TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Trip Report 3/30-4/7

Traveling to SXM in April is something we had always enjoyed but were unable to go at this time of year for the last 5 years. A great fare from Delta and availability at [color:" blue"]Ô Paradis [/color] Bungalows in Orient Bay made it possible. We had great weather. It was sunny every day with no rain. There was a cool breeze in the air and for the first time during our SXM vacations we needed light jackets in the evening. We were able to enjoy sitting out on the deck at the Bungalows as well as enjoy the pool at the end of the day because of the great weather. Geraldine and Bruno are great hosts. The two bedrooms have a full kitchen with stovetop and oven as well as full size refrigerator.

Flights on [color:" blue"] Delta [/color]were thankfully uneventful in both directions. We appreciated the extra leg room, priority boarding, dedicated overhead bins, upgraded snacks and free booze that upgrading to Comfort Class gave us. In all honesty though one Bloody Mary was my max on the flight down and we didn’t drink on the flight home. I’m a bad flyer and anything that can upset my stomach will so liquor is not something I usually partake of anyway but for those who do – comfort class may be an option for you.

We arrived Thursday, March 30. Rented our car for the second time from Alain, [color:" blue"] Triple AAA [/color] which I would highly recommend. Our friends were at Beachside Villas so we stopped by for a visit. By the time we left BSV and stopped by the market over the Causeway we hit a lot of traffic driving to Orient through Marigot. We arrived to our Bungalow around 4:30p, quickly unpacked and drove all but 5 minutes to LaPlaya for a drink and then over to the Yellow Sub for a light meal. We were tired from a long day so retired early.

Except for one day, the rest of our days were spent on [color:" blue"] LaPlaya Beach [/color]. Bruno & Thomas have put together a great beachfront, restaurant and bar. The staff is friendly and attentive. Food is wonderful and so is the atmosphere. Most lunches were at LaPlaya, some more decadent than others depending on what we were doing for dinner usually determined how much we ate during lunch. Breakfasts were mostly nonexistent this trip except for a few mornings where David cooked some bacon and eggs.

LaPlaya bar @ night, also view of upper deck




[color:" blue"] Yellow Sub [/color] located in Orient Bay is billed as a sports bar. I started by trip with a savory crepe and ended with a sweet on our last day. Both were good. David had Jalapeno poppers the first night and a chicken, goat cheese and honey Panini named after Bruno’s son, Ugo -- for our last night. On Monday’s they have live music and are closed Tuesday nights.


We visited Corinna who most of you may recall bartended at Bikini for many years. She is working seasonally at [color:" blue"] Coco Beach’s[/color] snack bar which closes in two weeks. It was great to catch up with her. Her son is already 3 years old. Decided to eat light today so ordered fried shrimp from their tapas menu.


Another day we walked down to [color:" blue"] Kontiki [/color] because I had to sit on the swings and have a drink. When we saw that they had sushi we ordered a Nobu roll. It was very good, served with a chili sauce and several other condiments on the side. I almost didn’t want to leave between the swings, and great music. Very good dance music on CD. Lots of old disco tunes done by studio artists but darn good. Price for sushi roll was 22€. We were satisfied splitting it as we had dinner reservations that night at Ocean 82 and knew we would be having a full dinner.

Nobu Roll



Me having fun on the swing




On Friday we made reservations for [color:" blue"] LaPlaya’s [/color] Beach barbecue. They had a full house so could not take any more reservations after we referred friends. There was live music and they have a special menu. David had the crayfish and I had the ribs. Some of the best ribs I’ve had on the island. Both meals came with a salad and creole rice. The rice was very tasty. It was cool out this evening and we wished we had brought jackets with us. The waitress lowered the wind/rain curtain in front of our table which helped block the wind and made it more comfortable to dine. The menu for the barbecue is ala carte. I recall my ribs were 16€. Tips not included text clearly printed on dinner check.

ribs



Crayfish



Saturday we went to [color:" blue"] Beachside Villa’s [/color] to spend the day with Mike and Billy who graciously invited us for a barbecue. We had a fun night laughing and catching up. Mike is an excellent Cook who made steaks on the grill. They were delish as was the twice baked potatoes, homemade pizza and salad. Mike and Billy also came up to LaPlaya one day for lunch and to hang out on the beach. Mike is part of the Fall group at BSV who has become a dear friend. He’s one in a million! Kisses to Billy.

Sunday - Dinner at [color:" blue"] Le Piment [/color] in Orient Village. Most restaurants were busy but you could get in without a reservation. We arrived around 7:30p and no problems getting a nice table on the far outside which we preferred. The regular menu is now presented to each diner on a tablet so you can view each item along with description.

David had the duck breast with mushroom sauce which was on the special chalk board. He said it was delicious. I had the flank steak with reduced wine sauce and caramelized shallots, which was amazing. Both of our portions were quite large and very satisfying so no dessert. With two glasses of wine I believe the bill was around $78.



Duck breast



Monday – I went to [color:" blue"] Macaron [/color] in the morning to order a rotisserie chicken with a small portion of roasted potatoes for dinner. There were 3 choices of chicken and I went with the middle priced. I read someplace online that you had to order the chicken in the morning for dinner pick up so that is what I did. For both chicken and potatoes the cost was $20. The small portion of potatoes was enough for us to eat with the chicken and save for the next day to make an omelet at the Bungalow. Macaron does Euro to dollar.

