Welcome to StMartinbookings.com! Dive into a world of sun-drenched beaches, thrilling adventures, and vibrant culture on our island travel blog. Uncover hidden gems, indulge in adrenaline-pumping activities, savor local cuisine, and find exclusive retreats. Let us be your guide to the ultimate tropical escape – where paradise awaits! 2026-06-01T08:18:42-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer https://www.stmartinbookings.com/blog StMartinbookings.com office@stmartinbookings.com https://www.stmartinbookings.com

2020-10-27T00:00:00-04:00 2021-03-18T10:40:47-04:00 https://www.stmartinbookings.com/blog/Anguilla-is-open StMartinbookings.com office@stmartinbookings.com https://www.stmartinbookings.com Anguilla Reopening… finally! As of today, Anguilla is one of the safest island destinations in the world!   The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has classified Anguilla “No Travel Health Notice: Very Low Risk for COVID-19”.    Starting 1st November 2020, Anguilla will enter Phase 2 of its reopening to tourism. During this second phase, many of the island's hotels, resorts, and villas will be added to a list of certified accommodations approved for visitor-stay on the island. And while many see this as a step in the right direction, it does come at a cost.     Anguilla Coronavirus Travel Anguilla is one of the few island nations taking steps to see international travel return to its shores. However, to safeguard island inhabitants and ensure its borders stay open, visitors to Anguilla will need to comply with a number of conditions before being granted entry. Feel free to visit our Corona News page to learn more about the Anguilla coronavirus travel requirements.   “Entry to Anguilla must be pre-approved. Luckily, the application form is clear, straightforward, and simple to fill in. The Anguilla Tourist Board has made it as easy as possible for travellers to apply.” Soon, when travelling to Anguilla, one of the strictest conditions that must be complied with is having to stay in your resort for the first 10-14 days*, or your entire stay if less than 10 days. Thankfully, these 10-14 days will be far from boring as the government is introducing the Bubble Concept, whereby properties are authorized to safely offer their guests access to a range of approved amenities, services, and activities during their restricted stay. These can include water sports, select indoor and outdoor games, beach yoga and other activities. So if staying in a luxury resort and taking part in a variety of activities seems fun to you, then Anguilla is your place to be!     Entry to Paradise comes at a price Major components of the new travel requirements are for each visitor to be tested twice during their time on the island, and to remain under surveillance. To cover the cost of these procedures, a fee is being levied for all visitors. And it’s a pretty hefty one! You can find the full fee schedule on our Corona News page but to give you an idea: visitors staying at a pre-approved property for a week will need to pay a fee of US$400 (US$600 for a couple). Anguilla has always been an expensive island to visit, but with this fee, it seems the island is now exclusively reserved for the wealthy. Some might say it will add to its prestige... others will be exasperated by it.     Experience a world far from the Pandemic Whatever the opinions on the matter may be, one has to agree this is better than nothing. If nothing else, it demonstrates that the Anguilla government, together with its Tourism Board, are doing whatever they can to save their tourism industry. And while these measures may seem overly strict, they do allow for a surprisingly unique possibility: To experience Anguilla the way it was before the pandemic.   “After spending the 10-14 days at your resort, and when your second Corona Test comes back negative, you will be free to explore the island to your heart’s content, without face masks and other restrictive measures. Life will be, for as far as it can be considered, ‘normal’, just as it was before the pandemic.”   In these times of lockdowns and restrictions, the prospect of enjoying a normal vacation is exceedingly rare. I sincerely hope this simple pleasure will be enough to entice visitors back to the island. Anyone willing to take advantage of this opportunity, albeit at some cost, will be rewarded with an island at its most pristine, and the knowledge that they can travel as safely as possible while supporting the local communities and businesses that rely so heavily on tourism. Anguilla is reopening soon. Will you be one of the first to visit?     * 10 days for visitors coming from areas of a low prevalence of COVID-19 cases (less than 0.2%) and 14 days from areas of high prevalence (more than 0.2%)   About the author Hi! I'm Axelle, the StMartinbookings.com writer of this blog post. If you have questions or feedback, feel free to contact me on: axelle@island-bookings.com Read more in our Travel Guide

