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General Info
| Dive Services/Accommodations
| Travel Information
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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Dive
Services/Accommodations
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Dive Adventures
PO Box 5262, Simpson Bay
Sint Maarten
Netherlands Antilles
Tel. 599 544 2631
Fax. 599 544 2476
One of the longest running dive shops ,conveniently
located at Pelican Marina. Nitrox, dive packages, Saba
day trips & night dives. Great dive team. Accomodation
packages, group specials and private dives available.
Large watersports and activity center located at the
dive center.
» Number of Dive Boats: 3
» Maximum Number of Divers per Boat: 15
» Gear Provided: All except computers
» Rental Gear Available: Included on dives only
» Nitrox Available: Yes
» Type of Diving Available: Wreck and reef
» Total Dive Sites: 20
» Minimum Time to Dive Sites: 15
» Maximum Time to Dive Sites: 40
» Certification Agencies: PADI
» Courses Offered: Open water, advanced, rescue,
divemaster, nitrox
diveadventures@sintmaarten.net
http://www.diveadventures-sxm.com |
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Explorer
Ventures Ltd.
PO Box 488
Mabank, TX 75147-0488
USA
800-322-3577; 903-887-8521
903-887-8526
info@explorerventures.com
http://www.explorerventures.com
Liveaboard diving vacations for 16 to 18 passengers,
to Turks & Caicos, Saba, St. Kitts, St. Eustatius
and St. Maarten, and to the Great Barrier Reef and Coral
Sea from Cairns, Australia.
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The Horny Toad Guesthouse
2 Vlaun Drive, Simpson Bay
St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
Tel.: 599-545-4323 Reservations: 800-417-9361
Fax.: 599-545-3316
E-Mail: info @thtgh.com
Web: http://www.thtgh.com
The
Horny Toad Guesthouse is a deliberately small and distinctive
oceanfront guesthouse that is known for its congenial
and unpretentious atmosphere. Relaxing,
reading, swimming, walking, sailing, watersports, boating,
scuba diving, snorkeling, golf, shopping, casinos, nightclubs,
and wonderful restaurants.
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Travel
To St. Maarten
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| Getting
There |
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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.
*Special Notice on Passports
The Department of State and Homeland Security have announced
a "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative" in
which they are proposing to require all U.S. Citizens,
Canadians, citizens of Bermuda and citizens of Mexico
to have a passport or other accepted secure document
to enter or re-enter the U.S. by January 1, 2008.
The departments said that the requirements would be
rolled out in phases. The proposed timeline is as follows:
December 31, 2005 - Passport or other accepted document
required for all travel (air/sea) to or from the Caribbean,
Bermuda, Central and South America.
December 31, 2006 - Passport or other accepted document
required for all air, sea to or from Mexico and Canada.
December 31, 2007 - Passport or other accepted document
required for all air, sea and land boarder crossings.
In a joint announcement the departments said that they
are requesting comments on the proposed policy and suggestions
for alternatives. The departments said that they will
consider these suggestions and comments before they
announce a formal rule making when they will again seek
comment on the proposed rule......More Details
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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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