St Barts Island Trip Reports
St Barts Island, intimate and sensual, the ideal Caribbean destination for enjoying a relaxed, unhurried vacation. The island is adored by many, each with their own perspective but all seem to agree that it is THE PLACE that can carry you far from the worries of the everyday world and comfort you in a tropical environment unlike any other. Below are several trip reports you can also find many updated and new St Barts trip reports in the SBHOnline Discussion Forums.Trip Report: Archives
St Barts Trip Report: Bringing The Baby to St Barts :)
2010 St Barts Trip Report: Bringing The Baby To St Barts
Hello All!
Just returned from another week in paradise with our newest family member: baby Pearl, now 8 months! In December, we were in St. Barths for three weeks with her at three months.
Just wanted to report on a few things that other parents may be intersted in:
7.5 Months was far better for us with Pearl than 3 months - mainly because we could use suntan lotion and bug spray -- which allowed us for a bit more flexibility with what we wanted to do every day. Also -- Pearl was much more able to entertain herself this trip than last, which menat restaurants were less hectic.
The best thing we brought with us was a BIG fold and zip up picnic blanket that we opened on the deck of our villa every day and sat the babies on (we also traveled with friends with a 6 month old) with their toys. We also brought it to the beach and, being three times as large as a beach towel, it really helped keep mounds of sand out of Pearl's hands, hair, etc.
We also brought a blow up intertube with two holes for feet. It was great in the pool and both babies LOVED it. We also brought it into the shower and popped Pearl in it and hosed her down.
Another great beach (other than cul de sac, lorient and st jean) is anse de cayes for babies. It has a little break of the beach that allows for very small waves to just roll onto the shore. We stayed in that neighborhood and it was great to walk to the beach each night.
We loved going to Carl Gustaf for sunset. Pearl loved the confy couches with the very bright and colorful pillows. As long as she was quiet and didn't disturb other people, we hung out and watched the sunset.
I brought formula from NY -- I opened it the first night there and the second day I went to fill a bottle and found it full of ANTS! I went to the grocery to find formula and they didn't have any for 6 months to 1 year (but they did have other ages) - so I went to the pharmacy near the airport and asked the pharmacist for it -- of course, the pharma had it!
I cooked 98% of Pearl's food while on the island. I cook all her food at home, so I tried my best to do it there. I brought with me a hand crank plastic food mill and my villa had a blender (which was also used for making MANY pina coladas). She ate sweet potatos, beets, bananas, kiwis, pears, melons, avocados, squash, carrots, zucchini, and frozen peas and corn. The food mill was OK -- you really have to cook your veg until it is mushy (and could probably be fork mashed). Blender worked well!
We took her to whatever restaurants we wanted to eat at. We don't eat super fancy outside of the house in St. barths - so our picks were Le Piment, Andy's, Bouchon, O'Corrail, the new Colocoba (maybe the return of La Gloriette), Wall House several times, Creperie, Select, Banannieres (which I think is the most underrated restaurant on the island -- LOVE the food there and it's relatively reasonably priced). Most places had baby chairs -- some were too big for Pearl. Some also didn't have straps to strap her in. We thought about bringing one of those collapsable chairs that screw onto the table, and it probably would have been a good idea.
As for baby sitters -- We used Caroline and Kids and had a WONDERFUL woman named Karine Montigny. She was excellent. I think for two kids it was 18 euros before 9 PM and 22 after. Not bad for us, since we split it between two families.
Pearl never got overheated, though sometimes when she was sweaty, we brought her into the AC in the bedroom to 'cool off' or into the pool. She did get a bunch of mosquito bites -- but they didn't seem to bother her.
Non baby item - the sales were OFF THE HOOK! This is only the second time that I've been on island for them -- and both times were amazing! For me - Calypso is great. 1500 euro lucian pellat finet sweaters for 150 euros. Nice discount. Also, lolita jaca had a great sale, as did christianne celle. Cute things for baby at petite bateau. If you haven't been -- check out the Sweedish Design Store and the home store next door - very cool things.
All in - another GREAT trip! I hope to go back in again this Dec, but we'll see...if I have my druthers...
Close
Hello All!
Just returned from another week in paradise with our newest family member: baby Pearl, now 8 months! In December, we were in St. Barths for three weeks with her at three months.
Just wanted to report on a few things that other parents may be intersted in:
7.5 Months was far better for us with Pearl than 3 months - mainly because we could use suntan lotion and bug spray -- which allowed us for a bit more flexibility with what we wanted to do every day. Also -- Pearl was much more able to entertain herself this trip than last, which menat restaurants were less hectic.
The best thing we brought with us was a BIG fold and zip up picnic blanket that we opened on the deck of our villa every day and sat the babies on (we also traveled with friends with a 6 month old) with their toys. We also brought it to the beach and, being three times as large as a beach towel, it really helped keep mounds of sand out of Pearl's hands, hair, etc.
We also brought a blow up intertube with two holes for feet. It was great in the pool and both babies LOVED it. We also brought it into the shower and popped Pearl in it and hosed her down.
Another great beach (other than cul de sac, lorient and st jean) is anse de cayes for babies. It has a little break of the beach that allows for very small waves to just roll onto the shore. We stayed in that neighborhood and it was great to walk to the beach each night.
We loved going to Carl Gustaf for sunset. Pearl loved the confy couches with the very bright and colorful pillows. As long as she was quiet and didn't disturb other people, we hung out and watched the sunset.
I brought formula from NY -- I opened it the first night there and the second day I went to fill a bottle and found it full of ANTS! I went to the grocery to find formula and they didn't have any for 6 months to 1 year (but they did have other ages) - so I went to the pharmacy near the airport and asked the pharmacist for it -- of course, the pharma had it!
I cooked 98% of Pearl's food while on the island. I cook all her food at home, so I tried my best to do it there. I brought with me a hand crank plastic food mill and my villa had a blender (which was also used for making MANY pina coladas). She ate sweet potatos, beets, bananas, kiwis, pears, melons, avocados, squash, carrots, zucchini, and frozen peas and corn. The food mill was OK -- you really have to cook your veg until it is mushy (and could probably be fork mashed). Blender worked well!
We took her to whatever restaurants we wanted to eat at. We don't eat super fancy outside of the house in St. barths - so our picks were Le Piment, Andy's, Bouchon, O'Corrail, the new Colocoba (maybe the return of La Gloriette), Wall House several times, Creperie, Select, Banannieres (which I think is the most underrated restaurant on the island -- LOVE the food there and it's relatively reasonably priced). Most places had baby chairs -- some were too big for Pearl. Some also didn't have straps to strap her in. We thought about bringing one of those collapsable chairs that screw onto the table, and it probably would have been a good idea.
As for baby sitters -- We used Caroline and Kids and had a WONDERFUL woman named Karine Montigny. She was excellent. I think for two kids it was 18 euros before 9 PM and 22 after. Not bad for us, since we split it between two families.
Pearl never got overheated, though sometimes when she was sweaty, we brought her into the AC in the bedroom to 'cool off' or into the pool. She did get a bunch of mosquito bites -- but they didn't seem to bother her.
Non baby item - the sales were OFF THE HOOK! This is only the second time that I've been on island for them -- and both times were amazing! For me - Calypso is great. 1500 euro lucian pellat finet sweaters for 150 euros. Nice discount. Also, lolita jaca had a great sale, as did christianne celle. Cute things for baby at petite bateau. If you haven't been -- check out the Sweedish Design Store and the home store next door - very cool things.
All in - another GREAT trip! I hope to go back in again this Dec, but we'll see...if I have my druthers...
St Barts Trip Report: How does one make doing nothing sound interesting?
How does one make doing nothing sound interesting?
This trip report is nearly six months overdue which begs the question: having procrastinated this long, why clutter up the forum with a description of a vacation which happened so long ago that Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney looked like shoe-ins for their respective nominations, a baseball fan from these parts could reasonably believe that the New York Yankees were still contenders, and only a crazy person would have predicted that gasoline prices would exceed $4.00 a gallon? Surely the recollections of an event as inconsequential as eight days in the Caribbean would have faded beyond the point of recall in a world in which our day-to-day lives are dominated by news of unprecedented turmoil both at home and abroad.
But the point is, they haven't. To the contrary, Kara and I continue to savor little details about our trip on an almost daily basis. The simple fact is that a vacation in Saint Barths creates a reservoir of fond memories that, like a family photo album, may be taken down from the shelf and dusted off from time to time as a reminder of the very best times in our lives.
The other challenge in writing about one of our trips to St. Barths is that we accomplish so little while we are on the island. How does one make doing nothing sound interesting? "Day One: Slept late. Walked Saint Jean beach. Took a quick dip. Enjoyed a languorous breakfast at villa. Lounged by the pool and began devouring a stack of books brought from home. Popped open a couple of Caribs. Daydreamed about becoming a novelist (or, God help you, a restaurant owner!). Debated a trip to La Rotisserie or the Match for takeout versus eating out for lunch. Enjoyed a nice bottle of rose. Took a nap. Read some more. Drove to Flamands for hike to Colombier. Swam and snorkeled. Returned to villa for a drink and watched-transfixed-- as late afternoon turned to spectacular sunset and then early twilight. Called for reservations at a favorite restaurant. Enjoyed dinner and catching up with Andy, Franck or Eddy and Brigette. Home by 10:00. Asleep by 10:05. Day Two: Slept late. Walked Saint Jean beach. Took a quick dip. Enjoyed a languorous breakfast at villa . . . . ."
