This post is late – I’ll admit.  But I had the absolute pleasure of visiting the beautiful island of St. Martin a couple of months ago. Honestly, it was the break/treat/gift that I didn’t realize how much I needed. In the weeks prior I was still trying to figure out where to vacation – Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts were some of the options but when I started doing more research and particularly tried to secure direct flights from NYC or New Jersey, St. Martin became the clear choice. It helped that the Airbnb choices were amazing.

In the weeks leading up to the trip, my friend Melanie in Atlanta said she wanted to come with because she, like me, needed a break. We made plans to meet in the tiny St. Martin airport. After a little bit of confusion with the airport taxi services and a bit of a language barrier with our Airbnb host, we were on our way. The airport is on the Dutch side of the island, but our accommodations were on the French side. Everyone kept telling us about the differences between the two sides but I honestly couldn’t tell a lot of differences, other than maybe the maintenance of the streets.

We made our way to the Airbnb, which was slightly remote but absolutely beautiful. It also had its own private pool and jacuzzi overlooking the bay. We were able to secure a wonderful driver (Albert) and we could have hired a private chef, but we chose to eat out the entire stay. Albert (or one of his staff) picked us up on call and honestly, I think we spent the most money on the taxi service but it was worth every penny. St. Martin is very hilly with lots of twists and turns around the gorgeous island but you have to know your way around.  We shopped, we ate, we went to the St. Martin’s Day festivities – a holiday that shuts down the entire island and there are carnivals, concerts festivals all around the island.  Also, all of the islanders take to the streets on their bikes, so all you see is a sea of people riding their bikes – so beautiful. I could go into the origins of St. Martin’s Day but of course as with much history, it’s questionable and rooted in oppression. I digress.

We also took a twenty-minute ferry ride over to Anguilla. Anguilla is one of the most gorgeous places I have ever seen. The beaches are absolutely stunning and pristine. It was honestly like walking around in paradise. If you are thinking about St. Martin – please go.  It is a must. You will feel safe, and you will leave refreshed and relaxed.  It is more expensive than some of the other islands, but you will be so happy that you did. You are worth it, and you deserve it.  We all do. I really loved St. Martin and while I understand that weather can get dicey (we saw some of the aftereffects of recent storms), I would love to return. Heck, I would love to purchase property there. But then, I always say that and then I remember about all the other beautiful places I want to visit (or live).