# Caribbean Vacations Forums > St. Maarten/St. Martin Travel Forum >  >  Help with St. Maarten

## christopher

My wife and I are heading to St. Maarten this year for 5 nights instead of St. Barths. The free flight and free hotel (Westin) provided by airline and hotel points was too hard to pass up. The problem is that we have no knowledge of St. Maarten AND we can still see St. Barths from our Hotel. Can someone point us in the right direction regarding the following:

1. A couple of great dinner dining options. Think Eden Rock or Le Gaic.
2. A couple of good casual options. Think Le Select.
3. A couple of great beach options. Think Saline. 
4. A few safety or travel precautions.
5. Any snorkel/sail operators that we should contact for a full day trip.
6. Any other suggestions from visitors to the island to St. Maarten newbies. 

Cheers!

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## amyb

Hi, I am guessing that you will rent a car for dining off premises and exploring. Your hotel is off the beaten track so you might want to use daylight time to learn the island before heading out and about in the dark.  The restaurants I like are MARIO'S BISTRO in Sandy Ground. In The little town of Grand Case I like AUBERGE GOURMAND and BISTRO CARAIBE.  

My favorite beach is ANSE MARCEL and it is the beach at the refurbished Radisson Hotel. The water is usually quite calm and the beach is a true crescent shape with views of Anguilla.

The island has gotten bad press with the rise in crimes being reported as of late. Therefore, be street smart and you will have a great time enjoying this new destination. Amy

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## christopher

AmyB...

Thank you for the input. We're really going to miss St. Barths this year. Mario's Bistro looked interesting. Too bad it's closed in August. 

Yes, we'll be renting a jeep and, by the reading of past posts, will be back at our hotel after dark. 

Any other suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks again.

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