St Maarten - April 2015

Maho Beach

This is our first year where we got to use our time share with John and JoAnna.  John had requested several places as part of the exchange and a spot opened up in St Maarten which we booked immediately.  John and JoAnna had already visited this island last year but they liked it so much, they were willing to go back.  We really did enjoy this island - it is beautiful with lots of hills, nice beaches and great places to eat.  We would definitely go back again!

Pool at our Hotel

Accommodations:

Royal Islander La Plage - When we saw the pictures online, we were not too impressed but liked the area where this hotel is located in Maho right next to the airport (great for watching the planes land).  Thankfully the planes stopped around 9:30 pm so it did not interrupt any sleep.  There are plenty of restaurants and a decent grocery store nearby.  The place ended up being much nicer than the photos depicted online.  We got a one bedroom that we shared with John and JoAnna - we slept on the pull out sofa which was surprisingly comfortable.  The decor is dated but the room was very clean and had a lot of space. We also had a great view of the pool and ocean.  There is only one restaurant onsite which we ate at once.  Most of the people there were much older than us and had owned a time share here for many years.  We didn't mind - that meant it was more peaceful to relax by the pool!

Royal Islander La Plage

Activities:

It was out intent to be more active on this trip so we booked a few activities that allowed us to get some exercise.  We also got quite a bit of relaxation in and of course eating and drinking as you can see from the restaurant list below.

The most unique thing we did was to fly to Saba one day and hike up the mountain.  Saba is a very small Dutch Island about a 10 minute flight from St Maarten that has dramatic, steep cliffs that plunge into the ocean.  We could have taken a ferry over which takes about 1.5 hours but we were told it was nicknamed the 'vomit comet' so we opted to fly instead.  The flight over was a thrill in and of itself.  The plane fits about 16 passengers and it lands on a runway that is only 200 feet longer than an aircraft carrier.  

Saba Island and the Landing

Once we landed, we took a cab up to Windwardside which is a town half way up the mountain.  We picked up a map and a free whistle (John insisted we needed one), had a quick breakfast  at a cute cafe and then started our hike up Mt Scenery which is the tallest mountain in the Netherlands at a looming 2855 feet high.  There are steps the whole way, most of which are steep - with 1064 steps in all to the top.  Needless to say our calves and thighs hurt for a few days after!  We had great views from a few spots on the hike but unfortunately, once we got to the top, it was cloudy and we could not see very far.  Apparently, on a clear day, you can see 8 islands from the top.  It's a good thing John picked up the whistle because on our way back down, we ran into a wild and treacherous rooster!  Unfortunately, John got bit by some bug (we think a wasp) and his hand was swollen for a couple of days after the hike.  We took a different path on the way down and hiked to the town called Bottom which is aptly named as it is at the bottom of the mountain.  We had lunch here and then took the cab back to the airport for our exciting take-off and flight back to St Maarten.

View from Hike

On a different day, we took a cab over to Cul de Sac and rented kayaks from Caribbean Paddling and kayaked over to Pinel which is a small island with a nice beach and two restaurants.  We brought along the cooler with beer and had a great time relaxing in the water.  There was a school of angel fish that really liked hanging around John and JoAnna - we called John the fish whisperer.  JoAnna and John saw a turtle while we kayaked back but we didn't see anything.  That evening we hung out in Grand Case - we walked around the town and had drinks and dinner on the water.

Sea Kayaking and Pinel Island

We attempted to go sailing on our last day but it rained so the trip was canceled. The rest of the time, we relaxed at the pool and hung out at Maho Beach where you can watch the planes land.  It is quite cool standing in the water with 747s flying over you at what appears to be a few hundred feet above.  We also played bingo at the hotel a couple of times, winning a beer koozie and a bottle of champagne which we drank on our last night there.  One evening we also joined in on karaoke at the hotel where JoAnna sang "Love Will Keep Us Together".

Maho Beach

A couple of nights we had dinner with Keith's cousin, Audrey, her daughter Tara and husband Jean.  One night we joined them in Simpson Bay at an outdoor restaurant on the water and another night we joined them at a cute restaurant in Marigot.  It was great to meet them - Keith last saw Audrey when he was a kid in Scotland!

JoAnna, Shawna, Keith, Audrey, Jean and Tara

On the morning of our departure, Keith was sick from something he ate so the travel home was a bit rough for him.  We slept in, checked out from the hotel and then went to the airport.  It was a long day back but we made it home safely.  Back to reality - diet, work and less sleep!

John, JoAnna, Shawna and Keith in Grand Case

Restaurants / Bars:

Driftwood Bar - We ate here for lunch on three separate days.  It is a great location to watch the planes land and to have some drinks and yummy lamb schwarmas and pizza.  On most days, there is live entertainment as well - although the woman was not entirely talented at singing, she did entertain us with her whistling and attempts to get the crowd to sing along with her.

3 Amigos - Located in Maho.  Had a yummy fish dish here for dinner along with guacamole and chips for an appetizer.

Cheri's Cafe - Located in Maho.  Had dessert and frozen drinks.  Keith had ordered strawberry shortcake for dessert and we were amused at watching him serve John as if there were a happy couple!  Supposed to have live shows every night but we never stayed to watch.

Buccaneer Beach Bar - Located in Simpson Bay.  We had dinner here with Keith's cousin.  Great location on the beach.  We shared the ribs which were pretty good.

Lee's - Located in Simpson Bay.  We had a few drinks and snacks here before heading back to the hotel.  Great location on the bay side.  

Bizzy B - Located on Saba.  Small bakery with great croissants and apple turnovers.  Very cute location.

Bottom Bean Cafe - Located on Saba.  We had lunch here, sharing the lamb schwarmas which were tasty.  The owner was very nice and we spent quite some time chatting with him and some of the locals that came in while we were there.

Tortuga Cafe - Located at the hotel.  We had the BBQ buffet dinner which was better than we expected - they had chicken, ribs, fish, and beef along with some sides like potato salad.

Runway Cafe - Located in Maho.  Had pizza here for lunch - pretty good.

The Greenhouse - Located in Phillipsburg.  Had a few drinks here and apps (calamari and potato skins) while watching the sunset.

Taloula Mango's - Located in Phillipsburg.  Had dinner - we split a yummy mahi mahi dish.  Great location on the boardwalk.

Soprano's Piano Bar - Located in Maho.  Went here two nights to sing along and have drinks.  For some reason, the piano guy would not play any of Shawna's requests which then became a joke to see if he would play the request if John submitted it instead!  Turns out he played the requests later in the evening after more people came to the bar.

Yellow Beach Cafe - Located on Pinel.  Great restaurant on the beach.  Had lunch here - shared a grilled fish dish and a tomato mozzarella salad.

Skies the Limit - Located in Grand Case.  Casual spot.  Had snacks and drinks.

Rib Shack - Located in Grand Case.  Another casual spot overlooking the water.  Had dinner - ribs, fish and rice.

O Plongeoir - Located in Marigo.  Cute restaurant.  Had dinner here with Keith's cousin.  Shared yummy brie and salmon apps and melon prosciutto salad and duck breast for entree.

Bajatzu - Located in Maho.  Had our last dinner here.  Shared a wedge salad, tuna tatar and mussels.  Food was tasty.

Keith, Shawna, John and JoAnna at Soprano's Piano Bar