thomasj
SBH Insider
Hello everyone!
I've just finally sat down long enough and enough time has passed that I've been able to digest my latest SBH trip (January 15 to February 5) to note down a few of my thoughts of my recently finished visit to our beloved Caribbean paradise.
I'm aiming for easy reading and some brevity here , so won't go into tons of detail, however any questions shoot! I like lists and categories myself so I hope that all works for you all.
TRANSPORT
1st time ever I went via SJU with Tradewind (due to travelling with a small dog and new regs to transit SXM with them).
Thoughts? Not worth the money IMHO. SJU airport is a lot larger and busier than SXM, however the walk from arrival gate to Tradewind lounge was a very easy 5 minutes. Airport not too crowded but its pretty hot in there and people move real slow. On return - Security (Priority Access) was slow as molasses. Airline Check in staff also super slow. Plus? Customs was empty and took less than 5 minutes. Tradewind is "nice" but not what I would call upscale or posh in any way (call me jaded). The 1 hour flight from SJU is a big minus compared to 10 minute SBH Commuter hop. Unless NA to SXM fares are crazy or flights are sold out (and money is no object) I don't see a reason or justification to use Tradewind (especially if its a bigger party) I wouldn't use Tradewind again. Then again if money was no object I would just recommend charting a private plane (or megayacht).
Travelling with a dog (in cabin)
SJU only asked for a valid rabies certificate (within 6 months)
SBH did not ask anything and completely oblivious to a dog coming in.
Welcome Car SBH. First time using this company, I usually use Gumb. Our car was fine, clean and Welcome provides prompt, good service. Minus is that, unike Gumb, they are not located at the airport.
WEATHER
It was very windy when we arrived (around the time that boat was beached at Nikki Beach) and cool brrrr! but within days it warmed up and can say that the weather was pretty much perfect - the best of all the times I've visited (Nov, Dec and Feb). Just enough wind, a light smattering of rain (maybe 2 days?) Absolutely amazing. I highly recommend mid January to February for a visit. November is nice too, however being the tail end of the hurricane season, rain is more possible. If I come back it will be January again.
PEOPLE
2 things: Way more traffic however much less people. Go figure. The road at St Jean is pretty nonstop all day but a lot of it is construction vehicles. Beaches are never crowded in SBH however Gustavia did not seem as busy to me as in previous trips, with the exception of cruise visit days. Beaches were heaven, like I remember. Saline is my personal fave. Did the hike to Colombier and that was the only beach that was busier than I remember on previous visits.
MOSQUITOES
LOTS. To my recollection, numbers were pretty much the same as my previous visits in 2015,13,11,10,09
This time I was ready with something new and came with a product called Natrapel. The reviews were mixed but I hate DEET products so fingers crossed and it worked! Not a single bite all 3 weeks.
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5038-081/Lemon-Eucalyptus-Insect-Repellent---74ml-Pump
I bought it at MEC but should be available at Walmart and other stores.
ACCOMMODATION
1st week at the "new" (actually more like repainted and refurnished) Tropical Hotel. Plus? Overall friendly service, very chill, great location in St Jean so you don't have to drive to get to a beach and restaurants. Minus? Rooms were not renovated in any way, are TINY and walls are thin thin thin. A few nights some heavily liquored up NYers checked in next door and yeah, not a happy camper. Seaview rooms have no sea view. None of the rooms here have a view, unless you consider a parking lot a view. Pool is cute, beside a very busy street that was pretty nonstop. Lots of construction noise from 7am to evening. BIG MINUS? The rates are obscene (even for St Barts) well I hope that works out for them. Normandie, Salines Garden are better choices for a less pricey hotel stay.
2nd and 3rd week were at a self catering private rental very near Saline Beach. Not as much construction and noise in that area (yet) and not as much traffic so BLISS obviously. I never wanted to leave.
FOOD
(Caveat: I won't talk money, cause as we all know SBH is expensive, consistently overpriced and the cost has zero relevance to quality of food and service) I think I've covered them all, I might have forgotten a few forgettable ones.
