stbartshopper
Senior Insider
We had been all over the Caribbean- nothing was what we wanted. Reading travel magazines- Conde Nast, Travel and Leisure, Food and Wine. Robb Report and others, reviews on Travel Advisor ... St. Barth kept popping up in small articles here and there. My wife and I discussed it and we agreed to give it a go. Not knowing anything about the Villa life, we researched hotels and settled on Isle de France. Isle de France suggested a private charter from SXM and not knowing any better we booked it. We stayed in the least expensive room of the hotel which was above the tennis courts and lots off mosquito guests and no ocean view. IDF picked us up and we only rented cars daily from the hotel. We were afraid to drive at night so only had dinners in the Flamands area or taxi to other locales but did make it around the island during the day. We remember the Vicar and his wife with their dogs in the sun all day just burning away. We worried about their future dermatology expenses.
We decided we liked it enough to return and booked the cheapest room again. This time we had more courage and journeyed out in a car at night and during the day. On one Sunday brunch at Le Toiny/Gaiac, I told a gentleman I liked his shirt. My wife was upset that I made a personal comment and later he passed by and we have been great friends ever since. We have rented one of their two Villas the following year and may be on our 8th or 9th year renting that same Villa- Fregate in Pte. Milou.
St. Barth forever for us!
We decided we liked it enough to return and booked the cheapest room again. This time we had more courage and journeyed out in a car at night and during the day. On one Sunday brunch at Le Toiny/Gaiac, I told a gentleman I liked his shirt. My wife was upset that I made a personal comment and later he passed by and we have been great friends ever since. We have rented one of their two Villas the following year and may be on our 8th or 9th year renting that same Villa- Fregate in Pte. Milou.
St. Barth forever for us!