Posted June 13, 2007
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Sightseeing in St. Maarten / St. Martin"
Sunset Cruises, Lagoon
Cruises, Deep-Sea Fishing, Trips to Neighboring Islands, SCUBA/Snorkeling,
and "The Great Circle Tour"
Scroll
down to the bottom of this page to see all the other articles in the "While
You're Here" section of our website.
St. Maarten
Sightseeing / Touring St. Maarten:
This page gives you lots of
info about touring the island, sunset cruises, lagoon cruises, deep-sea
fishing trips to neighboring islands, and more. Here goes . . . read this
ENTIRE page for all the info!
SXM could easily be called the
rainbow island or the butterfly island; you’ll see a lot of both. Bring
plenty of film. You’ll need it....
Sail Celine for Unparalleled Fun!
A SUNSET CRUISE on
Simpson Bay Lagoon can be a highlight of your trip. Take the catamaran Celine for this leisurely sunset adventure and you'll have a
close-up look at some of the most expensive lagoon-side homes on the island
as well as megayachts moored in the lagoon and at Isle de Sol, Simpson Bay
Yacht Club, and Port de Plaisance. To learn more, check Celine's website,
www.sailstmaarten.com,
or give them a call at 011-599-545-3961. They also offer day charters. Best
way to contact Neil is to email him at this
new email address.
The Famous Celine Pub Crawl...
Pub Crawls aboard the catamaran Celine are
the perennial hit of the season in SXM. People have a lot of fun and a
lot of food and enjoy several restaurants every week. It's a great
evening out. (This may be the best idea to hit the island since clothing
optional beaches, and we're only half kidding.) Owner Neil Roebert's
website
gives you the details. For reservations, though, contact him by email at
this
new email address.
(Locations & prices are subject to change.)
Celine Pub Crawl
Schedule: The following info is from Neil.
"In the past 3 weeks I have had at least 5 people on different Pub
crawls tell me 'This is the most fun thing that I have done in St
Maarten.' One person came on the pub crawl 3 times in two weeks!!! Every
time new friends arrived on St Maarten, he brought them on the Pub
Crawl.
"The changes I have made are: Open bar on board, all night; the first
drink on each Restaurant is FREE (I pay each restaurant for the food
they supply -- the portions of food are larger, the idea is that the
three combined is sufficient for dinner. Price with food and drink and
cruise is just $65. (Our "Activities" link, below on this page, gives
you a $5 per person discount.)
"I am trying to do 2 trips a week, If there are enough people. To make it
work I need at least 8 to 10 people, and have set a approximate max at
20.
"All Pub Crawls now start at Skipjack's Restaurant in Simpson Bay.
"The featured restaurants are Lal's...
"Lal prepares some really nice Indian
"starters" -- Somozas and vegetarian delights with a spicy sauce to dip.
If somebody would like a second drink at Lal's, Lal has some new drinks
that he makes him self. They are all named after rock stars, or rock and
roll bands. They are very well received by the "crawlers". The normal
price is $5.50 but to the Crawlers it is $3.00.
"Peg Leg Pub....which
is one of the best beef / lobster restaurants on the island.
"And Skipjack's...."
(Above) - Three images from a recent Celine Lagoon Cruise. Top, food;
they had smoked salmon this particular evening. They don't always have
that but whatever they do have, you're sure to enjoy. Right, one of
many megayachts you might see. You'll also see homes of the "rich and
famous" and learn a lot about your favorite island. Left, Celine's mast
against the Caribbean sky . . . .Celine now offers a FREE lagoon cruise
screensaver from their site. When you visit the Celine, tell Neil we
sent you!
Sailing the Waters
off St. Maarten on The Random Wind...
Visit The
Random Wind Website
The Random Wind
gives you incomparable open-ocean sailing around SXM. See all the details
here.
Highest
recommendation from JMB!
St. Maarten
Island Tour Pictures
BELOW: Casino Royale; Creole
architecture; horse rentals near Orient Beach. The Historic Courthouse
(above) is in the center of town.
ABOVE: Local architecture;
border monument; Flamboyant tree. Gorgeous vegetation is found everywhere,
along with butterflies and banana trees. These photos courtesy of St Maarten
tourism.
Tiko-Tiko Nude
Cruises
If you want to "Leave it All Behind," then a good bet is
always the Tiko Tiko, a catamaran
that leaves from Club Orient and takes you on a nude cruise. No tan lines, no
ill-fitting clothes, just sun and fun and lots of both. Check them out. They've
done this for years and it's addictive!
"Turtle Tours":
All-Out Fun (No turtles)
No matter how
you slice it, spending some time with "Turtle Tours" (which involves no
turtles) is great fun. Turtle Tours now serves cruise ship passengers
exclusively, so contact your cruise director for more information.
The Heineken Regatta
may be the most exciting sailing competition in the hemisphere! It occurs
early in March every year. See details at
www.heinekenregatta.com.
