Have you been to St. Maarten? If so what other free or cheap activities would you recommend?

@brinn8539

3 жыл бұрын

All the beaches are free and each is very unique French side clothi g optional though. The lolo's (barbeque sharks) in the Gran Case are very good and inexpensive. If your staying more than a day take a day tour (4 hrs a vg.) with Happy Harold or any day tour gives a great look at the whole . A hike out to the Dutch Fort ruins outside Philipsburg is free and gives great views back the city. Shopping in Philipsburg is free unless you buy :)

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

@@brinn8539 great additional tips! I wanted to hike to the fort but we just didn't give ourselves enough time on this trip.

@chrisborges80

3 жыл бұрын

The hiking trail at loterie farm is free, with great view of the island at the top

@DEJJJR

3 жыл бұрын

Parotte Ville, not free but approx $5 per child and $10 per adult. Feed the many beautiful birds in the sanctuary, they will land on you or the food cup provided. If looking for great live music find out if/where Dale Buchan Music is playing. He's awesome!

@ashleyhodge9804

3 жыл бұрын

I live in sint maarten

Just a heads up for #6 -- specifically say something about it being a bus when you get on. I got on at a bus stop, the license plate said bus, and then the driver said it was going to be $20 each. I said "isn't the bus $2?", and he said "oh do you want to go as taxi or as bus". I was like "as bus..." and he said ok $2 then

Tip From Someone Who’s From Sint Maarten. Bus fees are $1.50 for adults and $1 for children. The only time that you’ll have to pay more is if you’re going from Maho to Philipsburg (It’s $3.00 for adults and $2.00 for kids). Don’t let the bus drivers rip you off sometimes they like to do that.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Great tip, we asked how much it would be from someone else before getting on the bus. And confirmed with the bus driver before we got in.

@jayhendricks67

3 жыл бұрын

I don't know about the bus driver's but i know the personal cabbies will we had 4 with us on our way back he saw a larger group of other people so he stopped and told us to get out so he could pick the larger size Group up we had to walk back to the Ship luckily it wasn't far

@georgebarry8640

Жыл бұрын

Senlly Thank you for being honest about it. Everywhere one goes..there are sketchy people. Luckily..usually just a few.

@savzxo

Жыл бұрын

How much does it cost now in 2023?

Life of Munchy here and I live in St Maarten 🇸🇽 💝💙🇯🇲

I want to go back ASAP! Love St Maarten 💖

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Me too, such a nice island.

@Poshgardenherbs

3 жыл бұрын

Me three 🥰🌴❤️

@willgaukler8979

2 жыл бұрын

... arrived for the day via cruise ship ... it rained buckets ... have to go back ... adventures await ... cruseships will return ...

These are great suggestions. I love catching the amazing sunsets. Sometimes I plan dinner around the time of the sunset and usually it is perfect.

Maho Beach is definitely on our list! You basically outlined all my favorite activities from shopping to snorkelling, from casinos to pool and drinks! Really hope to get to visit St. Maarten one day. Great video!

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Then St. Maarten would be a perfect place for you to visit!

Unfortunately Carousel Gelato has closed and is now Toppers Rhum (tour is $25 I think for getting tipsy in an hour or two). The Carousel from the back was donated to PJIA and might be put in the departures lounge as an attraction when is fully reopened.

Wow what a beautiful place! OMG those planes! What an amazing experience and great tips. Nothing better than a sunset on the beach right! Lovely video - Jo

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much - it was a great experience visiting and I love the island so I'll be back one day!

Awww, the beach is just a perfect place to go, especially when they are so nicely equipped with chairs and umbrellas. The carousel bar looks like a fun attraction as well. I've never seen the inside carousel before! Gelato looks yummy! Thanks for sharing :)

Lovely views 😍 thank you for this!

Heading to SXM in less than 2 weeks. Very good video. Might want to visit the lolo's in Gran Case . Good cheap food nice views.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Hope you have a great trip!

@icool247

3 жыл бұрын

If you don’t mind me asking, how much was your travel and stay?

@brinn8539

3 жыл бұрын

@@icool247 we own a timeshare in Philipsburg so our cost was minimal and our airfare was paid with frequent flyer miles Normal air from NYC to SXM is 950 to $1100. Several nice resorts on Island I would suggest staying on the Dutch side as the French side is slower in recovery from the hurricane. Look in Maho or Simpson Bay areas. Enjoy.!

@icool247

3 жыл бұрын

@@brinn8539 thank you !

St. Maarten is my favourite island in the Caribbean. Great video. Thanks for sharing.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

It's such a great island. I haven't been to all the Caribbean islands, but this is in the top that I have seen.