Maman at Hotel Tropical - cute setting (sit beside the turtle pond), terrible coffee, nice service, tiny portions of uninspired food. We have a branch in Toronto and the SBH version didn't win me over at all.
Maya's to Go - was a fan before but this trip noticed food quality has gone way down and its very repetitive. It's popular but I stopped going after 2 chances on the first week. Noticed they were very very understaffed.
Kiki e Mo - surprisingly this trip was my first time and they won me over. The menu isn't super exciting by any means, but the food quality is solid and even when busy with annoying day trippers, staff did well. The Happy Hour was great too with nice mixed drinks.
So Cuisine - love the owner/operators and the food. The menu, raw and organic, certainly isn't for everyone, but as someone who eats little meat and junk food, having this as an option on SBH is wonderful.
Tom's Juice - staff is very friendly and informative about their menu. Again I love to eat clean and the options here are pretty good, especially considering its SBH. Their ginger drink is a great wakeup in the morning and they sell them in markets as well if you don't go to Gustavia.
Nikki Beach - a chain, a slightly gaudy one at that, and the target market is the chic, want to see and be seen crowd but you know what? The service was the best of all the restaurants we went to. Food is well prepared and fresh.
Le Grain de Sel - waited an eternity for a server to notice us, so forget it. I'm done.
Orega - service was off the night we went, staff kinda pissed off and snarky. Food was just ok IMO, dishes were well plated (not always the case in SBH) and trying to be inventive but again call me jaded I wasn't impressed.
Isoletta - staff here quite friendly and touchy/feely Italian, Roman style pizza tastes great and its enjoyable if you forget they are charging 10x what they do in Rome
Le Vietnam - the trilingual owner/operator here is really nice and the place was empty however the food was only ok. Asian dishes prepared for a European palate all the way.
Black Ginger - impressed with the super friendly service and love the design (the take out is also a nice space) however again the dishes are prepared more for a European taste (almost inedible and really sweet curry) as opposed to spicy. Tiny portions.
Le Select - love to drink here. As always skip the burgers - they are horrible.
I like to cook and to shop on SBH so after the gloss of going out wore out, I shopped Marche U, JoJos, Boulangerie Choisy, etc to self cater. SBH stores have such a great selection of wines and French products (and prices aren't out of control) that its a shame not to partake.
Overall, this time, the restaurants seemed less busy with patrons and less staffed in my observation. Also there was some kind of illness all over the island (locals musing about "le gastro"). Let's not talk smoking anymore cause obviously the French never got the memo that smoking kills and restaurant owners can't be bothered to say anything. As much as I hate the smoke, I do my best to ignore and just enjoy the fact I am on SBH. A plus of this carefree 'tude is also that SBH restaurant owners don't care about little dogs everywhere either. Live and let live right?
FINALLY let's talk.
As I've seen already discussed on this board, the construction on SBH is out of control. I mean I don't live on the island, so ultimately I don't have any skin in the game pro vs. con, however as a just having hit 40s traveller (I've been super fortunate to have visited 70+ countries in my life, including some pretty gorgeous islands that can certainly compete with SBH) I can already see the vast change in the vibe and feel of the island just from 2009, when I started coming here. I assume those coming since the 70s and 80s see even more and can only cry. I am able to see advantages of modernizing some elements of the island however I can also see where this is heading if the development and sell out to the richest folks continues unchallenged and I don't like it. Don't get me wrong, a vacation in SBH (for me) is a million times more relaxing, still, than anywhere else in the Caribbean however the trek to get here and the cost won't be worth it to me anymore once SBH succumbs to beach/resort/villa development to the extent that it's no longer as relaxing as it was, and still can be. I am only consoled by the fact that the locals (the ones that I talked to) are generally not happy with the current state of affairs. Not that that will change anything, nothing talks louder than money in this world it seems. It was nice while it lasted. The Editors note in the Pure Magazine was a sobering wake up call the first morning.
OH AND 1 last thing: LOVE LOVE LOVE the new parking lot and park/sunset overlook behind the Gustavia hospital. A hidden gem that so far seems to only be used by locals. This is an example of something new and modern actually serving a purpose for the locals that probably didn't diminish anything in return.
Cheers and happy travels everyone! eace-sign1:ray1:
I've just finally sat down long enough and enough time has passed that I've been able to digest my latest SBH trip (January 15 to February 5) to note down a few of my thoughts of my recently finished visit to our beloved Caribbean paradise.
I'm aiming for easy reading and some brevity here , so won't go into tons of detail, however any questions shoot! I like lists and categories myself so I hope that all works for you all.
TRANSPORT
1st time ever I went via SJU with Tradewind (due to travelling with a small dog and new regs to transit SXM with them).
Thoughts? Not worth the money IMHO. SJU airport is a lot larger and busier than SXM, however the walk from arrival gate to Tradewind lounge was a very easy 5 minutes. Airport not too crowded but its pretty hot in there and people move real slow. On return - Security (Priority Access) was slow as molasses. Airline Check in staff also super slow. Plus? Customs was empty and took less than 5 minutes. Tradewind is "nice" but not what I would call upscale or posh in any way (call me jaded). The 1 hour flight from SJU is a big minus compared to 10 minute SBH Commuter hop. Unless NA to SXM fares are crazy or flights are sold out (and money is no object) I don't see a reason or justification to use Tradewind (especially if its a bigger party) I wouldn't use Tradewind again. Then again if money was no object I would just recommend charting a private plane (or megayacht).
Travelling with a dog (in cabin)
SJU only asked for a valid rabies certificate (within 6 months)
SBH did not ask anything and completely oblivious to a dog coming in.
Welcome Car SBH. First time using this company, I usually use Gumb. Our car was fine, clean and Welcome provides prompt, good service. Minus is that, unike Gumb, they are not located at the airport.
WEATHER
It was very windy when we arrived (around the time that boat was beached at Nikki Beach) and cool brrrr! but within days it warmed up and can say that the weather was pretty much perfect - the best of all the times I've visited (Nov, Dec and Feb). Just enough wind, a light smattering of rain (maybe 2 days?) Absolutely amazing. I highly recommend mid January to February for a visit. November is nice too, however being the tail end of the hurricane season, rain is more possible. If I come back it will be January again.
PEOPLE
2 things: Way more traffic however much less people. Go figure. The road at St Jean is pretty nonstop all day but a lot of it is construction vehicles. Beaches are never crowded in SBH however Gustavia did not seem as busy to me as in previous trips, with the exception of cruise visit days. Beaches were heaven, like I remember. Saline is my personal fave. Did the hike to Colombier and that was the only beach that was busier than I remember on previous visits.
MOSQUITOES
LOTS. To my recollection, numbers were pretty much the same as my previous visits in 2015,13,11,10,09
This time I was ready with something new and came with a product called Natrapel. The reviews were mixed but I hate DEET products so fingers crossed and it worked! Not a single bite all 3 weeks.
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5038-081/Lemon-Eucalyptus-Insect-Repellent---74ml-Pump
I bought it at MEC but should be available at Walmart and other stores.
ACCOMMODATION
1st week at the "new" (actually more like repainted and refurnished) Tropical Hotel. Plus? Overall friendly service, very chill, great location in St Jean so you don't have to drive to get to a beach and restaurants. Minus? Rooms were not renovated in any way, are TINY and walls are thin thin thin. A few nights some heavily liquored up NYers checked in next door and yeah, not a happy camper. Seaview rooms have no sea view. None of the rooms here have a view, unless you consider a parking lot a view. Pool is cute, beside a very busy street that was pretty nonstop. Lots of construction noise from 7am to evening. BIG MINUS? The rates are obscene (even for St Barts) well I hope that works out for them. Normandie, Salines Garden are better choices for a less pricey hotel stay.
2nd and 3rd week were at a self catering private rental very near Saline Beach. Not as much construction and noise in that area (yet) and not as much traffic so BLISS obviously. I never wanted to leave.
FOOD
(Caveat: I won't talk money, cause as we all know SBH is expensive, consistently overpriced and the cost has zero relevance to quality of food and service) I think I've covered them all, I might have forgotten a few forgettable ones.
Maman at Hotel Tropical - cute setting (sit beside the turtle pond), terrible coffee, nice service, tiny portions of uninspired food. We have a branch in Toronto and the SBH version didn't win me over at all.
Maya's to Go - was a fan before but this trip noticed food quality has gone way down and its very repetitive. It's popular but I stopped going after 2 chances on the first week. Noticed they were very very understaffed.
Kiki e Mo - surprisingly this trip was my first time and they won me over. The menu isn't super exciting by any means, but the food quality is solid and even when busy with annoying day trippers, staff did well. The Happy Hour was great too with nice mixed drinks.
So Cuisine - love the owner/operators and the food. The menu, raw and organic, certainly isn't for everyone, but as someone who eats little meat and junk food, having this as an option on SBH is wonderful.
Tom's Juice - staff is very friendly and informative about their menu. Again I love to eat clean and the options here are pretty good, especially considering its SBH. Their ginger drink is a great wakeup in the morning and they sell them in markets as well if you don't go to Gustavia.
Nikki Beach - a chain, a slightly gaudy one at that, and the target market is the chic, want to see and be seen crowd but you know what? The service was the best of all the restaurants we went to. Food is well prepared and fresh.
Le Grain de Sel - waited an eternity for a server to notice us, so forget it. I'm done.
Orega - service was off the night we went, staff kinda pissed off and snarky. Food was just ok IMO, dishes were well plated (not always the case in SBH) and trying to be inventive but again call me jaded I wasn't impressed.
Isoletta - staff here quite friendly and touchy/feely Italian, Roman style pizza tastes great and its enjoyable if you forget they are charging 10x what they do in Rome
Le Vietnam - the trilingual owner/operator here is really nice and the place was empty however the food was only ok. Asian dishes prepared for a European palate all the way.
Black Ginger - impressed with the super friendly service and love the design (the take out is also a nice space) however again the dishes are prepared more for a European taste (almost inedible and really sweet curry) as opposed to spicy. Tiny portions.
Le Select - love to drink here. As always skip the burgers - they are horrible.
I like to cook and to shop on SBH so after the gloss of going out wore out, I shopped Marche U, JoJos, Boulangerie Choisy, etc to self cater. SBH stores have such a great selection of wines and French products (and prices aren't out of control) that its a shame not to partake.
Overall, this time, the restaurants seemed less busy with patrons and less staffed in my observation. Also there was some kind of illness all over the island (locals musing about "le gastro"). Let's not talk smoking anymore cause obviously the French never got the memo that smoking kills and restaurant owners can't be bothered to say anything. As much as I hate the smoke, I do my best to ignore and just enjoy the fact I am on SBH. A plus of this carefree 'tude is also that SBH restaurant owners don't care about little dogs everywhere either. Live and let live right?
FINALLY let's talk.
As I've seen already discussed on this board, the construction on SBH is out of control. I mean I don't live on the island, so ultimately I don't have any skin in the game pro vs. con, however as a just having hit 40s traveller (I've been super fortunate to have visited 70+ countries in my life, including some pretty gorgeous islands that can certainly compete with SBH) I can already see the vast change in the vibe and feel of the island just from 2009, when I started coming here. I assume those coming since the 70s and 80s see even more and can only cry. I am able to see advantages of modernizing some elements of the island however I can also see where this is heading if the development and sell out to the richest folks continues unchallenged and I don't like it. Don't get me wrong, a vacation in SBH (for me) is a million times more relaxing, still, than anywhere else in the Caribbean however the trek to get here and the cost won't be worth it to me anymore once SBH succumbs to beach/resort/villa development to the extent that it's no longer as relaxing as it was, and still can be. I am only consoled by the fact that the locals (the ones that I talked to) are generally not happy with the current state of affairs. Not that that will change anything, nothing talks louder than money in this world it seems. It was nice while it lasted. The Editors note in the Pure Magazine was a sobering wake up call the first morning.
OH AND 1 last thing: LOVE LOVE LOVE the new parking lot and park/sunset overlook behind the Gustavia hospital. A hidden gem that so far seems to only be used by locals. This is an example of something new and modern actually serving a purpose for the locals that probably didn't diminish anything in return.
Cheers and happy travels everyone! eace-sign1:ray1: