For beach lovers who do not have a lot of time on their hands or want an activity that does not take up too much time, from all the excitement in their trip, the perfect getaway activity can be found in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. In that place you can be taken to Orient beach where you can take your afternoon beach break away from all the busy, thrill seeking tourists. There are cushions and lounging chairs and leave you to yourselves to relax on the beautiful beach. If you decide to take this break, bring something that will help you pass the afternoon away. Maybe some portable music to set the mood or a few snacks to keep yourself satisfied. When it comes to looking for things a beach bum on a tight schedule can do then there is obviously so much that St Maarten has to offer. So, even if you do not have a full day to take part in longer activities, there are always other things that can still make for an exciting and unforgettable vacation.
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St Barts in English or Saint Barth in French is located in the French West Indies is considered by many to be Monte Carlo in the Caribbean islands. This little Caribbean gem measures just 21sq km or only 8 sq miles, and is a magnet for the European jet set as well as the American well heeled.
An international flavor combines with French chic, West Indian cool and stunning scenery to produce one of the most idyllic vacation destinations to be found not only in the Caribbean but and anywhere in the world. Stepping onto St Barts is to step out of normal existence; the island has an unmistakable feel of quality and affluence, which sets it apart from the over-developed, tourist over-run islands, found elsewhere in the Caribbean chain.
International flights from the US and beyond arrive at the neighboring French island of St Maarten, and then a quick hop of less than 20 minutes will find you in your cab heading for your luxury villa accommodations favored by many visitors to the island.
The island is home to some 20-odd beaches widely regarded as amongst the most perfect on the planet. Some are long expanses of snow white sand catering to every possible need of the fanatical beach dweller. There are restaurants, stunning beach bars; every conceivable kind of water sports, as well has the clearest water imaginable.
There is a distinct lack of monstrous condo developments and massive resort hotel construction; this is because of firm government controls that favor eco-friendly tourism development. The capital of the island was developed by 17th century Swedish colonialists who named the town Gustavia, after their King.
Scuba diving is an incredibly popular pastime around the island’s shores, which is not surprising given the quality of the clear water. In addition, the large numbers of beautiful coral reef structures, as well as at least three ship wrecks, innumerable beautifully colored fish as well as other sea creatures such as turtles and dolphins.
If you prefer your enjoyment, back on the land St. Barts can offer a huge array of activities and sports to keep even the most athletic entertained for every day of their vacation. There are a huge number of diverse sports such as archery, tennis, horse riding, hiking, quad bike riding and many more.
Those who prefer more sedate activities can enjoy a variety of spa treatments including massage and many other therapies. Shopping is also a very popular indulgence especially in Gustavia due to its duty-free port status. Here you will find not only local crafts and gifts; you can also indulge yourself in the world’s finest boutique designer goods and clothing.
St Barts offers the finest of everything from shopping, to villa accommodations, to the best beaches, and the clearest waters. This is why it has become one of the meeting points of the international jet set, who come to enjoy its many sights and wonders.
Call Sonja of BlueOceanVillas toll free at 1 877 311 7759
Sint Maarten is a popular stop in the southern Caribbean with an unusual blend of Dutch and French cultures. Nice weather makes the island even more attractive to visitors and long-term vacationers alike.
Sint Maarten is actually the name of the Dutch side of the island, while Saint Martin is the name for the smaller French side. It is the smallest island in the world that is shared between two nations.
But they share the same weather. Visitors to the island’s 37 beaches will find year-round warmth, but they also will find the usual heavy rainfall later in the year when the Caribbean’s annual hurricane season takes place.
The average monthly high temperature is about 86 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Meteorological Service of Netherland Antilles and Aruba. The average monthly low temperature is about 77 degrees.
The monthly high temperatures reach an average of 88 to 89 degrees from June through October. They reach a low of about 84 degrees from December through March, making the island one of the warmest year-round.
The island receives an average of 3.4 inches of rain per month, but with distinct peaks and valleys during the year.
