I’ve compiled our notes, made additions and corrections to the daily shorter reports I posted during our trip. The trip report is lengthy and wordy. I’m crossed eyed from writing and proofing. If I’ve missed something or you need further explanations or clarifications I’d be happy to reply. All I ask is that you are nice about it. I suggest reading on a laptop or iPad with a bigger screen rather than on a small screen cell phone, it won’t seem so long (NOT).
AIRLINE: JetBlue roundtrip direct from JFK. Original outbound flight was 9:30 am departure on Saturday, 10/21. On Thursday, 10/19 Tropical Storm Tammy had turned into a Hurricane heading for St Maarten. Talk online was the airport would be closed on Saturday. Looking at later flights I couldn’t find anything until Monday, 10/23. Rather than cut 3 days from our vacation I looked to JetBlue to depart Friday. Was able to book a 6:35 am flight with no penalty or change in fare. Arrived at JFK to find out plane was delayed. After several delays I asked the agent why? I was told the weather in St Maarten was not good so they were waiting for clearance. Because I booked so last minute only middle seats were available online with our seats far apart. We did curbside check in and the Sky Captain changed our seats so we could sit together in row 31. No one was in our row so we had it to ourselves. Good thing because it was an extremely turbulent flight. I had the barf bag on my lap the entire flight. We finally departed around 9:15 am.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Beachside Villas, White Sands Road, Beacon Hill. For us this is a perfect location, steps down to the beach, a nice two bedroom, two bathroom apartment with a full size kitchen. Lounging deck, onsite gated parking, lovely staff, reasonable rates. Shared built in pool with deck and gazabo at far end of units. Gas grills available upon request. Beautiful Palm Trees and fauna swaying in the wind. I believe this is our 14th stay at BSV. On the Dutch side this is our preferred location.
Preface to daily report: Upon arrival we were told that it wasn’t safe to stay at Beachside because of anticipated Hurricane Tammy. Arrangements were made by Tracy for BSV guests to stay at the Travel Inn Hotel Simpson Bay which is more inland. We checked in, decided not to unpack. We wanted to stay close to the hotel should the weather get worse so David and I went to Pollo Hermonos for dinner and a cocktail.
Airport was closed on Saturday and a curfew was implemented to begin at noon. All non-essential people had to be off the road and indoors. David and I went to the Yacht Club for breakfast. We hung out there for a couple of hours before returning to Travel Inn. We had TV and two twin beds along with a lot of storage space and small refrigerator. We had gone shopping so had food but decided to eat at the restaurant attached to the hotel. Pam and Dwayne joined us for drinks before a group of Emergency Preparedness Personnel came to close the restaurant down. We ordered food to take back to our rooms.
Heavy rains and wind ensued Saturday night. The Hurricane did not hit the island. By Sunday morning it was reported the close “Tammy” got was 65 miles northeast. The airport was reopened at 9 am we were in contact with Tracy from Beachside Villas who said we could return. So happy to get our vacation started. Alas, it would be another two days of wind, heavy rain and heavy surf before we had weather conducive to getting to the beach. Thankfully the weather cooperated going forward. There were sporadic downpours but none that affected our outdoor activities.
This was our longest vacation on the island, a total of 17 days. The first week Joe and Steve stayed with Mike at BSV. Pam and Dwayne arrived same day as us. Joe and Steve departed after a week then Michelle and John arrived although they stayed at the Royal Palm. Several other regular guests from CT arrived later on in our stay.
Day 1 Dinner was casual and delicious at Pollo Hermanos located on Airport Road. Good food, friendly staff. When we arrived, there were several tables with local patrons along with several take-out orders from SXM2Go (their version of Grub Hub). Staff was engaging so we had a nice chat with several. Hard to believe as often as we’ve driven by we were not inclined to stop in. Inside is nicely air-conditioned, clean, full bar, with several tables outside on their patio. Satisfying Rum Punch and a Mango Mojito with fresh pulverized mango. Tagged as a “new” item on their menu we split the half bbq chicken, ribs, salad with 1 side and you get a coke for a very reasonable $18.95. There are several sides to choose from; David opted for rice & peas while I ate the salad. The chicken was moist with a delicious bbq flavor as were the ribs. You can get the chicken fried or barbecue and rib options are bbq or Cajun. They also served a garlic Mayo alongside meats. Very robust flavor that I liked.
On another occasion while returning to BSV from breakfast at Vesna Taverna with friends I did a take-out order. Wings, a burrito and quesadilla for David and Michael who were watching Sunday Football. I tasted one wing which I thought was dry. Mike liked the flavor and with the accompanying barbecue sauce they were ok. The quesadilla didn’t travel well; steamed in the carry out container so wasn’t crispy. David liked his burrito.
Day 2 Woke early hoping to hear good news that we could return to Beachside. Instead we heard the airport had closed and Hurricane Tammy was heading our way. We dressed quickly to walk down to McDonald’s for breakfast which was a few doors down from Travel Inn Hotel. Our intention was a quick coffee but instead we thought we’d check to see if SMYC was open. Good choice as they were open. We arrived at 7:30a ate breakfast with proverbial Bloody Mary’s. Many others had the same idea for breakfast because during our stay they had a good crowd.
A curfew was put in place at noon. Since we had time before the curfew we rode to Buccaneers then turned around and headed to Maho Village. Very few shops and restaurants were open, most were boarded up.
We returned to Travel Inn where we met up later with Pam & Dwayne who also were Beachside guests. While having cocktails with them at AL Pasha (restaurant in front of hotel) when a team of official people with Emergency Preparedness on their shirts walked in and asked to speak with the manager. We asked what was going on to which they replied the restaurant had to close their doors and stop serving. As hotel guests we did not have to leave AL Pasha yet. This is an open air Lebanese restaurant and bar where you can exit through door leading to lobby of Travelers Inn. Because it was a hotel restaurant, they were not required to honor the 12 noon curfew. At 4 pm, Manager suggested we order food to take to our rooms as they were closing at 5.
David and I shared the Kefta kebabs which included 2 sides and the option to upgrade for a fixed price yo premium sides at $2.50 each. We upgraded to scallop potatoes (I know not very Lebanese) and Tabouli. Sorry to say I didn’t care for either. The kebabs were highly seasoned with pita bread slices served on side. I liked it David did not.
Spent the rest of night in as we had no choice. We were able to maintain TV and Wi-Fi access during the night. We had bought food at Maho Market in case we were hunkered down longer than one night. The refigerator’s freezer hadn’t been defrosted in a very long time. There was a lot of ice build up but I had purchased food at the market which required refigeration. Several items were no longer edible the next day as they had frozen solid in the refrigerator portion.
Hurricane Tammy thankfully passed by St Maarten. By Sunday at 5 am, the closest it got was 60 miles northeast of the island before it was no longer a threat. Contacted Tracy at BSV who advised we could return to Beachside Villas.
This is the first time we’ve had so many consistent days of heavy wind, very rough surf with little to no sun accompanied by heavy downpours throughout the day and night. As of day 3 we had zero beach time, with minimal pool time. The only thing I can report on is meals shared with friends.
DAY 3 Dinner at the recently opened Secrets Seafood Restaurant. Mike, Joe, Steve, Pam, Dwayne, David and I. The road to get there is a one way so you need to make a right by the Dutch police station. The restaurant has a small dirt parking area directly across the street. From what we observed street parking is tough as it’s a residential area with homeowners already utilizing minimal street parking.
Our servers were friendly and pleasant. Atmosphere is basic open area restaurant on the waterside. They have a full service bar with a few seats at bar. Large dining area with art work on some of the back walls. They have a gender neutral bathroom around the back of bar which was clean.
There was one other party of dinners and a couple doing a takeout order during our visit. The other party was larger than ours maybe 12 people which did affect service. [I made reservations via WhatsApp. Received several calls from restaurant to confirm]
They have a very large lobster tank with 1 lb. and larger Caribbean lobsters. I requested a 3 lb. which came in at $66 on bill. Market price was $21.95/lb. so mine was slightly over. Waitress weighed lobster in front of me but between the wind blowing and me not able to see the lines on the scale too well I had to be satisfied that my lobster was in the range I requested. Two sides come with each meal. I selected Cole slaw and a side salad. I ordered my lobster grilled although boiled and Thermidor ($10 extra) were also an option. It was moist with a nice light grill flavor. Salad with balsamic dressing was good. Cole slaw ok. Other side options available are: fries, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, fried plantains, rice and peas and a macaroni pie. Side portions were generous. Four of our friends ordered the salmon dish with lemon butter on the side. Creole style was also an option. One friend got the steak which he said was tasty although it was very thin. [15% service charged added to bill]
Day 4 Today again was not a beach day. We decided on a leisure lunch. Astra was our pick. Open air, chic ambience overlooking the marina. When we arrived at noon, we given brunch, lunch and dinner menus. I ordered from the dinner menu, an appetizer tuna tartare which was excellent and a nice portion. Fresh chopped tuna with sesame seeds, cilantro over avocado slices with a few microgreens. Light soy with pickled ginger on side.
Lollipop chicken app with fries for Mike. He’s ordered this before and didn’t disappoint this visit. I tasted a couple of his fries which were perfectly cooked. David and Steve had a seafood soup (looked more like a broth to me); Joe ordered lobster bisque topped with a piece of puff pastry. I believe he had the winning soup. [15% service charged added to bill] SIDE note: Disappointed to learn Sandbar won’t reopen until mid-November. They are behind in renovating. It’s a fun place we visit often since it opened. Also we had a great lunch last year at Roxxy which we wanted to repeat but they open the day we leave.
For dinner David and I ate at Morgan Resort’s restaurant, SALT. With heavy rain on and off we didn’t want to drive far nor join the group at one of the restaurants they picked. Valet parked the car convenient drop off located under the covered hotel entrance. Valet saw us departing restaurant so pulled the car up as we were exiting restaurant. No wait, good service. The restaurant is located past the lobby through a set of glass doors. The first dining room is enclosed with air conditioning. Through the next set of doors is their open air dining patio with a permanent roof structure. Last year we went several times where we ate outdoors and it was completely open on all sides. Last night they had wind canvas barriers that worked well blocking the wind and rain although the barriers made it a bit warm while we dined.
Dinner gets mixed reviews. The arugula, poached pear with Roquefort and candied nuts was not great. The dressing wilted the arugula making it mushy once I got through the toppings. David’s seafood paella served with shrimp, scallops, mussels and small clams with chorizo looked appetizing. He enjoyed his dish. I’m a paella snob so for me I didn’t like the consistency of the rice (too saucy) and there was no Socarrat. The prized burnt rice which lays at the bottom of the paella pan. It was nonexistent in his dish.
I order the Churrasco (grilled skirt steak) with Chimichurri sauce on the side. Rice and peas, 3 thinly slice tostones (fried plantains) were on top of the rice with tasty grilled vegetables. The veggies & tostones were the best part of my meal. The rice was bland (had no color to it) and the skirt steak (sliced) was chewy. While my meal wasn’t stellar it certainly wasn’t bad enough for me to send back. I ate everything but the rice & peas. I ended my meal with a cappuccino.
We have now eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner at SALT and I’m not impressed. Some hits but more misses. The cocktails are good as is the service. Without the wind barriers you have a lovely view of the infinity view and Palm Trees with the ocean farther back. Music is introduced Thursday to Sunday during the evenings. [15% service charge added to the bill]
Day 5 After an early morning brief heavy downpour, we were in the car driving to Orient Bay. Spent a glorious relaxing day at La Playa Beach Bar and Restaurant. One small rain shower when we arrived which was minor. We didn't have to leave the comfort of our lounge chairs as the rain was light and passed quickly.
Spent the day in the water. So calm and warm it was a pleasure to float around when we weren’t reading or relaxing on lounge chairs. We have fond memories when Bruno owned it so while he hasn't been a part of the establishment for several years, it’s still a great place to stay. Beach boys are new each year but always pleasant and aim to serve quickly. Two chairs and an umbrella costs $30. From advertising boards at other beachfronts we saw this was the "going" rate at the larger beach areas. There was no Sagrassum at La Playa, the beachfront had been raked of it. There was a large amount of beach front on the North end of Orient Bay.
The last few years we have left our beach loungers to eat lunch in the dining area. It was difficult in years past to get David off the beach so we would eat on the beach. Lucky for me I've convinced him to take a "break" where we can sit comfortably while still getting a beautiful view of the beach, palm trees and "people watch."
Not many people on the beach, no cruise ships in so the beach vendors were at a bare minimum. I don't think we saw anyone until after 1:30 pm. That was an added pleasure not to be solicited often. La Playa offers a big menu of sushi, sashimi and specialty rolls. As I'm cutting my carbs we ordered the deluxe sashimi platter consisting of 20 pieces of mixed fresh fish. Several dipping sauces sweet soy, creamy wasabi, Sriracha mayo and low sodium soy with lots of sliced ginger on the side accompanied our platter. Seaweed salad, mixed greens and some edamame completed the plate. The Volcano roll had ingredients I liked so we also ordered that. A glass of Rosé and two cocktails for a total of $88. No service or gratuity is added. They offer 1 to 1 dollar to euro if you pay in cash. With credit card they use the exchange rate. Don't ask me because I don't recall what she said. We tipped in cash.
Dinner at Dinghy Dock. A mellow night there during our stay. Right after ordering we were delighted to see friends Chris and Paul show up, so we dined with them. David and I really enjoyed the tasty burgers. I haven't had a burger in a while and this satisfied my craving. Served with lettuce, tomato, onion on a soft brioche bun. Fries were crispy and salty good. David got the blue cheese burger and blue cheese mac & cheese on the side. He enjoyed the Mac & cheese but couldn’t finish the large portion.
SIDENOTE: CRAIG from Pack light will rent to Beachside Villas guests. We rented one and he said that we let you all know.
Day 6 The water in front of Beachside Villas was very calm and warm today. After renting an umbrella from Craig with Packlight we let sand gravity take its course. We spent a lovely day floating in front of our unit. Me on my water noodle, David floating on his boogie board. Beachside has a lot of different style floats for guests to use as well as the swimming noodles. Such a relaxing and beautiful day spent by ourselves.
Breakfast at the SMYC with Mike. Returning from breakfast driving by Sunset Bar and Grill to get back to BSV was a nightmare. Many cruise people walking on the narrow road, taxi’s all over the place. We felt bad for the cruise people who probably paid good money to get to Maho beach to find zero beach. They were still getting off the buses entering into the restaurant bar area when we drove by. I don’t know where all these people were going to stand for the many hours the tour was?? The concrete divider already was filled with people standing on it.
Dinner for David and I was at the Driftwood. First time they were opened since arriving on Friday. They must treat their staff nice and get good tips because the same women have been there for several years. They were playing great tunes, something for everyone to enjoy. A bit loud but neither of us is hard of hearing so not an issue. I bring this up because our friends who have hearing aids find it difficult to spend time there when the music is loud. David ate the lamb shawarma, his first and declared, “messy but good.” I got the butterfly shrimp with sweet chili sauce. They were ok, nothing special, a bit over fried for my liking. A banana colada for me and rum punch for him made for a pleasant dinner.
Day 7 David, Steve and Joe took the 3-hour Rhino Safari excursion while Mike and I had our yearly BSV lunch “date.”
David has done this excursion at least 7 times and I twice. It’s a fun adventure where you get to see the island from a unique view as you “tool” around on a sort of jet ski watercraft. A guide accompanies you as well as a photographer on his own watercraft if you’re a larger group who takes excellent photos. They are electronically available for a nominal fee. I’ve posted photos in years past showcasing the quality. They really are spectacular. The color and action shots he gets are so professional. Unfortunately, no professional pictures this trip.
Indigo Beach was our first lunch choice but they hadn’t yet reopened after shuttering up the restaurant in anticipation of the Hurricane. We drove to Cupecoy where all but one restaurant was open for lunch. We had a bad experience for dinner several years ago at the one that was open so that wasn’t an option.
We decided to check out the new Dinghy’s Bar and Restaurant which is right next to Beachside Villas. They offer a varied menu with casual eats and some more substantial meals. The open air dining patio is colorful with a perfect view of the beach. There were more than several tables with diners when we arrived. The bartender suggested a few novelty drinks for us so we tried one of them. We both got the Paddlewacker $13, Bushwacker, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Drizzle with Cinnamon Powder. A Bushwacker as a frozen cocktail created by a bartender in Saint Thomas in 1975 you can Google it. It’s a novelty drink we enjoyed.
The owner/ chef came over to our table to welcome us along with an introduction. She is originally from St. Thomas but lived in the states for a number of years before returning to St Thomas where they own another restaurant. She fell in love with St Maarten. A chef by trade she opened the restaurant about 3 months ago. She is a lovely woman who we enjoyed speaking with. Her staff was equally friendly.
Cash only OR Zelle, Venmo or Paypal. No gratuity or service charge is added. On Friday evenings they have Jazz night from 5-7 pm and Happy Hour is daily from 5-7 pm. The catch of the day was mahi mahi. I ordered the mahi mahi grilled tacos. I asked for a hard shell when the waitress responded they are normally soft but I could get hard. The mahi was grilled nicely with a pineapple salsa and an avocado crema. Very satisfying. Mike ate a Cubano served with fries.
Not only is the location convenient to where we are staying but the “digs” are nice and I saw a lot more on the menu I would return for. No added service charge or gratuity to the bill.
Dinner at Sublime was not our best experience compared to three previous visits. Reservations were made through WhatsApp, reservation had been noted when we arrived. Not many people inside nor outside this evening.
I don’t know if Ladies Night (half price drinks) are still offered, thought they were but my drinks were not discounted. Honestly forgot about this until I started writing the report. I had two drinks, one at the bar and another for dinner and neither were discounted as I reviewed our bill I do recall I didn’t see a discount. I would have remembered that, too bad I didn’t remember to ask then about Ladies Night. There were at least 4 servers on the floor with only 3 tables outside and two inside seated with patrons. Service should have been much better. Lack of service and mediocre food for most of us didn’t make for a great experience. For now, it’s off the list to return.
Two in our party ordered the short ribs which both enjoyed with mashed potatoes and vegetables. One ordered the stuffed chicken breast with a mushroom gravy and asked to substitute potatoes for risotto, they complied. David had the veal Osso Bucco with risotto. He enjoyed his meal. I ordered the shrimp in garlic sauce which came with two sides. I opted for double salad. Salad was very good. The shrimp arrived in a rich creamy garlic sauce. It was ok. Nothing wrong with it, shrimp were not overcooked, sauce was tasty just wasn’t “feeling it.” All of our meals were ordered off the regular menu. There was no special menu insert this evening.
When the bill arrived the waitress overheard me tell our friends that 15% service charge was included. She quickly replied that 5% went to the servers, 5% to kitchen staff and 5% to the owner. We left a cash tip and in hindsight I should not have left what I did given the noticeable lack of service.
We all made deposits to the Casino in Maho. There was a fair amount of people in the casino.
David treated me to a very pretty set of earrings, pendant and bracelet from J.N. Jewelers in Maho. He also treated himself to a watch.
Day 8 Woke up to clouds, wind and an angry ocean. We had a short amount of time at the pool before winds got stronger and rain pushed us indoors. Rain continued for the rest of the day and evening. Lunch was prepared on site, simple and light. Looked forward to a nice meal which Roma did not disappoint. A beautiful atmosphere from the outside as well as inside the restaurant. They have a nice size bar with several high tops in front of the bar with a sweeping open view of Mr. Chow’s restaurant. The indoor dining area for Roma’s is a large room behind the bar. The outside tables are available to Roma guests.
