Hi all! We're getting married next October and are planning to take our honeymoon on St. Barths. We've never been to the Caribbean, but we're turned o

[Guest]

Wow, where to begin? Villa recommendations?

Hi all! We're getting married next October and are planning to take our honeymoon on St. Barths. We've never been to the Caribbean, but we're turned off by the booze-soaked tourist traps we seem to find most other newlyweds flocking to, so it seems that St. Barth's would be a good fit for us--we both love snorkeling, beaching, wining, etc!

Anyway, we are leaning heavily towards the villa route as opposed to hotel--we're privacy junkies. It's just the two of us (obviously), so we're looking for a one-bedroom or a place amenable to a one-bedroom rate, with a great view, privacy, heated hot tub, etc etc. I've started looking at web sites, but you all could tell me more than a picture could.

Oh, and any info on the ferry from St. Maarten would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Betsy

 

[andynap]

Re: Wow, where to begin? Villa recommendations?

Look at the Wimco website. Also, Villa Finistere on Flamands Beach is great- we are going back in February. You can get on either site thru Google.

 

[andynap]

Re: Wow, where to begin? Villa recommendations?

By the way- you don't want to take the ferry from SXM. Fly from SXM- it is much faster and easier.

 

[Digger]

Re: Wow, where to begin? Villa recommendations?

Hi Betsy, I congratulate you on your choice of St. Barth for your honeymoon. My wife and I spent our honeymoon there in 1997 and have returned 8 times since. We are now on the twice a year program, 2 weeks in November and 3 weeks in February. I would agree with your choice of a villa over a hotel. Much more privacy. I would suggest you start by going to www.wimco.com/stbarthelemy.asp then presss the "browse villas" icon. You then have a wide variety of choices. Keep in mind many two bedroom villas have one bedroom rates,especially in October. If you can narrow your choices down, I would then contact WIMCO directly to confirm rates. I have always worked with WIMCO, with much success, but my understanding is that there are also other reliable rental agencies on the island.

 

[Diane M]

Re: Wow, where to begin? Villa recommendations?

Betsy: We recently took our first trip to St. Barth's several weeks ago and I actually began the process on several websites by asking questions. This site is excellent as a source for you. The villa route is very smart if you're privacy junkies. My husband and I fall into that category as well, and we weren't disappointed! You've also picked the perfect island to start your Caribbean experience....you probably won't want to go anywhere else after the experience. My recommendation would be to get information from both Wimco and St. Barth's Properties, the two most popular agencies for villa rentals. They both have websites that offer catalogs of the many villas to choose from. It'll be overwhelming at first due to the fact that they have MANY to choose from. You have to determine what you want and where you want to be located as well. i.e. pool/no pool, bedrooms, views, on the beach/hillside, close to town, etc. You can also access the knowledge found here as to where people favor as far as the location on the island. We went October 13-20, located in Vitet and loved it. It's not too early to plan and secure the rental, and you'll get the off season rate. Ask lots of questions of the agencies; we used St. Barth's Properties and were extremely pleased with their staff both in the USA and on St. Barth's. My last piece of advice would be to take the flight from SXM to St. Barth's, not the ferry. Why take a chance on feeling sick when you arrive for your honeymoon??? Spend the extra $$ and fly; it's well worth it. Best wishes and good luck. Keep us posted on what you decide...and again, pick the brains of "the experts" on this website. They're all great!