Still, there may well have been aspects of our visit worth sharing. It was our first real vacation to St. Barths in years, having sold this website to WIMCO earlier in the winter. No meetings or "rendezvous" whatsoever-simply 8 days of almost sinful sloth and unadulterated pleasure. We stayed at Villa EBA, nestled high up on the mountainside at Vitet, and loved it.
It consists of four bungalow-style buildings situated around a huge outdoor deck and pool: three of which are used as sleeping quarters and a fourth as a combination living room, dining room and kitchen. The design is very spare, clean and cool-we especially enjoyed the use of polished concrete for the floors and kitchen counters-and the landscaping is quite beautiful.
Most of all, we enjoyed the open, airy feel of the place and the ability to migrate to different parts of the deck during the day (it is easily the largest outdoor area we have seen on St. Barths) as the spirit moved us. Vitet has a very rural feel and is living proof that in spite of a great deal of development, St. Barths retains its distinctive neighborhoods each with their particular charms. On forays from our villa, we were entertained by a small herd of baby goats playing in a pasture at the foot of our driveway.
Vitet is also the home of one of our esteemed Moderators, Tim, who, incredibly, finishes his absurdly punishing bike rides around the island with a final climb past Villa EBA that rivals L'Alpe d'Huez.
Major kudos to WIMCO for helping us with a technological glitch at the villa. As this was the first time we rented through a villa rental agency, we didn't really know what to expect, but when the telephone at Villa EBA didn't work for a few days (a French Telecom problem), WIMCO very kindly let us use their office phone at the airport to call home and check in with our kids. They have also assembled the most unobtrusive and courteous housekeeping staff we have ever encountered: pool cleaners and gardeners were almost invisible, and the woman who looked after the villa not only asked us when we preferred she come but showed up on time and did a fantastic job as well. This was in marked contrast to the housekeepers we have dealt with on virtually every other visit to the island who, if they showed up at all, arrived when they felt like it and made us feel unwelcome in our own villa.
On the food front, after a number of years of disappointments, we fell in love all over again with Le Tamarin which is now owned and run by the highly-esteemed Max Deschamps, who was formerly the head chef at Le Gaic. We prefer lunch to dinner at Le Tamarin and ordered lots of appetizers rather than entrees which made it possible to appreciate the full range of Chef Deschamps' culinary artistry. (There seems to be a growing recognition among Saint Barths' restaurants that Americans might actually prefer eating apps to entrees-particularly for lunch. This is a welcome change as there were times in the past when we felt a little pressured to order entrees and dessert). The meal began with a complimentary ice tea and amuses bouches which was a nice touch. There was also a very elegant but low-key fashion show during lunch filling a void left by the closing of Le Lafayette Club. And what better way to top off the meal than a late afternoon trip to Saline?
We also enjoyed the beach bar at Le Sereno (easy to miss as it consists of no more than a handful of tables perched on the sand just in front of the more formal and expensive restaurant). Think of it as Cocoloba minus the hordes of little children. The setting is right out of a Corona ad. In fact, Kara and I entertained ourselves for hours staring at the view of Grand Cul de Sac and staging pictures of beer bottles with limes.
Franck continues to innovate and improve on his already wildly successful menu at Wall House; Eddy and Brigette still offer some of the best food and best service on the island for a fair price at Eddy's; and Andy remains the one of the nicest and most hospitable restaurant owners on the planet and the very personification of joie de vivre. We actually choose travel dates so that we can begin and end every St. Barths trip with dinner Chez Andy (he is closed on Mondays). There are also stirrings of life at Au Port, the oldest restaurant on the island. The new owners are clearly pouring their hearts and souls into the place to return it to the popularity it enjoyed when it was owned by Georges and Anne.
There were only a few negatives on the food front. Kudeta was a big disappointment. The food was quite creative and inexpensive, but the service was abominable. We waited nearly an hour after apps for our pizza to arrive, and the manager, to whom we complained, couldn't have cared less. Entrees for a large table seated next to us were brought sporadically leaving some guests with no alternative than to watch their dining companions eat. There seems to be more emphasis on cultivating a vibe rather than good service. Lose the 'tude, dudes! We also had poor service at Le Piment and felt as though we had consumed a half pack of cigarettes by the time we had left. (The new anti-smoking laws do not apply to facilities deemed to be outdoors).
As noted above, we entertained ourselves simply with trips to our favorite beaches-- most notably Colombier. The improvements to the trail which leads to the beach are a big plus with stairs carved into rocks that used to be a challenge to navigate in flip flops and a final set of stairs down to the beach allowing for a much more graceful entrance than sliding on your fanny the for the last 10 or 15 feet.
A special shout out is also due to this forum as the most invaluable source of information about St. Barths. We had long layovers in San Juan both down and back and discovered a recommendation from KevinS in the forum archives that those with time on their hands hop a cab to the Ritz Carlton Hotel which is no more than five minutes from the airport. We followed his advice and, for a cab ride costing only $10, were whisked away to the Ritz where the concierge graciously offered to look after our luggage and ushered us to a seat in the open air restaurant on the hotel's beach. In no time at all, we were enjoying ice cold Medallas and pulled pork sandwiches, and the New England winter seemed like a thing of the distant past.
But, of course, the best was yet to come. Landing on St. Barths, brief stop at the Match for essentials (vodka, tonic, lime, Caribs, wine, bread and cheese), quick dip, sunset and warmest of greetings from Andy.
Close
This trip report is nearly six months overdue which begs the question: having procrastinated this long, why clutter up the forum with a description of a vacation which happened so long ago that Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney looked like shoe-ins for their respective nominations, a baseball fan from these parts could reasonably believe that the New York Yankees were still contenders, and only a crazy person would have predicted that gasoline prices would exceed $4.00 a gallon? Surely the recollections of an event as inconsequential as eight days in the Caribbean would have faded beyond the point of recall in a world in which our day-to-day lives are dominated by news of unprecedented turmoil both at home and abroad.
But the point is, they haven't. To the contrary, Kara and I continue to savor little details about our trip on an almost daily basis. The simple fact is that a vacation in Saint Barths creates a reservoir of fond memories that, like a family photo album, may be taken down from the shelf and dusted off from time to time as a reminder of the very best times in our lives.
The other challenge in writing about one of our trips to St. Barths is that we accomplish so little while we are on the island. How does one make doing nothing sound interesting? "Day One: Slept late. Walked Saint Jean beach. Took a quick dip. Enjoyed a languorous breakfast at villa. Lounged by the pool and began devouring a stack of books brought from home. Popped open a couple of Caribs. Daydreamed about becoming a novelist (or, God help you, a restaurant owner!). Debated a trip to La Rotisserie or the Match for takeout versus eating out for lunch. Enjoyed a nice bottle of rose. Took a nap. Read some more. Drove to Flamands for hike to Colombier. Swam and snorkeled. Returned to villa for a drink and watched-transfixed-- as late afternoon turned to spectacular sunset and then early twilight. Called for reservations at a favorite restaurant. Enjoyed dinner and catching up with Andy, Franck or Eddy and Brigette. Home by 10:00. Asleep by 10:05. Day Two: Slept late. Walked Saint Jean beach. Took a quick dip. Enjoyed a languorous breakfast at villa . . . . ."
Still, there may well have been aspects of our visit worth sharing. It was our first real vacation to St. Barths in years, having sold this website to WIMCO earlier in the winter. No meetings or "rendezvous" whatsoever-simply 8 days of almost sinful sloth and unadulterated pleasure. We stayed at Villa EBA, nestled high up on the mountainside at Vitet, and loved it.
It consists of four bungalow-style buildings situated around a huge outdoor deck and pool: three of which are used as sleeping quarters and a fourth as a combination living room, dining room and kitchen. The design is very spare, clean and cool-we especially enjoyed the use of polished concrete for the floors and kitchen counters-and the landscaping is quite beautiful.
Most of all, we enjoyed the open, airy feel of the place and the ability to migrate to different parts of the deck during the day (it is easily the largest outdoor area we have seen on St. Barths) as the spirit moved us. Vitet has a very rural feel and is living proof that in spite of a great deal of development, St. Barths retains its distinctive neighborhoods each with their particular charms. On forays from our villa, we were entertained by a small herd of baby goats playing in a pasture at the foot of our driveway.
Vitet is also the home of one of our esteemed Moderators, Tim, who, incredibly, finishes his absurdly punishing bike rides around the island with a final climb past Villa EBA that rivals L'Alpe d'Huez.
Major kudos to WIMCO for helping us with a technological glitch at the villa. As this was the first time we rented through a villa rental agency, we didn't really know what to expect, but when the telephone at Villa EBA didn't work for a few days (a French Telecom problem), WIMCO very kindly let us use their office phone at the airport to call home and check in with our kids. They have also assembled the most unobtrusive and courteous housekeeping staff we have ever encountered: pool cleaners and gardeners were almost invisible, and the woman who looked after the villa not only asked us when we preferred she come but showed up on time and did a fantastic job as well. This was in marked contrast to the housekeepers we have dealt with on virtually every other visit to the island who, if they showed up at all, arrived when they felt like it and made us feel unwelcome in our own villa.
