TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin TRIP REPORT PART ONE – November 1-December 7, 2022

This is the first report of a five-week stay on our favorite island. I’m sorry this is so delayed, but I couldn’t get my photos to transfer to my laptop for inclusion in the report so needed to wait until I could do it on my desktop at home. Once home, life intervened.

GETTING THERE

It’s always a bit grueling getting from Portland, OR, to SXM, and this trip was no exception. Neighbors picked me up at 2:30 p.m. and dropped me at the airport for my 5:15 p.m. flight to LAX. I was not asked for any EHAS information when checking in; this was the first day the lifting of the requirement was effective. The flight was on AA’s commuter airline, American Eagle. There was a ramp from the plane to a terminal in LAX, but then you had to take a bus to another terminal for outbound flights. The redeye from LAX to MIA was uneventful but a little uncomfortable as I am rarely able to sleep on planes. I had about a five-hour layover in MIA, which I spent at the Admirals Club. There are at least two Admirals Clubs in MIA, and I hadn’t been to this one before; it was upstairs and very nice. I always find the personnel at these Clubs to be pleasant and helpful. I changed into lighter clothing, had breakfast, and finally boarded the plane for SXM, arriving around 1:30 p.m. As mentioned in another thread, immigration forms were distributed on the plane with an announcement that completion was mandatory.

We landed very close to the PJIA terminal and walked into the building, where there was only one stop. You gave them your passport and immigration form and then walked into the baggage area; the whole thing from ramp to luggage was no more than five minutes. Baggage, however, was a royal cluster. The area was already filled with passengers from a prior flight retrieving their luggage. We had to stand for 30 minutes before our luggage started coming around on the ramp . . . in an area with neither seating nor air conditioning. Definitely not pleasant. In this case, the orange-tagged luggage did come out first, and a porter helped me with my bags to the waiting Hertz van.

I have found the Hertz check-in process to be slightly distant and more cumbersome than others. However, their price just can’t be beat as they include liability in their quote. I had requested a compact (Group B) which, when I made the reservation, wasn’t in their fleet. Thus I was quoted a Group C car (sedan), the next size up, at $15 more per week. But when they took me to my car, they said you want a small car, right? Yes. I have a shiny new little black Agya with fewer than 7,000 miles, but the extra $15/week was not refunded. However, $160 per week including liability is better than anywhere else I checked, and I did check around.

Finally I was on my way to Horny Toad Guest House, where I had a balcony room, but not one on the end, which I prefer. The folks in the end unit (who have become friends) were leaving in two days, however, and Innkeeper Debbie told me I could move into the end unit when they moved out. Since I will be here for five weeks, I wanted to do that. From Wednesday afternoon til Friday afternoon, I lived out of my rollaboard and didn’t unpack. Finally got settled in Friday afternoon. The stress of long travel days disappears when this is your view.



WEATHER

The afternoon of my arrival, a Wednesday, and the following day were gorgeous. Then on Friday, the tropical storm that became Hurricane Nicole arrived. For the better part of the next several days, we were treated to intermittent torrential rains and quite strong winds. One night I was concerned that the strength of the winds would blow in the glass on my sliders. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, but I definitely got a very small glimpse of how horrific Irma must have been for all who were here. The storm severely limited my activities during those days.







EXCURSIONS

No1SXM – This was supposed to be a sunset sail, and it occurred at sunset, but there was no sun to be seen. This was still the tail end of the tropical storm, and it was cloudy. Capt. Peter said he didn’t think it was going to rain during the sail although the skies were clearly threatening. We headed out under the very cloudy skies, enjoying being on the water. Eventually the rain did begin, but Peter expertly sailed us out of the way. It was very enjoyable being on the water and was great seeing Mirian and Peter again, but it would have been nicer had it been sunny and warmer.