Rainfall averages about two inches per month from January through April, spikes to nearly four inches in May and drops in June and July. In picks up in August and exceeds five inches in September, four inches in October and more than five inches again in November. In fact, St. Maarten is unusual among Caribbean destinations for receiving more rainfall in November than in October or September.
The most popular times to visit are March and April, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization. The least popular month is September, followed by October.
Based on rainfall totals, the riskiest month to visit St. Maarten is November followed by September and then October. The best months to visit with the lowest risk of heavy rainfall are March, April, June and July.
Is Lindsay Lohan’s time in Saint Barthelemy really coming to an end? Does this mean no more Pucci spread over splash-making device? Does this mean no more bikini buying in bikinis? Is her departure to be blamed on the case of the cosmetics? Or was it simply time to end her vacation?
Lindsay Lohan and little sister Ali got their stretch on yesterday at the St. Barts airport. Prior to takeoff, Ali snacked on a chicken salad from whence Linds stole a few leafs of lettuce.
She has been celebrating her 27th birthday on the island of St Maarten as of late, and yesterday (January 7) Kate Bosworth was spotted returning to Miami International Airport. The “Blue Crush” babe looked lovely as she made her way through the terminal with a female friend, sporting a black and white top with denim shorts.
St. Maarten Tourism Unveils New Branding Campaign
St. Maarten is focusing on the variety of experiences that vacationers enjoy with a new branding campaign that captures the “feeling of the experience” that visitors elicit during their stay on the island. When announcing the new branding campaign for the destination, St. Maarten Commissioner of Tourism Frans Richardson explained that the concept behind the branding can be summed up with one statement: “It’s all in our name.” Working with the spelling of “St. Maarten,” the just-launched campaign will capture audiences across North America with positive adjectives purposefully misspelled with “capital double ‘A’s” followed immediately by the words “St. Maarten.”
The campaign identity, created by advertising agency Tambourine, will be visible in all logos, videos, print and outdoor advertising, specialty marketing items, brochures and stationary as well as an image gallery which features all new photography from an extensive on-island photo shoot recently completed by Tambourine. Adjectives will constantly be changing depending on the focus of specific ads. For instance, when promoting St. Maarten as a wedding and honeymoon destination, an ad may read: “PAASSIONATE ST. MAARTEN.” When conveying St. Maarten as an active vacation playground, an audience could see: “PLAAYFUL ST. MAARTEN.”
A just-launched public relations campaign to promote winter specials for vacationers is using “SENSAATIONAL ST. MAARTEN” to capture the deals that are now available. Other words designed for the campaign include: MAAGICAL, GLAAMOROUS, CHAARMING, and ENCHAANTING.
“We are very proud of our diversity with a wide range of attractions and activities, a variety of accommodations, more than 300 quality restaurants and our central location which enables vacationers to enjoy day trips to other islands,” said Richardson. “This campaign allows us to tap into and highlight all the things that make St. Maarten an ideal vacation destination through words and phrases that truly represent how a traveler feels while on-island.”
The branding campaign is part of an overall new marketing strategy being launched under the direction of Richardson, which coincides with the hiring of KTCpr, headed up by long-time Caribbean marketing and public relations specialist Richard S. Kahn. The new branding will encompass advertising, public relations, marketing and sales as well as a new website.
“Our mission was to take St. Maarten in a new direction and illustrate how the island ‘feels’ rather than literally documenting the infrastructure of the island,” said Rafael Cardozo, president of Tambourine. “The concept is innovative and playful; the message is strong and memorable. In addition to the logos, the photo collection tells a story of the vacation experiences captured through movement, mood and expression. Most importantly the campaign is a true representation of the beauty and excitement of the destination.”
For an island with a big reputation for restaurants, hotels, and energetic nightlife, St. Maarten is small — only 96 sq. km (37 sq. miles), about half the area of Washington, D.C. An island divided between the Netherlands and France, St. Maarten (Sint Maarten) is the Dutch half, and St. Martin is French. Legend has it that a gin-drinking Dutchman and a wine-guzzling Frenchman walked around the island to see how much territory each could earmark for his country in a day; the Frenchman walked farther, but the canny Dutchman got the more valuable piece of property.
