Bonjour Readers,
Have you ever wondered what St. Barth is like in July? It’s a fun time to go. The prices are down, the visitor numbers are less (Yes, you can walk into most restaurants without a reservation!) and, as always, the people on the island are ready to welcome you with open arms. Todays’ blog features the St. Barth July 2018 Trip Report written by our bi-lingual Villa and Hotel Specialist Anne-Cécile Bedford. Anne-Cécile is originally from Brittany and loves the connection this French island affords her.
Enjoy!
Sunny regards,
Peg
What an exciting time to be back on St Barth this past July! The island was getting ready for its annual Bastille Day party and France was getting ready to become the next soccer World Cup champions. Bravo Les Bleus!
I landed on St Barth the day prior to the beginning of the festivities and set myself up at villa Chimère, a wonderful 2 bedroom villa located in the quiet area of Petit Cul de Sac. But beforehand, I had to make a stop at the Cemetery in Lorient to pay my respects to the legendary Johnny Hallyday (Our French Elvis) who had passed away in December 2017 and is laying peacefully in St. Barth where he owned a vacation home.
Johnny Hallyday is buried in Lorient
Upon arrival at villa Chimère I was nicely surprised to see that the owner had stocked the refrigerator with goodies like cheese, fruits and wine, which was welcome after a long day of travel. I chose the purple bedroom to the right of the living room that opens to the heated pool and outdoor space and offers a spacious bathroom with a private outdoor shower. This is a nice extra feature on St Barth! The second bedroom located on the opposite end was as desirable, making it the perfect villa for 2 couples. For those looking to stay fit during their vacation, villa Chimère offers a well-equipped gym located below the villa. I chose to adventure to Toiny every morning and do my 3 mile run from the villa. The small beach at Petit Cul de Sac is also accessible by foot (a 5 minute walk), so no need to hop in your car to enjoy a morning swim in the blue lagoon.
Pool at Villa Chimère
Can you picture yourself right now floating in this gorgeous pool, gazing at the sun? I can. Welcome to paradise!
My first working day took me to the western side of the island where I inspected the beautiful villa Mer Soleil located in Gouverneur. I loved the new second master bedroom with spectacular view, decorated in beige and blue tones. I also discovered the secret 3rd bedroom downstairs with the underwater pool view; it is right out of a James Bond movie. This villa will leave you dreamy with the blue sea all around, and the view of the neighboring islands (St Kitts, Nevis, Saba, St. Maarten). As part of St Barth Properties exclusive Grand Cru Collection, you will be served with a morning delivery of French pastries and evening turn down service. See what other exceptional properties include that same package.
Mer Soleil underwater view of the pool
While on that side of the island I also took a peek at villa Gem (a great villa for small wedding parties), villa Mirage (perfect for Gouverneur beach lovers), villa Bellissima (beautiful lap pool) and the gorgeous 6 bedroom villa Lyra (perfect for couples of group of friends) and villa Papillon (cozy villa with many interesting pillow accents).
Villa Papillon pillow
Did you know that Gouverneur holds a secret grotto? I decided to come back during my time off and adventure there on a hike. I had a difficult time finding the entrance of the path until some friendly goats showed me the way. What a spectacular view and what a headache to find the grotto! After 1 hour, I finally found it, but I did not dare go down that very narrow black hole via a cord that was attached…maybe next time and more courage!
I finally found the grotto
On Saturday I celebrated Bastille Day with my wonderful colleagues from our local offices (Laura and Anne-Laure). We started off at Bonito with a delicious cocktail before heading over to Ociela (a new Mediterranean restaurant in Gustavia) for dinner. We were welcomed there with a Coupe de Champagne (the perks of the job!) and the wonderful smile of Sylvain behind the bar. We ended the night at Bagatelle where it seemed the whole island was dancing the night away…fun, fun, fun.
Bastille Day at Ociela
Sylvain at Ociela
There was no time to sleep-in the next day; France was facing Croatia in the World Cup final and I had to be in Gustavia early enough to get a spot and watch the game. A giant screen had been set on Gustavia Harbor and fans gathered in their best blue, white and red outfit. I was so happy to be living this moment on a French territory with my peers and celebrate this great victory.
Ready and psyched for the World Cup game!
Besides being a dedicated reservation agent, I also must keep up with the hotels as some of my clients do prefer being pampered and have access to a restaurant and Spa onsite. I had the pleasure during my trip to meet with the all new hotel Manapany Reservation Director who conducted my visit. The first thing that appealed to me entering the hotel was the luxurious vegetation and the beauty of the blue ocean caressed by a gentle breeze. The hotel offers 43 suites from a standard ocean deluxe to a beach prestige suite, 2 cottages, and a 2 bedroom beachfront villa, all made in tropical woods with exotic islandly colors, combining nature and luxe. The beach invites guests to take a romantic walk and is a great spot for windsurfers.
Manapany’s outdoor restaurant
Hotel lobby where guests are welcomed
The Manapany hotel is also an eco-friendly resort using solar panels to produce electricity, offering electric cars as the only way to get around the hotel, growing fresh fruits and vegetables to provide organic cuisine at their restaurants. Even the hotel towels are made of bamboo. Their SPA located on the beach only uses organic products as well from Dr. Hauschka. There is a spa room, a duo cabin for a massage for two, a hairdresser and a long lap adults-only pool with lounge chairs by the beach to relax after a pampering day. Have I said enough?
Relax in one of Manapany’s lounge chairs
I ended my tour with a lovely lunch by the beach, savoring a Creole Style poached red snapper with risotto and sipping on a Pomegranate Margarita. The exotic fruit salad for dessert left me breathless!
Creole Style poached red snapper with risotto at Manapany
Manapany exotic fruit salad
My favorite new villa to discover this time was villa Golden located hillside in Marigot with a stunning view of the water. This is the perfect villa for 6 couples or a group of friends to enjoy together. All bedrooms are equal and offer a sea view with many features like Apple TV and a Bose sound system. There is ample space to sit around the heated infinity pool and enjoy a cocktail. The décor is appealing and contemporary-looking with a gorgeous fully equipped kitchen, a large living area and dining area.
Restaurant “Grain de Sel” in Saline remains one of my favorite places to dine. Make it a date! A deux c’est mieux” 😊
Vivaneau (Red Snapper) prepared by Eddy, former chef of Mayas to go
And don’t forget that July is the time to head to St Barth simply to take advantage of all the wonderful les soldes (sales) offered for a 2 week period!
St. Barth is a shopper’s paradise, especially during Les Soldes!
‘Til later, Namaste……
Namaste
Anne-Cecile Bedford
Bilingual St. Barth Villa and Hotel Specialist
St Barth Properties, Inc
+ 1 508-570-4477
anne@stbarth.com