On the food front, after a number of years of disappointments, we fell in love all over again with Le Tamarin which is now owned and run by the highly-esteemed Max Deschamps, who was formerly the head chef at Le Gaic. We prefer lunch to dinner at Le Tamarin and ordered lots of appetizers rather than entrees which made it possible to appreciate the full range of Chef Deschamps' culinary artistry. (There seems to be a growing recognition among Saint Barths' restaurants that Americans might actually prefer eating apps to entrees-particularly for lunch. This is a welcome change as there were times in the past when we felt a little pressured to order entrees and dessert). The meal began with a complimentary ice tea and amuses bouches which was a nice touch. There was also a very elegant but low-key fashion show during lunch filling a void left by the closing of Le Lafayette Club. And what better way to top off the meal than a late afternoon trip to Saline?
We also enjoyed the beach bar at Le Sereno (easy to miss as it consists of no more than a handful of tables perched on the sand just in front of the more formal and expensive restaurant). Think of it as Cocoloba minus the hordes of little children. The setting is right out of a Corona ad. In fact, Kara and I entertained ourselves for hours staring at the view of Grand Cul de Sac and staging pictures of beer bottles with limes.
Franck continues to innovate and improve on his already wildly successful menu at Wall House; Eddy and Brigette still offer some of the best food and best service on the island for a fair price at Eddy's; and Andy remains the one of the nicest and most hospitable restaurant owners on the planet and the very personification of joie de vivre. We actually choose travel dates so that we can begin and end every St. Barths trip with dinner Chez Andy (he is closed on Mondays). There are also stirrings of life at Au Port, the oldest restaurant on the island. The new owners are clearly pouring their hearts and souls into the place to return it to the popularity it enjoyed when it was owned by Georges and Anne.
There were only a few negatives on the food front. Kudeta was a big disappointment. The food was quite creative and inexpensive, but the service was abominable. We waited nearly an hour after apps for our pizza to arrive, and the manager, to whom we complained, couldn't have cared less. Entrees for a large table seated next to us were brought sporadically leaving some guests with no alternative than to watch their dining companions eat. There seems to be more emphasis on cultivating a vibe rather than good service. Lose the 'tude, dudes! We also had poor service at Le Piment and felt as though we had consumed a half pack of cigarettes by the time we had left. (The new anti-smoking laws do not apply to facilities deemed to be outdoors).
As noted above, we entertained ourselves simply with trips to our favorite beaches-- most notably Colombier. The improvements to the trail which leads to the beach are a big plus with stairs carved into rocks that used to be a challenge to navigate in flip flops and a final set of stairs down to the beach allowing for a much more graceful entrance than sliding on your fanny the for the last 10 or 15 feet.
A special shout out is also due to this forum as the most invaluable source of information about St. Barths. We had long layovers in San Juan both down and back and discovered a recommendation from KevinS in the forum archives that those with time on their hands hop a cab to the Ritz Carlton Hotel which is no more than five minutes from the airport. We followed his advice and, for a cab ride costing only $10, were whisked away to the Ritz where the concierge graciously offered to look after our luggage and ushered us to a seat in the open air restaurant on the hotel's beach. In no time at all, we were enjoying ice cold Medallas and pulled pork sandwiches, and the New England winter seemed like a thing of the distant past.
But, of course, the best was yet to come. Landing on St. Barths, brief stop at the Match for essentials (vodka, tonic, lime, Caribs, wine, bread and cheese), quick dip, sunset and warmest of greetings from Andy.
St Barts Trip Report: A First Time Visitor Villa Poirres
A First Time Visitor
by northdakotaJust got back to North Dakota today after our one week stay in St Barts.
It was our first trip to St. Barts and all I can say is Wow!
We did not want to leave. It is always nice to come home, but we truly did not want to leave. We will be coming back someday, no doubt.
We stayed at Villa Poirres. It seemed to get a bad rap on this forum, but it was nothing but excellent! The view was awesome, and we loved the privacy and having our own pool and hot tub. No mosquitos and no rats to speak of.
Driving in St. Barts for the first time was crazy! But my wife and I both picked it up fairly quick and it actually became very fun after a while.
We spent a lot of time at the beaches of course. Our favorite was Saline by far. We love how it is such a beautiful, natural setting.
We cooked at our villa a lot, which was nice, but of course ate out a few times too. Nothing but the best. We ate out for supper the last two nights we were there, and had two of the best meals we have ever had!
The people on the island were great. Very friendly and helpful. And I might add the females are very easy on the eyes!
There is certainly something magical about the island. I don't know if we will ever be the same people, now that we have some St. Barts in us, and that is a good thing.
Thanks again for all of your suggestions and help on the forum. It really helped us with our trip.
We will be coming back again St. Barts, someday...
ND
St Barts Trip Report: A St Barts Honeymoon
St Barts Honeymoon Trip Report
Hey Gang!
