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

I guess I should make a trip report, but this will not be like what I may have done in the past, as we've become pretty much creatures of habit.

We arrived on the afternoon of November 21, after a couple of testing authorization snafus.

We stay in the same unit at La Vista Beach for our entire three weeks; we're not into moving around. We're comfortable there, and the view is to die for.

Our day usually started with coffee around 6 AM, my second cup might have included a splash of Baileys. I might also have had a bloody Mary around 8 each morning. I don't eat breakfast, so I needed some sustenance to get me to the next phase of the day....

We spent pretty much every day at a different beach..some with friends we see every year, and some just for the two of us. Our beach choices are La Playa on Orient, Grand Case Beach Club, LTC in Grand Case, Friars Bay Beach Club, and Dany's Beach at Cupecoy. Thanksgiving at Dreams had become a tradition with our group, so we've moved that to La Playa since Irma. Also, the sushi chef from Dreams is now at La Playa, and we enjoyed some delicious sushi more than once. Dany's (Cupecoy Beach Bar) fresh grilled lobster is amazing, and I was so excited that we finally got to have that this trip. It's only available on Sunday, and you have to order in advance, but so worth it! We brought along some champagne and wine to make it even more of a celebration, and it was probably one of the best meals we had this trip. We did go to Karakter and Mary's Boon this year, but were sadly unimpressed with both this time.

We spent one wonderful day with friends at their villa, and another with friends at their penthouse at Royal Islander. Those days always remind me that the people we have met on this island are why we return each year. To be honest, were it not for them, we would not have been there this year.

Restaurants for dinner are the usuals for us: The Palms (Greg and Joelle are good friends, and the food is delicious as well. Jo makes the best margarita I've ever had, and I had a few of those this trip), Avantika for delicious Thai food, Lal's for excellent Indian and great conversation. A new stop for us this trip was Ma Ti, and we went there twice. Be sure to order something that includes pasta, as it's homemade. We also tried Astra, which has just opened where Snoopy's was. This is an excellent spot, with great food, service, and ambiance. Sale and Pepe is also an excellent choice, the food and the ambiance are both great. We tend to eat our main meal midday on the beach, so evening restaurants aren't as important to us. It's nice to find a spot where we feel comfortable ordering a cocktail and a couple of appetizers. and most places we went were open to that.

We went into Philipsburg one morning, and were shocked and dismayed at how completely dead the boardwalk was. Absolutely nothing was open when we were there. We visited Jeff at DK Gems to make a small purchase, and we were the only patrons in the store for an hour at least. Sad, to say the least.

We spent a day or two at the pools at La Vista; one at our pool at the beach resort, and another at the upper infinity pool. With the lack of crowds this year, both were quite enjoyable. We also spent a day with friends at their penthouse at RI, which now includes a "hot" tub on the deck. Lots of fun watching the planes land from probably the best vantage point on the island.

All in all, we had a great trip, but I have to say that the island is struggling. Having just started to recover from Irma, Covid has dealt them a vicious blow. I surely hope things improve soon. Looking forward to next year!

Very nice trip report. We enjoy the GCBC also. Seems very French. Is the restaurant open?

It is. Koko and Marina are operating it. The food and service were both excellent. It may be our favorite beach/restaurant in Grand Case now.

Good to know. And you can’t beat the view. If the food is good again then it covers all the bases.

Exactly. We went there twice and it was great both days. I'm guessing the beaches might be more crowded after Covid eases up and the hotel is more occupied. The food was absolutely fabulous. Had duck confit one day that was amazing.

Thanks for the report, sounds like a good time. It has been years since I have been to Mary's Boon but recent visits to Karakter have left a lot to be desired at times.

Thanks for the report. Now that Koko and Marina are there at GCBC, we need to get there. I do not care for sushi at all. What else do they have at LaPlaya?

They have some nice salads, and they've recently installed a pizza oven, although it wasn't yet working when we were there. They also have specials on weekends; one day I had grilled squid that was very good. I believe there's a burger on the menu (I'm not a burger fan, so haven't tried it). If you liked the Bo Bun salad at Dreams, they have a similar one at La Playa.

Could you please tell me where Ma Ti and Astra are?
Thank You in advance

Georgia--thanks

Excellent trip report, Georgia!

We will have to try GCBC on our next visit. Its been quite some time since we've dined there. Lal's was closed during our October trip and we surely missed that. So many favorite restaurants, so little time on island! We hope to remedy that in 145 days...

Astra is on Welfare Road, where Snoopy's was. Ma Ti is in Sandy Ground, in the Flamboyant Village.

Georgia,

It was so nice to finally get to see you and ‘Richard’ again after what seems like ages.

I know your trip was a good one and I can’t thank you enough for sharing some of it with us. Mai Ti was lovely and will clearly be on our list of future must-do places so thank you for the intro because trust me, at this point we would never have found it on our own.

And mostly, thank you for sharing your island experiences with everyone. SXM needs people to return as they’re able and willing and your positive comments will help with the friendly persuasion, I’m sure.

I enjoyed reading your report.

I too can not eat a big meal at both lunch and dinner, and often passed up a great lunch
location and went out to dinner.

Lunch was always a shared sandwich or a couple of ribs on the beach.
We are always on the beach.

Hopefully this vaccine will help people to feel safe and return to SXM.
It sounds very sad...

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for your report. Glad the testing snafus worked out in time for your group to catch planes. Sounds like a lovely time.

I must be the only one, but where was Snoopy's? Clearly, I never made it there.

Enjoyed your report. Glad you had the opportunity to go, and it sounds like you made the most out of it. Sounds like Astra's is a new place (as you mentioned) where Snoopy's used to be. For Mr. Whiskerssammy above it would be located right before Skip Jack's on the NE side of Welfare Road (right across the street from Roxxy Beach). I heard Topper's moved to a new location, but I was curious about a few other places such as the Buccaneer Beach Bar, The Greenhouse, and for that matter Skip Jack's. Are they all surviving?

Your report is giving us the 'SXM itch' to get back there, so we'll be locking that in as soon as we get vaccinated for COVID-19.

Sammy--Skipjacks is closed. Too bad. Buccanneer is currently closed, although I guess it is for sale? The Greenhouse is open.

Skip Jack's is closed! As in closed for good? Total bummer. Always had a good experience there, especially when watching someone fishing in the lagoon from our table while we dined. Had a great seafood platter there earlier this year. What a shame.

Yes. Closed.

Linda, we never went to Snoopy's either, but since most folks seem to know where it was, that's the easiest way to describe its location. As Sammy mentioned, Astra is across the street from Roxxy. I know you would enjoy it there.