Taxi etc. Questions for St. Maarten

[JuJuBe500]

I posted this thread on the St. Maarten port of call section too, but I figured I'd post here as well to get as many answers as possible.:)

 

Sigh...I can't believe how many taxi related St. Maarten threads I have read and still have questions.

 

Anyway, here it is...we'll be in St. Maarten from 9am to 6pm (is island time the same as Miami time?) and I'd like to first take a taxi to Marigot and find some good pastry/croissant type French (Dutch? Don't know what side Marigot is on) breakfast (any recommendations?). The SXM Taxi website does have a fare for the cruise ship dock to Marigot (is that private taxi or the kind where you wait for it to fill up?), so thats not a problem. But, from Marigot I'd like to go to DIVI Little Beach for a while. Are there taxis in Marigot that can take me there? I didn't see any info on that on the taxi website. Anyone know how far it is from Marigot to there, and approx. how much money? Then maybe DIVI to Maho for the prime time to watch planes. Taxis available for that trip? Cost? Distance? And, whew, finally MAYBE maho to Bayside Riding Club which is next to Orient Beach. Is that far? Taxis available? Distance?

 

LOL.:o :p That is a lot I know! But any ANY info anyone has would be appreciated.

Oh yeah, guavaberry liquer. Best place to buy?

Thanks!!:eek:

[southcarolinacruiser]

We went to Marigot from the ship and it was $6 per person I believe. We took a taxi to Marigot, shopped, had espresso and then took a cab (again $6) to Orient Beach. We rented beach chairs and just relaxed on the beach. It was beautiful. Then we took a cab back to the ship. No problem.

[kyriecat]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but have you looked at a map of Sint Maarten/Saint Martin? The ships dock just outside Phillipsburg on the Dutch side. You want to go all the way across the island to Marigot on the French side for breakfast. Then you want to come back across the island to Little Bay which is located just on the other side of the peninsula from Phillipsburg. I have to ask why you want to go to Little Bay. I stayed at the DIVI resort for a week in '00 and that is not one of the better beaches on the island. There are so many better ones - Mullet Bay (my fav), Dawn, Simpson, etc.

 

Sorry to get off topic. From Little Bay to Maho then across the island again to Orient Beach. Then back across the island to catch your ship. I think you are probably over-doing it.

 

Taxis are plentiful on St. Maarten, drivers are scary - typical for the Caribbean. A trip across the island Phillipsburg to Marigot, Marigot to Little Bay, Maho to Orient) should run around $6 - $8 pp. Little Bay to Maho will be around $4 or $6 pp. The drivers usually don't negotiate the fares much although they might decrease by a dollar or so if you ask. Also, make sure you have plenty of dollar bills - the drivers don't carry change. If your fare is $14 and all you have is $20, you're out of luck.

 

When you get off the ship, you should be able to find a taxi easily. Same thing in Marigot if you stay along the main shopping area or in the open market at the base of the old fort. I don't think there are many taxis around the Little Bay area but if you walk across the peninsula (it's small) to the main information/gate area of the DIVI resort, there are a bunch of taxis. There are usually some taxis around the beach bar at Maho (forgot the name) but if you aren't planning on staying too long, you can tip your driver and ask him to wait for you. There should also be plenty of taxis around Orient Beach as well since it is the main tourist attraction.

 

If you don't mind my butting in a little, I would recommend finding a cafe in Phillipsburg for breakfast. There are plenty of restaurants along Front Street although I don't have a recommendation for breakfast. After breakfast you can either walk (about 20 minutes) or take a cab to Little Bay. From Little Bay you can go to Maho Beach. If you want to stop by Marigot for shopping, it's on the way across the island to Orient Beach.

 

Personally I would skip Little Bay. Maho is interesting because of the planes going overhead but it's a small, crowded beach. If you want to see the planes, stay for around 30 minutes than go to Mullet Bay, which is a larger, prettier beach not far from Maho. If you want to head to Orient or Marigot from there, you should have some time.

 

The port times you listed are based on Miami time. During daylight savings time, Caribbean time and Eastern time are the same. During standard time, Caribbean time is one hour ahead of Eastern time.

