Here goes what I’m sure will turn into a very long-winded, boring, first time trip report but I promised myself I would write one. These reports kept me going through the long months leading up to our trip so I wanted to return the favor.

CAUTION: If you are interested in reading about fine French cuisine or shopping read no further as we did none of that. Sand gravity ya know.

We are a couple in our mid-40s who got the travel bug about 5 years ago. After a stop in SXM on the Carnival Glory in 2003 we vowed to return as soon as possible to paradise. We love cruising but wanted a more relaxing vacation this time. This was a perfect choice and RELAX we did.

Booked our April trip in January through our local travel agent who has always provided us with excellent service and great prices. Booked flight through US Air and were originally scheduled to leave 4/3/05 and return on 4/9/05. Right before our final payment was due I was shopping around on the US Air site and found that I could save $820 total by changing dates from 4/2/05 – 4/8/05. Promptly called travel agent, changed dates and was thrilled with the savings.

Saturday: Departed Knoxville, TN at 7:05 am, connected in Charlotte and arrived in SXM at 2:30 pm. Flights were pretty close to on time and uneventful. Realized we had overdressed immediately after stepping off the plane. (Will wear shorts and tank tops next trip no matter how cold it is leaving the states.) The new air conditioned airport is sure to be an improvement. Immigration went smoothly and within about 15 minutes we were in the baggage claim area. This was a zoo as we had arrived at the same time as the flight from San Juan. Had trouble deciding which conveyor our luggage would be on. After about 20 minutes of looking decided to find somewhere to sit down and have a drink and much needed cigarette. Went in and had a couple of 1$ beers and a smoke then off to find luggage again. (Would recommend heading straight for bar and then luggage next time.) Found 1 bag with no problem but our second bag never showed up on the conveyor. After some searching found someone to ask about missing bag. He immediately left and returned with our bag (and for a tip) handed it right over.

Our ground transportation from airport to hotel was included in our travel package through St. Martin Sightseeing. Found our driver with no problem and after a short wait for another passenger were off to the Alamanda Resort.

We were greeted warmly by Allen upon our arrival at Alamanda and after a short check-in Nicholas arrived to escort us to our room. As I picked up my carry on bag that we had been lugging around since 6:00 am, Nicholas said firmly “Ma’am please put that down. You are on vacation now, I will take care of everything.” That was the attitude we encountered from everyone on the staff during our stay. WOW!

Our room #115 was everything we had hoped for. Even though it was on the ground floor and the foliage prevents much of a view you could still sit on the patio and listen to the ocean (which we did a lot of). The bathroom was spacious with a tub and separate shower (and yes it did have a door). Kitchenette was well equipped and had one of the coldest mini-refrigerators we have ever seen. Perfect for keeping those beers chilled. Alamanda is perfectly situated just steps away from the center of Orient Beach.

It was about 5:30 pm and by this time we were getting pretty hungry (and thirsty) since breakfast was about 8:30 am in Charlotte. We did not rent a car so set off on foot to the square area next to Alamanda. Found a little bar/café next to Tap Five and settled in for a cold beer and burger. We split a cheeseburger (you will find we mostly split entrees as the portions on the island are very generous). It was quite good (although not quite done enough for my taste). After dinner went to Tap Five and stocked up on provisions (beer and soda) then back to the room to unpack and relax on the patio. We were exhausted from the day of traveling so turned in early to get ready for our first full day in paradise.

Sunday: Awoke early to a beautiful sunny day. Made our way to the pool area for the complimentary breakfast of baguettes and croissants with fruit, juice and coffee. Headed for the beach about 8:30 am. Picked out a spot in front of Kakao settled in, then strolled the beach for awhile. Back to our chairs and sand gravity promptly took over.

After a couple of cold beers decided to drag ourselves away from our chairs and find some lunch. Had heard so much about Andy and Cheryl at Baywatch decided to make this our first stop. So glad we did as it became our favorite hang out on the beach. Many choices on the menu but finally decided to split the Beer Battered Scallops and some onion rings. WOW!!! I had never had scallops deep fried and they were amazing. I was hooked on the first bite. Andy found out we were from the south and asked if we liked grits. (Had just gotten some in and wanted someone to experiment on.) I said sure, can you put cheese on them? His reply: “Honey I’ll put beer on em if that’s what you want”. After another beer (or two) headed back for Kakao beach with the promise of grits on Tuesday. (Baywatch closed on Monday.)

More relaxing on the beach, walking and people-watching then back to the room to shower and find more food. (Beer and food a high priority on this trip). Made our way to Tap Five pizza where we were greeted by the friendly co-owner. I ordered the Vegetarian pizza and asked for something with meat on it for Ed. “You like pepperoni, I make pepperoni” he says. Two pizzas were way too much but I knew I would want some to take back for midnight snack. Service was EXCELLENT and the atmosphere outside made it easy to strike up a conversation with those around you. Happy and full returned to our patio to relax before bedtime.

Monday: Again, another beautiful day! Sent Ed to the café to bring breakfast back to our patio. Headed back to the beach for more fun in the sun. Back to the room for left-over pizza for lunch (still great warmed over). Jimmy and Elaine from Texas were arriving today and they had graciously invited us to ride to Aqua with them for the TTOL party. Met up with them about 4:30 and headed for the party. This was one of the highlights of our trip (thank you Kathy). Enjoyed meeting everyone (forgotten most of the names already). The appetizers were delicious (loved the Mahi-Mahi). The manager/bartender did an excellent job of cheerfully keeping glasses filled even when slammed with orders. Jimmy and Elaine were getting tired and hungry after their day of travel so we headed back for Alamanda where they ate at the restaurant to the right behind Tap Five Pizza (name?). We had a beer with them while they ate. Not sure what they had but it looked too pretty to eat. Thanks Jimmy and Elaine for a great evening!

Tuesday: Another beautiful day! Made our way to Baywatch for breakfast. Andy was too busy making ribs and sauce to have time for my grits so we feasted on omelets and home fries instead. More great conversation with Andy and back to the beach chairs. Had lunch at Kakao. Ed had a great cheeseburger and I tried the Kakao pizza. (I am a thin crust pizza addict, can you tell?) Wasn’t crazy about the pizza, it had a little too much bleu cheese for me, but helped Ed finish his generous portion of fries. Back to the beach for a nap.

Met up with Jimmy and Elaine and had a drink with them at the pool. They invited us to go with them to Astrolabe for dinner. I wanted to try Peg Legs so we declined and made arrangements to meet them for breakfast at Baywatch in the am. (Maybe I’ll get those grits!) Allen at the desk arranged for a taxi which arrived promptly. Winston (taxi driver) was great fun and full of information about the island. He honored our request to stop at a grocery to restock our provisions (beer) escorted us inside and helped us find everything we needed.

Dinner at Peg Legs was OK. Ordered 10 oz filet and an appetizer sampler to split. The steak was EXCELLENT. The sides and the appetizers were just OK (didn’t try the chicken fingers or wings saved them for later). Go for the baked potato instead of mashed potatoes as the mashed seemed to be the frozen variety and not very tasty. Service was a little slow even though they were not crowded at all. Winston arrived promptly at 10:00 pm to take us back to Alamanda.

Wednesday: More sunshine! Met Jimmy and Elaine at 8:30 am for breakfast at Baywatch. WHAT! No grits again. I again opted for the cheese omelet. Ed asked for a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich (not on the menu) and it was cheerfully prepared just as he ordered it. Elaine and I enjoyed a couple of Mimosas.

Wednesday was a very heavy cruise day so we had asked Allen about walking to Coconut Grove beach. He assured us it was an easy walk and we would have no trouble finding it. Made our way toward Club O where we asked directions to the path. Kind of sketchy directions but we did find the beach after a couple of false starts. The beach there was very calm and shallow (a GREAT place to take small children) and not crowded at all. Enjoyed relaxing there and talking with the couple sitting next to us from New York. They had a 3 year old who was really enjoying his time on the beach. Had a few drinks then time for lunch. The beach has a small snack bar where we had a cheese sandwich and a tuna salad sandwich, both served on baguettes with lettuce, tomato and onion. Very tasty, especially the tuna. After some more beach time we made our way back to Alamanda. The trip back was about a 30 minute walk since we knew where we were going this time.

Met up with Jimmy and Elaine by the pool. They were going into Grand Case to Talk of the Town and asked us to join them. Good choice! Great Food! Great Price! Ed and I shared the Rib and Chicken platter. Plenty for two. Ed got some great pictures of the sunset. We walked around Grand Case for awhile then called it a night. Thanks again Jimmy and Elaine for more great company and great food.

Thursday: A little cloudy, but still a beautiful day! This was our last full day on the beach and I was already dreading the trip home. Had breakfast on the patio once again (I had given up on the grits). Headed for our favorite beach chairs and enjoyed more cocktails from our friendly bartender. Lunch time rolled around and I just had to have the scallops at Baywatch one more time. This time an order for both of us. I wasn’t about to share. Took me forever to eat them all but I finished every bite. Enjoyed watching Andy barking orders and making his rounds. This was truly a great place! Back to the beach chairs and a nap.

Asked Allen to call Winston for a ride to Sunset Beach Bar and a casino. Arrived at SSBB in time for a beautiful sunset and watched one of the cruise ships depart after dark (a beautiful sight). Enjoyed the music, had a few beers and did some souvenir shopping in their gift shop. We walked to the Royal Casino and lost a little on the slots but made up for it on Let It Ride. Great place with friendly dealers who were very patient with novice card players (me). Had arranged for Winston to pick us up in time to get back to Tap Five for more pizza. Again great pizza and friendly service.

I must tell this story because I found it simply amazing. We were eating our pizza when one of the waiters came out. He turned around pointed at Ed and said “I remember you. I was your waiter at Bikini Beach when you were here on a cruise ship awhile back.” Now how bizarre is that! This guy must meet thousands of people in a year and he remembers Ed after a few hours on the beach. He said that Ed had asked for a Tequila Slammer and he didn’t know how to make one. After some instruction they had everyone at the bar drinking them. I thought that was just too funny!

Friday: Another beautiful day and I am SO SAD! I had kind of hoped it would rain or something so I wouldn’t find it so hard to leave. Packed up most of our stuff and headed out for our last couple of hours on the beach. Got a great picture of Jimmy and Elaine on their balcony as we were making our way down to the beach. Checked out at 12:00 and made our way back to the airport for our 3:20 pm flight out. Hung out at the bar and very sadly left paradise right on time. Immigration in Charlotte took a long time as there were two international flights arriving at the same time. Got to our gate about 5 minutes before they started boarding our flight back to Knoxville.

Wow, I didn’t mean for this to be so long but I had a great time writing it. It was almost like going there all over again. Next time maybe sand gravity will not take over so completely and we will actually do something besides lay on the beach. I really wanted to see Pinel Island and Dawn Beach and maybe do the Pub Crawl or America’s Cup. I guess that’s a great excuse to make another trip!

If anyone has any questions send me a PM or reply here and I will try to help.

Becky


[Linked Image]