Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 alpha 4/15/85; site weitek.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!decwrl!spar!turtlevax!weitek!mae
From: mae@weitek.UUCP (Mike Ekberg)
Newsgroups: net.travel
Subject: Re: St Maarten
Message-ID: <228@weitek.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Jun-85 21:34:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: weitek.228
Posted: Tue Jun 18 21:34:08 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Jun-85 11:46:33 EDT
Organization: Weitek Corp. Sunnyvale Ca.
Lines: 23
Keywords: St. Maarten cheese carnival

My wife and I honeymooned on the island of St. Maarten 3 years ago. We 
stayed at the Oyster Pond Hotel, a real nice place but a bit pricey. It's
on the opposite side of St. Maarten from Phillipsburg, the capital of the 
Dutch side of the island, about a 10-15 drive. Oyster Pond is rather 
secluded (an ideal place for a honeymoon). The same management owns Dawn
Beach next door. You can either eat at one of the hotels or drive into 
town.

St. Maarten is really two separate countries. The Dutch half seems to be
cleaner, more populous, and wealthier. Most of the casinos are located in
Phillipsburg, on the Dutch side. The French side does have La Samana, a
$200+/day resort with an excellent restaurant.

I recommend purchasing one of the travel guides to the Carribean, such as
Fodors. They are worth it. 

By the way, most of the islands in the Carribean have *Carnival* during the
summer. Each island seems to take a different week. We happened to catch
St. Maartens at the end of April/start of May.

Also pick up a wheel of Gouda cheese to bring back to the 'States'.

Mike Ekberg