Saint Martin l Sint Maarten l Vacation

Cocktails at the Beach

Travelling to the Caribbean is always something special to me. Not only the white beaches but the fact that my boyfriends family lives there makes it a somewhat different experience.

I want to give you an inside view of the Islands many sights and culture.
Saint Martin, although such a small island, is divided in two. The Dutch part (south Sint Maarten) is industrialised and has the biggest city (Phillipsburg) as well as the biggest airport and the port for the cruise ships.
The French part (north Saint Martin) is much more tourist orientated, with little restaurants and luxury Hotels and many beaches.
Looking at the culture in St. Martin it is quite obvious to detect the huge differences. While the Dutch part is mainly Americanized and most people speak English, this can not be said of the French part. It feels like you switched the island the looks, the feel, everything changes. People speak french, eat french and live life the french way : )

To make the European triangle perfect, Anguilla lies a 30 min. ferry ride west of Saint Martin and is British! So don't forget your Passport!!
It has the nicest beaches by far and is definitely worth a visit. The island is tranquil and I recommend renting a car to go to one of the whitest beaches I have ever seen. The water is crystal clear and often the beaches are almost empty. If you want to enjoy a typical Caribbean beach party go there for August Monday - the first Monday in August. You will probably have the time of your life. :)

I didn't go shopping on the islands but prices for gold, perfumes, electronics, alcohol, cigarettes etc. are very cheap, as there are no added taxes. For example a pack of brand name cigarettes would just cost £2. You can find the most shops in Phillipsburg right next to the cruises port
When it comes to restaurants I can recommend:
Lee's fish restaurant. It is simply awesome! The fish is super fresh and you can sit by water. The prices are ok and the portions huge. If you fancy something Italian Izzy will provide you with a nice ambiance and personal service. The food served was perfectly prepared, much better than I would have expected in the Caribbean.
Also try some of the BBQ huts on the French side. I went to one at the beach and it was simple but awesome. They grill everything from Seafood to pork chops to perfection, a real authentic experience.

Miles... and Miles... and Miles... and Miles... and Miles... and Miles... and Miles... and Miles... and

Hi everyone!

Yesterday, I thought I really have to book tickets to go home for Christmas.
I know this might seem a bit random in the middle of summer, but... well, I confess I love to travel : )
I had a look at the likes of Ryan Air and Easy Jet but then saw on Swoodoo that actually Air Berlin is kinda cheaper.
And that was the beginning of the end... To cut the story short:

• I booked the flight
• I saw that they are part of OneWorld
• I was hooked and indulged in the amazing world of mile collecting

You might think....WTF... she is not part of that yet???
The answer is Yes, I wasn't and Yes, I am part of both of the big ones now. : )

I literally spend hours to figure out what you get when, where and if and either way.
These are my learnings and tips:

• Use miles to book "free" flights or upgrades they yield up to 7 times more value
• Free flights are not actually free you have to pay the taxes (which easily come up to hundreds)
• Never buy miles...cos that's just sick
• If you want to collect extra miles from 3rd party companies have a look at OneWorld's/ Skyteam/ Staralliance partner websites (e.g. www.dkb.de) and check if they might give you more credit directly with them
• Sign up for the Newsletter, sometimes you get awesome deals for your collected points
• as a beginner don' t start reading the forums they are full of people just concerned if their HON`s card will gain them access to certain lounges and how these compare to others they been to - BORING
• Do the maths and check if the upgrade you want is actually worth the Miles you spend -
  if the flight would cost a lot more than the upgrade, it is worth it for sure but lots of times this is not the case. :(
  
  
  Cheers!
    Miss von Böhlen Travel Blog