Company: kst travel

Phone: 54-542-3366 Fax: 54-542-6017 Toll Free: Belair Beach-All Suite Hotel Welgelegen Rd PO Box 940 reservations@belairbeach.com  http://www.belairbeach.com 72 Guest Rooms • Restaurant[s] Location: Little Bay Beach Nearby Points of Interest: Fort Amsterdam (Monument) - .5 mi

Phone: 54-22572 Fax: 54-24673 Toll Free: 800-223-9815 Holland House Beach Hotel Front St 43 PO Box 393 reservations@hollandhousehotel.com  http://www.hhbh.com 89 Guest Rooms • 11 Meeting Rooms • Restaurant[s] Location: On the Beach Nearby Points of Interest: Courthouse • Heritage Museum - 1 km • Fort Amsterdam - 3 km

Phone: 54-23588 Fax: 54-22885 Toll Free: Passangrahan Royal Guest House 19 Front St passangrahan@caribserve.net   37 Guest Rooms • 1 Meeting Room • Restaurant[s] Location: Secluded & offbeat Nearby Points of Interest:

Phone: 54-22446 Fax: Toll Free: 800-223-0757 Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino 19 Little Bay Rd greatbayhotel@sintmaarten.net  http://www.sonesta.com/greatbay 257 Guest Rooms • 3 Meeting Rooms • Restaurant[s] Nearby Points of Interest: Golden Casino mi

Phone: 54-22898 Fax: 54-21838 Toll Free: 800-232-4705 The Villas on Great Bay 211 Front St info@thevillasongreatbay.com  http://www.thevillasongreatbay.com 12 Guest Rooms Location: On the beach Nearby Points of Interest: Great Bay Casino (Casino) - 2 blk • Phillipsburg Town Center (Shopping) - 1 km

Overview

The French and Dutch sides of the island, although culturally distinct, have a shared history dating back to the early 17th century. Early settlers banded together to ward off the Spanish, then divided the 37-sq-mi/96-sq-km island between themselves. The hilly, southern Dutch side is the smaller half, covering 16 sq mi/41 sq km. The French side is often called "the north" by locals.

The Arawak Indians named the island Soualiga, or Land of Salt, and the Great Salt Pond, near Philipsburg, remains a prominent geological feature protected by local environmentalists. The capital's sheltering Great Bay has attracted international traders for centuries, and St. Maarten is still known as a duty-free shopper's paradise. With its sheltered harbors, trade winds and proximity to other islands, St. Maarten is also a yachting hub.

The Dutch side changed its status in October 2010 from an island territory of the Netherlands Antilles to an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands remains head of state, while The Hague continues to be in charge of overseeing foreign affairs and defense. The people of St. Maarten remain Dutch nationals and carry Dutch passports.

Philipsburg has a large port facility—the A.C. Wathey Pier in the Pointe Blanche area of town—just a short walk or taxi ride from downtown. At the pier, there's also a Welcome Terminal with information booths, ATMs, restaurants, duty-free shops and more. As many as six cruise ships may be in town in a day, either tying up at the facility or anchoring in Great Bay and tendering passengers to Bobby's Marina or the Captain Hodge Wharf.

There are also information booths stocked with brochures and maps near the pier at Wathey Square and along Front Street. Wi-Fi hot spots and Internet cafes are widespread.

The St. Maarten Tourist Office is in the Vineyard Office Park on W.G. Buncamper Road No. 33, Philipsburg. (People who should know better may tell you otherwise, but it's really there.) It's open Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm (phone 542-2337). There are also tourist offices at the airport with knowledgeable staff and a large variety of free brochures and maps and on the Boardwalk down the street from Wathey Square.

Consider signing up for the excursions offered by your ship. Ship-sponsored tours may not be the least expensive way to see the island, but you won't have to waste your limited time making arrangements yourself—and you won't have to worry about missing the ship. Shore excursions—and their prices—vary from cruise line to cruise line. Check with your ship's activity director or your travel agent for additional information.

Excursions are likely to include sailing and other watersports; a trip to the tiny islets of Tintamarre, famous for its magic mud, or Pinel; the zoo and park; biking; the Loterie Farm at Pic Paradis for its nature and soft-adventure activities; or island tours. Tour information is available at all the hotels and resorts, at the tourist offices and from cab drivers who are often also tour guides.

See & Do

Sightseeing

Casinos

Hours vary at the island's casinos, but most are open from around noon until at least 2 am and offer Las Vegas-style gambling (blackjack, roulette, craps and slot machines) and free drinks to players.

St. Maarten's beaches provide a wide range of experiences, from calm to windy, social to serene. As you'd expect on a tropical island, watersports predominate. With numerous harbors and several other islands in sight, day trips are also popular ways to amplify the getaway feeling.

Boating and sailing opportunities await at Simpson Bay, Captain Oliver's Marina (Oyster Pond) and Philipsburg. Deep-sea fishing is another option. Surfers, with or without kites or sails, will also find plenty of options.

Beaches and watersports are so abundant and well-promoted in St. Maarten that it's easy to overlook land-based recreation and the more authentic experience of the island that it affords. Vary your options with hiking and horseback riding, or exploring by renting vehicles with wheels: bikes, motorcycles and ATVs.