MantyPam
SBH Insider
This was our second trip to St. Bart’s. We loved it so much last year that we had to come back, and this time we brought our friends! We stayed at La Baleine. What can be said about La Baleine and Rosita that hasn’t already been said! The Villa is gorgeous! My favorite spot was watching the boats from the gazebo surrounded by hummingbirds. The foliage is just beautiful! Rosita is the best hostess around! We've already booked her Villa EMM next year!
We kicked off our trip with Bloody Mary’s (extra horseradish) in United’s first-class lounge at O'Hare at 6:30 am, then it was onto St. Bart’s via SXM/WinAir. Tradewinds is already booked for next year – something to look forward to! After being greeted at the airport by our gracious hostess, Rosita, we took a quick tour of La Baleine, and it was off to La Bananiers for their wood fired pizzas.
La Baleine is perfect for two couples – plenty of space and privacy for all. We had the room off of the pool area – very modern, super quiet and elegant – our friends had the room off of the library area. The kitchen is very modern - granite counters and every cooking utensil and appliance you could need. The outdoor space is so perfect! Plenty of sun during the day, a beautiful gazebo, and other outdoor space with plenty of room for multiple couples to spread out. We stayed at Haute Maison the previous year and while it was beautiful, we much preferred the full day of sun that we had at La Baleine by pool area.
The second day we headed to Gustavia. We had an excellent lunch at the Wall House. The Caesar Salad with crispy onions is my favorite! Even the anchovies taste better in St. Barts! Dinner that night was at PaCri. While it had been our favorite last year, we were disappointed with this visit.
My husband and I went to Governeur, our favorite beach the next day, but trying to keep the sun umbrella vertical in the wind, was a lesson in frustration, so we left after 45 minutes and returned to the peace and sun of La Baleine. That night was dinner at Le Repaire. We were the only patrons, which was odd, as the island was actually fairly busy that week. Dinner was okay, but nothing special. I've posted a pic of the 4 of us - my husband Bill and I are wearing the matching blue shirts, much to his chagrin! :uncomfortableness:
The next day we rented the beach chairs at Eden Rock which I posted about previously. While $90 Euros for 2 beach chairs might seem crazy to some, it is money well spent for us. As JEK mentioned, chilled Evian, mid-morning snacks, comfy beach chairs, great views and warm, clear water can’t be beat. If you like being pampered, this is the way to go. Lunch at the Sand Bar was terrific as always. My Lobster Salad was spectacular, as were the 2 bottles of Domaine Ott and after-lunch espresso martinis! The beach chairs were extra comfy after that lunch! We left around 5:00, having had an excellent day of relaxing in comfort, with no umbrella's tipping over, no sand blowing on us and drinks and snacks being delivered throughout the day! Dinner that night was take-out rotisserie chicken and salads from Mayas-to-Go.
The next day we hit Santa Fe for lunch. I had been looking forward to the Beef Bourguignon all year, and was thrilled it was offered for lunch! It was as good as I remembered! Santa Fe is one of the best restaurants on the island, and Manu provides a personal touch you don’t find anywhere else.
The next day after lounging by the pool all day, we stopped at Le Select for a late afternoon lunch/dinner. There was a group of obnoxious, shady looking characters congregating on the corner of Le Select, close to where we were sitting, so unfortunately we didn’t stay long.
During our trip we paid a visit to Diamond Genesis to pick out an island memento/b-day gift for me! They were able to custom-make a beautiful bracelet using a pendant and bracelet I selected and had it ready the next day. Next year we’re getting my husband the island cufflinks!
We hiked to Columbier again this year. The hike was a lot easier this time knowing what we had to look forward to! We did get sand blasted, so after about an hour we headed back to our second home and our hummingbirds and turtles!
Our final dinner on the island was our best meal of the trip. The four of us had dinner at On the Rocks, at Eden Rock. Fantastic food, dessert and multiple bottles of DOmaine Ott! It was a fitting end to a great trip with friends!