2020-07-16T00:00:00-04:00 2021-03-18T10:33:13-04:00 https://www.stmartinbookings.com/blog/dream-now-travel-soon StMartinbookings.com office@stmartinbookings.com https://www.stmartinbookings.com Dream now, travel to St Martin soon Are you wondering when you will be able to travel to St Martin again? The good news for some is now! St Martin is currently open for tourists from Saba, Sint Eustatius, Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, Anguilla, St. Barthelemy, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, the British Virgin Islands, Europe, and North America.    There are however some travel requirements…but those will be rewarded:   "With all the travel restrictions we went through and are still going through, St Martin has been very quiet, and nature has been recovering & replenishing. The Island is now more pristine than ever both on shore and under water." With this blog, I hope to help you make your St Martin travel dream come true as soon as possible! I have made a summary to help guide decisios regarding when and how to go about travel to Sint Maarten. First, I will take you on a virtual tour to St Martin.   A virtual tour of St Martin/Sint Maarten St Martin is one of the Most culturally diverse places in the Caribbean. The Island is shared between the French and the Dutch. Here are my favourite things about the Island:   The New Orleans vibe of Marigot Once a fishing village on a swamp, Marigot is a typical and authentic Caribbean town. The small town offers a hill fort and charming architecture. Bright coloured buildings predominate.    St Martin’s pristine beaches There are many great beaches to be found around the Island. One of them is the famous Maho Beach, where people gather to watch planes land on the island's short runway, their feet on the warm sand! Cupecoy, in the South West of the Island offers a series of small beaches with gentle waves and incredible sunsets. Orient Bay is the most famous beach on the French side, with kilometres of white sand and great waters. The beach offers wind sports, bars, and luxury accommodation.    St Martin’s world class French and Creole cuisine The Island is known as the Caribbean culinary capital. You can find excellent French restaurants or local Creole food, plus many fusions of the two cuisines. The street food is so flavourful, try the coal fire grills BBQ! The best culinary experiences are to be found on the French side of the Island, specifically in Grand Case.      The View from Pic Paradise Pic Paradise is the highest point on the Island! The mountain is very lush and offers a breath-taking view on of St. Maarten/Martin, the surrounding sea and islands.     Underwater treasures  The waters of St Martin are relatively shallow and tend to remain warm and clear. It is a great place to learn or practice diving! You will come across sharks, turtles, dolphins, colourful tropical fishes, and areas of coral. There are even a few wreck dives! If you prefer, you can always practice snorkelling! There are many fabulous spots around the Island, right from the beach.      How to make your dreams come true As you can see on our Corona News page, there are some requirements to take into account. As per July 1st 2020, passengers are required to take a COVID-19  RT-PCR test, with proof of negative results no older than 72 hours prior to the day of arrival (children aged 10 and under are exempt from testing). I would advise checking your own government website on how to get tested (if it is possible to get tested).    Be prepared to keep yourself safe during your travel: wear a mask at the airport and in the aeroplane. Make sure you have enough clean masks to change when needed. Avoid touching your face and try to wash your hand as often as possible. I would even recommend keeping a mini liquid hand soap and a hand sanitizer with you in case there are not any around. Make sure to keep social distancing at the airport. Some airlines are taking the time to clean planes in-between flights, but feel free to quickly wipe your armrest and the air circulation knob. Be prepared to undertake a health screening once at the airport in St Maarten. You might want to consider that getting out of airport arrivals might take a bit longer than usual when wishing to connect to any further transfers.    I would also recommend checking your travel and medical insurance. Be aware that in most cases, travel insurances do not cover extra travel costs incurred due to the virus! Check that your medical insurance is covering the COVID-19 illness also when you are abroad.    As this is an unprecedented situation, things can remain uncertain. For this reason, I would advise keeping informed about the travel restrictions and requirements. You can do so by checking our Corona page, which is updated daily.  You can also check the requirement for your airline and hotels on their respective websites.     Going through the formalities has its rewards These requirements can feel a bit overwhelming, but the reality is that St Martin now offers a window of unprecedented opportunity! With all the travel restrictions we went through and are still going through, St Martin has been very quiet, and the nature recovered and replenished. The Island is now more pristine than ever both on shore and under water. Those returning first to St Martin will be rewarded by an experience of the island at its most pristine in decades! So, my advice would be not to wait too long before making your dream come true!   "Those returning first to St Martin will be rewarded by an experience of the island at its most pristine in decades!"     Feel free to contact us with your questions or any booking enquiries. About the author Hi! I'm Axelle, the StMartinbookings.com writer of this blog post. If you have questions or feedback, feel free to contact me on: axelle@island-bookings.com Read more in our Travel Guide