Need Advice from St. Martin Experts

[Rochmom]

We have a private tour booked with Bernard - problem is, I need to figure out what things we definitely don't want to miss.

 

We're not all that excited about Maho Bay, and will probably be at the beach enough the previous day that a brief stop is all we will want. I'm think lunch - or at least a snack, and a little shopping in Marigot. Our group is 3 adults and 3 teen aged girls. We'll be there on a Wednesday, 9 - 5:30 off the Dream at the end of this month.

 

Thanks for your help!

[Karysa]

No expert and never taken Bernards tour but for what you are looking for I would just take a taxi to Marigot in the morning, go shopping and then have lunch at the Marina Royale and take a taxi back to Philipsburg and continue with the shopping and then walk or taxi back to the port. My 3 teen girls really like Color Freak on Front St in Philipsburg. This would be far cheaper than taking a taxi and it would be very easy to do this on your own. If you wanted to add a little sightseeing or history to your day you could climb the fort in Marigot or stop by the small museums either in Marigot or Philipsburg. The cost of the taxi would be $8. per person each way.

[Ms411]

I've heard good things about the make your own perfume at the Tijon Boutique. I think Bernard has the boutique on his itinerary, but not the class. You can read the reviews on TripAdvisor.com.

[thequeen54]

No expert and never taken Bernards tour but for what you are looking for I would just take a taxi to Marigot in the morning, go shopping and then have lunch at the Marina Royale and take a taxi back to Philipsburg and continue with the shopping and then walk or taxi back to the port. My 3 teen girls really like Color Freak on Front St in Philipsburg. This would be far cheaper than taking a taxi and it would be very easy to do this on your own. If you wanted to add a little sightseeing or history to your day you could climb the fort in Marigot or stop by the small museums either in Marigot or Philipsburg. The cost of the taxi would be $8. per person each way.

 

best pizza and salads at LaBelle Epoque in the Marigot Marina!

[wd2crv]

Last time I was in St. Martin I took Bernard's tour but this time we will just take a cab to Marigot and browse on our own schedule. Wednesday is Market day in Marigot. And don't discount Maho Bay - it is really something to see these airplanes land so close! It was a good experience.

[gtaylor]

Taxi rates here.

 

Six to Marigot is $7 per person.

 

gary

[Rochmom]

Gary - I read through your posts, you're definitely what I'd call an expert!

 

Any suggestions as to where I might find Christmas ornaments for sale on the island? I like to collect them while on vacation.

[gtaylor]

I'd check the Shipwreck Shop , on Frontstreet, to the right facing the Courthouse. Little Switzerland may have them, as well.

 

gary

[Rochmom]

Thanks Gary, I appreciate the help. Nice photos, too. That will make finding them pretty simple.

 

Now I'm just keeping an eye on Irene, hoping she doesn't mess up our flight into Orlando on Friday. Looks good so far.

[Daycare Provider]

Gary-I will be staying at the Simpson Bay Resort for a week in Mid-May...what should I not miss? Should I rent a car for the week or go without? I understand that there are plenty of places to shop and eat within walking distance of our resort. Other than Bernard can you name a really great tour guide? Do you offer private tours?

You are welcome to e-mail me at

angela and john at charter dot net I would love to talk to you me directly about various topics....thank you for the help.

Angela

[gtaylor]

Thanks Gary, I appreciate the help. Nice photos, too. That will make finding them pretty simple.

 

Now I'm just keeping an eye on Irene, hoping she doesn't mess up our flight into Orlando on Friday. Looks good so far.

I completely missed that you're basically on your way. The photos that I linked to are a couple years old. You'd still find the Shipwreck Shop, but they've changed it a bit.

 

Here's a shot from June, part of my new updated Walks, coming soon.

 

(click)

 

Good luck with your flights, and enjoy the cruise.

 

gary

[gtaylor]

Gary-I will be staying at the Simpson Bay Resort for a week in Mid-May...what should I not miss? Should I rent a car for the week or go without? I understand that there are plenty of places to shop and eat within walking distance of our resort. Other than Bernard can you name a really great tour guide? Do you offer private tours?

You are welcome to e-mail me at

angela and john at charter dot net I would love to talk to you me directly about various topics....thank you for the help.

 

Angela

First, definitely rent a car. They're cheap. There's a lot in your neighborhood, but you need the freedom to explore the better beaches and restaurants that the island has to offer.

 

Also note that anything within walking distance is down (and thus UP) a really steep hill from the Simpson Bay Resort, formerly known as Pelican.

 

There are a lot of restaurants in the area, but not the best, and no special shopping opportunities like Philipsburg's Frontstreet, or even Marigot if you're into high-end French fashion, etc. It's possible to get to both by local bus, and you might ride into P'Burg one day as an adventure, but you probably won't want to do that.

 

Even though you're on the island for a week, if this is your first visit, you might still consider an island tour on your first day. Get a feel for the island. You could use Bernard or Joyce Prince, also mentioned here frequently. Both of them are personal friends. You couldn't go wrong with either.

 

As to 'what not to miss', that depends on what you're looking for. Shopping, beaches, bars, restaurants, Maho for the airplanes?

