We used Transat Vacations out of Toronto for our sixteenth or seventeenth time to St. Martin. Uneventful flight arrived just before noon and met Lesley Bruce of Kenny’s who was waiting for us, helped us with our luggage out to our car did the paperwork and gone in about 5 minutes!
A quick trip to Mercure Simson Bay (our third time here). Renting a car lets you beat the bus so check in was a breeze had a beautiful first floor room overlooking the lagoon. Our stay was uneventful except for a leak in the roof of our shower – no problem 15 minutes after the repairman arrived we were given a two story loft – very nice indeed. It looks like renovations are being done as our room on the first floor had a new refrigerator in the room as apposed to on the patio, the third floor was as usual. Food at Mercure is interesting! People who are used to all-inclusive resorts with huge buffets will be disappointed! There is a breakfast buffet as well as a barbecue lunch buffet and a seafood buffet dinner, other than that all meals are a la carte with normally a meat or seafood choice and a desert. We enjoyed all of the meals that we ate at the hotel. Normally we eat breakfast and dinner at the resort and then find lunch at whichever beach we are at.
Saturday night we tried something new, the lobster buffet at Captain Oliver’s. It was wonderful. Great setting, nice music, a perfect way to start our holiday and a definite must on every new trip. Thank you Philippe.
We spent Sunday morning on Bay Rouge and after that almost every day was spent at Mullet Bay, we went over to Orient most days but just found it too windy for us. We have found that if Orient is too windy then Mullet will be more comfortable and also the opposite to be true. Yes Rosies ribs are still very, very good. It was windy enough one day that it blew our umbrella inside out. Oh well off to “1234 and More” to get another one for $17.00 across the road from Le Grande Marche supermarket at the traffic circle in Cole Bay, if that makes sense.
On this trip we tried three new things the previously mentioned dinner at Captain Oliver’s, Sunday night at the Buccaneer Beach Bar to see the Fire Ball, quite an enjoyable night, and then a new beach for us Simpson Bay Beach and Karakter’s
http://www.karakterbeach.com/index.html. Free chairs and umbrellas if you get your drinks from Karakter’s. We also had lunch there INCREDIBLE! We had a platter for two which included a glass of sparkling wine each, chicken satay in a wonderful peanut sauce, a mango wrap, a panini style sandwich, two shooters of gazpacho, and 5 coconut shrimp for about $34.00, (if memory serves us correctly) a tremendous value.
On Tuesday afternoon we went to the Sunset Café in Grande Case Beach Club for the Sunset and a glass of wine each ($6.60 for two at happy hour!) a beautiful view and a very good value. Then back to Mercure for dinner and then back to Grande Case for harmony nights, the street was crowded but the restaurants didn’t seem to be all that busy. Wednesday night we went to the Harbour in Marigot and were shocked at how few people were in the restaurants – one was busy the others didn’t have enough people to keep one restaurant busy!
Saturday morning we dropped off our luggage at the Air Transat counter. A strong word(s) of advice do not leave a car unattended in front of the airport where it says No Parking! They mean it, $75.00 to reclaim the car. I am not complaining rules are rules but I think it is a lot faster and cheaper to park in the lot across the way. After that we went to the driftwood bar had a few cool ones and a swim while time ticked away. Then Lesley appeared, drove us to the airport and we were away after another great week in paradise.
A few comments, we had no crime problems or concerns (although we were not out at night very much). Noticed the Gendarmes were inspecting cars at the round about at the north end of Marigot one night. Traffic was good although we did get caught at the bridge once.
We were quite happy with the island, our hotel, Lesley Bruce and the people, we will return.
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