BOOK ISLAND TOURS,
SUNSET CRUISES, PUB CRAWLS,
AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
FROM HOME:
See our all new,
informational activities site. Click
here or click
this banner:
Pic
Paradis & Loterie Farm
There are many places to
discover here but the most breathtaking is the view you'll get from Pic
Paradis (Paradise Peak), at about 1400' the island's highest point.
Whatever you do while you're here, go. You need not go to the top
(in fact we suggest you don't) -- just go until the road gets too rough
OR until you've taken enough pictures. You will rarely see more stunning
views on any island, anywhere. Maps guide you . . . the road up the
mountain cuts off the main road between Marigot and Grand Case. As you
start the drive up Pic Paradis, you'll see the entrance to Loterie Farm
on your right. Go in: it's an ecological wonder, taking you back
hundreds of years to the island in a truly pristine state. There's a
small restaurant / bar here as well, which is well worth a visit.
SXM Park (Zoo)
It's so incredible we
gave it its own page right here on our site ; go
here! Unlike
any other zoo you've ever seen!
Fort
De Marigot
Whenever you visit a new
island you should take a tour, and SXM is loaded with things to see and
do. When you're in Marigot harbor looking over the yachts toward
Anguilla, turn to your right. Atop the hill you'll see Fort De Marigot,
which offers a commanding view of the area and a great historical
perspective. Go there. . . and soak in something of this island's
spirited history.
"Le
West Indies" -- West Indies Mall
We're including this in
our "tour" page because it's worth looking at but, in our opinion, too
pricey for buying. Arrow shirts, which you can get in the US for $12.99
to $30, depending on where you buy them, sell for about $60 here. But
the floors are marble and it's quite a nice looking place. Great
bathrooms (really)! It's on the
Marigot waterfront, at the base of the hill where Fort de Marigot is
located.
The
Butterfly Farm
There's a Butterfly Farm
which you'll find fascinating, too. It's a few minutes' walk from Orient
Beach. The island seems to have lots of escapees, including Monarch
butterflies. The farm is on the road to Club Orient; go STRAIGHT toward
Embouchure / LeGalion Beach instead of taking the "last" left turn that
would put you at Club O. We have a page with lots of Butterfly Farm
pictures. Click here.
More is below; keep on
scrollin'.
BRING GORGEOUS PICTURES
FROM ST MAARTEN RIGHT TO YOUR PC SCREEN --
DOWNLOAD OUR
BEAUTIFUL ST MAARTEN / ST MARTIN SCREENSAVER!
Isle
de Sol Yacht Club: See Super Megayachts!
You'll see some of the world's
must luxurious megayachts here...and, if you're in the mood, maybe you could
rent one for a week -- a really cool way to see a few beautiful islands.
Shouldn't set you back more than, say, $100,000 for the week, give or take.
A great way to see these is by a lagoon cruise on board Celine: more info is
below. (That costs way less than renting one of these behemoths.)
Hope
Estate
Archaeological digs here go back 2000
years B. C.; it’s well worth a few hours to see what’s here.
Ask at your Activities Desk. There’s also a museum of Arawak Indian
artifacts near the center in Marigot, also worth your time. (Right next
to the Tourist Office.)
Orient Beach
Our beaches pages give you
much more on all the island's beaches. Orient is the most popular beach,
maybe because it's clothing optional, though outside the grounds of Club
Orient most people wear bathing suits. Lots of shops here selling pareos
and other beach stuff. See our
beaches
and shopping
pages.
Stay Current: Join Our
FREE Mailing List!
Join
our free SXM mailing list to get all the latest SXM news, info on
how to get deals on airfare, and much more. We'll cover new
restaurants, cruise info, hotel deals, and much more. We're also
covering the island's orderly movement toward independence from both
the Netherlands Antilles and French Guadeloupe (long story). WE
WILL NEVER SELL OR RELEASE OUR MAILING LIST TO ANYONE. How often
will we mail? Usually every Monday. It depends on when there's news.
We won't waste your time. Just type your email address in the box
below, then click Submit to sign up.
IMPORTANT: Everyone who joins
our free list receives a confirming email. You must "confirm" to be
added to our list (to prevent someone else from signing you up). Once
confirmed, you're in!
SNORKELING and SCUBA diving are favorite
pastimes for island visitors. Check your hotel activities desk for
snorkeling opportunities. If you're into SCUBA, there are several PADI
certified shops on the island. Trade Winds and Ocean Explorers are both PADI
facilities. One friend of ours prefers Trade Winds, though he says Ocean
Explorers has a better boat. Our beaches page suggests a snorkeling spot;
click
here
and look around. SCUBA fanciers may want to get out to the H. S. S.
Proselyte, a British Frigate that ran aground in 1802 on what is now known
as Proselyte Reef, about a mile south of Great Bay. Ask about this wreck,
and others, at a dive center. For SCUBA pictures, see Ric Hetzel's website,
www.ricsplace-sxm.com,
and go to our
download page
for our "Butterflies, Beasts, and Beneath" PC screensaver. It's loaded with
SXM-area SCUBA shots and more. (Updated 5/20/02.)
