TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin SXM for first time

My wife and I are coming to St Martin the first week in June for anniversary. Staying on north end of Orient Beach. Looking for restaurants, activities, beaches to visit and massage for the wife. Thanks in advance.

Are you open to traveling outside Orient for dinner and are you renting a car? That will open up many more suggestions from fellow TTOLers.

There are more than several restaurants in Orient Village as well as L'Astroble in the Esmeralda Resort and a restaurant at La Plantation both in Orient Bay.

Outside Orient Bay there is Paradise View on the main road as well as Rancho del Sol.

Grand Case is very close with many high end restaurants, some with water views and reasonably priced locally owned locally operated bbq restaurants.

Some of the beach restaurants have parties at night but it isn't on a regular basis. Most beach bars close by 6 if no patrons.

Orient beach for many of us is the best beach on the island.Orient village has many great restaurants (Le Piment is a favorite of ours ) Grande Case has many great places as well. Depending on your sensibilities take a walk down to Club Orient for a unique experience and the best massages on the beach. Rent chairs there and you won't be harassed by the vendors constantly trying to sell you their wares. Happy hour from 2:30 to 3::30 at the Perch bar is a must. Lunch there is also pretty good. Enjoy !

Car rental is almost a must. We have used an outfit on the French side for years. They will meet your flight and see you off at the airport on the (weep) last day. Google Automax. Nice people, nice cars always there for you. The smallest (cheapest) car with an automatic transmission suits us fine. I hope you enjoy the Island and beware that most first timers are back next year.

You will love the area. Many fun things to do on the beach. You may want to try the Butterfly Farm which is closeby. Plenty of great restaurants at Orient Village including our favorite also, Le Piment. A car would give you a chance to explore. Check out the sponsors on this board if you want to rent one. With the car you could head into Grand Case for a few good meals as well as hit Marigot and Philipsburg which both may be about 20 minutes away.

Wonderful massage experience at la playa.

Lucky you
Checking how long you are staying, what does north end of Orient mean [Mt Vernon or behind Waikiki / Coco or?]
Do you want a car to explore a bit

So I'll make my guess to those questions and my suggestions

If at Mt Vernon, you need a car. Lots of places to eat nearby including Villa Pizza, Jam Rock etc.

Beach bars on Orient, the large ones Kontiki north to Coco and Palm Beach beyond, you can google or others here will give their opinions. The new bars south of Kontiki, several shoul dbe open by June. Club O is great, you can rent chairs by the day, for me that end has the best beach and water.
In Orient Village, 8 resto's in the square, plus Petit Casino for supplies, several places for morning croissants and a baguette. Macaron has rotisserie chicken you can order, order in the morning, pay and let them know when you will return.

Outside of the village going north is Rancho, in gas station beyond is Mimo pizza, going to Grand Case, just before the roundabout is Enzo pizza and Al Dente

Past the roundbout is Grapes - good for wine and lovely aged rhum. Behind Simply [ignore Simply] is Bacchus, nice deli, wine, rhum and a resto.

So now you are in your car - lots - lunch or dinner in Grand Case, Marigot mkt, Wed is best. Mullet Bay just west of Maho. Yacht Cub at the bridge, happy hour at 4 or breakfast, 12 Metre Challenge in Pburg and so on

If only a wk, I would suggest [at my peril] a bit of plan to maximize your fun. Pick 2 or 3 things you really want to try, add in some maybe's, add in beach and you time [it's your anniversary and enjoy.

If dining out at night, consider a cab, WIlfred Brooks is a sponsor and a nice man

Enjoy - wish we had gone to St Martin on our anniversay

J&B

Thanks for the info. Will look into cab for nights we want to overindulge! like anniversary. Will be a Coco Beach (Esmeralda). Picked it because away from all tourist (but close enough to walk). We WILL take your suggestion on 3 things we WANT to do, and if other things get done, great. Planning on lots of rest and WE time!

Thanks. Will check it out! Always up for good happy hours. 2 votes for Le Piment. Car is reserved.

After your first 10 trips to the island, there will still be things to discover, but doing a drive around the island (at least one time) is definitely interesting.

"... Will be a Coco Beach (Esmeralda)...."

On my daily beach walks I noticed, sign board, Coco was serving dinner [6 to 8?] too far for us in the evening on the beach [though we were told it would be OK walking the beach at night??] - we were staying closer to Kakao - regardless, Coco might be a dining option on the beach in June if you are that close
Anyone eaten dinner at Coco?

J&B

So true. We're starting our 24th visit March 3rd, and we still have places and things we haven't gotten to.

Hey WWII, if you're still on island then, Sheila has a party at the Greenhouse on 3/8. Hope you can come!

Not a great idea to walk the beach at night. Part of the reason most of the restaurants are closed at night is because it's not safe. I personally know several people that have been mugged on Orient Beach at night. I imagine it's not something that happens often, but better safe than sorry.

Very good advice from Jaybird. Glad someone chipped this in.

We've been coming annually for over forty years and we still do the obligatory drive around the island to see what's new and what's changed and every year (usually two trips a year....) we still manage to find new things we want to do or places we want to see and experience. It never gets old...... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Agreed, not a good idea to be walking on Orient at night.

We are signed up. Looking forward to it.

OK! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Same menu as lunch, open only for dinner during high season.

Bernd <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />