La Samanna enjoys a commanding position on Baie Longue, one of the island's most beautiful beaches

One Island, Two Cultures

Australia was once known as New Holland, and if Holland had persisted as a dominant culture here as it has on St Maarten, one of the most popular holiday destinations in the Caribbean, maybe life would be a little bit different Down Under.

The islands of the Caribbean may not be well known to Asia-Pacific travellers, who already have so many beautiful beach destinations closer to home available for the lazing.  Why go far away to enjoy a beach?  Because the islands of the Caribbean offer much more than sand, sea, and sun, and of those islands, the dual personality of St Maarten/St Martin offers even more.  As the only island in the Caribbean shared by two cultures and two governments, St Maarten/St Martin offers double the pleasure of its neighbours.

Aside from the obvious attractions of the scenic landscapes, beautiful blue sea, and warm weather year 'round, one of the primary reason visitors come to St Maarten is to shop.  The whole island is a duty-free port; as a consequence, many luxury shops sell a wide variety of watches, jewellery, and other luxury products small enough to take home easily.  Quality and competition are both high, which keep prices reasonable.  Shopping along the main street of Philipsburg is a lot of fun; with restaurants and bars mixed into the shops, it's easy to stop for some refreshment and enjoy the beachside views before continuing with some retail therapy.

While the Dutch side of the island is home to the island's biggest town as well as Princess Juliana International Airport, the French side is famous for an abundance of fine restaurants.  The capital of the French side, Marigot, is a charming little village with a famous bakery, Serafina's, where yachtsmen stock up on breads and pastries before heading off to explore the Caribbean Sea.  It is in Grand Case, though, that the highest concentration of fine restaurants is found.  St Maarten/St Martin is known as the gastronomic capital of the Caribbean; after a few meals around the island, it is easy to understand why.

Of all the hotels on the island, there is really only one that offers a true luxury experience and that is La Samanna, an Orient-Express property and member of The Leading Small Hotels Of The World.  La Samanna is located close to the airport on Baie Longue, the most beautiful of St Maarten's beaches, offers an array of accommodation options from recently renovated double rooms to large suites and sumptuous villas set apart from the hotel in a private compound on a bluff looking over the beach. 

St Maarten is an easy flight from New York's JFK Airport with jetBlue, which also serves the island from Boston and San Juan, Puerto Rico, jetBlue's growing hub for Caribbean flights.