SHOPPING

Oh My Goddess! – This is a women’s gauze apparel store located in Philipsburg on Back Alley right beside the yellow car. They give a $5 discount to members of the SXM or Bust! Facebook group, and I picked up several pieces. At the end of the alley on the same side of the street, Oh My Goddess! has an outlet store with the prior season’s colors and clothing at 30%-40% off.

A Stitch At A Time – A dress I bought at Oh My Goddess! needed shortening. Elaine (ElaineandBill) recommended A Stitch At A Time in the Orange Grove strip mall. This is primarily a fabric store, but they also rent sewing machines and perform alterations. I haven’t done any sewing for many decades but thought it was a beautiful store. There were so many colorful fabrics, notions, and patterns; it was really fun to browse. The alterations were performed quickly and quite inexpensively.



EATING

Bamboo House – I went with Horny Toad friends on their last night on the island; they had not been to this place before. I had been talking it up to them as I had a marvelous experience when I went in June. We made our reservation for 6:30 p.m. as we wanted to take the shuttle, which doesn’t start until 6:00 p.m., from Carrefour. At 6:10 p.m., no shuttle, so I called. They said they hadn’t heard from the driver yet and would call me back when they had a status. They did call me back in a few minutes and said the driver was on his way. He showed up a couple of minutes later in a large white, unmarked van and took us up the hill.



We were seated right by one of the little pools and in front of the bandstand, which was in a different location from my last visit.



We all ordered drinks. Our server came back to tell one of our party that they were out of the liquor required for the drink he ordered, so he ordered a different drink. Waiter came back again with the same story about his second order. Finally, on his third selection he was able to get a drink. The service personnel were clearly new and not particularly familiar with the menu, but that’s to be expected these days and was no biggie. I had an appetizer of a sushi roll and the duck fajita appetizer as my entrée. The fajitas were okay but not as delicious as I remembered them being on my last visit. The friend with the drink issue ordered steak, which came out lukewarm, as were his potatoes. He sent the plate back; what was returned was fine, he said.

This time it was dark when we arrived so the view is quite different from daylight. Still, the ambience, décor, and view are fantastic. Thursday nights are Gatsby nights when they have live jazz; some is straight-ahead jazz but it’s mostly what I would call “gypsy jazz.” The vocalist is an outstanding entertainer: very engaged with a lovely voice. She sang songs in what appeared to be several languages as well as English. It’s worth going for just the ambience and music.



There is a $5 entertainment charge on Thursdays, plus a 15 percent service charge. As we were leaving, the van driver said he was hearing unfavorable comments from others besides us and that they had lost their chef two weeks ago. That’s likely the reason for the inconsistent food. (Inserted later: there is now a new chef at Bamboo House who is getting rave reviews.)

Anse Marcel Beach Club – My favorite beach on the island; we finally made it after having to cancel a prior reservation due to the stormy weather. I had “open ravioli” – a ravioli sheet on top of delicious chicken and mushrooms. I never made it into the water as it didn’t warm up enough for me to feel like I needed to cool off.



Astra – On a Sunday, I had to get out after a couple of days of rain and ended out at Astra on the lagoon as it was one of the few eateries close by that was open. They were playing jazz on the stereo system, which endeared them to me immediately. I started with the lobster bisque; it was nicely flavored but much thinner than I expected. My entrée was tiger prawns. What I didn’t realize was that they were served in the shell so much of my dinner was spent trying to get the darn shells off so I could eat the prawns.





Bar Code – The special of tuna tartare was good but nothing exceptional. I like going here as it’s nearby, casual, and well-priced. On a subsequent visit, I had the special “hanging steak” which I assume they meant to be hangar steak. It was quite tender and well-seasoned, and I enjoyed this meal very much.

Cabana Beach Club at Royal Palm/Hilton – I was honored to be invited to the 70th birthday party of Sharon Harris, Queen of SXM, who used to rent island phones from a storefront at Royal Palm. Sharon most generously footed the bill for this two-hour event; drinks and appetizers flowed freely throughout. Everything was very tasty. It was so nice to see so many SXM lovers all in the same place, and I also met some new-to-me folks. It was a fun event enjoyed by all. Thank you, Sharon!



