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St.
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Nude Villa Vacation “All The Best” from St. Martin“Tri
State Sun Club came up with the perfect place
by
MICHAEL
GESNER We loved the Villa! What a wonderful panorama! So great was the view from the veranda (15’ x 40’ in size), we never used the living or dining rooms inside. Nor was the tv (with satellite dish) ever turned on! Potted plants of all kinds and an always-present easterly breeze made this a glorious place to relax. Set on two-and-one-half private acres, our home-away-from-home had many different trees and shrubs - even cotton plants. And you could walk nude on the many manicured paths. Forsaking the use of an alarm clock, I used the rising sun as my wake-up call. Leaving the east facing shutters on our bedroom window wide open, I found myself gently aroused at 6 am! With such a happy ambiance, I wouldn’t dream of sleeping late on vacation (Janet “slept in” til seven). But, I wasn’t the first to arise. Without exception, there was always coffee brewing when I made my way to the veranda and the welcome morning sun. A morning dip in the heated (84° - 88°) pool was also a nice way to invigorate the new day. When
locals (and experienced St Martin travelers) would ask us “where we were staying,” our reply of “a villa in Terre Bases” would often result
in raised eyebrows. Terre Bases is the NW corner of St Martin and there are more million dollar homes here than anywhere else on the island.
It is the in place to stay! The Beaches The
best known nude beaches are Cupecoy and Orient Bay. Cupecoy is on the
SW part of the island (probably the only accepted beach for nudity on
the Dutch side) and is just West of Julianna Airport. Orient Bay is
adjacent to Club Orient and is on the East end of the island. We liked
them both. “Which is better” is a matter of personal taste. A 15’ high
rock ledge lined the beach at Cupecoy and provided some shade from the
sun. There are also concessions that can offer you a Heineken or hamburger.
In most months, you’ll also get to witness the sun sinking beneath the
sea. Some negatives: Cupecoy is a narrow beach and the surf is a bit
rougher (still very swimable) than Orient Bay. Orient
Bay is the preferred choice of the two beaches if you like gentle surf.
There are also a number of food concessions - a topless waitress in
the posted nude section will fetch you a cold one. Minuses: Other than
umbrellas you can rent on the beach, there is no refuge from the bright
Caribbean sun. Recommendation: Stay out of the sun and/or wear a strong
sun block on your first couple vacation days. Don’t allow your vacation
to be ruined by a sunburn as soon as you get there! On our first visit,
95% of the people on Orient Bay were clothed. It was still about 75%
clothed once we passed the nude sign designating the Club Orient part
of the beach. This is because Orient Bay (as are the islands’ other
36 beaches) is public and a most popular stop frequented by buses from
the cruise ships. To be honest, the many sightseers Orient Bay attracts
didn’t bother us. And cameras weren’t a concern as the “no cameras”
policy on the nude section seemed to be adhered to. Other Nude Beach Options Other
nude beach options include Long Bay, Plum Bay and Baie Rouge, all on the northwest coast. Long Bay (the next beach west of Cupecoy) is where
you will find La Samanna, St. Martin’s most exclusive hotel. It’s a beautiful beach but not many people use it nude. Plum Bay is the beach
where you’ll get the best sunset. At Baie Rouge, our group encountered other nude sunbathers. On the French side, nearly all beaches “can be
nude.” If the location is private (with no houses nearby), then it’s probably okay, especially if you are first on the scene. New Suntan Lotion Discovery?!? On
Orient Beach, we sat next to a man who was getting very red. I asked him if he had put on any suntan lotion. “Yes I have,” he replied. “What
kind,” I countered. “Johnny Walker Red” was his answer. “Johnny Walker Red? I didn’t know they made suntan lotion!” “They don’t,” he said,
“you apply it from the inside. And even if it doesn’t work, you won’t feel a thing!” Adventures in Shopping With
500 duty-free stores, St. Martin is a shopping meca. Where are the best buys? Fashion: Marigot on the French side. Jewelry: Philipsburg on the
Dutch side. Anything else, you’re on your own. In either “country,”
prices are usually posted in U.S. Dollars. As for the jewelry stores in Dutch St. Maarten, you’ll know soon enough what the price is because
each sales clerk has a calculator. There must be 75 stores on Front Street in Philipsburg, and as I wanted to buy Janet a bracelet, I stopped
in every store (over a three day period). In this way, I could narrow down my choices and find the best price (taking notes along the way).
As it turned out, one of the first stores I visited had the exact bracelet I wanted and it was the only store that offered the style. I revisited
the store to make the purchase, making a point of being the first one there when it opened at 9:30 am. I am told that you’ll get the best
price because it is bad luck if the first customer doesn’t buy anything! I can’t argue the point because I bought the bracelet for $135 less
than the bargained-for price I received several days earlier. “Gold, but not too flashy” A store clerk overhead me saying that “I’d like a gold watch, but not too flashy.” In short order, she produced a timepiece for me to examine. I wasn’t familiar with the name brand but it looked really fine on my wrist. When the woman converted the price into U.S. Dollars, she showed me the sum on her calculator. At first, I thought it said $1,200 but in fact the amount was $12,000! So much for “not too flashy.” At another store, the line worked only slightly better, with a selection that cost “only” $10,000. I ended up with a $78 Seiko and with the $9,922 I “saved,” Janet and I can take three more vacations! The question remains, would Janet have made the same sacrifice? Editor’s Note: there’s more to this article but look to the current issue of Looking Ahead for what’s happening NOW! If you hurry, you may be one of the lucky few to go on a Deluxe Getaway to the exotic island destination of BALI. More Information About St. Martin Nude
Etiquette |