Traveling with friends to SXM sometime around September / October and planning to rent a nice villa (three couples). We're looking for some privacy for relaxing at the villa - for dining and nightlife we're willing to drive a little. A couple of sources have recommended the Terres Basses area. I'm looking for input on any of these questions:

1. Insects any worse in the low areas like Terres Basses? (I've spent time in Belize and understand "biters" are just part of the equation - just curious if they are worse in one place over another or are intolerable in any of the regions).

2. Any thoughts overall on Terres Basses versus other areas? I'm told the villas in TB are on larger properties in gated communities and are quieter and more private than some of the other parts of the island.

3. I'm operating under the conventional wisdom that the French side is a little quieter, but great dining options, and the Dutch side is known more for the night life. Any disagreement with that? Pros and cons?

3. We're divers, but this isn't a dive trip. We'll probably only take one or two dives. Is Saba worth the extra effort, or should we stick with local dives and save Saba for the next trip?

Thanks in advance!

In Basse Terres try villas on Mont Rouge like 'Ait Ne Greine'

click on the link on the bottom of THIS page!

OR


Villa Na Greine



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2009 01:21PM by Neil Rooney.

Rummy,

I'm certainly no expert on villas but I do know the Terre Basse area is very convenient to both sides of the island and features some incredibly beautiful villas in those gated communities you've inquired about. It's an easy drive to Marigot and Maho and all the items from beaches to restaurants to evening entertainment can be found between both of these areas and traffic to both is generally NOT all that bad! Beyond can be an issue but that's pretty much a timing thing and if you're lucky and can figure it all out you'll be okay! If not, well, the traffic thing can really be a nightmare so just leave plenty of time if you HAVE to be somewhere important at a given time.

Regarding the moskies (biters, no-see-ums or whatever else people wish to call them) they seem to be more or less prevalent based on humidity levels, rainfall events and breezes rather than areas of the island, or such has been our experience. The one thing I've personally noticed is the ankle biter variety seems to be most prevalent around 4:30 - 5:00 in the evening through the early dinner hour so we do usually make a point of spraying our ankles if we go out for drinks or dinner during that time span and we're generally okay.

I would agree with your number 3 but will also add, some of the best restaurants on the island have recently located on the St. Maarten side of the island and in all price ranges as well. To me, while we have timeshare on the Dutch side of the island, 'which' side has never been much of an issue since both boast great restaurants and beautiful beaches and both have areas where the traffic is horrendous so we've usually managed to enjoy all the islands highs regardless of location. There are a few restaurants on the French side that are not to be missed regardless of price and/or location but at the same time, our forever favorite is in Philipsberg so go figure. We enjoy a night or two of casinos and such and do find more evening entertainment on the Dutch side but at the same time, we have some favorite not-to-be-missed beaches on the St. Martin side. It really is a 'to each his own' type of island and you can find all things on both sides of the island, IMO.

Respectfully,

pat

You can find all the villas on the Low Lands/Terres Basses by visiting this site: [gobeach.com]

Click on the links of the villas to get all the weekly rates with pictures of the villa.

Good luck.