# Saint Marten advice



## RandyK (Jun 5, 2008)

My family and I are planning to head to The Pelican Resort in Saint Marten this August. Has anyone been there around this time of year. 
Are there alot of bugs (mainly Mosquitoes)? 
Are there any pitfalls that I should be aware of?
Is the beach water safe for preteen children - sea urchins, sharks, etc???
What is the recommended method to get from the airport to the resort?
(if taxi, how much did it cost)

Thanks for any and all advice, this is our first vacation away from Cancun.
-Randy


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 5, 2008)

Its been 10-15 years but I recall the French side as attractive and the Dutch side as unattractive. We liked Cancun much more than St Maarten.

Sterling


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## KathyA (Jun 5, 2008)

*I own at Pelican*

The water is safe.

Not sure how much a taxi costs because we always rent a car.  It won't be too much though, because the Pelican is VERY near to Princess Juliana Airport.

Not sure about mosquitoes in August because we normally go in January and February.  I've also been there in November.  Never had any problems with mosquitoes.

You'll have a great time; there are lots of great restaurants now within walking distance of the Pelican and it is far cheaper on the Dutch side than on the French side.

The Pelican has water sports, restaurants, a small grocerey store, a spa, and water sports facilities all onsite.  Still, I would really recommend renting a car because there are more than 30 beautiful beaches on the island and you will need a car to get to them.  On the other hand, if you are stressed by traffic you may want to bypass it--the traffic can be horrific.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have.


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## Kal (Jun 5, 2008)

The most important thing about going to St. Maarten is having a car.  Using a taxi would be far too costly and you would miss out on everything the island has to offer.

You can easily rent a car in August for about $150/week.

The only problem in August will be hot weather and the possibility of a hurricane.


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## Denise (Jun 6, 2008)

Our family visits were in July or August. While warm there was always a nice breeze and it was usually more pleasant than Delaware in August. Sometimes in the afternoon there would be a brief downpour lasting anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. Car rentals are a good deal and to see the island...necessary. We would visit a different beach every day and our favorites were Friars & Plum/Prune. I can't remember mosquitos being a problem, at least not on the beaches. A day trip to Anguilla for some snorkeling at Shoal Bay makes a nice family outing as well.


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## RandyK (Jun 7, 2008)

Thanks for all advice.
I found some interesting videos on youtube - I would of never thought to look there. This is going to be significantly different than Cancun. For all recommending a rental car, have you had a problem finding parking? Are parking fees expensive?


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## Kal (Jun 7, 2008)

The only place where parking is a problem is in Philipsburg proper.  Everyelse is wide open.  For Philipsburg just schedule your time when there are no cruiseships in port.  Even then, park in a pay lot for a few dollars.  Marigot can be a challenge, but you will always be able to find a spot if you don't mind a short walk.


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## TomR (Jun 8, 2008)

Randy: As you state, your vacation in St. Maarten will be significantly different than your vacations in Cancun.  In Cancun, you can spend your entire vacation right there in the hotel zone and have a great time, with an excursion or two thrown in.   In St. Maarten, there is no such thing as a hotel zone.  You really need a car if you want to experience the island.  The Pelican beach is nice, but there are better ones.   One word of advice though, if you get a car, and I hope you do, never leave anything in it, even in the trunk.  No sense in taking a chance that your valuables will be stolen.

 Tom


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## tombo (Jun 8, 2008)

http://cdn.tripadvisor.com/pdfs/tca/TCDestinationsAwards2008.pdf

My parents went to St Maarten in April of this year and it is their favorite place they have ever been. They liked it better than Hawaii, the Bahamas, Cancun, Jamaica, or Grand Caymen. As you can see from the above link, my parents aren't the only ones who like St Maarten better than anywhere they have ever been. Phillipsburg St Maarten was voted the 3rd most popular destination in the world in 2008, and Marigot (French side) was the 21st most popular destination as voted on trip adviser. Phiilipsburg was voted number 1 in the carribean, and marigot came in at number 7.
My parents got a rental  car for around $200 for the week, and they drove all over the Island every day to various restaurants, shops, towns, and many, many beaches (they did say that traffic is horrible). The liked both the French and Dutch sides but said that the Dutch side was much better on the wallet. There are nude and topless beaches on the French side, so you are forewarned in case you would be offended.  You must got to the sunset bar and stand on the beach while a jumbo jet flies just over your head on it's way to landing on the runway. Never stand on the beach for takeoffs as you will get sand blasted. You tube has great videos of both takeoffs and landings. I have never been to St Maarten, but my parents told me that I must go, and I am planning on making the trip in 2010 (if I still can afford the air fare).

This is another great site for St Maarten information.
http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/first/index.shtml


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## Krteczech (Jun 9, 2008)

*Car is "a must"*

You will need to rent a car to enjoy the island. Driving on narrow roads with many speed bumps can be challenging at the time, but you want to see the whole island... (at least once). It is a good family vacation destination, not Cancun, but in my opinion, much better.
We went for New Year 07 and will return for Christmas 08.


