St. Maarten/St. Martin Whirlwind

We had a quick four day visit to the island. We stayed in St. Maarten on Burgeaux Bay near Maho Beach. This was a very good location. Since the island is only about 37 square miles, you can go anywhere in a short amount of time. Just driving around the island is interesting--we saw many goats beside the road and had to stop to let the baby and mama chickens cross the road. For those persons who like to do things other than shop and enjoy the water, the Butterfly Farm is a good option. Also, a trip to Pic Paradis is a must.

Quick Tips:

1. Rent a car
2. Shop in Phillipsburg on a day when there are no cruise ships, but don't go on Sunday when most shops are closed.
3. Go to Pic Paradis (Peak Paradise).
4. Visit the Butterfly Farm.
5. Orient Beach. Enough said.
6. Marigot

Best Way To Get Around:

Rental car.....Unless you plan to spend all your time at your resort, a rental car is a must. There is no way I would ever go back and not get a car. However, the driver needs to have nerves of steel. There are no stop lights except in Phillipsburg. There are very few stop signs, even at three and four way intersections. What an experience. You just drive right into the fray. If you think someone is going to stop and let you turn left, think again--just GO and ignore all the honking of horns.

Try to park in parking lots in Marigot and Phillipsburg. Believe me, it saves a lot of hassle. You can get maps of those towns that show parking lots.

Best Things Nearby:
The airport.
Several good restaurants.

Best Things About the Resort:
Close to airport.
Rooms are large.

Resort Experience:
The Caravanserai is a small resort complex beside the airport. It is within walking distance of the Maho Beach complex. The units are one and two stories. The resort appears as though it has been there several years. The Dolphin Casino used to be on the property. However, it has closed.

We stayed in a one bedroom unit on the upper level. Our unit was quite large. It overlooked the ocean. The unit was clean, but you could tell it was old. I would probably rate it a 3 star. The bedroom had a king size bed that was quite comfortable. The living room sofa made a bed - quite uncomfortable. There was one bathroom and two or three closets. The dining table seated 4. The kitchen was very nice. Cabinets are white and look new. They are stocked with glasses, pots and pans, dishes, and lots of utensils. There is a full size refrigerator, stove, microwave, coffee pot, etc. There are also 2 or 3 bar stools. There are two TVs - one in the living room and one in the bedroom. The balcony is large enough for a table, two chairs, and a lounge chair. It is quite relaxing just to sit there and look at the view.

Upon arrival, we discovered the air conditioning unit in the living room did not work. We were able to get it repaired the next day.

There are 3 pools. The water in the large pool was cloudy. We sat by the smaller pool located near Bamboo Bernies right beside the water. We never got in the pool, but the water was clearer and the view spectacular. There were only 5 lounge chairs there. They were stained but comfortable.

There is no beach at this resort. If you walk about 5 minutes to the right, past the Sunset Beach Bar, you will find Maho Beach. This beach is at the end of the airport runway. It is not very large. You can walk from end to end in less than 10 minutes (more like 5). There were a few people there, but the only time we were on this beach was when we walked to the Maho complex.

There is also a small Chinese grocery at the resort - a good place for soft drinks and snacks. Just up the beach at Maho is a nice convenience store.

As far as activities - I'm not sure what is available. We really did not stay at the resort during the day. When we were there, we saw VERY FEW guests. There was no one at the pools - just very quiet with nothing much going on.

I would consider staying at this resort again if I ever go back to St. Maarten and use a timeshare.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Fair
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Fair
• Service: Good

This French restaurant offers outside dining overlooking the Marina Port La Royale in St. Martin. If you arrive from Phillipsburg, the Simpson Bay Lagoon will be on your right. The Marina is at the end of the lagoon. From the main road (Rue de Hollande), turn right onto Rue de President Kennedy. Go to the end of the street and turn left. There will be parking spaces down this street on the left (cemetery on the right). Or, you can go past the cemetery and follow the road to the right where you will find LOTS of parking.

The menu offers a wide selection of food. There is also a special of the day. I had the Combination platter, which consisted of grilled lobster, grouper, shrimp, and baked potato. Delicious. Cost was 29 Euros which was slightly more than $29. My friend had the same. Her potato was not hot. Another friend had the Shrimp in Garlic Cream Sauce. It was also excellent. The cost was 22 Euros. Another friend does not like seafood, so they made her a chicken kabob (not on the menu).

Since we were the first customer of the evening, we received free drinks of our choice on the house. We order a Tart Tartine (apple tart) for dessert. It was okay, but nothing fantastic.

The service was excellent. The waiters were friendly and very attentive. It was a very relaxing meal in a great location.