Well, we have been back for a week and it's been a tough re-acclimation to reality. I travel for work, so I'm used to always being in motion. I guess that's helping with the return to work. All right, enough whining. On to the report. This was our Honeymoon and what an adventure! (Pics to follow, I promise Eddie!)
GETTING THERE - US Air flight out of Columbus, OH to Charlotte was uneventful and with only 20 minutes to catch the connection to SXM we missed meeting Tim and crew in Charlotte. The plane had already begun boarding and we were the last stragglers to make it on. whew. I asked a few passengers if they were SBHonliners and got a few strange looks. Oh well. Charlotte to SXM was smooth. Shortly after landing we popped into a cab to make our way to the marina for the Rapid Explorer. The traffic was heavy and it took us appox 45 minutes, and $20 US dollars. We were early for the boat ride departure and decided to imbibe a few rums and whiskeys at the marina restaurant before the boat shoved off. It was very overcast and we started getting that Jamaica-rain-all-week feeling.
BOAT RIDE - The waves were high and the wind was howling, and the boat was following suit. That's a crazy ride! At times, it felt like 30-foot swells, but of course, it was probably more like six to ten. The boat would tip skyward, then fall back into another oncoming wave for what seemed like a five second fall. Regardless, if you get motion sick, DO NOT TAKE THE BOAT! All the passengers were joking, laughing, preparing for paradise. After twenty minutes, everything got very serious on that boat, nobody talking, laughing anymore. Ha. We saw a few people doing the technicolor yawn. The whiskey in my empty belly rolled a bit, but ultimately, we were unscathed.
Once in Gustavia, I spotted a young woman holding a sign with my last name on it. I thought she was my villa contact. Turned out to be our rental car girl. she was a very nice French girl who processed my credit card there on the dock and handed me my keys. For what I paid, I thought I would be driving a go-cart. I was surprised to see a relatively new looking red compact.... something. Trios, tervos, whatever. It was more than fine. We rented from Soleil Caraibe. After wrapping up the car paperwork, the young lady asked if we knew where we were going. I told her this was our first trip to the island and we were staying at a villa. She said there was supposed to be someone from the villa company meeting us there. We looked around and saw the other boat people departing the dock, but no villa rep for us. She agreed to wait with us until help arrived. She was sweet. And pretty. Love that French accent.
After a few minutes, "Sprockets" arrived. We named him Sprockets as he was the spitting image of the SNL sketch charater played by Mike Myers. And he spoke like him too. But Sprockets drove like Mario Andretti. He commanded "jus follow after me and I vil take you to villa!" As this was my first driving experience on the island, I was stunned by the speed at which Sprockets negotiated the tight turns and narrow streets, as if we were in a car chase and he was trying to lose me. Ha. It was too much fun. It was just a precursor to my wild driving that week.
THE VILLA - SIB REF, overlooking Gouverneur beach. What a place! Palace more like it. It is beautiful. After entering the villa and taking her first look around, my bride exclaimed "you did good honey!" Sprockets flitted around the villa pointing to various appliances and remote controls with a half-hearted attempt at explaining how things worked. "Ju will vork it out, if no, call and ve vil help you, that is all I must go." Funny guy.
You guys can look up the villa for pics (and I will post some too), but they don't do it justice. I think this place is perfect. Great location; 5 mins to Gustavia, 7 mins to St. Jean, 2 mins to Gouverneur beach. Perfect. It's the place to be. Our maid for the week, Wendy, was a sweetheart. She was originally from Chicago and ended up on Fantasy Island. Wendy brought us breakfast every morning; Bread, pastries, etc. The villa has a HUGE pool, nice grill, impeccable furnishings, ipod dock/loud stereo which I tried to wear out, stunning views, blah blah blah. Get this villa if you can.
GETTING AROUND - Our first night on the island I got the crazy idea to explore. Heh. We took out the map, gave it a quick once-over, and away we went. In the dark. We had no idea where we were going. So I decided speed. Boy, is that fun! After we had driven North for a while, we ended up at Oasis. We loaded up on Jim Beam (a waiter on the island referred to it as James Beam...ok) wine, bread, chips, assorted junk food, more wine, and ciggies. A carton of Marlboro Lights=12 euro! Bottle of Jim Beam=11 euro! beautiful. Driving the narrow roads at breakneck speeds is simply too much fun. My bride tired of my maniacal racing, but I did not. I drove the hell out of that rental car.
NEW FRIENDS - Our first day on Gouverneur Beach, we were walking by a couple laying on the beach and I noticed a USC cap (University of Southern California) laying by the man's chair. He immediately approached me, sensing I was American, not sure, and I began trash-talking his Trojans. My OSU Buckeyes take on the Trojans this Fall. He was Bill. Wild Bill is what we call him now. Super guy. I asked him if they wanted to grab a drink later and I told him we were staying up the road at villa REF. After returning to the villa, I got a knock on the door, and it was Wild Bill. He invited us out to dinner with his (wives..ha) and we accepted. What a great group of people. At dinner with Bill he introduced us to a couple from Manhattan, John and Christine. We found out later that they had just met, but you would have thought they'd known each other for years. We will stay in touch with both groups. Their hospitality and warmth were extraordinary. Bill told me he is a "lurker" on the SBHonline forums board, but never posts.
