Tree-dweller
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2011
- Messages
- 402
Just got back from our trip to Divi Little Bay on the Dutch side. Here are our impressions:
Customs at Princess Juliana Airport was a breeze. Off the plane and out the door, always a good start! A $20 cab ride got us to the Divi. Our room there was a typical studio with a balcony, but right on the beach. Photo below is from our balcony. We soon found out that most of the Divi is a timeshare resort. Most of the people we met there were timeshare owners who had been coming for 10, 15, 20 years! All nice folks.
Dollars are widely accepted everywhere, on both the Dutch and French sides, and costs were reasonable. We decided beforehand we were going to take taxis instead of renting a car, and after seeing the crazy drivers on the narrow, often congested roads, we're glad we did. Taxis are plentiful, and the drivers were all friendly. Rates are zone-based and regulated.
http://taxistmaarten.com/wp-content/uploads/DSTA_Tariff-20141.pdf
Weather hovered around 80 the entire time, with only one afternoon of rain. That allowed us to walk into Philipsburg often, which was about a 20 minute hilly walk from Divi. We did learn from locals that Philipsburg is not where you want to be hanging out after dark, when the cruise ships have departed. It gets shuttered and desolate. (That may be the genesis behind someone's earlier "dump" comment.)
Our only experience with the French side was a day trip to the town of Marigot, which was pleasant enough, but we never made it to the more remote French beaches to sample the "scenery"?.
All in all, we had a great time. Everyone we encountered was pleasant, maybe with the exception of the aggressive timeshare pushers. We'd go back, but there are still many places we haven't been to yet!
Customs at Princess Juliana Airport was a breeze. Off the plane and out the door, always a good start! A $20 cab ride got us to the Divi. Our room there was a typical studio with a balcony, but right on the beach. Photo below is from our balcony. We soon found out that most of the Divi is a timeshare resort. Most of the people we met there were timeshare owners who had been coming for 10, 15, 20 years! All nice folks.
Dollars are widely accepted everywhere, on both the Dutch and French sides, and costs were reasonable. We decided beforehand we were going to take taxis instead of renting a car, and after seeing the crazy drivers on the narrow, often congested roads, we're glad we did. Taxis are plentiful, and the drivers were all friendly. Rates are zone-based and regulated.
http://taxistmaarten.com/wp-content/uploads/DSTA_Tariff-20141.pdf
Weather hovered around 80 the entire time, with only one afternoon of rain. That allowed us to walk into Philipsburg often, which was about a 20 minute hilly walk from Divi. We did learn from locals that Philipsburg is not where you want to be hanging out after dark, when the cruise ships have departed. It gets shuttered and desolate. (That may be the genesis behind someone's earlier "dump" comment.)
Our only experience with the French side was a day trip to the town of Marigot, which was pleasant enough, but we never made it to the more remote French beaches to sample the "scenery"?.
All in all, we had a great time. Everyone we encountered was pleasant, maybe with the exception of the aggressive timeshare pushers. We'd go back, but there are still many places we haven't been to yet!