 

I tried to attach a link below to a site that has a good map to give you an idea of where everything is located. The island isn't really that large, but there's no point in running from one side to the other and back.

 

http://www.graphicmaps.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/stmartin.htm

 

Other things to note - when dining out, the French side usually adds the tip into the bill but the Dutch side doesn't. La Vie en Rose in Marigot (if it's still there) has excellent duck and salads if you want some lunch. It is right across from the open market. On the Dutch side, the Turtle Pier Pub near the airport is also a good choice. Order the conch fritters or chowder. The mahi is also good.

 

There are plenty of liquor stores along Front St. in Phillipsburg that sell the Guavaberry liquor. There's a guavaberry store that is also on Front St. (I think) but I remember the prices being higher than in the liquor stores. The upside is they will give you a free sample. If you have other questions, let me know. I'm sure a few things have changed in the past few years but I'll help if I can.

[JuJuBe500]

Thank you, first off, for your replies.

 

Kyriecat, for the life of me I could not find a map of St. Maarten. I thank you profusely for providing a link to one for me. :D The reason I wanted to go to DIVI Little Bay beach was because I had read rave reviews of it on this board. In particular a girl who lives there said she goes there when her and her friends want to go to the beach. I am basically looking for a beach that is not crowded, has nice sand, offers water sports like jet skiing, and has clear water. We want to "get away", so to speak, and don;t want to deal with a lot of people or pestering "salespeople" (of which I've read contrary experiences on C.C., I just don't want to be harassed while on the beach trying to relax by someone trying to sell me something). You know, a place that the locals would go to and love. Have any suggestions? Was Simpson or Mullet Bay like that? Where is Dawn?

 

I'll probably take your suggestion about finding a cafe for breakfast in Philipsburg after looking at the map.

Also, do you know whether the beginning of October is daylight savings time or standard time in the Caribbean? And if its standard time, by one hour ahead do you mean that Eastern time would be 9am and Caribbean time would be 8am? I can't seem to find that information either. I'm not very resourceful am I.:rolleyes:

And finally, have you heard anything about Pedro's near Orient Beach? I heard that they're reasonable with good food, but I want to make sure I experience the full flavor of the Caribbean too.:)

 

Thanks again!

 

Julie

[bchbms]

You might be better off renting a car on your own and going where you want to go on your own time. We did this last Fall. There are lots of car rentals right at the dock. We rented a Jeep for less than $50 for the day for 4 of us. There is only one main road that goes all the way around the island, so it is very easy to find your way around. You pass all the beautiful beaches and can stop in Marigot for lunch before heading back to Philipsburg and stop to do some shopping or whatever. They drive on the right and the roads are not bad at all. We had a great day and did everything at our leisure without worrying about when the next taxi would be around. Have a great time!

[kyriecat]

Julie,

 

I guess the map didn't have everything labeled. Divi Bay is located on the left side of the peninsula with Fort Amsterdam. The Divi resort takes up nearly the whole peninsula. There are jet ski rentals available at Divi. There aren't too many boats docked in that area so you would have plenty of running room. My idea of a beach day is sitting in a lounger, reading a book, and listening to the waves (not the wave runners). Divi didn't appeal to me because the beach area itself is small and seems crowded when only a few people are around. It might be great for water sports though.

 

Mullet and Simpson also off jet ski rentals. Simpson is probably more crowded with boats since there is a marina just inside Simpson Lagoon (big lake in right side of island). You will find clear water everywhere. Orient Beach is probably the most crowded but also has the best selection of rental water craft. It is THE tourist beach on St. Martin. Dawn Beach is not labeled on the map I sent, but it is right there next to "Oyster Pond". It is the least crowded of the amenities beaches (beaches with restaurants/ changing areas) but I don't think it offers jet ski rentals. Dawn Beach is designed for people more like me.

 

I never had problems with anyone being pushy on St. Martin. The only place I remember people trying to sell necklaces and hair braiding on the beach was at Orient. They weren't really pushy because they normally would go elsewhere if you firmly said "no, thanks".