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## x3 skier (Jun 10, 2008)

I always think of Cancun as "The United States South" since everything is very familiar. Only real difference is there are more Spanish speakers . Nice place but not much different from the Florida Panhandle. Tulum and other sites are the only real differences IMHO, but they are truly worth seeing.

SXM is a lot different with the Dutch and French sides, more spread out and more varied things to do and see (than if you just stay in the Hotel Zone in Cancun). Of the two, I definitely prefer SXM. 

Cheers


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## Aldo (Jun 10, 2008)

You don't necessarily need a car to see St. Maarten.  The Pelican is but a short walk from the jitney stop.  You can catch a jitney to Mullet Bay Beach, to Philipsburg, to Marigot, to Grand Case, etc.

Given the price of gas and the horrendous traffic congestion, public transport is the way to go. 

Gas will never get cheaper as long as YOU keep using so much of it.

Granted, there are plenty of neat places in St. Maarten that you can't take a jitney to, but there are enough that you can get to by jitney to keep you busy for a long time.


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## Aldo (Jun 10, 2008)

TomR said:


> Randy: As you state, your vacation in St. Maarten will be significantly different than your vacations in Cancun.  In Cancun, you can spend your entire vacation right there in the hotel zone and have a great time, with an excursion or two thrown in.   In St. Maarten, there is no such thing as a hotel zone.  You really need a car if you want to experience the island.  The Pelican beach is nice, but there are better ones.   One word of advice though, if you get a car, and I hope you do, never leave anything in it, even in the trunk.  No sense in taking a chance that your valuables will be stolen.
> 
> Tom




The chance that anything left in a rental car on St. Maarten will get stolen is somewhere between 99.99 and 100%.  This includes spare tires and jacks.


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## Janis (Jun 10, 2008)

We love both Cancun and St. Maarten. They are very different and provide for a varied vacation experience.

When you visit the beaches in SXM, you will need a chair and an umbrella (at least we always did). You can either rent them every day, buy them once you get to the island, or throw them in as extra baggage. Although, now that they are charging per piece of luggage - that may no longer be an option.

The nice thing about having your own chair/umbrella to lug around is that if opt to visit more than one beach per day, you won't have to pay two rental fees.

The food on the island is amazing. The beaches are phenomenal.

It's more work with kids than Cancun is - but for the adults - SXM wins hands down as far as I'm concerned (and we are Cancun lovers..)


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## timesharejunkie4 (Jun 10, 2008)

Janis said:


> We love both Cancun and St. Maarten. They are very different and provide for a varied vacation experience.
> 
> When you visit the beaches in SXM, you will need a chair and an umbrella (at least we always did). You can either rent them every day, buy them once you get to the island, or throw them in as extra baggage. Although, now that they are charging per piece of luggage - that may no longer be an option.
> 
> ...


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## Kal (Jun 10, 2008)

Aldo said:


> The chance that anything left in a rental car on St. Maarten will get stolen is somewhere between 99.99 and 100%. This includes spare tires and jacks.


 
My Dad always told me "never say always".  There have been many, many times when I left stuff in the rental car and it was not stolen.  Of course I'm not saying it was highly valuable "stuff", but still stuff that I wouldn't like to lose.


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## Malibu Sky (Jun 13, 2008)

I have the same resort on hold right now with RCI as a trade for August 24, but am a bit concerned about the hurricane situation...is this island a prime hurricane target?  Does anyone know if we will be guaranteed a "bad" room as a trader...and how bad are the "bad" rooms.?  Any greasing the palms of the desk clerks possible at this resort.  Will 2 teens like it?

Just a few ????'s....Thanks


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## nerodog (Jun 14, 2008)

*if you are feeling ambitious... see some nearby islands*

Hi, we loved the island when we went and stayed next door at the Divi LIttle bay... you do need transport to get around tho. We enjoyed taking day trips to Anguilla and to neighboring St Barts... you should think about it since you can see and compare the islands.. liked the beaches , very nice and beautiful views everywhere... there used to be a Java shop which sold Indonesian prints on very cool material in downtown Philipsburg. Have fun !


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## stmartinfan (Jun 15, 2008)

Just a clarification - Divi Little Bay is not next door to Pelican.  They are in different areas of the island - Divi is just outside Philipsburg; Pelican over closer to the airport.  

Of course, whereever you stay, SXM is a great place to visit.  We enjoy spending a day at Orient Beach, shopping for souvenirs and beach wraps at Rhimas (on the back side of Philipsburg), and enjoying great meals everywhere.  If you enjoy being on the water, try one of the catamaran trips to Prickly Pear island or Anguilla.  A relaxing way to spend the day and nice snorkeling.


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## nerodog (Jun 15, 2008)

*sorry about that.. thinking of a different resort*

SOrry for the misinfo... I am thinking of a diff. resort next to Little Bay.. nevertheless, you will enjoy yourself !!!


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## tombo (Jun 15, 2008)

The Belair Beach Hotel is the resort next to the Divi Little Bay.


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