TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Trip Report 1.0

Bits and pieces
I asked about where to get sandwiches to pick up on the way to the beach. Winner hands down is St Martin Express in Hope Estates. Jules – distant 3rd.

Flew Thursday March 28 WestJet from Toronto non stop, two flights minutes behind us but the pilot pushed the ponies and we won! If only one plane arriving with 20 minutes to spare between planes, airport and luggage is very quick.

Checked into Royal Islander for 11 nights. RI looks great, gardens best ever. Staff excellent. The Tortuga makeover is good. Maho area just OK. Hole in the Wall is just that with live music. Gelato place is open, as is Cape Coffee – nice. A wine bar- BIBO Vino?, did not try yet.

Orient Beach – stunning day Friday. Chez Leandra sort of open, hut with a cooler and chairs for rent. Chairs – 2 and an umbrella and drinks [1 per] for $20. More or less in front of where they will open in 4 – 6 months. You can pre order food – 11:30 cutoff and Zelman picks up and delivers from his mother. Garlic lobster was great. Drinks from a cooler also for sale. Gov’t is putting in the utilities, resto uses the gov’t architect and then the resto builds their own building. Leandra is pouring a concrete foundation – Pirates looked like concrete block foundation. Others probably a little behind.

Water and beach were great – Ken and Barbie sighting made it seem like nothing had happened – leopard print morning, light blue in the afternoon. Village stores looked busy. Won’t dwell on the negatives – like the commercial said - chill Winston - don't be no cloud on a sunny day

MonoPrix just as you enter Marigot - a first for us – pretty nice. If you are in the Maho area, just minutes by car if the causeway is closed.

That’s it

Credits goes to – Shop nDrop – super job, Wilfred Brooks for the day Friday and a car from AAA – all good, all worthy of your business

Off to Driftwood

J&B

Fellow Burlingtonians! Glad you have arrived and are on island. We flew home on the 28th after a 4 and a half week stay. A great vacation. Be sure to stop by Yellow Sub. Great cocktails made by JR and Fred. Always fun people to meet and chat to. Enjoy your vacation.

Nice start to a stay.

We stayed at BSV and was surprised how close Monoprix was after the causeway. Some good, healthy items there especially the tomatoes.

Glad you had a good time.

What exactly do they have there at Monoprix? Is it a full grocery store?

I’m interested, too, Carol. We always have Jeannie/ShopnDrop prestock our unit, wherever we stay, but always looking for new options ‘along the way’ of wherever our travels take us on any given day. Is this a full service grocery store or a smaller version quick stop?

Attached to the Cadisco Gas station in Nettle Bay is another new grocery store
to try. I ran in to see if they had chocolate to bring home, in November, and it really looked nice.

If you are out and about, you may want to stop by and check it out while getting a good price on gas.

Your Ken and Barbie sighting made me smile. The leopard print suits are new since our last sighting. Things are back to normal indeed! Looking forward to our third post-Irma visit in November....

Hi BeachKitten--The two pictures look very promising. Would like to see the others that aren't showing up also, if you get the chance.

still trying to find out exactly where MonoPrix is? Say I am coming from Terres Basses through to Maho, or is it the other way going into Marigot by way of Nettle Bay?

According to google maps it appears to be a mile (1.6km) north of the roundabout after the causeway headed into Marigot

Beachkittn, glad you posted pictures of Monoprix because I didn't. I thought the store was well stocked. You could easily buy a weeks cooking. They sell grains in bulk like Whole Foods in the states does. The heirloom tomatoes, speciality pears were to die for.



Go over the causeway turn left shortly down road on left in town of Bellvue just before first round about to Marigot. If you stayed straight on that road , Rue de Holland you'd eventually pass by Super U and then on to Friars, Colunbier, Grand Case etc.

PS store would be on the left. From Terras Basse you'd have to go to Marigot take right double back towards causeway direction. Before you get to border marker it would be on the right in shopping plaza where gas station is. Causeway would be easier.

Nice start to your vacation! I enjoyed the celebrity siteings! They are right in fashion as leopard prints are very popular this season! Glad you found your favorite sandwich spot. The pastries at Jules to have with your morning coffee are delicious ! Enjoy the rest of your vacation.

We will be going in June and staying in Orient Village. Is the store convenient to access on the way to our vacation condo? Does anyone know if there are products that Americans are familiar with or is it mainly French? (We don't speak/read/write French) Is this also a place where we would need to have one of us stay in the car if we haven't offloaded our luggage?

I would not leave luggage unattended at any store for any amount of time.

