9 Best Areas to Stay in St. Maarten

The number one most frequently asked question in my inbox is Where to Stay? For me, this is always a difficult question to answer since I don't know what you are looking to experience or what kind of vacation you want. So, in today's episode, I want to indirectly answer this question by telling you about the 9 areas or neighborhoods that I recommend you look into when searching for the perfect accommodation for you.

If you are looking for villa options in St. Maarten, there is no better place to start than Top Villas. With so many villas to choose from on both the Dutch and the French side of the island, Top Villas is usually my go-to.

My two favorite hotels in Grand Case are Le Petit Hotel and its sister hotel L'Esplanade Hotel. Mention The Traveling Island Girl and get a Discount on your stay with either one of them.

Watch my St. Maarten playlist on my YouTube Channel here for more travel tips and recommendations.

Chapters

• 0:00 Choosing Best Area in St. Martin
• 9:12 Exploring Oyster Pond and Surrounding Areas
• 17:16 Marigold, Terabaz, and Kupukoi Accommodation Options

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey, thank you so much for being here. If you're watching this on YouTube, thank you for clicking on this video. If you are listening on my Paradise Perspective podcast, thank you so much for lending me an ear today. I promise you this video and this podcast episode is not going to be too long, which is going to dive into a very, very interesting and very super important question that I am asked all the time, and that is where you should stay. If you're new here on Paradise Perspective, or if you're new here on my YouTube channel, then definitely welcome to the community. I am so happy that you're here and so so grateful that you decided to spend a little bit of time with me.

Speaker 1: 0:36

Now. My name is Rizal. I am known on social media as the Traveling Island Girl, and I have grown kind of a reputation as being like the go-to person for all of the same marketing information from a local's perspective. Hey, I'm your local. Now, before we talk about the meat of this video or this podcast episode, I want to first tell you a little bit more about what you can expect Now.

Speaker 1: 1:00

Of course, one of the questions that I am asked all the time is where to stay, and it's a valid question, right, because where you stay can ultimately break or make your vacation. So I have to disappoint you. We're not going to talk about where exactly you should stay, as in which villa, which hotel, etc. That's not what we're going to talk about, and my reason for that is very simple I don't know you, unfortunately. You know me, but I don't know you. My type of vacation may not be your type of vacation, so I need to know you a little bit better in order to give you proper advice as to which hotels vacation villa, vacation rental villa or Airbnb you should stay at right. So for that I offer a service and I offer this travel planning consultation. You can go ahead and check it out in the description box here below this video, and if you're on my podcast, then go to the show notes I have a link there as well so that you guys can get to know a little bit better of what, or how rather, I can help you. So no, we're not going to talk about the specific hotels and accommodation, but we are going to talk about the different areas, the nine different areas that you should consider staying in when you're here on the island. Of course, st Martin is only 37 square miles. It's rather tiny and it's got so many different areas that you can stay in. But I have picked my most, or what I deem to be the most nine, or the nine most important ones that you should consider.

Speaker 1: 2:29

And let's start it off with a number one, and that is, of course, the ultra famous Maho. Now, if you've heard about Maho before, you probably have seen that super popular beach called Maho Beach, where all the planes land over your head. Well, this is Maho. The Maho area is a very touristic area. So here is where you're going to get some really big resorts. You're going to also find some all-inclusive resorts. You're going to find restaurants and bars and so much happening. It's also a very, rather safe area and it is convenient for the visitors.

Speaker 1: 3:03

This is not a place for you if you are more into immersing yourself in the culture of Simardin Definitely not. This is a very, rather touristic area Because of its convenience. It is also, of course and I'm gonna say this, and I know that a lot of people are gonna be standing outside my door with pitchforks after I say this, but I have to tell you the honest truth it is, of course, where the prices are a little bit higher, because it's known as the touristic area of Simardin. So here is also where you can get one of the biggest casinos on the island, with just the Casino Royal and, of course, like I mentioned, so many other things that you can do. It also the nightlife here is also splendid, so you can get, you have so much that you can actually experience when staying in Mahau. Now, on the other hand, if you are seeing it one of the all-inclusive a bag of you, please get your butt out and explore more of the island, because how Simardin is represented in the resort is definitely not what Simardin is. So get your butt out there, hire yourself a tour guide or whatever, but explore the rest of the island Okay, at least for one day. Now, besides Mahau Beach, you also have the adjacent Mollet Bay, which you can explore and go to, so there are two beaches that you can enjoy when you're staying in the Mahau area. Now let's go over to the next area, which is also another ultra popular one, and that is Simpson Bay. Now, after the hurricane in 2017, simpson Bay actually took the shine a little bit away from Mahau, although both of them are great, don't get me wrong, but Simpson Bay kind of like, became the nightlife area. So and it's not only nightlife but it is so much during the day also that you can do here. It is also the second village, you can say, of Dutch side Simardin, so this is where you're trying a lot happening.

