lightning round...

jpa742001

SBH Member
What was the first year you went to St. Bart’s, why did you pick there, any cool first trip stories?

You all read mine. I want to hear yours.
 
2014. Both kids in college, I dusted off some old links about the Caribbean for our first couple vacation in 21 years. Settled on St Martin, but kept seeing St Barth in the discussion. Ended up with three days on the French side of St Martin before flying out of Esperance for a week in a villa just past the Pharmacy in St Jean. Our first night's dinner was at the Hideaway where we were totally charmed by Andy. He's gone, but we've been back every year since.
 
1986...we were on a business trip to St. Croix the year before where we met an interesting young couple in the St. Thomas airport who were heading to a place called St. Barts...never heard of it before...the following year on another business trip in Caribbean we decided to try St. Bart’s...the rest is history...would love to find that young couple to thank them..
 
2006. Researching Neckar Island on Google....not in our budget! Ended up on the Isle de France website somehow and fell in love from afar with St. Barts. Ultimately booked Villa Kyody in Marigot for our first trip BEFORE researching flights. Did I mention I don’t like to fly? I think the copilot for Winair sensed that as we were preparing to board for the flight and he told me not to worry, that we would take off as soon as the other pilot got back from the bar. Lol. Said he needed a drink to calm his nerves for the trip over. I was ready to go back home at that point. We landed (actually look forward to it now) and thought the worst was over.

Little did we know that following the scooter-driving villa guide to Marigot was going to be scarier than the plane ride! Afraid to drive too far for dinner, we ate at Le Rivage at the bottom of the hill. Our most memorable meal that week was at Le Gaeic (sp?) for two reasons...the amazing food and the bill. We had gotten used to paying in euros all week and this bill was presented in francs, and I initially thought it was $2,000 for the two of us. I looked at my husband and said $2,000!!! a little too loud, he grabbed the bill and realized it was in francs. I still think it was around $400, but it seemed like a bargain after thinking it was 5 times that. The truffle dishes were worth every penny and I still crave them.

We’ve been back to the island every year since except for one when there was an ice storm and AA cancelled flights for most of the week that our villa was booked. Started buying the travel insurance after that experience! Took our kids in 2012 for the first time and it’s been their favorite place as well ever since. We try to do spring break with them and a winter couples trip.
 
This should be an interesting thread, great question!

Our first visit was in 2005, on (gasp) a cruise ship! Hubby heard about SBH and we found a cruise that stopped in Gustavia. Seemed a good way to test it out before committing to an entire week.

We arrived on a cloudy, rainy, cool day. Rented a car and explored. First meal was at Le Piment for breakfast, and now we make it a point to always return. Lunch at La Route Des Boucaniers (now Victoria) where we had the best croque monsieur of our lives. Before getting back on the ship we bought the spiciest hot sauce of our lives at a tiny shop that's no longer there. That night at dinner most people complained about how expensive the island was, how many shops were closed, and the ones that were open were all high end and luxury. We were smitten. Returned a few months later and stayed in a villa in Marigot.

We've made 8 trips since then, now with our two children. They are just as smitten as we are and it honestly makes me fall more in love with the island to see them there. They'd rather go to SBH than Disney!
 
1978 . . . visited on the recommendation of an archeologist friend who had just returned from participating in a "dig" on the island. His travel advice: "You won't need sox, underwear, or a swimming suit!" It was a beautiful, simple place. Electricity went off nightly between about midnight and 7 AM. No large trucks . . . only slow cars & "mini-mokes." No telephones and no credit cards (restaurant owners gave our bills to Brook Lacour, proprietor (with husband Roger) of Sibarth, who paid them and, as we departed the island, said "send a check when you have time"). The "airport" was little more than a short length of white picket fence, where a gendarme met arrivals to check passports. Seating while awaiting departing flights was on primitive benches under the branches of a large tree which remains in place across from the present terminal. The airline company that served the island was Windward Island Airways -- abbreviated "WIA," which locally was said to stand for "When It Arrives." The schedule was notoriously unreliable. We were enchanted by everything.
 
1994, my wife found a special deal at carl gustav $2500 4 nites,car (moke),and breakfast. we fell in love. le repaire was and for the most part still is our go to casual place. mat Stephan and Bernard and they sort of adopted us in terms of sending us to "new" restaurants over the ensuing years. mayas was new, annies later la langouste,and a few others.the walk around to columbier the overall beauty of this wonderful place simply captivated us and still does. looking forward to our annual November trip!!
 
Honeymoon April 199mummbly mummbly. I'm a bad husband and I can't actually remember how many years we've been married. I know its more than 20 and less than 100. LOL.

Didn't know anything about St Barts. Travel agent booked everything. It was amazing from the moment we landed in that tiny plane and walked through the open air airport. Agent from the hotel picked us up and whisked us to the hotel. Had a bungalow overlooking the beach. Amazing view every morning.

Rented a mini moke and drove all over the island. It was like driving on a roller coaster up and down hills around bends through rain and in the sun with no doors and not a particularly effective roof. I remember seeing cows in Grand Fond, when there was nothing but a few building around the roundabout in St Jean and nothing on Shell Beach but shells.

The funniest story I recall from that first trip involves the restaurant Au Port. We loved the place from the first time we went and had dinner several times. So my lovely bride and I are on the beach at Gouverneur. Not too far from us are a young woman and a much older woman. Both are sunbathing topless. I can't help but stare at the younger woman as she looks so familiar. My new wife asks what I'm looking at and I tell her that I know the young woman from somewhere. She looks over and agrees that the face is familiar. That night we go back to dinner at Au Port and guess who is our waitress? I ask her if she was at the beach today and she says yes. I told her we saw her and she was with an older woman and I ask who was she. Her grand mere! So only in St Bart are you waited on by a server that you saw topless with her grandmother a few hours before.
 
Terrific.
I do have a few editing comments, and they too could be wrong. The Gustaf was still new, opened 1993 with Isle de France and Toiny, and Maya's recently celebrated their 35th, so not so new in '94. Stephan and Bernard were island fashion mainstays for so long. They are seeing the world as they enjoy their well earned retirement.
 
I have told this story a few times. In my early days of working on Nantucket, installing carpet and some landscaping, an interior decorator asked me to bind and install a stair runner on one of her projects. In exchange she offered her 3 bedroom villa in Flamands for a week over Thanksgiving. Seemed like a no brainer to me. My wife, her sister ( in exchange of babysitting duties ) and five children went to the island. We rented a Moke and discovered paradise. Beaches, Mayas, Hideaway, Sante Fe 'Mexican food back then'. Even sunset drinks at Carl Gustaf. Lost track of the times we have been back. Hopefully again in November.
 
Cheryl and I were married in 1987. Looking for a special place to honeymoon. I had never been to the Caribbean so she researched Islands with a trade wind for the beginning of June. Voila...stayed at the old El Sereno, didn’t love the beach however a student of mine recommended Filao which had this incredible beach right by the airport. We drove to the beach at St. Jean every day and used one of those old white beach lounges I think made out of fiberglass. Filao never charged us for those chairs. They did keep us happy with drinks on the beach through. Except for two years we have visited every year since. Returning next May
 
1993 Honeymoon. I had never been to the Caribbean...my childhood and early adulthood did not include fantasical trips to "exotic locations". We stayed in an apartment overlooking St. Jean that was owned by my husband's best friend's parents, can't remember the name of the complex. St Barths was almost overwhelming to my unsophisticated self and I was appalled that we were spending $100 for lunch! Memories are fuzzy, but I remember Saline being the most beautiful beach I had ever seen. I remember we had lunch at Chez Francine on St. Jean and I am pretty sure also had lunch at the Manapany location. Fast forward 11 years and we started visiting with our children (sometimes in a good year, twice) and haven't stopped since then.
 
We went to Guadeloupe for a number of years, then Martinique, Saint Martin and then St. Barths in 1986. Then for several years we split the trip between Guadeloupe and St. Barths and then said .... WHY? Have been every year in Feb. since (except for two) and about seven times in the summer with our kids....... hard to believe it's been over 30 years. Fun to read the memories of Mini Mokes, no telephones, no t-shirts for sale, and wonderful restaurants now long gone.
 
Honeymoon November 2001.

A client of my wife's had just returned and told Lisa about it. Back in those wild old days, you couldn't just google it to learn.

We worked with a travel agent (kids, ask you Mom what that is/was).

We arrived just too late for our SXM-SBH flight. I still remember standing outside Gate 10 looking at the small prop plane taxi away....

Another couple that was on our flight were St Barths vets and told us about the ferry. Off we went to Marigot!

The ferry was not pleasant to say the least but neither of us donated to the sea, so to speak.

Once at the dock, we shared a cab with the other couple. We were staying at the Guanahani, they at a villa enroute.

We stopped at their villa first and went inside to check it out. It was amazing and although dark, we could tell the view was to die for.

Off to the Guanahani we went. Checked in, showered and went to the restaurant for dinner only to be told no shorts!

They allowed me to stay, though. Charles I can't remember his last name was playing the piano. He has since passed.

The next morning, we awoke to the beauty that is St Barths.

The week was spent beaching, dining, drinking and, well, it was our honeymoon!

I remember that we did not know of the no tipping protocal and we left 20 to 25% each meal.

Wait staff were hugging us and walking us out to our car. Not until we returned did I learn that service was included.

It was such an amazing time and I remember trying to tell friends where we went only to be met with "where's that?"

St Barths has changed just in those fast 18 years but although we are not annual visitors, it still holds a very special place in our hearts. Always will.

Heading back this November to celebrate my 60th.

Oh, and we are firmly villa people now!
 
1975 was to be my 1st visit to SBH with then fiancee before going to St Croix to stay with my former landlords(I lived/worked there 68-69), but the flight from SXM to SBH left without us, ended up going to Saba for a day, then to St Thomas overnite then to St Croix. Remarried in '78, Bermuda was quick & easy & great little guest house, then tried Elbow Cay in the Abacos for a few years of house & boat rentals, not enough restaurants so SBH somewhere late 80's or early '90's became our go to place after a couple of early Windstar cruises...no gasps please, we still cruise...once to the original Eden Roc when Remy owned it, just lunch, next time to restaurant at hotel building where I think Cheval Blanc is now, remember the basket with the langouste in it for our approval. Hurricane destroyed that hotel, but it sat there empty & ugly for a very long time. I had originally known of SBH from reading about it in a Town & Country magazine years ago that had photos of a just married couple named Blanchard and scenic shots so that's when I knew had to visit. I will have to count the number of villas & stays in each one to figure how many years we've visited our beloved SBH. And I remember gate 10 at SXM, the old airport there & on SBH too.

Have been to most of the islands...Bermuda about 20 times, Bahamian Out Islands & most in the Caribbean, there is not another out there like SBH,, never will be.
 
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