Orient Beach

After my short but fabulous time in St.Barths, I returned to St.Maarten for a stay in an apartment rental in Orient Beach. The apartment - a 2nd story 1 bedroom plus loft - was cutely decorated and had great amenities including laundry, internet, cable, a balcony and access to a swimming pool. Plus, it was only a 2 minute walk to the beach, restaurants and a small market. My days were all about the beach, and evenings involved either take-away pizza from the market (the most delicious!) or dinner at a local restaurant and a late night swim in the pool. Pure rest and relaxation. Although I did venture out to Baie Rouge on the other side of the island for some beach time, my only real outing was a day trip to the nearby island of Anguilla. Once a British territory, Anguilla is a peaceful, quiet place with high-end hotels and powdery white beaches. After landing at the ferry port, I grabbed a taxi to the beach at Shoal Bay, rented a beach chair and ordered some cocktails. I also grabbed some lunch at a local barbecue stand before heading back to St.Maarten on a high-speed ferry with yet another stamp in my passport.