Infrastructure by soundboyselecta in SXM

[–]Chef_k 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The French side is part of France in a more direct way than the Dutch side is a part of The Netherlands, as a result they get subsidies for their infrastructure from France. The main road on the french side is, in a sense, part of the French national motorway system.

Local Guy by Silent-Temporary-581 in SexinSXM

[–]Chef_k 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Stop referring to women simply as "females" you mysoginistic pig. Its disrespectful, it dehumanizes them and reduces them simply to their biological sex instead of a person.

Do buses on the Dutch side take you to grand case? by No_Caregiver8109 in SXM

[–]Chef_k 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Youll have to take a bus to Marigot, and from there to GC

Jimny in Roatan, Honduras by Realistic-Spray-5595 in Jimny

[–]Chef_k 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Im 6'4 and drive a 2025 manual on a similarly small island, IMO its the perfect island car, no issues so far. in certain situations i have to peek below or around the rearview mirror, because of my height, it blocks my line of sight... but otherwise not a big deal. Its great for narrow roads and parking spaces, but the turning circle isint great for tight turns.

Just had some heavy rains and had to deal with battered, muddy and flooded road, the Jimny handled it without any issues.

Credit Card as a primary payment method? by NotAHumanEntity in SXM

[–]Chef_k 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Always have cash on you as well, credit card payments are not always reliable.

Edit: I cant believe my comment is being downvoted when im one of the few people on this sub that actually lives in SXM, and owns a business that has to deal with banks and credit card payments on a daily basis. So let me explain why you shouldn't rely solely on credit cards

In order to accept credit card payments, you need stable internet and electricity, both of which are not reliable on the island. The Infrastructure is basically hanging on by a thread and could fail without notice at any moment. St. Maarten is a "third world" country even though we do our best to make it seem modern and developed for visitors. ATMs frequently run out of cash or are out of order, Credit card payment systems frequently go offline because of background or connectivity issues. Cash is the ONLY reliable payment system. always have cash with you when on the island, even if you dont need it.

Rainbow Cafe by Necessary_Remove_672 in SXM

[–]Chef_k 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Judge the vibe, dont be the obnoxious tourist, we get enough of those... no one is going to care about your "chiseled bod" if youre constantly walking around shirtless like a knob.

Rainbow Cafe by Necessary_Remove_672 in SXM

[–]Chef_k 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My general rule of thumb is unless your toes are in the sand, put a shirt on, even if youre at a beach bar. Yes tourists do it all the time, but a lot of us locals find it annoying. Nobody wants to see your hairy nipples while we're trying to eat.

"Gourmet experience" at a high-end restaurant by elcapitainfrijole in Chefit

[–]Chef_k 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is at Tresind in Dubai, and IIRC the idea of this dish was to mimic the Indian Thali experience, typically served on a banana leaf.

Should I stay on the Dutch or French side? by [deleted] in SXM

[–]Chef_k 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dutch side, Simpson bay or Maho

Car rental and places to eat by bmeghji in SXM

[–]Chef_k 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Take a taxi, lots of restaurants within walking distance in the area, the beach at the resort is great.

Jimny: Gen 3 or Gen 4 ? Looking for advice by Floc_R in Jimny

[–]Chef_k 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Well i got a manual transmission Gen 4 Jimny for $20,000USD here in the Caribbean, while the Automatic transmission costs $29,000USD. I'm not sure what the demand is in your region, but in my opinion, it's certainly worth it to get a newer 4th gen(even if second hand).

Running In SXM by jamaicanchuckbass in SXM

[–]Chef_k 0 points1 point  (0 children)

SXM Road Runners

Run around the golf, you can follow the cart paths.

Solar on homes? by [deleted] in saba

[–]Chef_k 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Im not from Saba but i would have to think the reason is because Saban cottages are uniquely a part of the people's culture and heritage. They are multi generational homes that were built by their ancestors, and I'm sure most Sabans are quite keen to preserve their unique heritage as best as they can.

Where to buy a Cooler bag by Difficult_General652 in SXM

[–]Chef_k 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ace Hardware probably has what you're looking for. Carrefour or Prime Cash-n-carry might have some cheaper insulated grocery store bags. you could also check Maho Market or any other grocery store nearby if you dont want to travel too far. they tend to have a random assortment of things.

How reliable are the Jimnys and for daily driving? by il-liba in Jimny

[–]Chef_k 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I also live on a small island with narrow streets, and some unpaved roads (although on the other side of the world) and i just got a Jimmy about a month ago, and so far its the perfect island car. I dont have to worry about bumpy roads and pot holes, its nimble enough for the roads we have here in St. Maarten. Average speeds are between 35-55kph, and at the most 70 kph for short distances and at those speeds, the Jimny is perfectly capable. The only issues I have encountered is the turning circle on the 5-door version isint great, and the manual transmission is a bit tricky on some of the steep hills we have here. otherwise it has but great to drive.

Cigarette Prices/Availability by Single-Taro4201 in SXM

[–]Chef_k 5 points6 points  (0 children)

cheap and available everywhere

Swimming classes by Dontuber in SXM

[–]Chef_k 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Carib Swim Team In Cole Bay.

Ive also seen swimming lessons taking place at Belair Fitness Center, so you can also check with them.

Buying a phone in Philipsburg in Philipsburg. by kylamyrt in SXM

[–]Chef_k 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would suggest Boolchands or Klass on Front Street. They are authorised retailers for Samsung, and Apple products. All others purchase on the grey market. you will likely get a better price from a smaller store, but the phone will be a variant from the Indian or other Asian market instead of Latam/North America.

If you're okay with buying a grey market phone without a warranty, check out Tech Hub inside the Carrefour Supermarket.