Speaker 1: 4:46

The strip what, as we call it, the main road going through Simpson Bay is called what we call the strip. The Simpson Bay strip is super hectic at night, or it can be especially on a Friday night or Saturday night, as you can imagine. So when it comes to Simpson Bay on where to stay, I would like to include Palakkenki, because Palakkenki is a neighborhood that's right behind it. It's rather residential, but there are a lot of resorts and hotel options here, also, of course, villas, condos and airbnbs and that sort of vacation rentals, so you can find a lot of places to stay in the Simpson Bay area. Simpson Bay is very known for all the restaurants, the nightlife, the bars, the, the clubs. I mean we've got it all in the Simpson Bay area. And if you're staying in one of the bigger resorts in Palakkenki, most of them will be quite walkable or within walk in distance from the strip. So there's definitely something for everyone in Simpson Bay. When it comes to beaches in Simpson Bay, you have the Simpson Bay beach right there, which is quite a large beach on its own, and, of course, you can also rent a car and go exploring the rest of the island and the rest of the beaches for at least one day. Or if you want to get a glimpse of what Samsung Bay kind of looks like, I've done this video right here and I'm pointing at it in the video, but if you're listening on the podcast, you can go to my YouTube channel and you can find it there under my C-Martin playlist. I've made, by the way, over 60 videos, so you're definitely going to find a lot of valuable C-Martin info right there.

Speaker 1: 6:19

Okay, now we're going to head on over Colbey Hill and when you get here, you're going to know what Colbey Hill is. It's one of the most famous hills on C-Martin. It is what connects them to Bay, to the Phillipsburg area, and, of course, what we need to talk about next is the Phillipsburg area itself. Phillipsburg is the downtown area of C-Martin, or of Dutch side C-Martin. This is our capital. This is where you're going to find all our government institutions, banks and law offices and all of that good stuff that keep, that, maintain the island as it is. And I want you to know about staying in Phillipsburg, is that? Just remember that this is where all of these main institutions are. It is our downtown area, it is the life of Dutch side C-Martin, so please don't go around walking in your bikini or your bathing suit thinking it's okay, because, at the end of the day, this is still a functioning society and not just your vacation place. Okay, all right.

Speaker 1: 7:17

So now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about more pleasant things, and that is Phillipsburg is right in or in Great Bay, but also the Great Bay Beach. So, besides a lot of shopping, great restaurant options and a few smaller hotels and some vacation rentals around the property, you also have some bigger resorts. That's not too far from Phillipsburg itself, so within walking distance, I would say there are also some incredible villas up in the hill overlooking the Great Bay, so that might be an option for you there where it comes to accommodation. What you need to know also is that the beach of Great Bay is where you can get some good swimming, especially if you get away from where most of the cruise ships or cruise ship passengers tend to concentrate. If you kind of like get away a little bit out of that area, you can pretty much have the beach of a Great Bay to yourself, which is kind of nice. You also have Little Bay Beach, which is just a little bit outside of the Phillipsburg downtown area. So because, of course, great Bay Beach is right here in Phillipsburg, our downtown area, it is one of the only beaches where topless sunbathing is not allowed. Something to just keep in mind. But besides that, if you are considering staying in one of the hotels or accommodations offered in the Phillipsburg area, know this Phillipsburg is very, very lively during the day, especially during cruise ships season. Of course, the port of Samaritan is right next door, so you're going to get a lot of cruise ship passengers up and down, a lot of vendors, there's a lot of shopping to do, so it's very, very hectic and busy during the day, but at night it's the complete opposite. So keep that in mind it's not exactly super lively. Although there are, of course, restaurant options for dinner etc. It's not a place that you're going to get like a sense that you're in the middle of things at night.

Speaker 1: 9:12

Okay, so now that we've discussed Phillipsburg, we're going to go over to the next area, and that is the area of Oyster Pond. Now, oyster Pond is quite unique because it's right on the border and the border actually slice it through the middle, giving you Frankside Oyster Pond and Dutchside Oyster Pond. So that makes it unique on its own. And also, there are so many, so many villas that are rented out here that it is incredible. And most of these villas give you a spectacular view because all of them will be all up in the hills. So it's spectacular. It's a spectacular place to stay, and there's also a big resort here and some other smaller hotels on the Frankside part of it.

