Passport Rediscovered: Saint Marteen

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Hey y'all! I'm super excited to share that I’m diving back into my travel archives, officially! I recently found my old passport, which is about to be my best friend in piecing together all those travel dates and destinations. Trips have started to blend together in my mind, but now I can finally get the timeline right.

And even though this Saint Maarten trip is new, seeing my passport and the original Saint Maarten stamp from 2019 that I didn't even remember getting led to this series. So, what better way to kick off Traveling Back in Time than with my latest trip to Saint Maarten? I had a layover here in 2019 but didn’t get to explore, so this trip was a long time coming! 🌟

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Saint Maarten was my first trip this summer, and it was everything I needed. This island is unique because it's split between two countries: the southern part, Sint Maarten, belongs to the Netherlands, and the northern part, Saint Martin, is French territory.

🏠 Housing

For this trip, similar to my birthday, the housing was covered by the birthday girl. It was a "pull up and bring the vibes, I got the house" kind of arrangement for my friend's birthday. The house was centrally located, just three minutes from the airport and walking distance from the main nightlife on the Dutch side. It was perfect!

🍽️ Food Spots

We hit up some amazing food spots on the island:

• Jax Steakhouse: For when you're feeling fancy.

• Cynthia's Talk of the Town: For some local flavor. The name says it all!

• Sunset Beach Bar: You can't miss this place where you can watch planes land right over the beach. The Snapper here is a must.

• Bamboo House: If you're in the mood for some fine dining Asian cuisine.

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🌃 Activities and Nightlife

We didn't make it to the clubs as much as we wanted, but we did explore the strip. WE Lounge was definitely the spot to be – it was packed and popping. 🎉

On the French side, we spent a day at Loteria Farm, which is this lush sanctuary with everything from adventure activities and hiking to chilling by the pool. If you go, make sure you ask for JoJo. He was our waiter who not only took shots with us but rapped an original song out of the blue. It’s perfect for big groups; we had a private cabana with a pool and hot tub. If you’re into adventure activities, they’ve got those too, but I was all about relaxation and enjoying that day party vibe this time. 🍹🌴

My friends also took a day boat trip to Anguilla, and they had a blast – it took them almost two days to recover! I missed out on that, so I definitely need to come back to see Anguilla and St. Barts. So, if y'all see me take a 72-hour trip, don't judge me! 😉

We closed out our festivities with some fun karaoke sessions, which were a hit even when we were wiped out. 🎤🎶

🚗 Transportation

While we were in walking distance of most places, who wanted to walk all the time in that heat? Our guy Hundo (721-556-5878- Whatsapp only) came through for us and made getting around a breeze. 🌞

🌟 Saint Maarten Highlights

If you’re planning a trip to Saint Maarten, here’s the rundown on what I did and loved:

• Stay: Find a centrally located house near the airport and nightlife.

• Eat: Check out Jax Steakhouse, Cynthia’s Talk of the Town, Sunset Beach Bar, and Bamboo House.

• Do: Spend a day at Loteria Farm on the French side for that day party vibe, take a boat trip to Anguilla, explore the nightlife strip, and don't miss out on karaoke.

Stay tuned for more throwback posts in my new series, Traveling Back in Time, where I’ll be breaking down my past group trips, starting with Lagos. Until next time, happy travels and keep bringing those good vibes! 🌍✈️

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