Timing in St. Maarten/Martin

Will be in St. Maarten on a Wednesday from 10:00a to 11:00p and have several questions.....(this is my first cruise, so I apologize if I ask something that I "should" know)....

My basic outline for the day is as follows:
- Rent Jeep at pier
- Drive to Marigot, stopping at Simpson Bay for pictures
- Shop in Marigot (I think the market is open on Wednesdays, too, right?)
- Hike up to Fort de Marigot (my understanding is that it's only a 5 min hike?)
- Head to Grand Case
- Lunch in Grand Case at Le Tastevin (how do I make reservations? what are the lunch hours?)
- Take the Seaworld Explorer glass bottom boat from Grand Case (anyone know how to reserve? cost? departure times? departure location? length of trip?)
- Head back toward Phillipsburg via Marigot, detouring for Pic Paradis and Friar's Beach
- Continue back to Phillipsburg: Guavaberry Emporium, shopping, boardwalk stroll, and dinner and drinks at The Greenhouse Bar and Restaurant (what are Guavaberry's hours? what time do the shops close in Phillipsburg?)
- Not sure of what to do after dinner. The best option that I see so far is a champagne night horseback ride with Lucky Stables. I'm not sure how far away Lucky Stables are and what time the rides are - or if it's really worth it. Any input?

Do I have time for all of this? If not, what do you recommend I cut out?

Also, how late are the car rental places open for vehicle return?

Thanks!

Wow, I can't answer all those questions, but it looks like quite a day planned. Let us know how it goes

Sure will....Although I think I've realized that I need to cut out the glass bottom boat tour....Hoping to fit everything else in.

In making this plan, did you happen to glance at [url="http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/sm/smmap.shtml"]a map of the island[/url]?

You seem to be bouncing about the island -- what are you [b]most[/b] interested in?

Yeah, I did, but didn't seem to think that I was really "bouncing" around.

The route is basically just Philipsburg to Grand Case and back, with stops along the way both there and back.

Is there something that I've overlooked?

What first caught my attention was the "stopping at Simpson Bay for pictures" phrase. That doesn't really fit, it's not a direct route to Marigot. I'm also unsure of what you would take pictures of at Simpson Bay.


The Philipsburg/Simpson Bay/Marigot/Grand Case/Marigot/Philipsburg route doesn't seem very efficient.

Marigot market is open on Wednesdays, usually vendors are present until 2:00 pm or later.

Hike to Fort Marigot/Lewis is probably a bit longer than 5 minutes, even if you park as close to the Fort as possible (up near the hospital).

Pic Paridis is at least 30 minutes up and down the road that takes you there, plus any 'observation' time.

Friar's is at least 30 minutes in and out with any stop at all.

You have missed out on even seeing Orient from a distance.

I wouldn't count on [url="http://www.guavaberry.com/guavaberry.htm"]Guavaberry[/url] being open past about 5:00, even if there are still ships in port.

Shops in P'Burg usually close when most of the ships in port leave. Around 5 or 6. They don't necessairly stay open if there is one ship left for a late sailing.

Don't explicitly know about Tastevin or your trip dates, but many French-side restaurants close September-October.

This is a different itinerary than most visitors take. Depending on the number of ships in port, you'll probably spend a considerable time in stop-and-go traffic.

Here are some thoughts:

* Rent a jeep - The only people who rent jeeps are a few people off cruise ships. Not much value for the $$$, but would just stick with a small car.

* Simpson Bay Photos - I presume this is the lookout vista from atop Cole Bay Hill. It's good that you accounted for this time as it is a must for every bus (or taxi) tour of the island.

* Marigot Shopping - Good timing. Plan to be at the open-air market by about 8:30 or 9:00am. The shops in Marigot open at 9:30am. I would allow about 2 hours for shopping and strolling the back streets.

* Fort de Marigot - Pick this up on your way out of Marigot by parking near the hospital. Allow 30 minutes for that segment.

* Lunch - I would grab a bite in Marigot before the rest of the itinerary.

* To Grand Case - You will be passing Pic Paradise and Friars Beach en route to Grand Case. Suggest you see visit these stops on the way. Allow 2 hours.

* Grand Case - This is really a night-time adventure. Most of the restaurants are closed during the day time. Not so sure Le Tastevin is even open at noon. Don't forget to allow for the afternoon closures on the French side between Noon-2:00pm.

* Seaworld - Not familiar with the trip. Allow 1-2 hours.

* Route to Philipsburg - I would definitely continue clockwise around the island. It's a real traffic hassle going back thru Marigot and you won't see anything new. IMHO, continue on to see Pinel Island, Cul de Sac and Baie Oriental. Orient is rated as the best in the Caribbean by Caribbean Travel & Life magazine. Don't miss it!

* Try to be back to Philipsburg by 4:00p at the latest. This will only give you about 60-90 minutes to shop. Don't waste the limited time by focusing on Guavaberry. There's much more.

* Boardwalk stroll - Pick this up after the shops close.

* Greenhouse - This wouldn't be my first choice. There are a number of better restaurants in PBurg. Think about [url=http://www.lescargotrestaurant.com/]L' Escargot[/url] or [url=http://www.taloulamangos.com/]Taloula Mangos[/url].

* Horseback Riding etc - Not so sure this makes sense as timing is a problem.

Thanks, gtayor and kal....

You've both given me exactly the type of information that I was looking for.

I've planned beach days in other ports, so didn't really want to spend this one as a beach day. Plus, I don't really care for overcrowded touristy beaches with overzealous vendors, which is what Orient Beach sounds like to me, so I was planning on skipping it. My revised plan still doesn't include it. What is so amazing about it that would make me want to rework my plans?

Here is my revised plan, which I feel better about, but still have questions - and I'm sure it could use some input:

- Shopping in Philipsburg
- Rent car
- Head toward Simpson Bay and Maho Beach - stop at Cole Bay Hill for pictures - Head on to Maho Beach - have lunch and watch planes land - any recommended lunch locations?
- Head toward Marigot, stopping for Fort de Marigot (park at the hospital on the way)
- Marigot for shopping
- After stores close (or we are done shopping), head toward Grand Case
- On the way, drive just far enough up Pic Paradis for a good observation point - I've read that if you stop at about the point where the road gets rough, then you've reached a good vantage point.
- Dinner in Grand Case - where do you recommend for dinner?
- At this point, we could continue to go clockwise around the island - and could still see Orient Beach, but it would be dark, so I'm not sure it's worth it at that point.
- We could just head back to Philipsburg and have some drinks and maybe stop at a casino?

Thanks for all the help!