CHECK OUT
Lagoon Princess
for sunset cruises.
COMING: The Great Circle Tour, a
day-long self-guided do-it-yourself island tour described in lush detail
right here. Starts at the airport (car required!) and includes beaches,
mountains, intimate getaways, shopping, luscious food, beautiful meadows,
and more. We're writing it right now....
CRUISES TO NEIGHBORING ISLANDS are
available from the Pelican Marina and the dock behind Ric's Place in Simpson
Bay. A high-speed boat is available from Captain Oliver's to St Barts. In
general, you can take catamarans or fast ferries to St., Barts, Saba, and
Anguilla, and you can fly anywhere from the SXM airport. For more info, ask
at your Activities Desk. (There's even a nude cruise aboard the Tiko Tiko
from Club Orient Naturist Resort to an island offshore.)
Marigot: Destroyed
By A Runaway Ship?
Marigot gained greater fame during the
summer of '97 because of the motion picture Speed2, which was filmed
on SXM late in '96 and through February of '97. Although the film was a box
office bomb, it did offer some picturesque views of the island. Sandra
Bullock, Jason Patric, and scores of Speed2 staff members filmed here
much of the '96 - '97 winter.
In Speed2, Sandra Bullock was on a
runaway cruise ship, the Seabourn Legend. Most of the action is either on
the ship or in Marigot. What’s left of the bow of the ship is resting
upside-down at the southwestern part of Simpson Bay lagoon, a few hundred
yards west over the lagoon from Turtle Pier Restaurant (see our restaurant
listings), from which it’s visible. (Some of the waitstaff doesn’t even know
about it.) Since you probably didn't see the film, we'll tell you two of the
movie's secrets….
Part of the plot called for the Seabourn
Legend to go out of control and literally slam into and destroy the center
of the town of Marigot.
Fortunately, this is a Hollywood
destruction, not a de facto one. So, on the site of the large
open-air market right on Marigot Harbor, Hollywood setbuilders created an
entire town, complete with stores, restaurants, open-air shops, and a
church. In Speed2 you see the Seabourn Legend slam into the town,
demolishing buildings as it careens through the plaza, its bow ultimately
impaling a church steeple - and its anchor slamming to rest in a convertible
on the main street.
In reality, the ship's bow was all that
really existed, and it was affixed to the front of an old freighter. Every
day, the freighter would push the bow forward a few inches on underwater
rails while frame-by-frame photography caught the movements, and the slow
destruction of breakaway buildings, and the explosions, in intimate detail.
The results are remarkably realistic in the film.
The entire set was very realistic. SXM has
several "7 Alive" stores, knock-offs of the U. S. 7-Eleven chain. A truly
believable 7-Eleven was constructed right next to the church we mentioned
above. It was so realistic, the first time we saw it, we tried the
door, hoping for a drink in the hot SXM mid-day sun. The door was locked, of
course. And Speed2 staff thought our efforts were hilarious. . . .
That's not the only bit of Hollywood magic
that was brought to St. Martin for Speed2.
At one point, a plane slams into a tanker
at sea causing a monumental explosion. It looks astonishingly real, and in
fact the explosion itself was absolutely real.
Stunt technicians loaded 81 62-gallon
plastic barrels with gasoline (at the island price of $1.52 per liter - now
the price is lower) and blew them up on sand between Embouchure and Orient
beaches. It was an overcast, showery day at the beginning of February, 1997,
and the explosion could be heard over much of the island. It created a huge
black halo-shaped cloud which convinced some people an alien invasion was
underway - a funny-in-retrospect event dutifully reported, we're told, by
CNN.
Embouchure suffered no lasting ill effects
from the blast, except for a few blackened shrubs which have since grown
back. The actual crash? It was computer-generated, but you'd hardly be able
to tell that by watching the movie.
Deeply Discounted
Airfares & Deeply Discounted Accommodations For You
Paying more than $449 for a week in a hotel? Or more than you care to admit
in airfare?
In mid-2006 we had $179 round
trips from Chicago to SXM. Winter 2007 fares were around $400. And you don't have to fly at 3 a.m. Tuesday morning during a Full
Moon in July, either. That's hundreds of bucks less than you'd expect to
pay.
We have a special website
(besides this one) that shows you more than two dozen sources of low
airfares AND we can sign you up for email bulletins when we hear about
special low fare deals from many cities we monitor. You get the low-fare
email bulletins and a username and password for our "special" website when
you join JMB Website Supporters for $49 plus annual $13 renewals when you
choose our lowest-cost multiyear renewals. You can sign up using your VISA
or Mastercard in minutes via PayPal.
Go
here to lean
more.
Do make your own island
tour…you'll find secluded beaches, beautiful spots where your only company
will be Pelicans diving for a quiet lunch, or anything else your heart
desires. . . And don't forget the SEAWORLD EXPLORER glass bottom boat,
sailing from Grand Case!