Wow Sint Maarten is so beautiful and nice. The blue waters wowww! And the nice pool. Never heard of this place before. Definetly putting this in our bucketlist. Thanks for ur useful tips. Would love to go here someday 🤗

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

It's such a great island, I really recommend it.

@brieshacoffie4345

2 жыл бұрын

I live there

This was a great idea for a video. It’s fun to see some other suggestions besides the beach weather the planes take off and land. That’s the only thing I know about the destination so it was fun to see the town, the shops, the other beaches, the carousel, the gelato, food, and drinks and more :) some great tips and suggestions for what to do on the cheap.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Not all travel has to be expensive, so I like to include some of the cheaper options. Plus, then I save more money to travel again later 😂

Wow! Unbelievable colour of the ocean 😍😍 Another amazing video!

Like 4. Thanks for sharing such great video. Expecting more videos like this .

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! Appreciate it.

Héllo , thank you for this great beautiful upload , nice beach , thank you for sharing i liked 52 , Stay healthy and have a magical christmas and happy sunday

Gibbs Bay beach is a tiny, secluded, private beach with spectacular views! The Guard was very nice and let us go down and it was just amazing. Also, I had a lot of fun mural spotting. The murals are all over the island and so I enjoyed spontaneously stopping to take pictures wherever I found one! It’s a gorgeous island!

@nicholask9791

8 ай бұрын

All beaches on the island are public btw

@babyst0423

8 ай бұрын

@@nicholask9791That’s interesting.

Thanks for sharing!

👏The video is very good. Thanks for sharing! Have a nice day.💕👍👍

Awesome video and nicely said, but don't forget the jet skis island tour, the movie theater, the pain ball games, the hiking (pic Paradis) , what else? ... I think you nailed it.

Thank you so much for your advice !

Love your videos! A trip to the Caribbean is in order this summer! Thanks for the beautiful picture though!

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

I can't wait to get back to the Caribbean soon.

This is that beach, I was wondering as I have seen it in Insta, great informative video. Keep making such wonderful video's.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

There are so many beaches there - but the one that's most "known" is Maho Beach from the planes :)

Thank you very much for us to see beautiful places

Great advice and a great glimpse of St Maarten.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much!

Would love to be there. Looks amazing. thanks for the tour

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Happy to share!

Great video! Those beaches look gorgeous (and the airplane beach looks so fun!). It's good to know that bus is (ordinarily) a good option.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! It's a great island to visit.

I LOOOOVE Sint Maarten!!! It’s one of my favorite places on earth! Did you explore the French side at all? It’s a really fun place to visit. Thanks for sharing.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

No we didn't get to the French side, but I would love to go back and explore there. So lovely!

Excellent blog. Keep it up.

Just booked my birthday trip to go here in September 🥳 this video was helpful, thank you!

@noelseguvera9790

2 жыл бұрын

Where are you from? And are you coming down to SXM for the first time ?

@Kiana978

2 жыл бұрын

My birthday in September too. I'll be there for my birthday weekend :)

cant wait to go back! loved St. Maarten

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

It's a great island!

thanks for great advices

Great advice. Thank you for the video

@TheAverageTourist

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Great video. Thank you!

@TheAverageTourist

10 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching

Wow what a magic place ! Generally we only see the airport landings but you went up and above. Amazing job

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

I had so much fun watching the take-offs and seeing people and things flying everywhere!!

I want to go with my daughter in December 2021. Really hope things are pretty much back to normal by then. Love it down there

nice informative video

I tend to always get sucked into buying a tour package so it's good to know that there are plenty of affordable things to do. I totally want to watch the planes at Maho Beach but it does look intense! The beaches are gorgeous and clothing optional?! Thanks for the heads up. 😂 The gelato looks delicious. That's definitely something fun for the whole family! 😊

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah I usually buy a tour package too but this one I found before we went. The plane beach was very exciting. And not all beaches are clothing optional... we only came across that one 😂

Oh yes! saw this beach video, really want to go there and take video and pic with place on top of us! haha

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Yes it was such a cool beach to visit!

We are sooo jealous!!! We sooo want to go to the beach with the planes!! It looks like an amazing island, the colour of the water is stunning 💙 and the sunset at the beach...wow! That bucket of beer looked super refreshing 🍻

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

It's such a lovely island, I would love to go back again one day. I might try the French side on my next visit.

@BeingBedingfield

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheAverageTourist That would be great, but please take us with 😅

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Lol, any time!!