Jai Contemporary Fusion Cuisine – I have never had a bad meal here, and tonight was no exception. While they are participating in the Flavors of St. Maarten program, I ordered from the menu, choosing a beet salad and pan-seared duck breast.



Both were delicious with generous portions. After eating every bite of my salad, I could only consume about half of the duck; the remainder came home with me. Service was pleasant and good, and it was an all-around lovely experience. I have heard second-hand that Juggie’s son is no longer associated with Jai and is opening his own lunch spot. (Inserted later: Karan, Juggie’s son, has opened Krave across from Juggie’s in the alley.)

La Perle Blue – There is a Facebook group, Foodporn Group of SXM, co-founded by two island residents, that sponsors two dinners per month (except during the summer): one at a high-end restaurant, and the other at a local eatery. The high-end selection for November was La Perle Bleu on the lagoon. I had eaten there on previous trips, with mixed results. We were served an amuse bouche of pumpkin soup with bread for dipping; it was delicious. I ordered the three courses from the Flavors of St. Maarten menu: an appetizer of shrimp, avocado, cucumber, corn, and tomato – very tasty; entrée of lamb shank and mashed potatoes; and dessert of crème brulee. The lamb shank was absolutely huge, but I didn’t find it particularly flavorful; others thought it was very good.





The event starts with a cocktail hour at 7:30 p.m., followed by dinner theoretically at 8:00 p.m. I am not sure why, but dinner orders weren’t promptly taken at 8:00 p.m.; I didn’t receive my dinner until 9:40 p.m., which is much later than I prefer. I have experienced similar timing at other Foodporn events; however, it’s nice meeting new people.

Mark’s Place – A friend who was on a cruise contacted several of us to meet for lunch on the day her ship was in port at SXM; we were to meet at Kalua on the boardwalk. Unfortunately, there was a medical emergency on board her ship, and it was rerouted to another island, eliminating a stop at SXM. The rest of us decided to meet for lunch anyway but opted to avoid Philipsburg and settled on Mark’s Place. There were ten of us, and it turned out to be a 2.5-hour lunch of laughter and catching up. I ordered chicken sate with peanut sauce, and the chicken was overcooked. Another attendee said her lasagna entrée was also overcooked.


Rancho Del Sol – One day I was driving around after errands, needed lunch, and decided to stop at Rancho Del Sol, where I had never been. A peacock was roaming among the tables, no doubt looking for handouts. The view is stunning. My waiter did not bother to tell me about the specials (I should have asked); I saw the special board later and would have ordered from it had I known. As it was, I thought the menu was uninspired. I ordered seared tuna, which was overcooked.



Reveil Matin – This place just does not disappoint. I had scrambled eggs with proteins and fruit. I am so impressed with their fruit servings; they are always generous portions and very fresh.



Salt in the Morgan Hotel – I went here based on Louise’s report and was not disappointed . . . the first time. Like Louise, I had the lobster benedict, and it was yummy.



The view was as good as the food; my table looked right out on the infinity pool.



No expense was spared in decorating, at least in the public areas of this place; I have not seen the rooms. I had a delightful waitress with whom I struck up some conversation; she was a sweetie. The whole thing was a very positive experience.

I returned a few nights later with a friend, as Salt is on the list of restaurants participating in the Flavors of Sint Maarten promotion. We had the same server I had had for breakfast, who told us this was her first night of working dinner, and she had been working since 8 a.m. that morning. Service was poor all evening: a big disappointment. I chose the 3-course selection from the Flavors presentation, which included crispy shrimp in filo; pan-fried red snapper; and an apricot mousse. The shrimp were good, but I thought the other two courses (which can be found in much more detail on the Flavors of Sint Maarten website) were just so-so. My friend thought her food, which was not chosen from the Flavors menu, was just okay. The pool at night had a completely different look from daytime and was just as beautiful.



