Wow! We are really sleeping in this vacation. Again, we didn’t wake until 9am. My wife prepared breakfast of scrambled egg sprinkled with parmesan cheese on a tortilla. This is how we usually eat at home, not much pastry like we’ve had so far, so we both felt lighter afterward. As usual, I prepared pour over iced coffee to accompany our breakfast.
After breakfast we walked down Orient Beach to Orange Fever. This was our first time parking ourselves on beach chairs there. A nice breeze is coming off the ocean, so though we had second tier seating we still felt comfortable behind the first row seats. We asked the beach attendant (proper parlance?) for a bottle of water with two cups of ice. We wanted to wait until lunch before having a beverage with alcohol. Around 1pm we made our way up the beach for lunch. I’m not sure if is the heat but neither of us were very hungry. So we ordered calamari with fries to share, a bottle of water and I had a Presidente and my wife had a Corona. It was all very good. We actually like the vibe at Le String better, maybe because we’re in a rut and have gone there so often, but Orange Fever is a hopping place with lots of people on the beach and dining. We were reminiscing about frequenting Andy and Cheryl’s Baywatch for so many years back in the early 2000’s and wondering where their great hangout was located in comparison to Le String and Orange Fever. We think it was located closer to Le String but we could be wrong. After lunch we went into the water for awhile. It is so warm and refreshing. We chose to head back to our studio after our swim and call it a day at 2:30 as far as the beach was concerned.
Around 6pm we headed down to Bikini Beach bar for sundowners. She had a rose and I had another spritz, this time made with mint. It tasted like a mojito light and was again refreshing. We find the staff here very friendly, lots of smiles and excellent service. We enjoyed our cocktails watching a kite surfer just off the shoreline. He seems to be here daily riding the wind and waves.
We were undecided about what to do for dinner so we headed over to La Place du Village (we like to call it the cul de sac) to stroll around, peruse the menus and see what stirred our appetites. Again, we weren’t that hungry so it was difficult to figure out what would be good on this evening. The restaurant staff are usually there at the posted menus to say hi and encourage you to dine. The waitress from La Trattoria recognized us from our dining experience on a previous night, which was fun. After reading several menus we decided to go back to Sao for sushi again. The food there is so good and the wait staff so attentive and pleasant. We both had sushi rolls, Aqua roll for her, Tiger roll for me, side salads and glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and a bottle of flat water. We always ask for ice as we like our water cold and most all the time add ice to our white wine or beer to keep it chilled. The meals here are always amazing and this was no exception.
We returned to our studio very satisfied and wondered how we got hungry all of the sudden. We watched another episode of Drops of God on my iPad, had a nightcap of rum on ice and now she is asleep and I’m writing this report. No wonder I sleep in to 9am
Tomorrow’s plan is to drive to Friar’s Beach (thank you for all the feedback). We’re bringing cash and high expectations as we had a wonderful experience here, albeit almost 20 years ago. No plans for tomorrow beyond that.
We do have a catamaran cruise on Thursday and need to be there by 8am. Anyone have feedback as to what to expect with traffic at that time of day? I want to be sure to leave adequate time to arrive on time from our departure destination behind Nowhere Special on Welfare Rd.
Love the pictures, especially of Orange Fever! Please keep the reports and pictures coming for the sake of those like me who don’t have another trip planned until mid November.
Your experience at Bikini certainly differs from ours; maybe things have changed there. Friendly is not a word I would use to describe the staff there. Maybe we'll give it another try,
We stopped for a drink in March at Bikini. Our order was taken and for about 20 minutes we watched others being served who came in after us. I am with you GaKaye, it was not a pleasant experience and attempting to pay our check was about the same as getting service. My last 2 experiences there have pretty much taken it off m y list.
Two Christmases ago I dropped in at a slow time...after testing my french patience the older male bartender serves me... i ordered a drink and a bottle of water. Wellllll... i tell you the episode of entire disbelief i would dare ask for water was one of a kind.. water, (in french) he said... WATER??????.. WWWAATTERRR???? yes, please. And left with both in hand.
Guess bartenders dont serve bottled water???
I left with a mental note to bring my business to next door Yellow Sub.
I miss Corina and Roger.
Le String and Orange Fever are also favs. Thx for the pix.
Regarding traffic I would probably want to err on the side of caution. While low season you never know, maybe leave early (6:30am-ish) and grab a coffee somewhere on the Dutch side near the pier.
We had many meals at Bikini Beach. I think your playful attitude is appreciated. I had it out with a server and we laughed about it. You can not be uptight and just go with the flow…
Thanks for the feedback on when to leave for the Dutch side and our catamaran sail. We were going to leave an hour before but I think an hour and a half makes more sense. Good to know we can get coffee and/or breakfast if we arrive sooner. Parking is another concern but the cruise folks said there is a public parking area down the street on the other side. Hopefully we’ll find a spot
Sorry to hear of all the gnarly experiences some have had at Bikini Beach Bar. So far, and I have to say on trips we’ve had in the past, we’ve always had friendly servers and good service. When we’re ready to leave I always walk over to the area of the bar with the cash register and with a smile let them know we’re ready to cash out. It’s one of our favorite places to hang out, particularly for sundowners.
I would take the negative reviews with a grain of salt (if you need a drink quick, just sit at the bar). The new Bikini menu looks great as well, excited to try it this year.
I would take the negative reviews with a grain of salt (if you need a drink quick, just sit at the bar). The new Bikini menu looks great as well, excited to try it this year.
We were sitting at the bar when we were ignored. We are very cordial and polite people, always greet the bartender or server when we enter, and are welcomed warmly everywhere else on the island. I'm happy that your experience is better, but we won't go back. Too many places appreciate our business to patronize those that don't,
I'm with you on this one and out on Bikini beach/restaurant!! I'm in service industry, you are not going to fly that rude "BS" on me!!! I asked one of the guys ( before irma) if they charge for chairs if you have lunch with them. I got a grunt and a half eng/fren answer "Idontknow". Bruno had built this amazing restaurant at LaPlaya that Irma took away. He rebuild something very special to replace it. Since then he sold it to lovely people. The food is amazing and if you like Sushi, this is to die for!!! The beach guys are really nice and always there should you need anything. Alexandra, one of the lead waitresses takes our afternoon reservation with a big smile an lovely greeting. I love the flatware and silverware! It's my thing, if I'm going to dine a cut above the rest on the beach. I want to eat in the same fashion!! Give it a try and ask for Alexandra!!
Oh my😝. Get a life, dude. I'm truly enjoying all these reports and pics! WTH?? I'm one on this forum who usually refrains from making negative posts, but you made me do it!😁😎. Chill
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