Tuesday - we weren’t quite sure where we wanted to dine so walked around the village where there was someone standing in front of each establishment coaxing you over and explaining the specials for the evening. We went back and forth for a short time before we decided to try [color:" blue"] Little Italie [/color]. So glad we did. The lure of fresh pasta somehow fit what we desired that evening and we were not disappointed. David had one of the specials, spinach and ricotta ravioli’s in a vodka sauce. The host had explained that they were homemade so you got 10. Believe me 10 were more than plenty. I ordered off the menu, Gnocchi Sorrentina. They were so light and fluffy, very good. My dish also came with small dices of burrata. It was a huge portion. Can’t recall the price but we thought it was reasonable.

Spinach & Ricotta ravioli’s (they were a bit heavy handed with the sauces but they were tasty so we didn’t mind. I dragged some pasta along the side of my plate to remove some sauce)





Wednesday – Roman from LaPlaya made a reservation for us at [color:" blue"] Ocean 82 [/color] in Grand Case after we asked him if he had a choice would he choose Rainbow Café or Ocean 82 and he said Ocean 82. His recommendation was superb. We arrived at 7:30p to our front row waterside table. From our table, we had a great panoramic view of Grand Case. We enjoyed a Bellini and split the appetizer of clams in a garlic breadcrumb topping. They presented our appetizer on individual plates, we each got 3. The clams were big and very flavorful. David’s entrée was a lamb shank that was fall- off- the bone delicious and I had the fish pot stew equally good. This meal I did have dessert. They have a Grand Manier soufflé which you do not have to order at the beginning of the meal. I asked how long it would take and was told 12 minutes. The soufflé for one is served with a vanilla sauce, bitter chocolate sauce and a quenelle of vanilla ice cream. It was yummy. Total excluding tip was $128. A laminated note indicated you could not leave a tip on your credit card. Parking at what we refer to as “Joe’s” (dirt parking lot in the middle of Grand Case) is now $7. I forgot to give the parking voucher to the restaurant host who would have reimbursed us according to parking lot attendant.

Lamb Shank



Thursday - last night we decided to spend as much time as possible on the beach and after a big lunch were not very hungry. Ended our meals at Yellow Sub. David had a Panini and I had a burger. Ended meal with a nutella crepe. My eyes were bigger than my stomach so after a few bites I was done.

This was either our 22 or 23 trip to SXM. Someone we met at a bar asked me if I had to choose a side of the island which would it be. I replied, I would hope to never have to make that decision because I love both sides for different reasons which David concurs. We travel alone but after 15 years have made many friends who travel to SXM during our Fall timeframe. We meet up on many occasions for dinner or to hang out so while we missed that comradery there’s a lot to be said for spending quality time alone and not having any commitments. It was a great trip, no lows, only highs. Thanks for taking the time to read our trip report and view our photos.

A perfect trip and an awesome write-up!!

Thank you so much for sharing your time and travels. One of these years I'm sure our trips will coincide. We've got a little wait ahead of us so you've nicely set the mood. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

So enjoyed your report and the pictures!! Thanks!!

Thanks for sharing with us. Very much enjoyed hearing about your fun times on the French side. April is a nice time to visit, but I was surprised to hear the evenings were cool. The weather is changing everywhere and can be very unpredictable.

Great report - thanks! I've been looking forward to reading it. I love duck breast and enjoyed the picture. I haven't had it at Le Piment as I have yet to eat there so am putting it on my list for June. Sounds as though you had a lovely time.

What a great report!
Thanks for taking the time...

Very nice report! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />
It was nice seeing you both and spending time with everyone at BSV.
I wish we could have had our dinner at Yellow Sub or LaPlaya, but it was fun chatting !! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />
Maybe we will see you soon in Ct. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Great report! Sounds like a fabulous trip. Makes the wait for our upcoming trip that much better.

Thanks...Cathy

Enjoyed your report, as always. Thanks for sharing your trip with us.

Super report. Thanks for taking the time.

Hi Louise

Thanks for the great report. Sorry we missed you and David by just a few weeks.

Jan and I had wanted to try the La Playa barbecue, but we had other plans for the evening. We'll try to make sure we get to it on our next trip.

Take care and say hi to David for us.

Ted and Janice

Thank you for the report. It was very informative for us because we spend our time on the Dutch side. We haven't been to Orient in a few years but I think it is time. So much can be learned from others experiences.

We hope you try out the new LaPlaya that Bruno and Thomas have put together. The staff and the lovely menu is as I say: A touch of the French Riviera! All new chairs/ cushions and couches with lovely umbrella's! Great beach, nice light surf! Good walking too!! We'll be back down in Oct/Nov on Simpson bay beach (BSV) but will take a ride for a day trip to Orient a couple of times for that French vibe!!!

Love reading your reports! Thanks for taking the time to post. I am now "salivating" over that lamb shank. You always have a great trip together. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Love the food photos.

Glad to know about the beach BBQ on Fridays at LaPlaya. We will be on island next week! We will be sure to make a reservation.

Hi, Ted & Janice. Sorry we missed you.

The special evening ala carte menu for the barbecue had a variety of food which is prepared in the kitchen. All tables and chairs whether on the beach, gazebo's, upper deck and inside/outside restaurant were booked and filled by the time we left around 9:30p.

We had a very enjoyable dinner and while they were very busy service did not suffer. The duo who sang and played guitar were very good.