Jump to content

St. Maarten / St. Martin


lildawgscottFL

Recommended Posts

This is the review I posted on TripAdvisor for Soualiga Destinations Boat Tours in St. Maarten

**********************************************************

After we did our Speed Boat/ATV/Jungle Trek excursion in Belize, we didn't think anything would ever again top that experience. We've had to wait nearly 10 years for something to compete. The Soualiga Boat Tour has done just that!

On the morning of October 22nd, we walked down to Dock Maarten. Captain Bob was all business at the dock, but he has been nothing but professional and helpful from beginning to end. He had a lot to manage that morning, so I can easily overlook any curtness. Besides, from all the reviews I've read, he was a fabulous captain back in the day. And that's okay, because we had Captain Mike and he was great!

Before I go any further, I have to say that the lunch they provided was one of the best meals we had during our entire cruise vacation. I really didn't know what to expect, but the creole mahi, red beans and rice, and salad were delicious! (Even if the city was hosting a protest that day. A little unnerving, especially if you bring the little ones. Of course, there is no way I'd ever hold Soualiga accountable for that. Just mentioning it, because you always need to remember that you're entering a foreign country with their own ways of doing things. Stay with the group and you'll be fine.)

Back to the trip.... Captain Mike's boat was awesome! He told me that his type of boat is what the government agencies (DEA, FBI, etc.) use because they're powerful and sturdy. We were flying! And bouncing! But, when I pulled him aside to ask him about the power and ability of the boat, he said she was doing about half of what she could handle. He said that he needed to throttle it back so we wouldn't get hurt. It was a rush! I wish we could have gone faster. The 14 other people onboard with my wife and I all had a blast! The boat was also clean and well cared for. I even saw Mike maintaining the hull while we were anchored at Pinel Island. Very fastidious!

Along with providing an amazing vessel, Bob and Mike also provided everything we would need to enjoy our stops: snorkel equipment, floating noodles, etc. Plus, there was plenty of cold bottled water, soda, and beer.

As for the stops, they were paradise. Pinel Island was probably my favorite, but that might be because it was the first stop, and the most leisurely. The snorkeling at the other stops was fantastic! We saw turtles and all sorts of fish. The waters were clear and warm. Mike also pointed out a lot along the way, like St. Barts - home to the rich and famous! We also saw King Kong island.

And, of course, we made the quintessential stop at Maho to see the planes! What an experience! I'd say that seeing it in a boat is better than on land. True, you can get closer to the plane standing on Maho Beach, but Mike had a surprise in store for us. As soon as we saw the landing, he swooped around to the other side of the airport so we could see the takeoff! That may have been more amazing, because that plane had no room for error - it would have hit the mountain! What a sight!

As you can tell, we loved this experience. We highly recommend it! I don't write a lot of reviews, but I was too impressed not to say something about the Soualiga Destinations Boat Tour.

post-2933-0-78049500-1446159790_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-35936100-1446159791_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-96147400-1446159791_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-54208000-1446159792_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-77923400-1446159800_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-38454800-1446159801_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-00760900-1446159802_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-56428100-1446159802_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-98572500-1446159810_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-66984000-1446159811_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-36660600-1446159812_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-04828500-1446159813_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-41569200-1446159821_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-00133600-1446159822_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-65934500-1446159822_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-05867800-1446159823_thumb.jpg post-2933-0-48830800-1446159823_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I sure do, but this thing only lets me upload 241KB of files. This isn't 1985. 241KB is half a picture! Suggestions? I could link to them, but I think it would be more valuable to your blog to have them live here.

Where do you see that? Under attach files, it should allow more than 241kb

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Thanks for this topic! My family and I are sailing on Freedom on May 29, and are scheduled for Sint Maarten. I reserved a Jeep to circumnavigate the island counter clockwise with the intention of stopping in Marigot for a while, and then Maho for lunch at Sunset Beach Grill to watch the planes. Given reviews of driving the island, should I go around the island this way, or should I go clockwise? From everything I can tell, the cheapest way to see that much of the island is to rent a car. If the ship sails at 5, what time should we leave Maho?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...