The divided island is the smallest territory in the world shared by two sovereign states. The only way you’ll know you’re crossing an international border is when you see the sign BIENVENUE PARTIE FRANCAISE, attesting to the peaceful coexistence between the two nations. The island was officially split in 1648, and many visitors still ascend Mount Concordia, near the border, where the agreement was reached. Even so, St. Maarten changed hands 16 times before it became permanently Dutch.
Returning visitors who haven’t been to the island for a while are often shocked when they see today’s St. Maarten. No longer a sleepy Caribbean backwater, now it’s a boomtown. Duty-free shopping has turned the island into a virtual mall, and the Dutch capital, Philipsburg, is often bustling with cruise-ship hordes.
Although the island’s 39 white-sand beaches remain unspoiled, much has been lost to the bulldozer on St. Maarten. This is not a place for people who don’t like crowds, so if you want to get away from it all, head to the nearby Dutch islands of St. Eustatius (Statia) and Saba, or choose another getaway, such as the British Virgin Islands. Even the French side of the island would suit you better. Nevertheless, despite problems like crime, occasional storms, traffic congestion, and corruption, St. Maarten continues to attract massive numbers of visitors who want a Caribbean island vacation with a splash of Las Vegas.
The Dutch capital, Philipsburg, curves like a toy village along Great Bay. The town lies on a narrow sand isthmus separating Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond. Commander John Philips, a Scot in Dutch employ, founded the capital in 1763. To protect Great Bay, Fort Amsterdam was built in 1737.
The French side of the island has a slightly different character. It’s been undergoing a building boom of late, with lots of new hotels opening, but for now at least, it’s still sleepier than the Dutch side. Most hotels tend to be quieter and more secluded than their Dutch counterparts, and you won’t be overwhelmed with cruise-ship crowds. There are no dazzling sights, and there’s no spectacular nightlife. Even the sports scene on St. Martin isn’t as well organized as on many Caribbean islands (though the Dutch side has golf and other diversions). Most people come to St. Martin to relax on its many white-sand beaches and to experience “France in the Tropics.”
French St. Martin has a distinctly French air. Police officers, for example, wear képis. The towns have names like Colombier and Orléans, the streets are rues, and the French flag flies over the gendarmerie in Marigot, the capital. It also has some of the best cuisine in the Caribbean, with an extraordinary number of good bistros and restaurants. Advocates cite French St. Martin as distinctly more sophisticated, prosperous, stylish, and cosmopolitan than its neighboring départements d’outre-mer, Guadeloupe and Martinique.
French St. Martin is governed from Guadeloupe and has direct representation in the government in Paris. The principal town on the French side is Marigot, the seat of the subprefect and municipal council.
Marigot is not quite the same size as its counterpart, Philipsburg, in the Dutch sector. It has none of the frenzied pace of Philipsburg, which is often overrun with cruise-ship passengers. In fact, Marigot looks like a French village transplanted to the Caribbean. If you climb the hill over this tiny port, you’ll be rewarded with a view from the old fort.
About 20 minutes by car beyond Marigot is Grand-Case, a small fishing village that’s an outpost of French civilization, with many good restaurants and a few places to stay.
JetBlue have announced a brilliant new travel pass, although it is for a limited time only (9 September-8 October). The All-You-Can-Jet Pass lets you make unlimited flights anywhere on the JetBlue network for one month for just USD$599.
It is good for travel on more than 600 daily flights to 57 cities on the jetBlue network. Domestic taxes and fees are included for travel within the United States, but you have to pay taxes for flights to Puerto Rico and to international destinations such as the Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, St Maarten and St Lucia.
You need to be a member of TrueBlue, JetBlue’s frequent flyer program, to use the pass. You earn 35 TrueBlue points when you buy the pass, but the flights you make with the pass aren’t eligible for any points.
This pass is only available for sale until 21 August 2009 (or while stock lasts), it is only valid for flights from 9 September to 8 October 2009, you must book your flights with jetBlue’s call centre at least three days before each flight and you must only book one flight per city per day (in other words just because your flights are free, don’t make multiple bookings you won’t use).