Speaker 1: 9:54

Now, one thing you need to know about Oyster Pond is that it is very quiet. So if you're looking for a more lively or a lot of action, or you're super into, you know, a busy lifestyle and the ultimate nightlife, then this may not be the area for you. So alright. So Oyster Pond is fantastic. It's very quiet, it's very nice, it's very kind of like relaxed. It's got a couple of restaurants that may or may not be within walk in distance, depending on where in Oyster Bay or Oyster Pond you are staying. So if you are up in the up in the hills and far up on top in one of those villas. You may not be able to walk to any of the restaurants, but there are restaurants in the area, so this is an area that I would recommend you get a car.

Speaker 1: 10:40

The beach in this area, by the way, is the let me see if I can remember this beach name. Of course it's the Don Beach. Don Beach is the beach that you can find here in Oyster Park. Now we're gonna cross over the border where we're gonna get ourselves into the Frankside of the island and, of course, the first one that I need to mention here is Orian Bay, because Orian Bay is super famous. This is the clothing optional beach that a lot of people tend to talk about, but besides being clothing optional, it's a great beach. It's got so many of those beach clubs and beach restaurants. It's a real beachy resort kind of town, so you're gonna find a lot of different accommodation types here too. You're gonna find smaller hotels, bigger resorts, you're gonna get condominiums and villas up in the hill overlooking Oyster Park, and so there's all of that that you can explore when in this area. One thing I like about it is that it's pretty much walkable and it's very convenient, whether you're a tourist or a local living in this area. That's what I like about Orian Bay as well. It's got like the two going on, it's got a lot of local or the French local and it's got some tourist vibes going on. This is also an area with some really spectacular restaurants, so you may want to consider staying in Orian Bay for your next vacation.

Speaker 1: 12:07

I think it's important to mention that, while Orian Bay is very famous for those who want to let it all hang loose, so to speak, and have more of an undue lifestyle, this beach is not exclusive to those who want that. The beach is actually separated. There's a separate area for people who are into the clothing optional lifestyle. So if you're really worried about your kids seeing naked people that you don't really Well, this might not be the beach for you, but at the same time, it's not like there's a lot of naked people all over the place. I just want to put it out there in case your you know your sensors are going off like, oh my gosh, morning, morning, naked people. All right, it's from Orian Bay.

Speaker 1: 12:50

We are going to go over to the next town over and that is my personal favorite, and that is Grand Cas. Now, if you've been watching my videos before, you know by now that Grand Cas is my ultimate, ultimate place to relax and this is where I like to retreat. Whenever I've had a very busy week, I go to Grand Cas kind of like chill. It's got a chill vibe and it also is very lively. It's got a lot of sublime restaurants. You'd really got to try them out. It's got the Lolo's, which is fantastic. If you're interested in seeing it for yourself, I've done a video where you can find it right here. This is the video. I'm pointing at it on my screen, but for those of you who are on the podcast, you can, of course, go to my YouTube channel and see it and watch this video for yourself. It's a walking tour of Grand Cas so you get more of a feel of what I'm talking about.

Speaker 1: 13:38

There are a lot of really cute boutique hotels here. There are condos, there are smaller hotels. There is also an airport, so keep in mind that you will have a little bit of airport noise Not that it's going to be as hectic as the Juliana International Airport or main airport on the duck side this is. It's going to be like more smaller planes, and this airport tends to close early in the evening as well, so it's not going to be like until like late at night. It's going to get engines over your head and it's very sporadic, it doesn't happen like constantly, alright, so it's a smaller, much, much smaller airport, so you don't need to worry about that noise, but there are a lot of really cute boutique hotels. There's a big resort and there's a couple of other accommodation options for you if you're interested in staying in Grand Cas.

Speaker 1: 14:30

Now, what I love about Grand Cas is that it has two beaches, it's not one, and a lot of people think it's only the Grand Cas beach which is lovely on its own. Believe me, it's one of my favorite beaches, definitely. But you also have Petit Plage. Petit Plage is also very cute and I'm almost like a little worried about mentioning it to you guys, because I don't want you to inundate this beach and make it super busy, like you make the others. I really kind of like want to keep this beach to myself because it's so, so special and it's not. It's quiet, it's not. You know, it doesn't have a lot of amenities. There is a hotel there so you can get access to the restaurant that's there. So, other than that, it is a fantastic little beach and, of course, you have all of the really busy stuff going on in on Grand Cas beach itself.