While the restaurant is open air, they have 4 large air conditioners in the room where we dined as well as ceiling fans making for a very comfortable dining experience. For our table of seven, we received two bread baskets filled with small round rolls, focaccia and bread sticks. A server came around with a very robust extra virgin olive oil he added to our small plates for us to dip the bread in.
After ordering cocktails we started with a Caesar salad. I mentioned we were going to share so they split it into two bowls in the kitchen before serving us. Delighted they did that instead of me having to separate and maybe make a mess on the table. I appreciated all the extra attention to details with their service. The Caesar was very good, shaved parm pieces, croutons in a creamy garlic dressing. Our table was cleaned in between courses, crumbs removed, wet areas wiped down cutlery replaced. Very stellar service from greeting us and also as we departed. My entrée was a roasted Pumpkin agnolotti – butter-sage, parmesan, aged balsamic drops. Heavenly pillows of pasta with the pumpkin filling and light sauce with the glaze was divine. David chose the Linguine Vongole, aglio & olio with baby clams. He enjoyed it to the last forkful.
Two in our party opted for the Carbonara with Rigatoni and crispy guanciale. Loved it. The other two had the veal and chicken parmigiana. Both were huge pieces of protein which they could not finish. As they depart tomorrow both agreed it was the best meal of the trip. Lastly one ate the salmon filet, pistachio cranberry crumble in a lemon buerre blanc. We all were extremely pleased with our meals and the service. Complimentary shots of Limoncello were offered which we kindly accepted.
Some of us ate dessert. Mine was the Semifreddo which was light and refreshing. One large scoop of Crunchy almond-caramel gelato with amaretto sauce. Three in our party ate the chocolate mousse served with a biscotti. They said it was rich and delicious. No grat or service charge added to bill.
Before leaving Marco showed us Mr Chow’s menu. He highly recommended the Pad Thai. I love Asian food so hoping to get there.
Day 9
David and I had a light bite at SMYC midday. Rugby game between New Zealand and South Africa on TVs so there was a lively crowd.
Mike, David and I had an enjoyable dinner at JAX steakhouse in Maho. Ambience is upscale Steakhouse with lots of wood and etched glass. Super nice and comfortable inside. All the waiters were hustling all helping each other. Quite busy there.
The 6oz filet mignon was very good as was the accompanying puréed potatoes and veggies on side. I order the mushroom gravy. Sauces available on side are $3. A delicious demi glaze smeared on the plate was so delicious I didn’t need the mushroom gravy.
David ordered the skirt steak and Mike the 12 oz. Prime Cut NY strip with Parmesan herb fries. We all agreed service and food were well worth the price. Not a cheap meal but worth it in our opinion. The crab cake appetizer at $32 which was mostly filler with shreds of crab was not good. Sorry we had ordered them. Two to an order. We moved outside to finish our dining experience with after dinner drinks. Nice view of all Maho village which was very active as you might expect for a Saturday night. No service or gratuity added to check.
Day 10 Rain, Rain go away, come back some other day. Weather has been terrible for 3 days. Little to no sun. Heavy surf and big down-pours day and night. The roads are flooded once again in Beacon Hill area. As I write this (Sunday)it’s another heavy surf, cloudy with rain on and off today. Fog is rolling in
I met friends at Vesna Taverna for breakfast. Simple breakfast of 2 eggs over easy with a side of bacon. One of my friends ordered the eggs benedict. The hollandaise looked nice and creamy but yoke was overcooked. We enjoyed catching up over our leisured breakfast.
Dinner was at Dinghy’s Bar and Grill next to Beachside Villas. As soon as we sat down there was a very heavy downpour. We had ordered food to eat there but with the rain so heavy and starting to creep in where we were sitting we asked to take out. It was extremely windy so the rain was coming in sideways. After 15 minutes it subsided and the food hadn’t arrived so we said we would eat there. Our server who was also the bartender that night suggested not leaving food in take out container but to plate it. Most in our party ate hamburgers with fries which they liked. I got the barbecue chicken with rice and coleslaw. My meal was just ok but wine was good. They have a Rosé by Peace & Love which I enjoyed the other day there and again this evening. The frozen Frosé made with Peace & Love was also good. David had a fish sandwich which he liked. Early night.
Day 11 Woke up to sunny skies so headed out to Orient Bay. Spend a good part of the day at La Playa beachfront. Two chairs and one umbrella $30. Little waves and wind so it was really an enjoyable day to float on my noodle in the ocean.
We met Michelle and John at Pirate Hideout Beach Bar & Grill for lunch. We had intended to go to Chez Leandra but they were closed for the day. My kiwi margarita with a chili lime rim was just ok, they didn’t do a very good job of rimming the glass. The chili was in clumps in a few spots, rather off putting. We weren’t impressed with the menu. I ordered the Tuna Tataki appetizer $26. Several slices of peppered sushi style tuna. It was ok, I’ve had better. David’s fried fish sandwich was very good and our friends shared a grilled fish sandwich. Fries came with sandwiches.
