PHILIPSBURG HOLIDAY REVIEWS
Philipsburg
A picturesque Dutch colonial town, Philipsburg is the largest commercial centre on St Martin/St Maarten in the Caribbean, a port of call for hundreds of cruise ships. The cafes, plethora of duty-free shops, and pretty courtyards around the harbour are packed every day with holiday cruise passengers who come to shop and loll on Greatmore
A picturesque Dutch colonial town, Philipsburg is the largest commercial centre on St Martin/St Maarten in the Caribbean, a port of call for hundreds of cruise ships. The cafes, plethora of duty-free shops, and pretty courtyards around the harbour are packed every day with holiday cruise passengers who come to shop and loll on Greatmore
LOVE LOVE LOVE St. Maarten - Sheila McVey. Date of travel: Feb 2006
The second and best port we docked at during our cruise. We opted to stay on the German side (Philipsburg) rather than venture to the French side (Simpson Bay). The German side is apparently more tourist-friendly. Although there were a number of "natives" trying to talk us into anything from getting our hair braided to checking out timeshares, it was beautiful. We caught a cab/van and headed for the beach. The driver told us that the lowest temp they get to is around 60 degrees. He almost choked when we told him that it had been -6 degrees in Philly the night before (we tormented friends by calling and reporting on the warm and sunny weather). It was really weird b/c one house would be huge and have a 2-car garage, etc. while the next house was the size of an outhouse. When we saw a number of children exiting a bus, our driver told us that they go to school in the morning, go home for an hour or so mid-day (when it's the hottest) and then go back to school for a couple of hours. Another site that caught my eye was a Re/Max. I joked with my friends about how I could get "transferred" to this location. Yeah right! lol Finally, the beach! It was beautiful. Soft, beige sand, clear blue water with a bright blue sky. It was the first time I snorkeled and although a bit hard at first, it was so much fun. Dawn and I got our hair braided by natives and Tony bought a hat made out of palm tree leaves (really cool). The day flew by and it was the best day of the entire cruise. Tour Operator: My Travel
The second and best port we docked at during our cruise. We opted to stay on the German side (Philipsburg) rather than venture to the French side (Simpson Bay). The German side is apparently more tourist-friendly. Although there were a number of "natives" trying to talk us into anything from getting our hair braided to checking out timeshares, it was beautiful. We caught a cab/van and headed for the beach. The driver told us that the lowest temp they get to is around 60 degrees. He almost choked when we told him that it had been -6 degrees in Philly the night before (we tormented friends by calling and reporting on the warm and sunny weather). It was really weird b/c one house would be huge and have a 2-car garage, etc. while the next house was the size of an outhouse. When we saw a number of children exiting a bus, our driver told us that they go to school in the morning, go home for an hour or so mid-day (when it's the hottest) and then go back to school for a couple of hours. Another site that caught my eye was a Re/Max. I joked with my friends about how I could get "transferred" to this location. Yeah right! lol Finally, the beach! It was beautiful. Soft, beige sand, clear blue water with a bright blue sky. It was the first time I snorkeled and although a bit hard at first, it was so much fun. Dawn and I got our hair braided by natives and Tony bought a hat made out of palm tree leaves (really cool). The day flew by and it was the best day of the entire cruise. Tour Operator: My Travel
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