 

As for my own Pro Fessional Private Tours, I had agreed to do one (complimentary) for a Cruise Critic person who commented that Joyce was booked for their visit and we happened to be on-island at the time, but they ended up re-booking their cruise week.

 

That said, there is a possibility that we will be on-island next May. Probably late April into early May, but things change.

 

gary

[Rochmom]

Thanks for the new photo, Gary.

 

It looks like Irene is going to stay clear, so we should be able to get to Orlando just fine. Now my husband is fussing over another disturbance that's starting to form. We've missed St. Maarten once, and it's the port we really want to visit. If we fail this time, I think a land based trip is the next plan!

[stacis64]

No expert and never taken Bernards tour but for what you are looking for I would just take a taxi to Marigot in the morning, go shopping and then have lunch at the Marina Royale and take a taxi back to Philipsburg and continue with the shopping and then walk or taxi back to the port. My 3 teen girls really like Color Freak on Front St in Philipsburg. This would be far cheaper than taking a taxi and it would be very easy to do this on your own. If you wanted to add a little sightseeing or history to your day you could climb the fort in Marigot or stop by the small museums either in Marigot or Philipsburg. The cost of the taxi would be $8. per person each way.

 

We are planning on taking a taxi to Marigot in the morning and having lunch. Is a visit to Simpson Beach before returning to the ship feasible? Went to Orient Beach and Phillipsburg on the last visit and was looking for something different this time.

[karenesl79]

We took Bernard’s tour last Feb. He took us to an ocean overview deck where we got out, took pictures and walked around for about 10 minutes. Then we went to Orient beach and spent the rest of the morning. We left around 12:00, which was a good time because a wind storm quickly came up and the locals were helping people away from the beach. From there we drove to the shopping area where we got out and had about 30-45 min to shop. I didn't really see anything too worth purchasing and the restraints were slow and backed up, that a bunch of us returned to the bus and waited for the rest. From there we went to Maho beach, which was really the highlight of the tour. It was simply amazing watching the planes and jets land right over your head (you-tube Maho Beach). We went to a nice restraint and bar on the beach and bought a burger, fries and beer. It was a great day. We are going again next year and will go right to Maho beach and skip Orient. Bernard was a super tour guide and it was great to hear information about the island.

 

Karen and Doug

[karenesl79]

Oops, (the restraints were slow and backed up) The "restaurants" were slow and backed up. :)

[Karysa]

We are planning on taking a taxi to Marigot in the morning and having lunch. Is a visit to Simpson Beach before returning to the ship feasible? Went to Orient Beach and Phillipsburg on the last visit and was looking for something different this time.

 

Yes it is. You will need to leave Simpson Bay prior to the afternoon bridge opening though. I would leave by 3:30. I like the part of Simpson Bay by Mary Boon's and Karakter. Karakter is close on Tuesday's. Ask them to call a taxi for you before you are ready to leave.

[oshun11]

If you are going to Marigot, plan on spending a lot for everything. The prices are in Euros and the exchange rate is now at a very high rate. You can find everything you want on the Dutch side for less.

[Rochmom]

Had a great day with Bernard's driver, John, last Wednesday. Couldn't have asked for a better day, and everyone agreed that it was our favorite port of the itinerary, thanks to the fantastic tour.

 

By the way, most of the places we shopped in Marigot were doing a 1 for 1 on the Euro/Dollar.

[gtaylor]

Did you find your Christmas ornaments?

 

gary

[Karysa]

Had a great day with Bernard's driver, John, last Wednesday. Couldn't have asked for a better day, and everyone agreed that it was our favorite port of the itinerary, thanks to the fantastic tour.

 

By the way, most of the places we shopped in Marigot were doing a 1 for 1 on the Euro/Dollar.

 

1:1 in Marigot! What types of stores!:)

[Rochmom]

Gary - yes, I got a cute one in Rima's. I was originally thinking something more chic, but the little snowman caught my eye, which is all that counts! And having been to St. Maarten now, I understand why you keep going back - it's beautiful, and I know we only scratched the surface in 6 1/2 hours.

 

Karysa - the 1:1 that I experienced was in a cafe (Rosemary's), and in the marketplace. We didn't hit any of the high-end shops, because we couldn't think of anything we really felt like shopping for. We were having too much fun doing everything else to spend a lot of time shopping. I mostly have a lot of great scenic pictures.

[Karysa]

Gary - yes, I got a cute one in Rima's. I was originally thinking something more chic, but the little snowman caught my eye, which is all that counts! And having been to St. Maarten now, I understand why you keep going back - it's beautiful, and I know we only scratched the surface in 6 1/2 hours.

 

Karysa - the 1:1 that I experienced was in a cafe (Rosemary's), and in the marketplace. We didn't hit any of the high-end shops, because we couldn't think of anything we really felt like shopping for. We were having too much fun doing everything else to spend a lot of time shopping. I mostly have a lot of great scenic pictures.

 

Glad to hear that you had such a wonderful day on the island and I know what you mean, I still don't find much time to shop when I'm in St. Martin!:)