French Saint Martin: Do the French do it better than the Dutch?

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Күн бұрын

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@briantravelman 9 ай бұрын

I've yet to make it there, but from what I've seen online, the Dutch side seems much more commercialized and tourist trappy, while the French side seems more raw, authentic and nature oriented.

@trevnti 9 ай бұрын

Absolutely correct on that one. If you want to do what the cruise ships do when they port, or stay in a American style resort then the Dutch side (mainly around the airport) is your thing. Something more authentic with good food and arguable better beaches is the French side all the way.

@Winterfell1066 8 ай бұрын

St Martin is fantastic. Our favorite place.

@GraineFaveur 8 ай бұрын

Is it safe❤

@danielskills2389 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for showing us the lands of my fathers and mothers

@kaprantil 9 ай бұрын

What a beautiful family!

@inosegbe 4 ай бұрын

Hi! Such a good vlog. Would you recommend renting a car or taking taxis? Especially at night. I will be traveling solo.

@trevnti 4 ай бұрын

Rent a car 100%. You will see the island as a whole and have flexibility. Taxi fare really adds up.

@danielskills2389 6 ай бұрын

I’m part Saint Martinois . My granny come from the French side. I’m related to the Barry, Gumbs, and Richardson, Augusty families

@trevnti 6 ай бұрын

That is so cool! When we come back someday there is a lot more to see on the French side. We spent more time on the Dutch side since the airport is there but we had no idea how much we would fall in love with the French side.

@Mandenga100 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for your recommendation. I think I am going to book a place at the French side. I wat doubting about going to the Dutch side (since I am from the Netherlands my self), but if I wanted to be in a crowded area like the Dutch side I can stay home for less money.😂

@trevnti 4 ай бұрын

The Dutch side still has plenty to offer (we have a separate video on that) but doing day trips to the Dutch side while staying in Grand Case is what we would have done if we had to do the trip all over again.

@Mandenga100 4 ай бұрын

@@trevnti yes I saw the other video after this comment. How was the riding experience for you?

@jimmiesdad6193 Жыл бұрын

As a whole the island is beautiful but since Hurricane Irma, the Dutch side has recovered far quicker than the french side. Before Irma, it was great to go the french side. Now, not so much. The french government has dragged its feet on getting the cleanup done. The damage is still evident in places there and we noticed a marked difference in the attitude there. Maybe it’s because the people there are just ticked off that it’s not as busy as it was or they just don’t care. That being said, we will just frequent the Dutch side.

@HappyPago Жыл бұрын

@ jimmiesdad6193 - The French have a reputation that they are not the fastest in cleaning up, I call it lazy… Therefore I rather prefer the Dutch than the French side😃

@trevnti Жыл бұрын

The Dutch side has big resorts, cruise ships, zip lines, and a slew of tourist activities. One major thing that turned us off to the dutch side is how it seemed like an American territory, there was minimal Dutch culture there. When we went to visit Aruba it was the same problem, I could be anywhere I felt. Something we noticed as well is how many people on the Dutch side didn't seem as friendly. The French side has more airbnb's and a much slower pace to it (no huge resorts or cruise ships), the people were very friendly by comparison, and the food was beyond better. It is about what type of trip you are looking for. The ruins were on both sides of the island but much more so on the French side, and as a tourist we were not prevented from doing anything you would set out to do anyway.

@briantravelman 9 ай бұрын

@@trevnti Yeah, I saw on Wikipedia that the official languages on Sint Maarten are Dutch and English, while in St. Martin it's only French. The French always do a great job when it comes to preserving their culture. I've been to all three of the ABC Islands, and Aruba always had a reputation for being very American, but it has a strong Latin-American influence too. But definately not very Dutch. Bonaire is more eco-tourism oriented, and they use the U.S. dollar, so it didn't feel very Dutch either. Curacao probably felt the most Dutch of those three islands, though it has a strong African influence too. I agree with you about the ethnic Dutch being assholes, but I'm not surprised by your comments about the French. I haven't been to the French Caribbean yet, but I've been to Quebec and the French Pyrenees, and also encountered many French tourists in Italy and Malta, and the French are always pleasant people to be around. The French side also seems more liberal and laid back. You have many nudist beaches, while on the Dutch side, there is only one. That being said, the French side always had a reputation for being more rough. It seems the French government only invests in areas that have high populations of ethnic French, which is why islands like St. Bart's and Terre de Haut are very developed, while mainland Guadeloupe and Martinique, not so much. St. Martin also had a massive crime problem for many years, mostly purpotrated by immigrants from poorer Caribbean nations like Haiti and Jamaica, but from recent research, it seems like crime may have dropped a bit. But yeah, I would safely say the French still do it better! I would probably stay on the Dutch side though. It seems a little better connected and serviced, especially if you don't have a car and want to day trip to other islands. And the Duch side seems to have cheaper accomidations.

@jerry85g7 5 ай бұрын

@@briantravelmanIt has to do with the style of governments.

@trevnti Жыл бұрын

did anyone else see bigfoot at 1:13?