Dive
Centers & Accommodations
With
an area of only 37 square miles, the
island of St. Maarten/St. Martin is
the smallest land mass in the world
to be divided between two governments.
Its dual owners are the Dutch and
the French, who have shared the tiny
and paradisical island more or less
peacefully for almost 350 years. This
understated absence of conflict testifies
to one of the island's most precious
and attractive characteristics--its
unusual serenity.
St. Maarten is also known throughout
the Caribbean for its eclectic nightlife.
The evening ritually begins at sunset,
when cafes and night clubs open their
doors and the music of steel drum
bands floats along the beaches. The
island's festive spirit peaks during
carnival, a vibrant, two-week festival
of feasting, street dancing, parties,
and parades.
The island's sugary-white beaches
are spiritually restive and abundant,
and walkers who encounter them are
often struck by their splendid seclusion.
Off-shore, St. Maarten's life-rich
waters provide superb boating and
fishing, as well as excellent diving
areas. The inland region, with its
gentle valleys and hills, is ideal
for biking, horseback riding, and
exploration. All these offerings have
made St. Maarten a famous tropical
destination, and the island is dotted
with world-class resorts. Private
guest houses are also an increasingly
popular form of lodging, catering
to visitors seeking traditional Caribbean
hospitality.
The reefs around St. Maarten are rich
and teeming with marine life. They
are also often located close to shore,
accessible to snorkelers as well as
divers.
One of the most popular dive sites
is the wreck of the British man-of-war
HMS Proselyte, which sank in 1801.
Today its haunting remains lie atop
a reef a mile south of Great Bay.
Another common destination is the
freighter Teigland, sunk deliberately
on Cable Reef in 1993. It has already
begun to attract animal life and underwater
vegetation.
Climate
75 - 85F 24 -29C
Water Temp 76 - 82F 24 -28C Visibility
75 -125 ft 23 - 38 m
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By
Air
Air service to Princess Juliana
International Airport in St.
Maarten is provided by:
United States
- American
Airlines direct from New
York, Miami and San Juan,
with connecting flights
to numerous cities throughout
the U.S.
- US
Airways direct from Philadelphia
and Charlotte, with connecting
flights to numerous cities
throughout the U.S.
- Continental
from Newark, with connecting
flights throughout the U.S.
- Delta
Airlines direct from Atlanta,
with connections to other
U.S. cities
- GWV
from Boston
- United
Airlines from Washington
D.C. (Dulles)
Canada
- Air
Transat from Toronto and
Montreal
- Conquest
from Toronto
- Signature
Vacations from Toronto
Europe
- KLM
direct from Amsterdam, with
connecting flights to numerous
cities throughout Europe
- Air
Holland direct from Amsterdam
- Air
France direct from Paris,
with connecting flights
to numerous cities throughout
Europe
- Corsair
direct from ParisCorsair
direct from Paris
Caribbean
- Dutch
Caribbean Airways from Aruba,
Curacao and Bonaire
- LIAT
from Antigua, Anguilla,
St. Croix, St. Kitts, St.
Thomas, San Juan and Tortola
- Caribbean
Star from Anguilla, Antigua,
Barbados, Dominica, Grenada,
Guyana, Nevis, St. Kitts,
St. Lucia, St. Vincent,
Tobago, Tortolla, Trinidad
- Caribbean
Sun from San Juan
- American
Eagle from San Juan
- Windward
Islands Airways (WINAIR)
from, St. Kitts/Nevis, Saba,
St. Eustatius, Anguilla,
St. Barth’s, Dominica and
Tortola
By Cruise Line
Cruise lines that call on
St. Maarten are:
Aida
Carnival Cruise Lines
Celebrity Cruise Line
Costa Cruises
Cunard Line
Disney
Holland-America
Norwegian Cruise Line
P&O Cruises
Princess Cruises
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
Windstar Cruises
Entry Requirements
(Effective January 1, 2005)
U.S. citizens require one
of the following:
- A
valid passport and a return/continuing
ticket.
- A
birth certificate with raised
seal and photo identification
and a return/continuing
ticket.
- Naturalized
citizens must show an original
naturalization certificate
with photo identification
and a return/continuing
ticket.
- Green
Card holders must have a
valid passport and a return/continuing
ticket.
Canadian citizens require
one of the following:
- A
valid passport and a return/continuing
ticket.
- A
certified copy of birth
certificate, a photo identification
and a return/continuing
ticket.
- Canadian
residents require a "Landing
permit" with valid
passport and return/continuing
ticket.
European Community citizens
require:
- A
valid passport and a return/continuing
ticket.