Vesna Taverna – Had a very good breakfast of salmon benedict with friends. Neglected to take a photo.

RANDOMS

Cutting down coconuts at Las Arenas.


A dark afternoon.


The leaning palm at Horny Toad.


Betsy, the innkeepers’ cat, visited often, but not as frequently as she did in June, when the innkeepers were off island.

What a fantastic report and awesome pictures. I'm going to have to re-read it again just to digest it. I've read so much about the party for Sharon at the Royal Palm but you made it all sink in when you mentioned the phone rental, we used to rent our phone from her!! Thanks again. Looking forward to part 2.

Wow, amazing pictures and lovely report! Thanks so much for posting!

Linda,

Thank you for sharing your visit especially the larger picture attachments.

Looks a lot more like a peacock as they are more personable than a pheasant and not sure you eat peacock

Surprised as tuna tar tar usually isn't cooked

I believe that Jai is upping his menu which has been pretty much the same the last two years and yes that shank looks great

Hopefully you have some more restaurants visits to share as I know you enjoy dining out and are a fair critic

Very nice report and stunning pictures. Thanks!

Don't know what I was thinking. Thanks for pointing out the error about the peacock; I have changed the post. I also changed tartare to seared tuna. Where the tuna should have still been red, it was brown. Unappetizing and disappointing.

I saw the peacock but thought perhaps they were called something else on the island. Overdone "seared" tuna would be a disappointment.

Linda,

Your reports are always so worth waiting for and this one was no exception. Can’t wait for the remaining weeks to follow.

WOW great report and pictures. That duck looked spectacular. One of my favorites.

And it was the third-best duck I had this trip. Wait for future reports to find out where I had the two best duck dishes.

Another wonderful trip report, with beautiful photos! I LOVE food, and really enjoy reading about your food experiences.

It was so nice to finally meet you in person this trip. Hope to meet again in the future!

quote=jazzgal]And it was the third-best duck I had this trip. Wait for future reports to find out where I had the two best duck dishes.[/quote]
I can't wait to find out. Domestic duck is my favorite second only to the wild duck that I fix for us at home.

Great report Linda. Our first bkfst at SALT was very good but not so much the second time. More misses in food and service.

We loved our meals at Bamboo House which may have been prior to your visit before the interim chef. We had a 5 pm reservation for a Wednesday night. A brand new large marked shuttle van was waiting for us a few minutes before 5 when we arrived at Carrefour. We wanted a view of the sun setting which is why we reserved on the early side. Missed it setting though.

I went back for another breakfast at Salt and again ordered the lobster benedict. It came out cold - both the eggs and potatoes. I sent it back and they prepared a new plate, which was fine. Two misses out of three visits doesn't bode well for them.

Such a fantastic report Linda. An enjoyable read. Looking forward to Part 2.

Linda I stand corrected regarding our reservation time at Bamboo. David reminded me we had a res at 7:30p and arrived at Carrefour at 7 where the van was waiting. I had wanted to see the sun set and he reminded me as you wrote they don’t open for dinner until 6. A senior moment indeed.

I wondered about the van at 5 since I didn't think that service started until 6.

Very, very nice. Thx for your sharing!

We had 2 breakfast and one lunch at SALT. Only the first breakfast was good. Several misses with food and service with the other 2 visits have me questioning if I’d return.

We just paid the $5 to Valet at Bamboo the couple times we went there, twice for dinner and once did go early to watch sunset and sit at the bar for happy hour which is a great place to watch sunset. Probably our favorite new find this last trip. I had heard some mixed reviews mostly from when they had event nights but our stops there were great.

we were next door at Le Bleu Las Arenas,,Dec 15-22 , amazing,,, this was our 40th time to SXM,,, we went to Bamboo House for our 20th Anniversary Dinner, it was outstanding,,,despite the bad reviews ,, I understand they were having staffing issues,,,
the $5 valet was well worth it,,,

Psod - You posted some nice pictures from Las Arenas on Facebook.