Trip Review
Posted by:
IPJ
(---.as.wcom.net)
Date: July 26, 2000 05:17PM
Hi, just got back and I feel I should share my experience. In general I had an amazing time. I stayed in 3 hotels since I was looking for good deals and I like to try different things. SeaView was my first hotel, it is inexpensive, clean, next to a great beach and a Frontstreet in Philipsburg, is a good deal, only problems is that I did not feel safe in Philipsburg at night walking around with my girlfriend, one time three guys came up and one grab my girlfriend hand obviously looking for trouble. Besides that I did not have any problems in that area. 2nd night I stayed at Passangraham. This is a unique hotel. One of the finest rooms I have ever seen in hotel decoration. This Hotel I highly recommend it, also the area of hilipsburg where it is located is more relax than Sea View. 3rd Hotel was Summit Resort. This hotel was very different from the other, is far from town but close to the beaches. This resort was very good and have nice deals in summer time. The view from the room was breathtaking.
Restaurants- L'Inedit(marigot), good, friedly ambiance. Cheris(Mullet bay) as advertised. Portofino(Grand Case) Really good food for the price, nice deal, not as expensive as other in the area and the quality was excellent. Wanjang Doll(Phillipsburg) I loved the 19 course Indonesian meal, although is too much food, Highly recommended a must(very spicy). Greenhouse(philipsburg), It was OK, Cherys(philipsburg) really nice place, nice people and good'ol american-tex-mex style food, nice prices too. Food in SXM in general is really good altough a little expensive(for obvious reasons is an island), Althogh I must mention beers are cheap, the most expensive beer I had cost me 2.25. the cheapest 1.
Beaches - I like them all, my favorite was Baie Rouge
My trip was fabulouse, I will go back soon. I did not see the trash some people talk about, I did see some(nothing more than you see elsewhere) rudeness. My biggest complaint is that everyone warns you about the theft of the cars in the beaches. That is such an easy problem to solve that I do not understand how gov't have not assigned guards to those beaches. It would not be that costly to have a guard in each of the 10 most famous beaches. My problem with that is that I could not go snorkeling with my girlfriend because I could not leave any valuables in the car so someone had to stay at all times in the beach with the car keys, money, etc.. Another bad experience were some kids in bicicle harassing my girlfriend in Marigot but I understand that kids are kids. I mention my bad experiences because I think the little problems they have can be solved easlily.
I have been in Anguila, Curacao, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John, St. Kitts, etc... and If I have to go back tomorrow I will go back to SXM, I loved it and I will live there any day it is a highly recommeded vacation.
PS- don't miss the sunset at sunset beach bar on fridays and sunday, specially sunday that a band called colors plays reggae classics.