The Boathouse is located on Simpson Bay Lagoon just off Airport Road. It is less than ten minutes from the Caravanserai Resort/Maho Beach area. If there is no parking at the restaurant, park on the right side of the road in the open lot.

This is a very busy restaurant with a wonderful selection of food on their menu. The Shrimp Scampi was absolutely wonderful. It was $17.95 and included a large salad and potato. Another good choice is the Surf and Turf. You get a nice size beef filet and shrimp, along with the salad and potato for $19.95. The Seafood Fettucine is in a very light cream sauce and contains shrimp, scallops, and fist. It was good, but the other two dishes were much better. The Fettucine was $17.95.

There are several appetizers. We tried the Conch Fritters ($6.95) and Crab Cakes ($5.95). The Fritters were good but not like I have had in the Bahamas. The crab cakes were wonderful. Several people near us ordered the grilled lobster ($24.95). It looked delicious.

The menu has selections of beef and chicken as well as seafood. Dessert choices include Cheesecake, Passionfruit Sorbet, Key Lime Pie.

This is a wonderful restaurant with very friendly, attentive servers.

The Turtle Pier Restaurant is located on Simpson Bay Lagoon off Airport Road between the airport and Phillipsburg. It is about 5 minutes from the Caravanserai Resort.

The restaurant is a seafood restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We had a delicious breakfast here our first morning in St. Maarten.

The Paradise Pancakes with banana, bacon, and potatoes were fantastic. The potatoes were in chunks and were cooked in what I think was barbeque sauce. The pancakes were some of the best I have had. The cost - $7. Other breakfast items were BLTs, the Big Combo - eggs, pancakes, french toast, choice of meat, home fries, and toast - all for $9.00.

I glanced at their lunch menu. It had a wide variety of soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and entrees ranging from $4.75 - $17.00.

The menu also had several desserts including Cheesecake, Key Lime Pie, Banana Pie, Bread Pudding, Ice Cream, Coconut Pie, Mango Pie, Coco Flan with prices ranging from $3.75 - $6.00.

There is also several cages with beautiful birds and monkeys. This is an excellent choice right on the water.

Before leaving for St. Maarten, I read good reviews of this restaurant. We did not have a great experience here.

The restaurant is large, with lots of space. There is a small outside area with three or four tables facing the lagoon. This is where we sat. The menu selection is very varied, offering everything from pizza, to caribbean style dishes, cuban dishes, barbeque, seafood, and steaks.

I ordered the Strip Loin, which was absolutely delicious - very tender. It came with a large serving of mashed potatoes and carrots. The price was $21.95. My friend ordered the barbeque baby back ribs. The price was $16.95. She could not eat them. They were cold. Not cold as in been sitting out on the counter, but as in been sitting in the refrigerator for a while. The bones were even cold. Another friend had a large salad which was good. Another ordered the cheese pizza, which was cooked in a wood burning oven. We had cheese sticks and a crab appetizer. They were good, but not great.

The service was really terrible. We never had our drinks refilled, even when we asked. The server never smiled (I can't even recall her speaking). No one ever came to our table to ask if everything was ok. We finally tracked our server down to ask for the bill (actually had to ask twice). It took a long time to get it. When we did, my friend requested that her ribs be deducted since she could not eat them. They deducted them with no questions or concerns.

The couple sitting next to us got up and left after they finally got their appetizers. The lady stopped by our table for a chat. They visit St. Martin often. She told us the service that night was the worst she had seen (and offered encouragement that not all restaurants were like that on the island).

We would not go back, which is very unusual for our group because we tend to not be picky about things like this.

Oh my. This place was recommended to us by some folks we met on the plane. The lady said La Gondola was to die for.

Our meal here was the best we had during our vacation. The restaurant is located at the Atlantis World Casino, which is located past Mullet Bay. To get there, go west and keeping going as you pass the airport. Continue driving through the Maho Beach shops. The road will narrow and there will be a golf course. You will think you have made a wrong turn. This is actually the road that can take you all around the island through the Terres Basses to Marigot. After about 5 minutes, past the Maho complex, you will see the casino. Park in the casino parking lot. La Gondola is on the left side, facing the casino. We went on a Monday evening around 7:30pm and had no trouble getting a table.

The menu has a large selection, including a variety of pasta, seafood, chicken, beef tenderloin, and veal. Entrée prices range from $16 to the mid-$20s.

We were immediately served our drinks and given a sampling of bruschetta, olives, and a wonderful basket of bread.

There were two pages of starters/appetizers with a wide range of prices. We had the Eggplant Parmesan appetizer (enough for three to share). It was $13. Two of us shared a Caesar Salad (fabulous). The price was $9. A friend ordered the Mixed Salad. She said it was the best she had ever eaten ($9). For entrées, we tried the Spaghetti ($16), Lasagna (what a delicious plate full), and Ravioli. The Lasagna and Ravioli were $16 to $18. The Ravioli had four different types or raviolis. It had been made that day and was covered with a wonderful mushroom sauce. I ate every bite!