We met Eddie (SBHonline Eddie) by accident our last night on the island. We were looking for a light dinner and stumbled into the private b-day party for the owner of Le Select. Eddie provided us some info and we snapped some photos. Good guy.
EATING - We grilled at our villa and stuffed on ham and swiss plenty. I will give you my take on the restaurants we patronized. I kept most of the receipts but have lost some and forgotten some of the places.
Le Bouchon - Great eats and affordable. Good pizzas and a killer steak sandwich. We were told this is the place that the locals frequent. It's an outdoor cafe thingy and we ate there three times, two lunches and a dinner. Lunch for two=33 Euro. Yes, that's affordable on this island.
Wall House - Superb dining experience! We were invited to dine with the Wild Bill bunch at Wall House, the last night before they were to close for the season. Thanks Bill. Dinner for two=141 Euro. During after dinner drinks, the waiter handed out what my bride called the Willy Wonka Golden Ticket invitations for the end-of-season Wall House party, to take place the next night. We attended, danced, drank, and watched Wild Bill dance some more. Great place.
Pa Cri - If it had not been for our dinner companions (you guessed it, the Wild Bill bunch) this would have been a very unremarkable meal. The food was average to below average. Dinner for two=170 Euro. Bill started laughing about something and couldn't stop. We all laughed uncontrollably at nothing. Lot's of fun. If you go here, take Bill. If Bill's not around, skip this joint.
BAZ - Very good sushi. We loved this place. I screwed up and ordered a shot of Patron...22 Euro. Whoa.
La Route Des Boucaniers - Best food we had on the island. Definitely check this one out. I lost my receipt and I can't remember how much dinner cost us.
Le Select - Great hangout. I ordered three mixed drinks and four shots of Quervo and it came to $22 US dollars. That's the best deal on the island! We had a lot of fun there, listening to the band and people watching. We didn't have any of the food, but plenty of the affordable booze.
Le Ti - This is an "after-hours" joint for the party crowd. Again, we didn't eat there, just drank. We ended up at Le Ti a few nights of our trip (thanks John) and all hell broke loose with French fashion shows, people dancing on tables (us) and champagne bottles being passed from group to group. We loved this place.
La Plage - This is an outdoor joint on St. Jean beach. Very good food! We were entertained by the people and a fashion show.
BEACHES - I will give you my take on the beaches we enjoyed. None of them were crowded. All the beaches are topless and Saline and Gouverneur are fifty percent bottomless. My bride got into the topless groove on the second day and didn't take a top to the beach after that. We did the nude thing a couple of days. When in Rome, right?
Gouverneur - The best beach in our opinion, but they were all great. This one had the beautiful sand and it's where we met the Wild Bill bunch, so I guess we are partial to it.
Saline - Beautiful bodies on this beach. It is much larger than Gouv, and it's just as beautiful.
Flammands - Again, beautiful beach. This beach water is calmer than the others and a bit windier with some stinging sand when the wind whips up.
St. Jean Beach - We didn't spend much time here, except to eat once and walked it after our meal. It was beautiful too!
DEPARTING - The Rapid Explorer got me on the way back. I didn't lose it, but it made me queasy for the rest of the day. Ugh. I think we will skip the boat the next time.
WEATHER - The forecast indicated partly to mostly cloudy all week with rain. Mostly cloudy in Ohio means you're lucky to see five minutes of sun per day. In St. Barts it means you will see a few clouds with mostly sun. It would rain at night for approx a half hour. The days were absolutely perfect.
Ok, this is long enough. I will post photos soon. As newbies, we had a wonderful time exploring everything for the first time. We did have the good fortune of meeting great people and getting great inside information from the SBHonline forum members. We would highly recommend St. Barts for a once-in-a-lifetime Honeymoon.
Peace!
St Barts Trip Report: A First Visit
St Barts Trip Report
January 10 - 26by StBartsFan2 First off I want to thank everyone on this site for the wealth of information I accumulated prior to our first trip to what has to be the ultimate paradise. I have read everything there is about St. barts and without a doubt everyone here provides the most informative and updated and entertaining information around.
Flight down was a breeze. St. Martin airport was as humid as advertised but Winair got us on an earlier flight and we dive bombed into St. Barts 30 minutes early. Somehow the wonderful driver from Toiny knew we would be early and was waiting for us and we were soon on our way to our hotel. Erick, the driver for the hotel, was charming and full of good advice and seemed utterly content to live in the paradise that is St. Barts. The hotel is luscious. Beautiful bungalows with private pools. We settled in, took a walk out on the rocks and shared some champagne. Everything already felt magical.