@BeingBedingfield

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheAverageTourist 😅😅

A lot of great ideas! We're going for the 5th time in 2023 and taking our teenage boys (well, 20 and 16 by that time). We rent a villa and I love the idea of a pool day as an activity as our villa has a beautiful pool, view and it's a great way to cut down on expenses. I would add a day trip to hike over to Happy Bay. It is a beautiful beach and a really fun activity for the day. Pack a few Carib's and a lunch and sit under a palm tree and enjoy this gorgeous secluded beach with a beautiful view of Anguilla. People watching at Orient is another great "free" activity even though we end up spending money on a great lunch, drinks and water sports for the boys. Lastly, taking a tour of the island in the early morning ( I always rent a car for the week so it's not technically free) is my favorite part of the week! I LOVE seeing all the school kids in their vibrant different colored uniforms going to school each morning. Cheers! I appreciate the video.

@TheAverageTourist

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! I'd love to rent a villa there, it sounds like a great way to vacation. And we enjoy mixing in some "slow days" into our itineraries. A lot of people don't think of just enjoying a day by the pool and relaxing as "something to do" but I do! Next time I'm going to try out Happy Bay and an early morning island tour. Enjoy your trip!

Cool, St Maarten is so much on our bucket list, even more so after watching this video 👍

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

It's such a great island, hope you get there soon!!

Just knew that there's so many things to do in St Maarten, we love to stroll around shops and buy souvenirs and our daughter would love the carousel.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

There are so many things to see and do. I'd need so much more time to explore.

You really thought of a lot of great tips. We have been considering a trip to St. Maarten next year and will definitely plan to utilize the cheap buses and check out the beaches you mentioned. And great tip on walking to the end of the beach to find the cheap beers. Who doesn't love cheap beers?!

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

I love St. Maarten. We went twice on cruises and then this year we stayed for a week. Glad you liked it and hope it can be helpful if you get there next year :) Maybe we'll see you there lol.

@Explorcation

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheAverageTourist we have been twice on cruises as well, but would love to do a full week or at least a long weekend. I believe we have some cheap direct flight options from Florida, so hopefully we will make it down there post-Covid. Would be so awesome to see ya there!

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

@@Explorcation It's just not enough time on a cruise - but gives you a good idea whether you want to go back or not. Hope you get back :)

@overlandaf_adventures472

3 жыл бұрын

Mmmmm cheap beers

This video is so good 👍👍👍👍 ... I'm currently living in SxM and everything you said is right.....

As someone who used to live in sxm, the French side has a lot of free things/places to visit! There is many free things to do overall in sxm, also the local bus is a great option to save money, is like a dollar or something, the beaches are basically everywhere and they are beautiful.

@TheAverageTourist

2 жыл бұрын

I can't wait to go back and explore the French side one day!

@melissarodriguez3362

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheAverageTourist definitely! Is beautiful, there is a tourist area in the French side that for me has like a Europe vibe kinda 😊

super film 😎😀

We stayed for a moment at that beach by the airport, but wow it was so loud. It rained a lot during our port stay, so we didn't get to explore as much as you did. Looks like I should return ;)

Great Content 👍

So want to visit here, great video. 🇯🇲🇯🇲

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, it's a great island

Man I have see videos of those planes landing and take off. Pretty cool. This is a well put together video. Looks like I will be missing the beach this year.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah that beach is really cool. We were lucky that we went before everything happened in the world. And thanks very much!

Loved this! I (Krystal) went a few years back and I missed so much! We’ll have to head back in the future to experience it all!

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

I would go back to this island for sure. So much to see and do. Next time I'd like to go to the French side.

wow this place looks so neat! we would love to travel there some day! new subscribers here and love your videos!

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! It's a great place.

My goodness, St. Maarten looks so beautiful. My wild dream would be to see those planes fly over the beach as well as take off. Planes fascinate us 😀 ooooh the shopping looks so awesome for souvenirs and I'm glad there is a mixture of beautiful beaches to choose from. So awesome to see all the great things to do there. Thanks for sharing these tips

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

It is such a lovely island and Maho beach was so cool to see the planes flying in and taking off. I would love to go back one day.

I love my island

Thank you for sharing my home land and enjoying it. But there more places to explore .

Wow it’s like a dream, love the shops around, amazing, thanks for a great share ❤️

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I love this island.

This is a very pretty area. I wonder how much time cruises allow here. Watching the planes take off and land would be cool. Snorkeling seems like a great idea here. I love beach sunsets. I'm sure they are spectacular here. The price is not bad for an island hopping tour. Sounds great! Thanks! Safe travels!

