gtaylor Posted April 22, 2015 #1 Share Posted April 22, 2015 There are MAJOR changes coming to Orient Beach, beginning as soon as this June and scheduled to run into September. This is coming: (photo URL link below) I believe that this is a direct consequence of the damage from Hurricane Gonzalo. Here's an article from that period. It is now being reported on-island that the French Collective is undertaking a major rehabilitation of many of the beach's restaurant/bars (eight?). This appears to be planned from adjacent to Pedro's and north all the way to le String (included), from my information and looking at the project diagrams and renderings. Clip from the newspaper (Google Translate): "light structures divided into four modules, each with two restaurants and a shop with an adjoining tourist market and a walk along the plot." In the end, this will be on land owned by the Community, eight restaurants, four shops and a tourist market. At present, this parcel is exploited by "a dozen restaurants and shops," according to the Collective. Similarly, a 80 space car park and sanitation This is my list of beach bars, posted here last year. I have highlighted the spots that I believe will be affected. The only spot mentioned here that we have experience with is Orange Fever, and we love it. Sun Beach and Chez Leandra are in the cluster near Pedro's and the taxi stand, while Waikiki is quite a bit further down the beach and is, I understand, more expensive. Here's my list of bar/restaurant locations along Orient, from the Club Orient property and headed North. Papagayo The Perch Pedro's Andy and Cheryl's The Brothers Chez Leandra Ethnic Orange Fever Sun Beach Aloha Malibu le String Kontiki Kakao Bikini Beach La Playa Waikiki Coco Beach Palm Beach Boo Boo Jam (closed) gary p.s. I didn't walk the entire beach in 2013, but I believe this list is correct. Any suggestions for changes is welcome. The rest of the spots beyond le String appear to be unaffected, at this time. Thanks to Google Translate, here's a couple of pages from the local French-language newspaper Le Pelican: Rendering Area Affected Personally, I am very saddened by this. We've been visiting St. Maarten/St. Martin for well over 30 years, and have seen much (too much) Progress. But each step seems to detract from the Caribbean Island that we love. We really don't like the idea of St. Maarten being turned into a Miami Beach or even Key West or even St. Thomas, but it's coming. We're losing our Funky. :( (click) gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcg4550 Posted May 7, 2015 #2 Share Posted May 7, 2015 And so goes the charm of the quaint beach bars on Orient that we have come to love. Orient moved to its own vibe and doesn't need to be like those other touristy destinations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananas27 Posted May 12, 2015 #3 Share Posted May 12, 2015 We are headed there in mid June. We went to Sun Beach last year and are planning to return. It is so much fun and a great deal to get a chair a drink and restroom use for the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtaylor Posted June 20, 2015 Author #4 Share Posted June 20, 2015 It appears that the 'destruction' phase of this project has begun. Many of the restaurants that I mentioned above are now closed, and some are currently being demolished. gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruising grandma Posted June 20, 2015 #5 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Oh, no! I was planning to go there from Oasis a week from Wednesday! We have gone to most of those little bars, and lately have gone straight to Orange Fever. Guess I'll go to some place between Kontiki and Palm Beach. I, too, enjoyed the special little beach bars. If I want to shop, I'll stay in Phillipsburg.:( I'll report back here when I return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtaylor Posted June 20, 2015 Author #6 Share Posted June 20, 2015 No Orange Fever (our favorite), but remember that a number of them will still be open, as well as Pedro's and the offerings at Club Orient. gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruising grandma Posted June 20, 2015 #7 Share Posted June 20, 2015 "Progress" sometimes really ruins neat little beaches. Labadee used to be so much more enjoyable, before RCI started building concrete walls and money making areas. Yes, I rode the Zipline and the dragon coaster, but I miss the old laid back Labadee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcg4550 Posted June 21, 2015 #8 Share Posted June 21, 2015 It appears that the 'destruction' phase of this project has begun. Many of the restaurants that I mentioned above are now closed, and some are currently being demolished. gary Do you have any current photos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruising grandma Posted July 7, 2015 #9 Share Posted July 7, 2015 I was in St Maarten last week, and did go see for myself the demolition going on. Pedro's is open, but all other Restaurant/beach bars from there to Kontiki have been/are being bulldozed. There is a chain link fence up around the site. They were still clearing off the properties. Since there are less places, the prices have increased to $10 per lounger and umbrella, with no included drink. Last year, most charged $7 for chair, umbrella and drink. While sitting in a lounger on the beach, something stung my arm. It stung, swelled, got red, and had fever for several days. It is still itching, but is better. I went by medical on the ship, and they offered me to buy a $3 tube of hydrocortisone or pay a fee starting at $120 for seeing the doctor. They also suggested me putting ice on it. I had some hydrocortisone and did use and ice bag several times. I also had asked a local lady on the beach for a small section of aloe plant, and rubbed aloe on it, which helped relieve the stinging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtaylor Posted July 7, 2015 Author #10 Share Posted July 7, 2015 I think that chair and food prices have historically been higher at the spots on the stretch of the beach that remains open. It will be very interesting when places like Orange Fever reopen. Current image from Orient. NOT my photo: (click) These spots are gone: gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