Nationals of the following
countries listed below require
a visa for entry into the
Netherlands Antilles for a
maximum stay of 3 months (effective
January 1, 2005) :
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Benin
Bhutan
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
China, the Peoples Republic,
with the exception of Hong
Kong SAR en BNO document holders
Colombia
Comoros
Congo-Brazzaville
Congo-Democratic Republic
(formerly Zaire)
Cuba
Djibouti
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Fiji
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ivory Coast
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Macedonia (formerly the Republic
of Yugoslavia)
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar (formerly Burma)
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
Northern Marianne
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian Authority
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Philippines
Qatar
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia and Montenegro (Yugoslavia)
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Solomon Island
Somalia
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Swaziland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tonga
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vietnam
West Samoa
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
For other countries, kindly
contact your closest Dutch
Embassy or a St.
Maarten Tourist Office.
Airport Departure Tax:
For International destinations,
there is a departure tax of
US$30.00 for those age 2 and
up.
This departure tax might be
already included in the airfare
of certain airlines.
For islands within the Netherlands
Antilles, the departure tax
is US$10.00.
Some have made provisions
to include the departure tax
in your airline ticket.
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Travel
Tips
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Getting
Around
Most visitors rely on taxis
and rental cars, but public
transportation also is available
to all points on the island
between 6 a.m. and 12 a.m. Fares
can be paid in U.S. dollars.
Taxi Service
Taxis are ready and waiting
at Princess Juliana International
Airport and at all major hotels.
The cabs have no meters, but
drivers must follow official
rates for travel throughout
the island. After 10 p.m., rates
rise 25 percent, and after midnight,
50 percent. Also, hotel tour
desks can arrange sightseeing
tours by taxi, the only way
to go for those not wanting
to drive a rental car.
Car Rental
The best way to sample a selection
of beaches, restaurants and
shops is by rental car. Many
companies rent cars on the island,
and most require either a credit
card imprint or a cash deposit
ranging from $350 to $1,500,
plus an additional collision
damage waiver. Cars are delivered
to any hotel, but cannot be
picked up at Princess Juliana
International Airport in order
to protect the livelihood of
island taxi drivers. However,
rental car shuttles run between
the airport and satellite lots.
All foreign driver's licenses
are valid for driving on the
island. Motorists drive on the
right-hand side of the street,
and the roadways have been designed
by the government to be easily
accessible to physically disabled
visitors.
Time
St. Maarten is on Atlantic Standard
Time year-round. During the
fall and winter, noon in New
York equals 1 p.m. on the island.
During daylight savings time
in the U.S., the hour is the
same on the Eastern Seaboard
as it is on the island.
Electricity
Most hotels in St. Maarten are
wired as in the U.S.: 110 volts,
60 cycles. On the French side,
all run on 220 volts, 60 cycles
so a converter and adaptor plugs
are needed for travel appliances.
Radio and Television
Most hotels have radio and television
broadcasts in English - There
is cable TV with over 50 channels
- all major US networks and
some European channels are available.
Most hotels have their own video
entertainment and direct TV
systems. Satellite television
reception is also available
for private homes. Including
DirecTV, DISH Networks.
Newspapers
In addition to several local
newspapers, visitors can pick
up one or more of the publications
directed toward them. These
include St. Maarten Nature Magazine,
St. Maarten Events, Discover
St. Maarten, St. Maarten Nights,
Ti Gourmet and Vacation St.
Maarten.
Telephone
When dialing the Dutch side
from the U.S., dial the international
access code 011, the country
code 599 and the local number.
Special codes are required from
one side to the other, though
only a local number is required
when calling the same side.
Pet Regulations
Animals are admitted temporarily
to the island with the following
papers: a health certificate
dated no more than 10 days before
visit and a record of inoculations,
including a rabies shot administered
no more than 30 days prior to
the visit.
Medical Facilities
St. Maarten Medical Center in
Cay Hill and L'hospital General
de Gaulle. Airlift is available
to Puerto Rico and the continental
U.S. in case of extreme medical
emergency.
Currency
As U.S. dollars are widely accepted
on both the Dutch and the French
sides, visitors do not need
to exchange their U.S. money
for a visit to the island. Official
currency of the Dutch side is
the Netherlands Antilles florin
or guilder (NAF). Official currency
of the French side is the Euro,
as in France or in other French
holdings around the world. Nearly
all prices are listed in U.S.
dollars as well as the local
currency, so there's no need
for calculating exchange rates.
Banks
Banks are normally open from
8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday. On Saturday,
some banks open from 8:30 a.m.
until noon.
Taxes/Service Charges
Government law requires a 5
percent room tax on all hotel
rates. Most hotels and guest
houses add 10 percent to 15
percent service charge in lieu
of tipping. Some also add an
energy surcharge.
Tipping
Most hotels and restaurants
add between 10 percent and 15
percent to the bill as a service
charge, and this is almost always
posted in writing at the entrance,
on the menu, etc. Travelers
can tip more for special service.
Taxi drivers expect 50 cents
or $1 for short runs and more
for an extended narrated tour.
Airport porters should receive
$2 per bag
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