We can’t wait to experience EMM next year! Rosita also gave us a tour of her new villa, Les Basses – it is beautiful!! Merci to the lovely Rosita for her hospitality and graciousness - her Villas are the best on the island! We can’t wait until April!!
--Pam
We kicked off our trip with Bloody Mary’s (extra horseradish) in United’s first-class lounge at O'Hare at 6:30 am, then it was onto St. Bart’s via SXM/WinAir. Tradewinds is already booked for next year – something to look forward to! After being greeted at the airport by our gracious hostess, Rosita, we took a quick tour of La Baleine, and it was off to La Bananiers for their wood fired pizzas.
La Baleine is perfect for two couples – plenty of space and privacy for all. We had the room off of the pool area – very modern, super quiet and elegant – our friends had the room off of the library area. The kitchen is very modern - granite counters and every cooking utensil and appliance you could need. The outdoor space is so perfect! Plenty of sun during the day, a beautiful gazebo, and other outdoor space with plenty of room for multiple couples to spread out. We stayed at Haute Maison the previous year and while it was beautiful, we much preferred the full day of sun that we had at La Baleine by pool area.
The second day we headed to Gustavia. We had an excellent lunch at the Wall House. The Caesar Salad with crispy onions is my favorite! Even the anchovies taste better in St. Barts! Dinner that night was at PaCri. While it had been our favorite last year, we were disappointed with this visit.
My husband and I went to Governeur, our favorite beach the next day, but trying to keep the sun umbrella vertical in the wind, was a lesson in frustration, so we left after 45 minutes and returned to the peace and sun of La Baleine. That night was dinner at Le Repaire. We were the only patrons, which was odd, as the island was actually fairly busy that week. Dinner was okay, but nothing special. I've posted a pic of the 4 of us - my husband Bill and I are wearing the matching blue shirts, much to his chagrin! :uncomfortableness:
The next day we rented the beach chairs at Eden Rock which I posted about previously. While $90 Euros for 2 beach chairs might seem crazy to some, it is money well spent for us. As JEK mentioned, chilled Evian, mid-morning snacks, comfy beach chairs, great views and warm, clear water can’t be beat. If you like being pampered, this is the way to go. Lunch at the Sand Bar was terrific as always. My Lobster Salad was spectacular, as were the 2 bottles of Domaine Ott and after-lunch espresso martinis! The beach chairs were extra comfy after that lunch! We left around 5:00, having had an excellent day of relaxing in comfort, with no umbrella's tipping over, no sand blowing on us and drinks and snacks being delivered throughout the day! Dinner that night was take-out rotisserie chicken and salads from Mayas-to-Go.
The next day we hit Santa Fe for lunch. I had been looking forward to the Beef Bourguignon all year, and was thrilled it was offered for lunch! It was as good as I remembered! Santa Fe is one of the best restaurants on the island, and Manu provides a personal touch you don’t find anywhere else.
The next day after lounging by the pool all day, we stopped at Le Select for a late afternoon lunch/dinner. There was a group of obnoxious, shady looking characters congregating on the corner of Le Select, close to where we were sitting, so unfortunately we didn’t stay long.
During our trip we paid a visit to Diamond Genesis to pick out an island memento/b-day gift for me! They were able to custom-make a beautiful bracelet using a pendant and bracelet I selected and had it ready the next day. Next year we’re getting my husband the island cufflinks!
We hiked to Columbier again this year. The hike was a lot easier this time knowing what we had to look forward to! We did get sand blasted, so after about an hour we headed back to our second home and our hummingbirds and turtles!
Our final dinner on the island was our best meal of the trip. The four of us had dinner at On the Rocks, at Eden Rock. Fantastic food, dessert and multiple bottles of DOmaine Ott! It was a fitting end to a great trip with friends!
We can’t wait to experience EMM next year! Rosita also gave us a tour of her new villa, Les Basses – it is beautiful!! Merci to the lovely Rosita for her hospitality and graciousness - her Villas are the best on the island! We can’t wait until April!!
--Pam
