TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin St Martin directions and boat tour/snorkeling/jetskis

Thank you all for getting us back up to speed for our first return trip post-Irma. Only 71 days until our April trip - getting very excited!!

Flights - We have always booked direct flights to SXM from Boston on Jet Blue as soon as they are available to book. A friend was potentially interested in joining us so we were checking flights and figured out we could get Mint and actually pay less so managed a refund and a upgrade! Guess it always pay to recheck fares...

St.Martin directions - Despite how many times we've gone to St. Martin we always get a little lost. We're trying to get to Anse Marcel this trip from Simpson Bay and it sounds to me like - over the bridge, through Marigot, past Pic de Paradis, Happy Bay, instead of right to Pinel go left. Anything else? Where do you park - at the Anse Marcel Beach Resort?

Boat tour - My husband has expressed interest in a boat tour/jet ski tour - any recommendations? I noticed AquaMania has a day trip on Tango to Anguilla Shoal Bay, there is one with Prickly Pear, but if I recall correctly I've heard the snorkeling there isn't that great (hubby likes to snorkel). Also thought it might be fun to do a jet ski tour to see the island from the water, though admittedly I've never been on a jet ski :-)

Good move re-checking air fares. Even if the airlines say no, it's always smart to keep checking and see what you can get. I honestly can't think of any time when I actually paid a re-booking fee.

I'm a bit confused by your directions to Anse Marcel. It starts off fine by going over the bridge and through Marigot, but I lost you after that. You would only use Rue de Pic Paradis if you were planning to visit Loterie Farm. Just keep going north towards Grand Case and then east towards the area called Hope Estate. At the traffic circle you take the road Rue de Cul de Sac and after you pass the pharmacy, etc. you take a sharp left onto Rue de Anse Marcel. Of course, thats where the fun begins as you drive up the mountains and negotiate the curves (but the views are really nice along the way). This will eventually wind up at Anse Marcel and there used to be a parking lot to the left where you could park, but I'm not sure what may have changed up there.

There used to be some boat chartering businesses up in this area, but I would suggest checking into that before you go. Not certain who came back and who didn't after Hurricane Irma. This is a very pretty area that may people who sit St. Martin don't take time to explore, but it's worth the time and effort IMO. Good luck.