Wedding Destination: St. Maarten
It was July 2016, when we weren’t social distancing and were allowed to get on planes. My big brother Marcus and his bride, Kelli decided to get married in St. Maarten. As a travel junkie, I was in full support of this decision.
It was a joyous occasion, filled with family and close friends. They wed at the Sonesta Ocean Pointe, Maho Beach on the terrace.
Sonesta Ocean Point Resort is located in the heart of the Maho Village, the entertainment hub of Sint Maarten/Saint Martin, with duty-free shopping, casinos and nightlife just at the door step of the resort. The resort is situated in Sint Maarten, the Dutch Caribbean side of the island, where English is the prevailing language and USD accepted everywhere, less than a five minute taxi ride from Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM).
This resort has several options on where to get married. Click here to check out their website for more information.
In 2017, Hurricane Irma struck the island as a category 5. This hurricane caused severe damage to the island and caused as much as three billion dollars in damage and losses to the St. Maarten’s tourism industry. However, St. Maarten has been able to bounce back from this devastation.
Things to do
Philipsburg is the capital of Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island Saint Martin. It is known for their beachfront bars that line the boardwalk along Great Bay. Voorstraat, or Front Street, has duty-free shops and casinos.
Tantra Nightclub is located in Maho Village across the street from the Sonesta Ocean Point Resort. It was giving me “Miami vibes.”
Orient Bay (Baie Orientale) Beach, known as the "Saint Tropez of the Caribbean", situated in the north-eastern part of the island, is one of the island’s largest and most popular beaches. The beach offers a full range of tourist amenities, including beach restaurants, hotels, shops and watersports.
Old Street and Front Street in Philipsburg typically jammed with small souvenir shops and a few hidden cafes and restaurants. Many of the shops sell a similar assortment of tropical clothing, but you also can find mom-and-pop shops selling smooth flavored rums and Indian crafts. We ate at the The French Touch restaurant on Old Street and I ordered Avocado and mango salad with goat cheese. I highly recommend this eatery! You can see the pictures below of my food and location.
Fun fact: St. Maarten comprises 2 separate countries, divided between its northern French side, called Saint-Martin, and its southern Dutch side, Sint Maarten.