Then there are the desserts. I had the Tiramisu, which was absolutely wonderful ($8). My friends shared a plate of Fantasia something (can't remember the name). It consisted of Tiramisu, Frozen Nougat Ice Cream with Raspberry Sauce, and another item that I cannot recall. They loved it. The price was about $11.

The dinner would not nearly have been as wonderful as it was without the attentive service. Three persons were there at numerous times, pouring more water and asking if we needed anything, how the food was, etc. The proprietor also made frequent rounds to ensure all customers were satisfied. This is our favorite place and we recommend it highly.

The Butterfly Farm (or La Ferme aux Papillons) is located near Orient Beach on the French side of the Island. It is a small "farm" located at the back of a house. The fairly small area consists of a "forest" of plants and trees of all varieties under a large net. The environment is conducive to breeding and displaying butterflies.

To reach the Butterfly Farm from the Dutch side, follow signs to the Middle Region and Orient Beach. Just before reaching Orient Beach, there is a sign pointing down a small narrow road advertising Bay Side Riding Stables. The sign advertising the Butterfly Farm is actually on the left side of the road. Turn right onto Galion Road. The farm is the first place you come to.

The entry fee was $12 per person - a bit steep. We were shown the "farm" area and had about 10 minutes to wander among the butterflies before the tour. The tour lasts about 15 minutes. It is quite informative. There are a couple of cages that contain several chrysalis. Some butterflies had emerged that morning prior to our arrival. Evidently, they emerge fairly early. You are given a ticket to return at any point during your stay on St. Martin (although I'm not sure why one would want to--once you've experienced it, you've experienced it. Maybe if you were a big fan of butterflies...). There is also a small gift shop with some fairly expensive items. Even though the entry fee was pricey, we enjoyed the visit and tour and were not sorry we went. It would be a GREAT place to take children. Their website is www.thebutterflyfarm.com.

This has to be the most beautiful beach on the island. Orient Beach was the first beach we visited. On our second day, we tried another beach (at Mullet Bay) and did not like it. We went to Orient Beach the remainder of our vacation.

Orient Beach is very easy to find. Follow the signs to the Middle Region, then to Orleans. Orient Beach is a few minutes past Orleans. There appear to be several entries. Just take one and you will gradually wind your way down to the beach. I think we took the second entry (at the top of the hill). The road winds down around rental properties until you end up at the Bikini Beach Bar section. This is the perfect spot. Find a spot to park and enjoy.

There are plenty of nice beach chairs to rent. Just pick one and someone will be right along to collect your money. If you do not want the umbrella, the cost is $6. I'm not sure what the cost with umbrellas are.

The sand is powdery soft in this area. The waves are not too rough and the water is absolutely beautiful. There are several beach bars and restaurants to get something to eat or drink.

Since Orient Beach is on the French side, it is common to see the ladies go topless. One end of this beach is clothing optional. Occasionally, you will see someone from the clothing optional section taking a stroll along the beach in front of you. If you, like us, are not used to strangers walking around naked in front of you, it's quite startling at first. However, by the time you see a clothesless group come out of the market, you're kind of used to it. It's just part of the Orient Beach scene and you should not let it prevent you from returning to Orient Beach. The other beaches cannot hold a candle to this one. Go and enjoy.

Peak Paradise (or Pic Paradis) located on the French side is the island's tallest point.

Everyone who visits St. Martin should go to the Peak. Getting there is half the fun!

To reach Peak Paradise from the Dutch side of the island, take the road toward Marigot. After passing through Marigot, you will arrive in a slightly congested area in slightly over 5 minutes. You will have passed a sign indicating where to turn to go to Friar's Bay. Shortly after this sign, there will be a "Pic Paradis" sign on the right. It appears you should turn right there, but actually you turn at the next road--just a few yards on. There is a second sign at the road on which you turn.

The road is very narrow (and continues to get more narrow). You will see small places at the sides every so often where you can pull over if you meet another vehicle. If you meet another vehicle and are not at one of these spaces, one of you will have to back up!

When you reach the telephone company located behind a locked gate, you have arrived. Turn around and point the car downhill in the event someone else comes and blocks you in.

You will see a path through the vegetation. Take the path for a few minutes. You will arrive at an open area with a wonderful view. The path continues, but we did not take it because it started raining.

There are a couple of spots on the way back down the mountain that you can pull over and enjoy a fabulous view of Marigot. I have included photos of that view in this review.

Fantastic!!