negn Posted July 7, 2015 #11 Share Posted July 7, 2015 Suppose to be done by the time I get there in Oct. But who knows with island time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbaraanne Posted July 9, 2015 #12 Share Posted July 9, 2015 Suppose to be done by the time I get there in Oct. But who knows with island time I will be there in October too. When you say "done" do you mean just the bulldozing and clearing away will be done or will the new places be built by then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lard Greystoke Posted July 9, 2015 #13 Share Posted July 9, 2015 Orient Beach is just the right size for an airport runway. That way, instead of the planes coming over your head you could run alongside them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtaylor Posted July 9, 2015 Author #14 Share Posted July 9, 2015 I will be there in October too. When you say "done" do you mean just the bulldozing and clearing away will be done or will the new places be built by then? See my Post #10, above. The demolition phase has already been completed. They are moving very quickly with this (government) project. It is supposed to be completed by the end of September. gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie51 Posted July 10, 2015 #15 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Thank you for the info. Very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruising grandma Posted July 10, 2015 #16 Share Posted July 10, 2015 See my Post #10, above. The demolition phase has already been completed. They are moving very quickly with this (government) project. It is supposed to be completed by the end of September. gary Actually, the demolition is still happening. There are several walls of old beach bars still standing, and huge piles of rubble, too. They were working with a bulldozer the day I was there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtaylor Posted July 10, 2015 Author #17 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Actually, the demolition is still happening. There are several walls of old beach bars still standing, and huge piles of rubble, too. They were working with a bulldozer the day I was there. Weren't you there on July 1st? The photo that I linked to was taken July 4th. gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinybabynurse Posted July 23, 2015 #18 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Sad to hear this. I will definitely miss Orange Fever and a few others also. I will be surprised if the most of beach bars return at all and much more surprised if their reasonable prices are still in effect if they do return. Looks like there will now be no reason at all to travel all the way to Orient Beach just to recreate the atmosphere of great bay and the cruise pier shopping area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtaylor Posted July 23, 2015 Author #19 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Unless you might want to actually get into the water. gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Booper Posted July 25, 2015 #20 Share Posted July 25, 2015 The last time we were there (Nov 2014?), there was a lot of erosion of sand between the beach bars such as Baywatch and Orange Fever and the water/sand level, with damaged ladders etc. We couldn't make it up the ladder to OF and had to walk 30-40 feet down the beach to a different spot, clamber up the incline and walk back to OF. As part of the reconstruction I guess they will be leveling the sand and the beach bar level. This was a couple of weeks after the hurricane. Many of the places were closed because of storm damage and were still being rebuilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmy Posted July 25, 2015 #21 Share Posted July 25, 2015 Very interesting and thanks for posting this info. Scheduled to go there in October and have enjoyed Orange Fever in the past. My first few visits years ago to Orient were to Kontiki an Kakao/Bikini beach area so might have to go that way again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimgirl1 Posted July 28, 2015 #22 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Wow, we will be there in Feb, these new additions will be a must see. What else is planned for the "boardwalk"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karysa Posted August 1, 2015 #23 Share Posted August 1, 2015 DH is not a fan of Orient but we went to check it out today for Gary and those that are interested. :) The old beach bars from past Kontiki to before Club O are gone. There is a fenced area behind where these buildings were and there was sand spread out level and one digger/escavator. That's all we saw. we did not see anyone in this area to speak to about the progress and the only people that we knew at all on Orient were the guys at Orange Fever and there is no OF currently. Orient had quite a bit of seaweed today and was pretty choppy. We decided not to swim and went to Grand Case for lunch and Mullet for a swim. No seaweed today at Mullet and it was quite calm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtaylor Posted August 1, 2015 Author #24 Share Posted August 1, 2015 Thanks! :) If you have any photos you could e-mail them to me and I will post if you like. gary e-mail is in profile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karysa Posted August 1, 2015 #25 Share Posted August 1, 2015 Thanks! :) If you have any photos you could e-mail them to me and I will post if you like. gary e-mail is in profile. No photos taken of the site or beach. DH lugged his big Nikkon with lens along with our towels and noodles but he did not take a single picture of the beach or the work site. Honestly Orient isn't the same in the summer as it is in high season. It's simply uninspiring. We most likely will go to LeGallion in a few days and we can stop by Orient and snap a few pictures and send them to you. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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