Left the beach around 3:45 pm then went to SMYC . Bar area was packed so we grabbed a high top table outside and stayed well into dark enjoying the night air while relaxing. Traffic was very heavy in both directions from Orient back to roundabout near Mark’s Place. Once we past the roundabout light traffic for us but traffic in the opposite direction (about 4:15 pm) was bumper to bumper all the way to Yacht Club and most likely beyond but we had no view farther than the Simpson Bridge to know for certain.
We hoped to have a casual dinner at Captain D’s rib shack but when we pulled into the parking lot they were closed for the night. Since we were still in our beach ware we decided on Driftwood. Glad we did they were playing great music, a lively group was there and food was yummy. Two rum punches with barbecue ribs for David and bbq wings for me. The wings were fried perfectly even though coated in a thick barbecue sauce they remained crunchy. A mess to eat with barbecue sauce slathered on them but so tasty. Next time I’ll ask for plain with bbq sauce on the side. We went through plenty of napkins. Did I mention the chicken wings were both drumettes and flats and were large? Great day and night.
Day 12 Nothing to report as it relates to Halloween because we didn’t get dressed up or attend any parties. There are fewer parties on Halloween each year and most of our friends don’t dress up so we didn’t seek out any parties to attend. I did buy long dangling spider earrings to wear this evening though.
A good beach day, a lot of sun. We tried to sit in front of the unit on our loungers under an umbrella we rented from Pack Light but decided to move down to the pool for the day. When we had enough sun we would go under the gazebo.
A quick trip to Maho Pharmacy around 4 pm when a quick rain shower came through. Stopped at Driftwood for a Rum punch and rain stopped. Dinner at Astra was disappointing. We were 7 for dinner having made reservations prior. The table was reserved when we arrived and service was friendly. Our dinner companions made the meal enjoyable.
David and I both ordered the prawn stuffed grouper. When it arrived I remember I ordered the same dish last year and wasn’t very fond of it. Instead of the fish lying flat with the filling layered on top of the grouper, the fish was wrapped around one prawn in a white sauce. Two pieces of Grouper per order with one Prawn inside each roll was plated with sauce on top. The sauce is rather bland and did not add much moistness to the fish which was dry in several spots. Picture below.
Mashed potatoes, fries or white plain rice are offered and you get a side salad. I intended to order lobster when the server responded it was $23.95 a lb. I declined. Several days ago it was $18.95 with Skipjacks still advertising $21.95 a pound. We ate a very enjoyable lunch last week and I thought the price was $19.95 but my friend recalls $18.95. There is a 15% service charge added to bill. Happy to report the server took out credit card machine and ran our credit cards and at no time did she ask if we wanted to add extra. This was experienced by all at our table.
Day 13 Another spectacular beach day at Orient Bay. Spent a good part of the day at La Playa until we went for lunch at Chez Leandra. Great lunch of ½ grilled lobster with rice & peas, 3 sweet plantains with a nice salad. David ate the jerk chicken sandwich with fries and salad. Ran into some acquaintances we haven’t seen in a number of years so nice chatting with them. The beach was more active with people than our two previous visits.
Stopped at the SMYC for a drink before returning to Beachside Villas. A woman soloist went on at 6 pm to 8 pm. We stayed for a couple of songs. She was very good. Thoroughly enjoyed our meal tonight at Mr. Chow in Maho. Very comfortable seats which was good because service was slow. No fault of the servers they were working hard. The restaurant was full by the time we left at 9 pm. The kitchen is small so having so many diners at the same time really puts a strain on the kitchen. Servers were pleasant and apologized for delays. It was ok because our drinks came out quickly and so did our appetizer of 2 smoked pork belly bao buns. They were delicious and hearty so waiting for our entrees wasn’t a big deal for us as we saw how hard everyone was working in the front of the house.
David’s entrée, General Tso’s chicken was served with white rice and a few vegetables. The shrimp along with two big pieces of broccoli were fried to perfection then reintroduced to the sauce. One of the best General Tso’s I’ve ever tasted, which David concurred. I ate the Shrimp Bo Bun salad and while it didn’t rival Dreams it was good and satisfying. I would recommend it to those who like this type of salad. A fusion of Thai and Vietnamese flavors. Peanuts, mint, noodles, green leaf salad, fish sauce, lime wedge and other vegetables along with mint. No gratuity or service charge added. Day 14
Our trip is winding down, two full days left. Today two friends departed while another tomorrow and another two leave on Sunday. We have been here since Friday, 10/20 departing on Sunday, November 5. This is our longest vacation to date at 17 days. Wish I could say all those days were sunny and bright weather- wise but they were not. Spending those days here on the island, safe and with friends and acquaintances still made our vacation to date a wonderful trip.
Right before we departed for lunch, I heard rain failing. But didn’t see any rain on the bedroom or living room windows looking at the ocean. I moved toward the front door and it was raining only in front of the unit. It didn’t last but a few minutes. Traffic heading into Cole Bay was awful right when we got past the airport at 12:15 pm. Bumper to Bumper until we got to the roundabout. Unsure what cause the delay as there was neither construction nor accident unless it was already cleared before we arrived?