Speaker 1: 15:17

And one thing that I should mention if you're staying in this area whether you're staying in this area or not actually every Tuesday night between the end of January until I think this goes on until the end of April, you get to experience Mardi de Grand Cas. Mardi de Grand Cas is one of those events that happens annually in this time slot, like I told you, between the end of January until April, and every Tuesday night they close off the main boulevard, which, by the way, is nicknamed Restaurant Row. That's just to kind of like give you an idea of what you can expect staying in Grand Cas. They close off the boulevard and they have all sorts of like live music and there is vendors and artisans and all sorts of great drinks and food and this is just really really great vibe. So if you want to experience that, I've done a video about that as well, of course, because I do a video about pretty much everything about St Martin. You can find that right here If you are listening on the podcast. I'm going to link it down below in the show notes, or down below, go to the show notes. You're going to find it there. I'm going to leave a link to it so you can watch it for yourself. I kind of like to know what the Mardid Grand Cas is all about. By the way, it's Grand Cas, not Grand Case.

Speaker 1: 16:37

All right, we are moving on to the center of the Frankside or not quite the center, but the downtown area and that is, of course, marigold. Marigold is worth mentioning because, of course, just like Phillipsburg, it is the where you're going to find all of the government institutions and all of the important buildings, but also a lot of good shopping. Now, ladies, this is where you're coming in. Marigold is kind of like a fashion capital for us here on the island, and it's got a lot of French fashion, a lot of French restaurants and also Creole or local spots, and it's also got a marketplace. So it's really it's got all the vibes too.

Speaker 1: 17:16

I think Marigold is great, either whether you're deciding to stay in it. There's a couple of small hotels and accommodation options, not a lot. And one thing I should mention Marigold doesn't really have a beach. I mean, it has like a tiny beach right there, but it's not the most pleasant beach, so I wouldn't exactly refer you to that beach, but there are. If you have a car, then of course you can explore the rest of the beaches on the island. So if you decide to stay in Marigold, that is Now Marigold, just like Phillipsburg, is very lively during the day, but at night, well, it gets a little less busy or actually dead.

Speaker 1: 17:53

So there's not a lot to do other than the restaurants and of course, after those restaurants closed, there's pretty much nothing else to do in Marigold. So if you are okay with that and you're more into the shopping etc. Then Marigold is someplace that you should consider. Also, please remember that when it comes to parking, it might be an issue, just like in Phillipsburg. By the way, if you want to park your car in the middle of Phillipsburg or Marigold, that might be an issue Because of course it's busy, it's hectic, there's not always space for parking, so keep that in mind if you are thinking about staying in Marigold.

Speaker 1: 18:27

Now we're almost at the end of this list, so let's go into number eight, and that is Terabaz. Now, terabaz is actually lowland. That's actually what it means Terabaz. Terabaz means lowland, so sometimes you'll see it being written as Terabaz, and other times people will say lowland. So if you are in the process of finding the correct accommodation for you, then you know that Terabaz is lowland, all right.

Speaker 1: 18:53

So what is so special about this is that this is where luxury is the main thing. I think that is the best way I can describe it. This is where you're going to get all those sprawling, lavish villas, so if you have something epic to celebrate, I recommend you look into this. Of course, there are villas from all over the island I mean, it's scattered all over the island but if you want the ultimate in comfort and luxury, then you're probably going to find it here in Terabaz. So the whole area is pretty much about these big, luxurious villas. So because of that, of course, it's not. Nothing is really within walking distance, so you're probably going to need a car, or you will need a car, unless you want to just hold yourself up into this lavish villa for the entire, for your entire stay, which is not the intention of many, right?

Speaker 1: 19:47

There are a few beaches here. There's Beirush, which is super, super popular and one of the main beaches that I always recommend you go to, and there are also two smaller beaches called. They're not small but they're more quiet, and those are Long Bay or Belong, and Bay O'Proon or Plum Bay. Okay, so these two beaches are in the community because it's a closed-off community of terbaz. Some of the villas may be in there and others are not, and these two beaches don't have any amenities with it. So if you are going to one of these beaches just think about that You'll need to bring your own stuff with you, okay, your own umbrellas and lounge chairs and all that good stuff, and chances are, if you're staying at one of these lavish villas in terbaz, they will probably provide that for you too. All right, well, one thing I should mention is this is also the location where our only five-star resort is located, and it is also right on the border with the Dutch side. So we're finding ourselves back on the Dutch side, and this time, on number nine, is Kupukoi.