Hi DeputyDog ... wish I was going again in June. Already starting to plan for next fall! I'm not sure where your vacation condo is, but for Orient Village the store is right there on the main boulevard on the same side of the street that Yellow Sub is on. The stuff that we bought was in English, and you'll have no problem here unless you're looking for something really unusual. You don't need to speak any french, but it's nice to say"bonjour" when you are greeted and "merci" after you are served! Keep in mind this is just a convenience store, but they do have a good variety of products here. And, yes you can pull up right in front if someone has to run in ... just put your flashers on. Does this help?

deputy--NEVER EVER EVER leave your luggage unattended in your car. EVER. Which store are you talking about? Monoprix??

Sammy-We are renting the villa C'est Fou in the village. Is the store you speak of called Petit Casino? I believe I noticed that store to be in the village.

Scuba and Carol-If my luggage cannot all fit in the trunk of the Corolla I'll be renting from Lesley then I wouldn't leave it unattended but I was wondering if it all fit in the trunk and had nothing in the passenger compartment if it was OK.

Carol-Yes I was speaking of Monoprix since it looks, according to google maps, to be just before the Marigot area when coming over the causeway from PJIA. I know many spoke of Super U but the posts seem to also mention that everything in Super U is French. Don't speak, write or read French so I thought maybe the Monoprix might have some stuff that we are familiar with.

I know that we'll have to go out for items but the French side is totally "foreign" to me. On our 1st trip last year we were on Dutch side in Pelican and after dropping luggage off we went to the Market next to the Burger King.

I'm OK with going out after checking in and I am assuming that's going to be the final outcome anyway, not to mention the inevitable need for refill(s) of adult beverages!

I'm OK if the car is in view. Last time, before check-in we had a late lunch at Yellow Sub and the car was constantly in view (all luggage in trunk). Plus the car had a very loud siren alarm, which we accidently set off once. After traveling, we just want to relax after check-in.

NO. Absolutly not. Trunks are easy to pop open. And most perps know how to do in a flash.

It's across the road from the former Home And Tools, right at the roundabout.

deputy-- I really don't think Monoprix is going to be better for you from the English standpoint. I could be wrong though, as I haven't been there. Petit Casino definitely has some English labels, yes. OR just head for Carrefour (any of them) and they will have plenty of English labels.

But it doesn't matter whether the suitcases fit in the trunk or not, PLEASE don't start off your vacation by taking a big risk like that, and getting all your stuff stolen. It's just not worth it.

Yep, I believe that was the store's name. Of course, I was in such hurry to buy aloe I honestly didn't notice! And, sorry if I misled you. I would never suggest leaving luggage anywhere unattended in a rental car on SXM. I thought you meant having someone waiting in the car while you ran in and picked-up some groceries.

With all the time I spent on the french side of St. Martin only once did we have a waiter/bartender who didn't speak English. My french isn't strong enough is survive up there, so fortunately just about everyone speaks our language. You'll be just fine.

Thanks guys. It's all settled. Land at airport. pick up Kenny's car from Lesley, drive to condo, unload stuff, head back out to one of the many stores to get supplies, drive back to condo then walk to Orient Beach!

deputy--good! It's an extra step, but wiser.

Hope Market in Hope Estates carries lots of North American products. Cereals, salad dressings, pasta sauces, paper products, etc. ect. Prices are 1 US to 1 Euro. Liquor selection is large and well priced. We have had good luck with produce here but it depends on when their shipments come in. You do not need to know any French to shop there. Have a wonderful vacation.

OK Thanks. We will explore these options, after all isn't that what we go on vacations for? Sand Gravity and groceries, lol!!!

We were surprised to find Ritz crackers at Monoprix since most of the items are organic or healthy. They had many English items.

OK, thanks for the correction.

Deputy dog I stayed that condo in December it is a great condo anything you need to know please ask

As far as shopping Petit casino is a very short walk less than five minutes I would walk there every morning for fresh baguette and/or croissants for breakfast from the adjacent bakery

I contacted the host by telling the guard at the entrance booth it the orient bay and they called her and she was there within 5 to 10 minutes to show us where the condo is

I usually go to super u for my first major shop for the week of the have a much larger selection and better prices than Petit casino but can get everything you need their

Super u most the labels are in French no I don't read French but there were a few words that from food that most people know and as part of the fun feeling like you're in a foreign country shopping and seeing items that usually do not see back in the states and if you really were particularly need to find something somebody will help you tell you what that is they also have a full l liquor wine selection there to fairly reasonable prices
it's approximately a 15 minute ride back to the super u and why you could stop there on the way from the airport to the condo surely I would leave somebody with the car And you need of extra room in the car
I would not leaveluggage in the car people can see that the car is weighted down in the back and they know to break into the trunk

Anything in particular you want to know about the condo please ask a be happy to tell you

Thanx Eric. I will PM you, disn't mean to hijack this thread. Sorry