We finally returned to Indigo Beach Bar and Restaurant for lunch. I say finally because they were closed for days after the hurricane working to get the restaurant back to serving guests or we had plans when they reopened. It was a beautifully sunny and breezy day so perfect to dine outdoors overlooking the majestic sea. I love sharing a meal with friends with an ocean view. Mike, John, Michelle, David and I.
One of the blackboard specials was a ½ lobster thermidor. The lobster was grilled with a light sauce on top with melted cheese. No fillers, just a whole piece of lobster which I carefully savored. The sauce was so good I broke down and dip two slices of a baguette in it. It was cooked perfectly.
David ate the fried mahi mahi sandwich accompanied with fries. A huge cheese burger with fries for another. Ceviche with a coconut marinade and garlic shrimp with a side of creole sauce for two of our friends. Frozen cocktails were reasonable at $8 to $9. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals and conversation.
Michelle and I ordered the chocolate mousse. All desserts are made on the premise. It was decadently rich. We both ate a few small spoonful’s then put the spoons down in defeat. We were too full from lunch.
Prime Rib night at the Greenhouse is a night we try not to miss during our trips. Tonight David and I shared the King cut cooked as requested. Unsure of the ounces as it’s not listed but it was plenty for the two of us to share. The meal comes with two side dishes. Our two side dish selections were mac & cheese and salad. Mike (Wingman) got the Queen cut along with fries and garlic bread as his side choices. The steak was cooked as ordered too. The Queen cut was smaller than we’ve had in the past so am glad we shared the King. Arnold Palmer’s for me so bill was reasonable. No gratuity or service charge added. Mike has been managing the restaurant now for 13 years. He was pulling double duty in the kitchen and front of the house helping to serve.
Day 15
Breakfast at Zee Best . I enjoyed the coffee, especially since it was served in silver container that provided at least 2 full cups of coffee and they had cream. $3 We also enjoyed $5 mimosas. Pineapple for David and guava for me. That’s about where the good ends. I chose the sunny side, egg, crepe with ham and cheese. The egg was over hard I didn’t enjoy it. David’s French toast croissant was an open faced croissant split in half and press down into a round shape. He didn’t pay attention to the description so he thought he was getting French toast not a croissant. It was very eggy tasted more like bread pudding. He didn’t care for it.
Spent morning to early afternoon lounging in front of our unit at BSV. Drove to Maho beach to video AF and KLM arriving for my Instagram account. At about 1:30 pm the amount of cruise ship people at Maho was manageable so we parked over by the casino and walked onto the beach. The water was calm and warm so we swam until flights started arriving. Both JB and AA departed while at the beach but we knew to get far away from the jet blasts. There were those who didn’t heed the warning to stay away from the jet blasts. It was comical to see all who stood in the path get blow down the sand and some into the water. Some tried running away but they were caught up in the blast. Drinks, hats, sunglasses went flying into the ocean. Those who got blasted and those who watched were cheering. We shook our heads and were happy that no one got hurt.
I was pleased with the video I got of both AF & KLM arriving. With that accomplished we went to Driftwood for a drink.
Our dinner plans with Michelle and John were almost thwarted. Our intention to meet up at Buccaneers Halloween party never happened. (Friends stopped by and said it was more of a "kiddy party" so no desire to go) As soon as we pulled onto Airport Rd from the runway road it was backed up. We didn’t go more than ¼ mile in 20 minutes so did a u turn and went to Maho.
We had eaten at Roma and Mr. Chow so knew one of them would be good for dinner. Happy hour is between 5-7 pm with ½ price drinks and discounted appetizers. If you sit at the bar or the high tops, you can order off either menu. We shared the tempura shrimp while sipping on cocktails. Five shrimp with 3 dipping sauces. We enjoyed them. {ate one before taking photo} I drank a Grey Goose extra dry martini with olives. Definitely a good martini. We didn’t realize that top shelf liquor is also 50% off. Can’t beat a great martini for $6.00.
Our friends who were already at Bucs called to tell us that traffic had lightened up. The party at Bucs was more for kids so decided to meet up at Captain Ds Ribshack for ribs, chicken and Johnny Cakes. We were all a bit disappointed that the ribs were a bit dry. Chicken, Johnny Cakes and sides were good. Checked out Tap & Still , cash only. Drinks were reasonable priced. There is an inside bar toward the back of restaurant with more tables and chairs. Also they had the former space occupied Marty’s Gyro was. Sorry we didn’t get there sooner in our vacation. We were comfortable and staff was friendly, while we didn’t see anyone eating a burger I would have returned to try one.
Day 16
We’ve come to our last day full day to enjoy on the island. This is our longest trip to date at 17 days although Sunday is travel day so 16 full days. Our arrival was midmorning so we had a full day except that we had to hunker down at the Travel Inn for two nights. So much for getting a full day on the island to enjoy.