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

We actually went on two cruises here and we were in port both times from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm but by the time you got off the ship and had to be back on about 2 hours in advance it's really only about 7 hours (at least on the cruises we did). We loved it so we went back to spend a full week there so sightsee without a time limit. Thanks for watching!

@deannamoretz2425

3 жыл бұрын

We stopped on a cruise ship and rented a car. Picked up a cooler at the little convivence shop near the cruise port, filled it will beer and Drove around the island. We stopped at many beaches and watched the planed land at Maho beach. sunset beach bar has the flight schedule on their surf board. We made it around the island and back to the cruise ship in plenty of time! Highly recommend renting a car when on a cruise ship, you can see so much more!

Was there about a year ago...unbelievable experience! Went up a hill to a lookout near Phillipsburg, because our tour guide couldn't get us to the French side (due to protests).

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

I loved it there. We need to go back and explore the French side more next time.

Going in three months can’t wait also a very good friend on mine lives there and I can stay there!😄

Just got back two weeks ago. We had been there a few times before the hurricane and decided it was time to go back. The island is back to its before-hurricane beauty. We have been to many islands, but I still think St. Maarten has the most beautiful turquoise water. Stayed at Ocean Point. Would highly recommend.

@TheAverageTourist

2 жыл бұрын

The water there is stunning. I agree, definitely among the best 👌

@christiewright8247

Жыл бұрын

Oh good! I got married there 10 years ago and was so concerned about how it would recover after the hurricane. I'm so glad to hear it's recovered well.

Just got back from our honeymoon there! So beautiful. Unfortunately found this after the trip but we did a lot of these naturally. #8 is Now Toppers Rhum but they still serve gelato. Would HIGHLY recommend Toppers. The carousel is being donated to the airport and will eventual be functional there.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Oh good to know!! I'll have to go back to see the Toppers Rhum place. Nice that the carousel is being donated rather than scrapped.

We went to St. John and St. Thomas on our honeymoon but never St. Maarten. Looks so fun and relaxing. The water is so stunning and turquoise 😍

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

It's a beautiful island. We've been there twice on a cruise and once staying on the island. St. Thomas is lovely too... never been to St. John before though!

@georgebarry8640

Жыл бұрын

@@TheAverageTourist I've been fortunate and been to St John and St Thomas many times. If you choose to go to St John, its mainly to do relax, spend time dining or at the beach. St John is no where as built up as St Thomas..so its way more laid back. St Thomas has more activities...but "to each, their own". Every Island has its thing.

@TheAverageTourist

Жыл бұрын

Oh very interesting. I could go for some relaxation so I'll have to look into it or see if any cruises stop there for a day.

Beautiful I did subscribe your channel. Enjoy the nice views

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much 😊

Great info, thanks for sharing? Do you remember which tour company you used? Headed out there in a week.

Finding out that clothing was optional must’ve been quite the shock for you😄 the sunset shots at the beaches looked beautiful🌅 and a bucket of beers in the shade looks delightful!

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Haha yes omg. We were walking down a set of stairs and I stopped in my tracks and told my husband "turn around turn around!" lol We didn't stay at that beach haha.

@Tammyniles40

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheAverageTourist What beaches are not clothe optional? That would make us uncomfortable.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Mullet Bay Beach, Great Bay, Maho Beach are all good options. There are lots more too. Mostly the clothing optional ones are on the French side.

Also, you can rent a small car for 50$ for the entire day inclusive of all taxes. Which is cheaper than the 4 hour tour plus it’s very easy to drive in St. Maarten !

Very nice island. I would go back.

@TheAverageTourist

2 ай бұрын

Same here.

I would like to go there. Good work

I love SXM, went there in 2019 as a solo female traveler. Had a ball, didn't see the carousel gelato when I was there.have to go back, took the bus everywhere I went. Everyone was extremely friendly.

@minoritiesbecomenurses5735

3 жыл бұрын

Good to hear..did you feel safe ?? Did you meet other solo females?

@staceyc9343

3 жыл бұрын

@@minoritiesbecomenurses5735 unfortunately I didn't. But then again I didn't tell anyone that I was traveling solo.

Nice video but the island has a French side : Grand Case, Marigot, Baie Orientale, Cul de Sac, Baie Rouge, Baie Netlé, Pic du Paradis (better panoramic view of all the Island) and Anse Marcel, visiting all these places is free. I highly recomend also to enjoy the French Touch that Saint Martin has to offer if you really want to know what SXM is = multicultural. Enjoy it :)

Thanks for promoting US.

Been there quite a few times. Love it there. Orient beach is one of those clothing optional beaches.... Just saying. It got pretty destroyed when hurricanes hit St Maarten a few year ago.

