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Island Marketing Tours LTD

bettyboop16

By bettyboop16,
in St. Martin/St. Maarten

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Limeia

Limeia

Posted
Posted
Has anyone used this company & taken the Tiki Beach Island Tour?

 

Betty :)

 

We are using them this December. When do you plan to go? We have used this company before for other islands and have been happy with them. Have never been to St. Marten, so I can let you know our thoughts after we get back.

 

I have a thread about this tour on here and haven't received much info.

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bettyboop16

bettyboop16

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We are using them this December. When do you plan to go? We have used this company before for other islands and have been happy with them. Have never been to St. Marten, so I can let you know our thoughts after we get back.

 

I have a thread about this tour on here and haven't received much info.

 

Thanks, we are crusing in Feb.

 

Betty

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  • 1 month later...
Limeia

Limeia

Posted
Posted

Yes we are back and settling down after the holidays and trying to get used to the cold michigan winter again!

 

Here is the good, and the bad of "Tiki Beach Island Tour" through Island Marketing.

 

Our ship arrived on St. Maarten @ 7am as scheduled to a beautiful sunny day. We were told to meet 15 minutes before 9am. at the "tourist information desk" in the port. We arrived by 8:30am. (we were a group of 16 and our reservation said we would have 2-12 seat vans.) Ok, so we're waiting and our guide says we are waiting for more people to fill up the vans. O.K. this is all fine, but we are still waiting. The next group of people are late...must be they didn't get the memo to be 15 min. early! Then they all have to use the rest rooms :roll eyes: So off to the vans. Nice vans except there is not what you would call a real isle way to get to the back, so it was quite a squeeze to get in and out if you set in the back. O.k. so far. Our driver was o.k. rather soft spoken, but rather informative.

 

Our first stop is Cay Hill lookout point. Just a quick stop to take pictures, then back in the van. (I just took my picture through the window..since I was in the back:eek: )

 

Next stop is Maho beach. This was suppose to be at the end of the tour, but o.k. which ever, wherever. Had maybe 1/2 hour here. Enough time to take a few pictures, order a drink and use the restroom. Beware of some topless women here. Never did see a large jet take off or land, just saw a small plane land.

 

Next we head to Marigot on the French side. Stop at the street market and only have 20 minutes here. Barely enough time to shop around. Then off to the ferry.

 

Pinal Island is BEAUTIFULL! We get dropped off and are told we are to use the loungers at "Yellow Bird" they have reserved for us. O.K. Sounds fine. So we start to park ourselves in the front row. Wait...no, no the "beach boy" says. We have to use the ones in the last row, that's were they put our "reserved" signs on!!! What's the difference, we paid to be at this beach...first come first serve, my philosophy. Ok, won't make a scene, we all park ourselves in the back row. It was after all only 3 rows back.

 

"Beach boy" brings us all a rum punch. Ok, so our 1 free drink was not just any drink to order. While the others are settling in, I take off to explore and take pictures. This is a very beautiful place, the sand is soft, the water calm. I had planned on doing some snorkeling but the area to snorkel was not the closest. Not terribly far, but then again, not right off the beach. By the time I got back to the loungers after taking a few pictures I find out that 2 of our couples wanted to use the little tables that were out in the water. (no one was using them). Oh, no,no,no...said the beach boy...they did not "ask" to use them and when they argued about it and said they weren't being used he told them Quote: "your acting like a bunch of kids"! Now, we are not a rowdy group of people, so where that came from..I don't know. Anyway, back to our loungers in the 3rd row!

 

Talked to a man from our other van (from the other group of people that rode with us) how the snorkeling was. He said not very well. Glad I didn't try to snorkel then. It looked like it would have been nice, but maybe it was just the time of day.

 

Well it was 3pm...time to head back to the ship. Oh no...what happened to our 3 hours at Pinal Island?! As it turned out we only had 2 hours there. Not sure where we lost the time, that we missed out on an hour. Was it the other group that was late...was it taking time at Maho beach? Don't know.

 

You can take this review how you want. These are just the facts on how our day went. I personally could do without Maho beach. Don't get me wrong, the beach was pretty, it was a nice stop, w/no jets. Pinal Island is wonderful if you get to choose where you want to lounge at. (there are two sections...yellow "yellow bird" or the white loungers at "karabuni". Did not order anything to eat, brought our own snacks. The prices are pretty steep IMHO. I tried to post pictures here but it didn't work. I'll find another way and post a few.

 

P.S. A couple of girls, in the first row did take their tops off. So if this bothers anyone, just beware.

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Limeia

Limeia

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Cay Hill Lookout:

<a href="http://s762.photobucket.com/user/Limeia/media/DSCN2798.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx268/Limeia/DSCN2798.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCN2798.jpg"/></a>

 

Maho Beach:

<a href="http://s762.photobucket.com/user/Limeia/media/DSCN2807.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx268/Limeia/DSCN2807.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCN2807.jpg"/></a>

 

Ferry to Pinal Island:

<a href="http://s762.photobucket.com/user/Limeia/media/DSCN2825.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx268/Limeia/DSCN2825.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCN2825.jpg"/></a>

 

<a href="http://s762.photobucket.com/user/Limeia/media/DSCN2829.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx268/Limeia/DSCN2829.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCN2829.jpg"/></a>

 

"yellow bird" loungers:

<a href="http://s762.photobucket.com/user/Limeia/media/DSCN2830.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx268/Limeia/DSCN2830.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCN2830.jpg"/></a>

 

This photo is taken where you snorkel looking back toward "yellow bird" beach:

<a href="http://s762.photobucket.com/user/Limeia/media/911b26d9-ad64-4a56-9201-fdf12d35f58d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx268/Limeia/911b26d9-ad64-4a56-9201-fdf12d35f58d.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 911b26d9-ad64-4a56-9201-fdf12d35f58d.jpg"/></a>

 

Geez..I thought the photos would show!

Edited by Limeia
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