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SXM, Mexico or Grand Cayman and expenses

krmlaw

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Hello!
We are trying to decide between St Maarten, Mexico and Grand Cayman.

Anyone have any idea what gets the better exchange rate? I cant seem to find it.

In Grand Cayman, we'd be staying at Morritts. In St Martin, probably Bel Air Beach Resort, and in Mexico Grand Mayan Rivera. All would be in 2 bedrooms. Thanks!
 

tombo

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I can only speak for the Belair Beach Hotel on SXM. My parents stayed at the Belair this spring and loved it. There is a great restaurant/bar on site. Two or three nights they have live music, and Friday night you can reserve a romantic sunset dinner on the Beach. My parents said they set up your table on the sand beach and serve you your meal as the sun sets and the waves roll in and out. In fact my parents said the restaurant had much better food than the places at the Divi next door and better than most places they ate on the Island.

They said the Belair was an older resort, but well maintained, and every unit is ocean front with private balconies. They watched cruise ships sail in and out of Phillipsburg daily from the balcony. They said the water is that turquoise blue that the caribbean is famous for, and drinking coffee every morning on the balcony was one of their favorite parts of the trip. Many of the paid snorkeling trips bring tourists to the jetties over by the Divi because it is some of the best snorkeling on the island. My Dad rented a mask and fins and simply walked over there and snorkeled daily.

My parents went all over the Island and said they liked it better than any Island they have ever visited including Hawaii. One half of the island is French and the other half is Dutch. The Fench side is the Euro whch has a bad exchange rate, but the Dutch side exchanges one for one which makes prices there reasonable. My father said driving from the airport to the Belair he knew that he was going to love this island. Phillipsburg SXM was voted the 3rd most popular destination in the world for 2008, and number one in the caribbean on trip advisors annual list.
http://cdn.tripadvisor.com/pdfs/tca/TCDestinationsAwards2008.pdf .

They said the island has 20 something different beaches which have everything from calm water to decent waves, white soft sand to rocky beaches, shallow wading water to deep swimming locations, and bikini clad sunbathers to nude beaches. Orient beach (half clothed, half clothing optional) is usually rated one of the top 20 beaches in the world. Maho beach has the closest beach to an airport landing strip of any in the world. My father went to the Sunset Bar right on that beach and said they have the landing/takeoff times of the jumbo jets listed on a chalk board. When a big jet is coming people walk down to the beach and watch the jet fly directly ovrhead on it's way to landing. Go to youtube and search St Maarten airport videos to see it. It has to be an unreal experience.

I have not been to SXM yet, but after my parents great reviews and beautiful pictures it is a trip I will take in 2010, and I will try to stay in the Belair Beach Hotel (I would go to SXM in 2009 but I have already booked Aruba). I am sure you can't make a bad choice with any you listed, but my parents think SXM is the best place they have ever been for the food, the beaches, and the shopping. Their only complaint was the traffic which they said is horrible.
 

x3 skier

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Based on my experience, cheapest to most expensive regardless of the exchange rate. Mexico, St Martin and then by far the most expensive, the Caymans.

A lot depends on what you want to do/see.

Cheers
 

caribbeansun

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Comparing apples, oranges and pears here.

The differences are vast between all three in terms of safety, location and things to do.

Mexico = peso = cheap

SXM = US $ and Euro = French side is expensive due to Euro

GCM = 1.25US$ to 1 CI = can be expensive if you aren't smart about where and how you spend your $'s (it can be done quite reasonably without depriving yourself, particularly alcohol)





Hello!
We are trying to decide between St Maarten, Mexico and Grand Cayman.
 

krmlaw

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Thanks everyone, sounds like SXM will be it for us. We have friends who own at the Belair and rave about it as well. It might not be new, but very nice they tell me, and right on the beach.

Does anyone know if the Belair is within walking distance to Phillisburg?
 

Rod in Louisiana

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The exchange rate, by itself, means nothing. What really matters is the final cost of the item in USD equivalent. For example: the exchange rate in the Cayman Islands is $1.25 USD for one Cayman dollar (CI). Let's say the exchange rate in Mexico is 10 pesos to one USD. If the cost of a particular item in Mexico is 300 pesos ($3 USD) and the cost of that same item in the Cayman Islands is $2 CI ($2.50 USD), then the item is cheaper in the Cayman Islands, even though Mexico has a "better exchange rate."

That having been said, Mexico is much, much cheaper than the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands have a very high standard of living, for the most part, and they have to levy taxes to provide the services that go along with that standard of living. Also, it's an island, which means everything has to arrive either by ship or by air.

I can't speak to SXM, since we've never been there.
 

tombo

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Thanks everyone, sounds like SXM will be it for us. We have friends who own at the Belair and rave about it as well. It might not be new, but very nice they tell me, and right on the beach.

Does anyone know if the Belair is within walking distance to Phillisburg?


My parents said you could walk to Phillipsburg, but it is a long way. They rented a car for the week and said there is no way to really see St Martin without a car. E-mail or call the Belair and they have an on site rental guy. He charged my parents less than $200 for the week, and he delivered the car to them at the airport and they dropped it off at the airport as they left.
Have fun and report back about your trip because I am really looking forward to going myself in 2010.
 

krmlaw

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Right now have belair beach on hold ... :)

However, I also have Grand Mayan Riviera Maya on hold too. I need to make a decision today!
 

Kola

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Right now have belair beach on hold ... :)

However, I also have Grand Mayan Riviera Maya on hold too. I need to make a decision today!

In my opinion, take the Grand Mayan Riviera Maya, its a fabulous resort. If you haven't yet experienced the area you have missed a lot. We have been to all three - Riviera Maya (incl. Cancun), St. Martin and the Grand Cayman. As a destination Riviera Maya offers a variety you will not find in Phillipsburg. Morritts at Gr. Cayman is nice, secluded and remote. But it doesn't come close to what the Grand Mayan has to offer. And Cayman is expensive no matter how you calculate exchange etc. Enjoy !

K.
 

krmlaw

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Thanks Kola. I think Im going to do just that. And save St Martin for the next year.
 
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