Thanks so much Philippe for the ID's on each. I never saw some of those beaches, even with the amount of times we've been there. Especially Grand Kaye and Happy Bay. Grand Kaye seems so beautifully quiet. And Irina...how true...The two islands can't be compared and should not be. They should go with their eyes wide open to a different type of Caribbean vacation. And the most
Forum: The Friendly St.Martin Island Forum

Yep...that's all it takes. You see, I understand the original posters truly good intentions and I understand the comments that were made afterwards as well. Nothing wrong with that. The original poster should not feel slighted. Just look at it as a learning experince.
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Gorgeous photos!!!!! Can you edit to indicate what beaches are what? That would be great.
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There's a big difference. It may sound like the other board, look somewhat like the other board, and maybe even taste like the other board, but when it all boils down, people here can express their disapproval of someone's post and if the original poster feels that they were justified in their beliefs, then they can come back and argue their point with maturity. And that is the key wo
Forum: The Friendly St.Martin Island Forum

What an awesome looking villa! You certainly will be having a great time!!!! From what I can see, you may be closer to Sunset Beach Bar so walking toward Cafe Atlantico would be way too long to near impossible because of the runway Edit addition: Now that I actually looked at the google aerial more closely, you are definitely closer to SSBB!!!! Personally though, the pastries at Cafe At
Forum: The Friendly St.Martin Island Forum

Hi Irina, I can't imagine the Maho Food Express being closer...unless where they are staying is closer to the Sunset Beach Bar. Is that the case? If so, then yes the Maho food Express would be a better bet. But, I thought that their place was closer to the end of the runway. Let me know since the aerial view of Burgeaux seems to be showing closer to airport road.
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LMAO!!!
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2 choices... If you e-mail me your e-mail address to: reikiofmaywood@verizon.net I'll e-mail you directly from Google Earth... or else try this: 18°02'12.54"N 63°07'00.95"W Good luck!
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Oh my... doesn't look good...thank goodness I already booked my flights for Nov/Dec already. I just hope our plane will be flying at that time... If not, we may need to hop a cruise ship to get there since they don't seem to be affected by this crisis...they just keep building new ones.
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Also, if you have Google Earth installed on your computer, I may be able to forward you the aerial photo of SXM that you will be staying. It's a very detailed image of the area, beach, and the walkway that Philippe recommended.
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Now that sounds like a wonderful morning walk for some delicious fresh baked goodies. The sleepyheads will certainly appreciate the effort as long as the pastries are not eaten en route back to the house.
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Another bakery which I think is even closer for wonderful breads and croissants is the Cafe Atlantico which is across from the Gourmet Marche in Simpson Bay. I find parking very easy there and they always have a great assortment, even in the early afternoon. Just another possibility...
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That should be the first Tip and Trick and then the last one as well...lol
Forum: The Friendly St.Martin Island Forum

Recently I purchased one of those portable vacuum sealers made by Reynolds. If you buy the larger gallon sized bags specially made for vacuum sealing you can use them to transport your freshly baked croissants back home and have them perfectly fresh for the next few days rather than the usual "gooey with moisture" texture. The bags are made to open up at the top like a zip lock but ca
Forum: The Friendly St.Martin Island Forum

Do you want a beach that is active or do you want something semi-private? I love Friar's Beach for it's small boutique qualities and there are 2 small restaurants on this beach that serve good food. Be prepared to pay a higher price because of the Euro but to me it's worth it. We have always found the water to be perfect and the personalized service you get from the beach guys is
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That reminds me....for a little trivia....if anyone saw the Anthony Bordaine episode where he travels around the island eating at a few local establishments, if you were actually paying attention and not just ogling the views of the beaches...he was at Gus' Bar Restaurant on Baie Rouge and he ordered a Presidente but when you see him actually getting his food...they had given him a Corona.
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Great Tips everyone!!!! Ones I could even use and I've been going for 12 years. Thanks! And you made me laugh at the broiled laptop!!! I am so absent-minded that that's the first thing I would land up doing if I ever tried that...lol And maybe one step further on the flashlight/nightlight thing...I just purchased a few nightlights for our condo and these nightlights actually turn
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La Croissanterie in Marigot does charge 1 for 1 but it is only a breakfast and lunch establishment. This is the only one I know but thought I'd mention it anyway.
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I thought it would be a great idea for us to start a list of great tips and tricks we've learned over the years (or even as First Timers) for getting around the island or even avoiding problems. And "great finds" would also be welcomed to many. They may be old hat to many but for newcomers, this thread could be helpful. I think the most useful tricks we have found in past years
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Well hello my friend Philippe...my name may have changed (for reasons too long to explain) but my voice is still the same and WOW!!! Younger than what you thought???? I am positively glowing right now!!!! lol...
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If you met Philippe or Barbara, you would not be disappointed. They are both lovely people and their voices actually match their typing! LOL They are proud of their island and I respect their integrity in trying to keep this proud feeling alive and well.
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I am also glad to see that this board is once again more active. I have been a member here since this site's inception and What I would love to see are more trip reports and maybe instead of calling the get-together's TTOL parties (yuch), we could just call them SXM "Beach" parties". PS...is there a way to reverse the answers/comments on each thread to show the most cu
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I remember way back when I first discovered this site. It was right after the hurricane hit and I was so appreciative of having this site to keep posted on what was happening on the island. Because of this site, we decided to keep our trip intact 2 weeks after the devastation and truthfully, it was not only one of the best trips we ever had but we were both happy to help the economy of the isla
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If you're looking for something comparable to Le Petite, the Atrium is really not that style. The Atrium is a very nice place to stay but comparing the 2 side by side, as you mentioned, it's really not in that catagory. I don't know about the other one so I can't help you there.
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Try Mary's Boon. Similar to the personal touch you'd get at Le Petit Hotel. Beautiful private beach (actually better than Le Petit) and they have various types of suites you can rent. It's also close to Maho and Simpson Bay. You will need to rent a car though since it is in a pretty secluded.
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Joe, the buses run all the time during the day and even though they don't have a time schedule like in the States, there are tons of them riding around constantly. No sooner did I step out of my resort did 2 Philipsburg buses come down the street. The first one was full but stopped to tell me this and to tell me that the next bus was behind him. They would definitely stop in front of the
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There are no bus tokens that I know of but I would think you can catch the bus from Sapphire. When you get to the resort, ask someone at the front desk. I know that the maids take these buses home so you can ask them as well. The one I took was coming from the Cupecoy area and had a white sign in the window stating Philipsburg. It cost $2 each way from/to Maho. It may cost $2.50 for you. Ju
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A suggestion would be to take one of the local buses to Philipsburg. I did it this past trip and it couldn't have been easier and actually fun. The cost was $2.00 each way from the Maho area and I didn't have to worry about the time, traffic, nor parking. I got to shop in a leisurely pace and finally, truly enjoyed traveling to Philipsburg. That's probably the only place I woul
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Not all Croque monsr use egg in their recipe. The Croque Monsr's that I have had in St. Martin and even cooked at home do not use egg at all which is good because I cannot eat eggs. The best that we have had is the same place Sharon mentioned at the Marina which is La Croissanterie. They happen to use deliciously fresh French bread verses one we had elsewhere where it was extremely bland,
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According to one of the SXM newspapers, the tourists are window shopping rather than buying and that sales are almost non-existent. Until the rules are relaxed sales will be dismal.
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