Orient Beach/Maho

[lecach]

We've planned all along to spend our day at Orient but my sister in law wants to go to Maho too. She found a tour that has you at Orient for 2 hours and Maho for 2 hours. I don't think it's enough time at Orient and perhaps too much time at Maho.

 

How hard would it be to get a taxi to Orient, spend about 4 hours there and then get a taxi to Maho for a short visit and then back to the ship? We'll be there on March 12 when I think there are 6 ships in port so I am a bit worried about traffic. We sail at 6:00 so I thought if we left Maho around 2:30/3:00 we should be fine.

 

Any advice?

[seashinesunshine]

We've planned all along to spend our day at Orient but my sister in law wants to go to Maho too. She found a tour that has you at Orient for 2 hours and Maho for 2 hours. I don't think it's enough time at Orient and perhaps too much time at Maho.

 

How hard would it be to get a taxi to Orient, spend about 4 hours there and then get a taxi to Maho for a short visit and then back to the ship? We'll be there on March 12 when I think there are 6 ships in port so I am a bit worried about traffic. We sail at 6:00 so I thought if we left Maho around 2:30/3:00 we should be fine.

 

Any advice?

 

I think your plan is doable. Traffic is bad, but leaving Maho around 3 would be fine if you leave at 6. Have your taxi bring you to the ship, not to the downtown shopping area, which is a 15 to 20 min walk to the ship. It takes about a half hour to go from Orient to Maho. It will be easy to find a taxi, headed that way. Personally, I don't think it's possible to have too much time at Maho. :D

[LuckyZ]

I think your plan is doable. Traffic is bad, but leaving Maho around 3 would be fine if you leave at 6. Have your taxi bring you to the ship, not to the downtown shopping area, which is a 15 to 20 min walk to the ship. It takes about a half hour to go from Orient to Maho. It will be easy to find a taxi, headed that way. Personally, I don't think it's possible to have too much time at Maho. :D

 

You should look into booking Bernards tours. It's about a 6 hour island tour that has you spending about 2 hours on Orient Beach and about an hour at Maho, along with alot of other interesting stops along the way. $45 pp is a great deal for a great tour

[gnatz007]

We've planned all along to spend our day at Orient but my sister in law wants to go to Maho too. She found a tour that has you at Orient for 2 hours and Maho for 2 hours. I don't think it's enough time at Orient and perhaps too much time at Maho.

 

How hard would it be to get a taxi to Orient, spend about 4 hours there and then get a taxi to Maho for a short visit and then back to the ship? We'll be there on March 12 when I think there are 6 ships in port so I am a bit worried about traffic. We sail at 6:00 so I thought if we left Maho around 2:30/3:00 we should be fine.

 

Any advice?

 

If you are trying to maximize beach time and still get to Maho to see the planes, consider skipping Orient, and hitting Mullet Bay Beach. Mullet is extremely beautiful, and a quick walk from Mullet to Maho, skipping traffic from Orient back to Maho. We absolutely loved Mullet Bay.

[Bagette]

If you are going to Maho to see planes, you really want to be there around 12:20, when the big KLM 747 lands, AND 2:15 when it takes off. In between is when most of the other big planes arrive.

 

I spent the entire day there last Friday, and it was a (literal) blast! Between the exhilaration of a 747 flying THiSclose to your head, and the fun of watching idiots sandblasted and blown into the water during take offs, well, I personally don't think the beach can be beat! :-). It is even fun to watch the little planes.

 

Caveat, the water is a little rough, as it breaks right at the beach line. But if you time it right, it is easy to avoid the break while getting into the water. The beach is also really steep. Probably not the best spot for little ones.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Bagette

[dohertm1]

Maho and Orient are on opposite ends of the island. Orient is beautiful. If Maho is the priority for the day... you might consider renting a car. We did for about $60 U.S. and explored the entire island with plenty of time to spare for swimming and the great restaurants in Grand Case on the way to Orient. Way, way cheaper than excursions or taxis and much more freedom. Enjoy your cruise.