Speaker 1: 21:00

Now, kupukoi is, not too long ago, was kind of like just known for students and especially time, not timeshare owners, but repeat visitors that have homes here, and now it has become kind of like an area where a lot of visitors tend to want to stay. Why? Because it is right in between terbaz and majo, which we spoke about as number one on this list and it's got quite a lot going on because it's got the US what's this called? The US medical school is there, so it's very American. So if you want a more of a local vibe where you're staying, this might not be the place for you, because this area is rather, yeah, american, like I said, but it also has a lot of. Because of it. It's got a lot of options when it comes to not only nightlife, but also places to eat, and there's a cute little supermarket there. There's all sorts of things to make it convenient not only for the students that live in the area, but also for visitors. This is the area where you're gonna find. I think there's only like two hotels one big one, one small hotel in Kupukoi, but there are a lot of condo options. So this is where you can rent yourself one of the condos in one of those high rises and take in the view.

Speaker 1: 22:19

Now, in the beginning of this list, I mentioned Maho being close to Mallet Bay. Well, mallet Bay Beach is one of our most famous beaches on the island, by the way, one of the most prettiest too, and well visited. So Mallet Bay is actually right in the smack middle of Maho and Kupukoi. So if you're looking to stay in the Maho area but you don't really necessarily wanna stay in an all inclusive you're more of a condominium, like me and a person, and you want your own space then Kupukoi might be a place that you might wanna consider. It is also where you're gonna find the only golf course on the island, where I was actually right behind Mallet Bay. So the golf course and Mallet Bay Beach is actually right in the middle of Maho and Kupukoi. So Kupukoi also has its own beach, which is Kupukoi Beach. It's not one of my personal favorites I'd rather go to Mallet Bay but Kupukoi Beach is definitely something you might want to check out.

Speaker 1: 23:15

All right, so we have come to the end of this video and the end of this paradise perspectives episode. I thank you so much for lending me an ear or for you taking the time out to watch me here on YouTube today. Again, like I said all the way in the beginning, take time and go through all of your video, all of the videos in my Zymmartan playlist, because you're going to get so much valuable information for your upcoming trip. Now, if you still have questions about your particular visit to Zymmartan. Don't hesitate, let me know if you want to schedule a call with me. We can jump on the Zoom and then we can go over all of these questions that you might have, because, as much as I put out for free out there, I can imagine that you still have some questions pertaining to your particular trip, right? So, if this is the case, definitely reach out to me. I don't buy it, I swear, and I will help you out with whatever it is that you need to know. I'll even send you a night and a very by email after.

Speaker 1: 24:13

And one more thing that she's mentioned and I don't mention this a lot anymore just because at the end of June 2020, 24, this particular service of mine is no longer going to be available, and that is the Island tour of Zymmartan with me. So I will pick you up with my car, nicknamed Kiki I know I love my car, kiki and I will pick you up and we will drive you around Zymmartan. I'm going to show you all of these great stuff that you've seen in my videos, in my social media posts, and all of that good stuff. So, if you're interested in an Island tour and you want to do it with me, and this is something that I only offer to my paradise perspective listeners and to you, my YouTube viewers. So if you're interested in spending the day with me, go ahead and check out what I can do for you when it comes to my services.

Speaker 1: 25:04

I am also very, very soon I'm in the process of finishing it at this moment, and, as we're recording this, it's Halloween. Actually, I'm recording this on Halloween. I can't believe this. It's the 31st of October 2023 already. Oh my gosh, this is crazy. Anyways, as I'm recording this, I'm in the process of finishing my first eGuides to Zymmartan. Now, this is, you know, all of those videos I've done and all of those social media posts. All of that information is going to be in one place, so very, very soon, it will become available to you as well. So if you want to be the first one to know about this eGuide, when it comes out and what all is happening on Zymmartan, then you can go follow me and stalk me on Instagram, because that's where I put more of the up-to-date stuff. But also, you can be the first one to know when this eGuide comes out by just simply becoming a member of my email list, and to do so you just need to go to the description box below this video. If you're on YouTube, just click on the link there, and if you're in Paradise Perspective listening in right now, then you just go to the show notes and you'll find the link right there.

Speaker 1: 26:12

Thank you so much, my friend, for taking the time to being here with me for the last. What is it? I think we've been recording for 20 minutes or so, or at least I hope it's 20 minutes. It's probably a little longer because I'm a chat box. I just you know I'm always talking a lot. Anyway, thank you. Thank you so much for being here with me. Thank you for clicking this video. Thank you for listening to our podcast, paradise Respectus. My name is Rizal, the Travelling Island Girl on social media. Thank you so much. Bye, see you on Saturday.