in the studio, which had ample room for the two for us. The room has sliding dividers, which allows you to use the one room as a bedroom and the other room as a living room or second bedroom.

There is plenty of open beach with free umbrellas and chairs. We thoroughly enjoyed the negative edge swimming pool. The main beach has a bar, which serves drinks and simple meals all day long. There are plenty of activities all week long. On Monday here is a welcoming breakfast. On Tuesday, there is a dinner by the pool. They serve chicken or ribs for about $10-12 and have live entertainment, a local man who sings. If you are newlyweds and do not like attention drawn to yourselves, do not raise your hands when he asks if anyone in the audience is recently married. He calls you up on stage and makes you grind with your spouse while the audience rates how risqué you can get.

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Best Things Nearby:
In our opinion Maho Village is the most exciting area on the island. The nightlife is supurb with Sopranos Piano Bar, Casino Royale, Sunset Beach Bar, Club Q and Bamboo Bernies.

Best Things About the Resort:
Recently remodeled rooms, nice pool with excellent view of the beach and airport. There is a very large supermarket within walking distance. All suites are also equipped with satellite TV, air-conditioning, and direct dial telephones with Internet access.

Resort Experience:
Each suite has a panoramic view of the ocean, pool deck and the tropical garden. The suite includes a tropical and elegant ambiance, featuring Caribbean style rattan furniture, Italian ceramic tiles on the floor, enhanced by kitchen and bathroom marble tops.The kitchens are fully furnished, equipped with American appliances including dishwasher, microwave and large refrigerators. All suites have modern amenities such as Internet access, air- conditioning and satellite television.Each day there are activities planned for the guests. We attended the wine and cheese social, and were impressed with the nice gifts they were raffling off.The sister resort, La Plage is across the street. We saw rooms in both resorts and found that La Terrasse was in much better shape and more modern.

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Good

This was our favorite restaurant because of the atmosphere. As you enter there are caged exotic birds and an alligator. Part of the floor is plexiglass looking down at 2 sea turtles, a shark and other fish. There is a swimming pool at one end of the restaurant with a plexiglass wall so you can watch people swim while you eat. We were there during the off season so it was empty, but you might need reservations if you are there at a prime time.

There are many activities at the Aqua Mania Shop in Simpson Bay. The first activity we tried was renting wave runners. We rented a double for $50 for a half hour. Singles were priced at $45 for half an hour.

We also went on the Tango, a sunset dinner cruise that we booked at the Aqua Mania. This was our favorite activity of the week -- it was very romantic! We left around 5:30pm and returned back around 9pm. We sailed for about an hour and enjoyed the open bar, then we stopped and anchored for dinner. Dinner was a Creole buffet, with cheesecake for dessert. After dinner, they played music and we enjoyed looking at the stars. The cruise is $50 a person, but we were told that if you're willing to go on a timeshare talk, this is one of the gifts available to you. I would highly recommend this cruise.

Soprano's Piano Bar located in "Maho" is the place to go for a wonderful night out. We went there twice during our week in St Martin. The piano bar musician was very good and accommodating to all of our requests. After a few drinks, I even got my husband out on the dance floor! A very fun place to sing along and meet other vacationers. Definitely worth a visit!

The market at Marigot was full of booths filled with souvenirs and local crafts. The popular items were brightly-colored beach wraps and blankets. There were many T-shirt stands. There were also stands selling bananas, avocados, plantain, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables. Avoid the market on Tuesday, that is when the Disney cruise ship comes in.

Of all the beaches we went to, this was by far our favorite. This beach had the most water activities and the best scenic views. You can see Pinel Island and Grand Cay from the beach. There is a large rubber float in the water where people can climb on and jump off of for a nominal fee. Beware if you have children, sometimes topless dancers do a show on the raft. This is St. Martin's famous clothes-optional beach, however it isn't necessary to take off your bathing suit to enjoy the area.