Our first dinner was at the hotel. It is a beautiful dining room and the service was sensational. It was attentive without being intrusive and the food was quite good as well. We were in heaven. A short walk back to the room for some more champagne and a late night dip in the pool.
Day One; The next morning we headed out for our first beach experience. From everything we've read on this site, it was straight to Saline and what an experience it was! A deserted spot with beautiful, warm waters. I am hard pressed to remember a time when I felt more serene. We brought some wine from the mini-bar (advice to all: HIT THE MATCH we paid a BIG premium bring that wine). Nonetheless, a glass of sancerre before heading off to lunch was perfect.
Lunch was the Lafayette Club. It is a beautful spot and the famed pina coladas are outstanding. It was, however, very expensive. I would certainly return because it is a real experience but I might be slighly more judicious in what I order (perhaps just more pina coladas).
Dinner that night was lesprit. Just lovely. How cute is Christopher? The food was light and expertly prepared. The chef made the rounds after dinner to check up on everyone. It was a lovely experience which was, of course, finished with lemon grass rum which we ordered after hearing such raves on this site. It is worthy of the raves and more.
After dinner we headed home, raided the mini-bar one more time (still hadn't found the Match at this point) and relaxed in the nicest hotel we've ever stayed in. Toiny is really magical at night with the individual pools lit.
Day Two: Decided to try Gouveneur (sp?). Stopped at the match first and picked up some champagne and oj (prices cheaper than the hotel). What a drive to get there! Stunning! It is a lovely beach although parts a bit rocky. Mimosas and the solitude of the beach got us going on the "how can we move here question". Hubby wanted to try lunch at the Hideaway but I was looking for a luxe vacation. Poured me another glass of champagne and we were off to Andy's for lunch. Talk about love at first sight. Andy is simply charming and his food is delicious and his prices make you feel like perhaps your spending a bit too much everywhere else. What a great place. We would return
Feel like I am staring to drag on so here are a few more highlights:
Dinner day 2: the new Francois Plantation. Kind of quiet but excellent food. tres expensive!
Lunch day 3: back to Andy's!! The BEST part - Kara and Bob's book was there and we got a chance to discuss it with Andy. He is so delighted to be in it. We bought a copy and spent the afternoon fighting over it. We had thought that it wouldn't be that interesting to us before we went and assumed we would buy it when we got back. I only wished I had it a couple of weeks before we got done there and had time to study it. It was beautiful and the writing/stories were so fantastic to read. My husband and I felt more a part of the island at Andy's reading Paradise Found than I can describe. Special thank you to Kara and Bob for their wonderful book. You really have captured what is so special about the island.
Dinner day 3: my husband loved the eddy's story so off to Eddy's it was. We showed the waitress the book and she brough Bridgette over, who signed it, and later that evening we met Eddy who is as fascinating as Kara and Bob describe him. The food was also first rate.
Day 4: the weather was not that great so we decided to stay by our pool and read. Once again, we fought over Kara and Bob's book (we ultimately bought a second copy) and ventured out to lunch at Isle de France. It was very nice although the service left a little to be desired. Dinner was La Mandala. I can't rave enough.
Day 5: Le Select for lunch and Wall House for dinner. Caribe at Le Select were a highlight. As was our meal at Wall House. Dennis and Frank are as advertised. Truly nice people and talented chefs.
Day 6: Sadly heading home. I can say without hesitation that this was the most memorable vacation I have ever taken. What took me by surprise: the roads. What would I do differently: rent a villa. What was my favorite memory: feeling so completely in love with my husband of 15 years.
A big thank you to everyone for all the wonderful advice.
Beth
St Barts Trip Report: + Two weeks on the island
St Barts Trip Report: + Back to Le Toiny
St Barts Trip Report: + A Washed Out Week
St Barts Trip Report: + A Fall Trip to SBH
St Barts Trip Report: + Third trip to St. Barths, Villa in Colombier
St Barts Trip Report: + Stayed at the Manapany Using FF points
St Barts Trip Report: + Second Trip to the Island
St Barts Trip Report: + 8 night stay at Les ilets de la Plage
St Barts Trip Report: + Seashell kids
St Barts Trip Report: + Thoughts after a month in St. Barths
St Barts Trip Report: + 2nd trip to SBH - stayed in Colombier and Flamands
St Barts Trip Report: + UK to SBH
St Barts Trip Report: + Scuba diving on St. Barths
St Barts Trip Report: + A first timer's reaction to St. Barths
St Barts Trip Report: + Trip diary of Two Weeks Spent on St. Barths
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