 

Daylight savings time doesn't end until Oct. 31 (day I get back from my cruise) this year so "ship time" and St. Martin time will be the same.

 

The map site I sent you has links to some St. Martin sites under suggested links - St. Martin Tourism and Sint Maarten.com. They might be useful to you. I also ALWAYS check out Fodors and Frommers websites when I am planning a trip. I tried to attach links for you.

 

http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=st_martin_maarten@150&cur_section=ove

 

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/stmartin/0183010001.html

 

I have never eaten at Pedro's so maybe someone else can help you there.

[imsulin]

Thanks for your very excellent and informative posts, kyriecat! Well done!

[JuJuBe500]

I have to agree with imsulin. You are extremely informative and patient kyrie!:D

 

Thank you again for all your answers. You are single-handedly making my planning for this port much much easier! I think I am going to rent a car when I get off the ship so I can drive around myself and see the different beaches. We'll probably eat breakfast and shop a little in Philipsburg, then go to DIVI 'cause its right there and rent a jet ski if they're reasonably priced. Then maybe drive around a little, see the beaches for ourselves. Definitely Maho for a little while around 11:30, noon for the planes. Dawn Beach sounds good, so does Baie Rouge especially for snorkeling.

I am very much looking forward to this stop!

I hope you have a wonderful time on your own cruise. Are you also going to St. Maarten?

 

Julie

[Valerie]

Kyriecat, Thanks for your informative information about St. Maarten. I will be there in two weeks and have not planned any tour or excursion for that port as yet. I think I will take your advice and go to Mullet Bay for relaxation after a little shopping in Marigot. However, I'm undecided as to whether I hire a taxi or rent a car for the day.

 

I hope this is not a dumb question, but what is the fascination at Maho with watching the planes land? To me, the beach would be noisy from the planes flying overhead.

 

The Turtle Pier Pub near the airport with the conch fritters or chowder sounds wonderful, especially with one of the local beers or a glass of wine to wash iit down :D. I also love mahi mahi.

 

Again, thanks for your info, and thanks to Julie for posting the question. You have helped me plan my day in St. Maarten :)

[CaribbeanCruisesRock]

Well, taxi's cost a lot though.

[Kay D]

After visiting St. M on 5 cruises, we stayed there for week last year & drove all over the island & to the various beaches.

 

For those of you planning to rent a car, PLEASE spend some time studying maps of SXM & getting grasp of the island layout & where you want to go. Yes, it is a relatively small island & not too mountainous (like St. Lucia), BUT there are very very few street name signs anywhere!!! Sometimes only a sign advertising a restaurant will give you a clue which road to take! Also on some roads, like the one from Phillipsburg to Simpson Bay & airport, there can be huge traffic jams, so you must plan for this type delay within your timing of your day on St.M. We had a whole week to learn all this -- you have only part of a day!

 

As to beaches -- we LOVE Orient and would highly recommend that one -- we also liked Dawn Beach & it is far less crowded. The little bar on Maho by the runway & adjoining beach are fun but not where you want to spend much more than 45 minutes!

 

Since many of the beaches are accessible through hotels or resorts only, you also need to study where the public accesses are located.

 

Just do a Search on Google or MSN for St. Martin & you'll get a ton of information & you'll find some great maps online!!

[imsulin]

CaribbeanCruisesRock, please tell us how much taxis (plural...not taxi's possessive) cost on St. Maarten. You said they cost " a lot". How much is "a lot"? I've never paid more than $12.00 for my taxis on St. Maarten. And you?

[Kay D]

Oh Yes, I forgot to add that the taxi drivers we have met over the years on St M are very very nice & helpful & EVERYWHERE, when cruise ships in port!!! Remember cruise ships are their LIFE BLOOD!! Plus St. Martin is more developed & more sophisticated than some of the Caribbean islands (again St. Lucia is my best example).

 

We loved staying at St. Martin & are planning another trip there -- last time there I fell on tile coming off the beach & broke my arm, and their doctors & hospital were just fine -- only cost us $500 for xrays, surgeon who had to relocate the bone & set my arm!!

[imsulin]

One thing I'll say about the taxi drivers in St. Martin - any time we've asked them to meet us at a particular place to take us back to the ship, they've always been there! We tip them extra, because we've even had them come down on the beach to let us know they were there. Now, St. Thomas taxi drivers......BIG difference!!

 

Kay D - did you have trip insurance when you broke your arm?

[Kay D]

No I did not have trip insurance for that trip -- we always buy it for cruises. We were there on a timeshare exchange.

 

My Blue Cross policy covers out-of-country situations @ 80%, so I submitted an accident report, as well as the paperwork from St M hospital with exchange rates & a letter from the surgeon, and got $400 of it back. We paid the St. M hospital with AmExpr card. Interestingly I was the ONLY PATIENT in the Emergency Room that evening for 2 hrs I was there!! Thought that was amazing -- here in US the lobby would be packed!

[isujim]

Maybe I missed this, and I'm going back to reread the posts........what about renting a taxi for say a 2 hour tour of the highlights of the island?? We did that in Aruba at about half the cost of what the ship was asking for basically the same tour.

 

Can you hire one for a couple of hours and does anyone know the cost?

 

Thanks

 

Jim

[kyriecat]

Julie,

 

If you rent a car, please be careful. Kay is right about the traffic and the lack of signs. When hubby and I were there, we rented a car after the first couple of days (the taxis do get expensive). I don't think we ever really figured out how the traffic works. Red lights seem to be more of a suggestion that a rule to stop. We got lost a couple of times (once trying to find Dawn Beach). We never felt unsafe, even when lost, but like most of the Caribbean islands, there are areas of poverty.

 

I don't know how familiar with the Caribbean and Mexico you are, but the cab drivers are about the same. They drive a little more agressively than I do, and I am used to Houston traffic. If that doesn't sound familiar, maybe you've ridden in a cab either in the French Quarter or downtown Chicago. I usually have a death grip on the door handle and am stomping the invisible brake pedal in the backseat! The good news is that of all the cabs I've ridden in, none have ever had an accident.

 

The drivers are usually friendly and will point out various landmarks as you go by (I had one guy point out his sister's house). For a reasonable tip, they will come back to pick you up at the beach to take you to your next stop.

 

If you still want to rent a car, I think we rented from Hertz. There was a rental place at the Divi resort by the front gate. I don't know for sure if it is still there. I think we spent about $30 or $35 w/tax & insurance for a 3-cylinder. It wasn't fast but it got us around. There are a few steep hills on the island. I remember we had to turn the A/C off to go up one of them because it was draining too much of the engine power! Another thing to remember - think metric! Speed limits are km/h and gas is dispensed in litres. At least they drive American style on the right side.

 

I would like to get back to St. Martin. We're doing a family cruise w/ my parents & aunt and uncle on the Rhapsody out of Galveston this year. It's only an hour from the house. Next year we have a Mediterranean cruise booked for the fall and I'm trying to persuade Jeff to get me the 4-night Bahamas cruise out of Miami for my birthday. By persuade, I mean, "Honey, if you let me book this cruise for January now, you won't need to get me anything else."

 

Valerie,

 

I don't understand why so many people want to visit Maho. It's cool to see the planes go over a couple of times but it gets noisy and the planes seem to stir up the waves and make the water really choppy. The beach is very narrow and not much of it during high tide. We went because we had a week on the island and decided to try a different beach every day. I think we only stayed on Maho for a hour at most before going over to Marigot.

 

I hope you enjoy your trip. I love St. Martin and want to go back, either on a cruise or for a land vacation. I'm sure you will enjoy Turtle Pier.

 

Jim,

 

I think you can get a cab tour for a couple of hours for around $40 or $50 + tip, for two or three people. Like most of the islands, find out the price up front and carry some small bills since the drivers don't have change.

[JstUsTwooo]

We have been looking for a jeep to rent...or for that matter anywhere near the port to rent ANYTHING!!! If anyone knows who's at the port, please advise...

 

Thank you soooo much!!!