The Casino is a good tip for us. Interesting to see you can see that performance for free. Pool day sounds like something you just have to do there, only I can't do it longer than 1 hour and then I am done with it. Guide is a good tip.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

My husband is not into the pool day either - he's too pale to sit out so he prefers to do activities (but in the shade so he doesn't burn)

Nice

Jouvert Morning!!!

Thanks so much for the video! I’m going to Saint Marteen , looking for snorkeling tours. Any company you recommend?

Good video but seems that you've missed a lot of main attractions of St Martin (Orient beach/bay and Red bay are ones of the best beaches, Pinel Island, Oyster Pond Marina ...) I know Dutch St Maarten has the hustle-bustle of the island but St Martin isn't that big to make all of this within a few days. Can't wait everything being fine again to enjoy travelling, you have to go back there😉

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Yes sadly we didn't get to the French side of the island, and there was a lot of the Dutch side we didnt get to, so we will definitely be back to see more!

Thank you for the video. Where did you stay?

Nice Video! So where can I find these buses? I will stay in Cole Bay Area and want to go from there ti Maho Beach and also to Phillipsburg. Any ideas? Also where. can I find the tour thing. Thank you

@TheAverageTourist

Жыл бұрын

We literally stood on the side of the road in the direction we wanted to go and flagged down the vans that said "bus" and just confirmed we were getting the "bus" rate and they weren't charging us like a taxi service.

We visited St Martin in 2016 before hurricane Irma. We had a trip planned for Oct 2019 but cancelled due to unrest in the island....fires, etc from the locals on the French side of the island....We are looking to plan a trip now for this September. How did you find the condition of the island after recovery from the hurricane??

@MissAki1

Жыл бұрын

I visited in December, seems like something is back to normal. December is way too packed with tourist but other than that it was perfect. I live in Australia but St. Maarten is a gem.

You mentioned ending up in some clothing optional beaches which means you were on the French side. While you mentioned walking around Philipsburg on the Dutch side, no mention of walking around Marigot on the French side. When you're on the French side, you're actually in France just like being in Hawaii is being in the United States.

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

We did end up walking to the French side but only because we got a little lost! The Cupecoy beach is right on the border but technically still on the Dutch side so perhaps they were inspired by their French neighbours 🤣. Next time we will plan our trip for the French side of the island.

Oriental beach was named one of the most beautiful beaches it's part of bus tour a wall is on the beach if u don't want to go on the other side

Do you have the info on the guided tour?

You captured the drawbridge in your footage, but you left out a trip to the Yacht Club. Reasonably priced food and drink and if you’re there in the morning or late afternoon when the bride dye goes up, you can watch the luxury yachts and sailing ships pass through to the lagoon from the deck of the restaurant.

@TheAverageTourist

Жыл бұрын

Will have to go back and visit that spot!

I feel like moving to this island.

@TheAverageTourist

Жыл бұрын

It's beautiful, so I can see why!

How is the shelling there? Which beach has the best shells?

during your stay what was the name of the resort you highlighted. they have a swimup bar.we have to have that at our resort.it is a great place to make new friends

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

We were at the Maho Beach resort.

#8 The Carousel has been removed and Topper's Rum factory is in there now

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

What a bummer!! I loved the carousel.

@shana9740

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheAverageTourist they are moving the carousel to the airport. Just left the Topper’s Distillery.

did you go to the french side of saint martin? did you go to anguilla?...

Hello beautiful people I booked this island and im staying at Flamingo Beach Resort. Is someone kind enough to lmk what'sclose by or what we can do? Trip is set for early July! Thank you

Is it true one can take a ferry to Anquilla?

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, before the pandemic you could take the ferry to Anguilla. It's about 45 minutes from the French side of the island. Not sure if it's running now or what the schedule is

@noelseguvera9790

2 жыл бұрын

You can now I live here

What is the name of the hotel no.13?

I've seen the airport strip before. Seems like there is a few things to do if you are staying overnight. I guess most will be cruise ship daytrippers

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

Yes plenty to do in the area. We were on 2 cruises there for the day and liked it so much we went back for a full week.

gelato place is temporarily closed and maxine's is permanently closed as of April 18 2022... =S and where to find cheap hotel to stay?...

Thanks for sharing! Your video was very helpful for my trip. I just posted a video about my experience as well :)

@TheAverageTourist

2 жыл бұрын

That's great! Glad you had a nice trip

What (#14) tour company did you use?

What is the company site you used for the sightseeing tour?

@TheAverageTourist

3 жыл бұрын

I found it through TripAdvisor - I can't remember which one but it was one of the more popular/highly rated ones when I searched.