Spent today at LaPlaya beach bar and grill . For us it’s the nicest beachfront on Orient. Large area with many different places to enjoy a drink or a meal on the beach or in one of two dining patios. I drank a cappuccino on the beach chair then before lunch we had cocktails sitting further back on very comfortable wicker chairs/couch with cushions and umbrella’s. They also have bean bag type chairs throughout the back end of beach. Several shaded independent wood structures for 4 to 6 diners.
Their sushi is outstanding with specialty rolls generous with multiple slices. Two specialty rolls plus Nigri tuna and mahi-mahi were served on a huge wooden Lazy Susan. Decided to splurge on a lemon tiramisu which was very tasty but too much for one person.
Drinks at SMYC before returning to Villa to shower and get ready for dinner. Our last night was spent at Roma/Mr. Chowin Maho. David wanted gnocchi and I wanted Pad Thai. We sat at a high top where we had a nice conversation with Marco who manages both restaurants. Since this was our 4th time at the restaurants the wait staff also stopped by for a chat. I added shrimp to the Pad Thai, it was good as was the Chicken Nem appetizer. David ordered the gnocchi with a gorgonzola cream sauce & walnuts. David asked for no walnuts. Both restaurants were occupied with a lot of diners.
I had hoped for more good dining options in the Maho area as I’m sure others have too. With the new oasis area, we have just that. Not only is the food, ambience and service good but it’s so convenient not to have to deal with traffic most days heading back down Airport road. Both restaurants offer Valet parking after 6:30 pm.
Day 17
Departure day. Went to Zee Best express to buy sandwiches for our plane ride home. Managed to get one almond croissant in my handbag to bring home to our daughter. Dropped off SAX rental car at airport at 12:30 pm then walked into airport. All was going well, check in was quick, no one online at JetBlue check in counter. We were able to get carryon bags checked at Gate complimentary, same with inbound flight.
Immigration and Customs another quick run through. Spent some money on rum and wine. Hung out with John and Michelle who had a flight to MIA similar to our departure time and departure gates were next to each other. Getting ready to head to the gates downstairs is where it went downhill. We walked into a hot mob scene. Crowds of people hovering by the gates because there were not enough buses to take passengers to their planes. Even after the MIA flight left there was still crowds of people waiting almost 45 minutes before we could get on bus to our flight. With the delay pilots made good time arriving at JFK fairly close to schedule at 7 pm. Walk from plane to Immigration was short and a breeze. Our luggage came off the belt right when we got there. A little turbulent on two occasions otherwise way better flight than inbound.
Another great trip even with the bumps and grinds. Hoping to read others reports, announcements and tidbits about the Island until we return. Hoping for a Spring and Fall trip next year. For those of you who have read this far, thank you.
It was a long report. By the time I posted it here I was still editing it. I didn't want it to time out so didn't add any pictures. Pictures were posted previously in daily reports but when I reread them most didn't even make sense to me and I was the author. Thanks Carol for getting through it.
Louise--I understand what you mean about the report timing out. You have about six hours to edit the report after posting (I think that's the amount of time). I always compose my reports in Word and then copy and paste into TTOL, so I don't time out. But if you want to try to upload some photos, you can edit the post and upload them, via the attachment manager. As a reminder, when using attachment manager, captions for photos have to be uploaded BEFORE the photo.
I didn't realize I had 6 hours to edit it after I post. I do know about entering the photo captions post attaching. I did compose it in Word where I added the html tags. Once you paste into the TTOL travel box is where I didn't want it to time out. Let me see if I have some time to add photos? I also didn't realize I was now on David's id, oops.
wow, thank you for taking the time to write such a complete trip report and pictures too--just a perfect read to keep me going through my withdrawal syndrome! We will have to try Mr. Chow's. We did enjoy Roma's but never made it back to try Mr. Chow. Thoroughly enjoyed reading about your latest adventure.
Louise, thank you so much for taking the time to post such a detailed report. I used to do that, but it eventually became too much effort, so I really appreciate the time it takes to do it! Your details on the various restaurants are so helpful to us in making decisions of new places to try later this month and next.
I appreciate all your comments. It takes time and effort as most of you know but to us it’s worth it. We have all of our trip reports in a 3 ring binder which we referred to for a number of reasons. It helps pass those long months in between vacations.
Thanks for another very informative report. I know how time-consuming it is and appreciate all your efforts. Sorry you couldn't spend all your time at BSV.
Louise, fabulous trip report, as always. I can never seem to get that motivated. We certainly appreciate the time you take. We also really wanted to try Roma this trip, but time got away from us. Next time for sure. Our son and DIL decided to try out the Dinghy Bar next to BSV 2 days before we left, while Ed and I went off for a little exploration of our own. They loved it. Kept saying they wished they had wandered down there sooner. They said the service was great, they enjoyed the drinks and the food, and said the owner came over to say hello and chatted with them for a bit. Taking the ‘kids’ to the island with us for the first time was a success. They’re already planning to join us again next November.
Robin & Ed
One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. - Henry Miller
wow, just getting geared up for our tripe next month. Awesome TR! I know how much time goes into this and can't thank you enough for all this rich info! mille grazie!!
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mille grazie!!