SXM Girls Trip

I’m ready for five days of a soft, sun-kissed life surrounded by friendly, high-energy island vibes. This will be my second time returning to the island, and I’m heading back on Thursday, April 30th. After landing in SXM, we’ll check into the Hilton Vacation Club Royal Palm and settle in for a trip that runs through May 4th so its 3 friends take on one island! we just outside, living our best lives. The whole island is a vibe we will be spending most of our time on the Dutch side it is a perfect mix of relaxation, adventure, and a lit nightlife. After check-in, we’re hitting the streets to catch the Grand Carnival parade great music, colors, and energy everywhere. On the way back, we’ll grab a quick bite at Captain’s Rib Shack before heading to the hotel to freshen up. Then it’s time to step out to a fun, vibey local spot called Nowhere Special. I’ve actually been here before, and the name is honestly a contradiction because in its own unique way, it’s definitely something special. They play all kinds of music, the drinks are affordable and flavorful (I personally love the lemon drops), and it’s such a nice local hangout on the Dutch side along the Simpson Bay strip. I always vote yes for this spot you’ll be greeted with friendly faces, good energy, great music, and it’s especially a vibe on Thursdays.

Day 2 in St. Maarten was our full-on adventure day, and honestly it felt like we were just collecting memories back to back. We started at Rainforest Adventures, which is basically a whole experience in itself—between the Flying Dutchman zipline, the Soualiga Sky Explorer, the Emilio Wilson Museum, and even a schooner ride, it was giving non-stop excitement from every angle. The views from up there are unreal; you can see the entire island stretched out in front of you, ocean on both sides, and it’s one of those moments where you just pause like “wow, I’m really here.” It was also perfect for pictures every stop felt like a postcard. After all the adrenaline, we slowed things down a bit and went over to the Toppers Rhum Distillery tour, and I’m not even exaggerating when I say it was one of the most fun and interactive tours I’ve done. For how inexpensive it is, it’s honestly a lot of value—you stop counting shots after like ten because they keep coming with so many different flavors and blends. They even have interactive moments where they bring volunteers up and show how they infuse rum into things like ice cream, chicken, cookies, and more, which was both funny and surprisingly interesting. We got to walk through the bottling and distribution process too, which made it feel more behind-the-scenes and cool to see how everything is made. And when the tour ends, you can literally just stay and eat at the waterfront restaurant attached it has such a cute vibe with really good food and drinks, and the whole experience is easily a 10/10. Plan at least a couple hours here because you won’t want to rush it. Later that night, we headed out to a Carnival-style club night, and it was pure energy live music, dancing, colorful outfits, and a super friendly crowd that felt like a carnival rave mixed with a street festival. It was loud, lively, and full of life in the best way, and honestly the perfect way to close out an already adventurous day.

Day 3 in SXM started early for us girls because honestly… there was no way we were missing a moment of this trip. This was the day I was most excited for our Anguilla day trip—and it really felt like a trip inside a trip. We took a small ferry over to another island, so basically you are , collecting an extra stamp on your passport just for the experience but Quick trip tip I wish I knew beforehand: the ferry is cash only, so make sure you’re prepare thankfully my friend had me covered this time. Definitely bring a small towel, come in a cover-up if you like, and most importantly don't forget your passport because you’ll need it.

Once we arrived in Anguilla, everything slowed down in the best way. The beaches, the clear water, the scenic views… it’s giving untouched Caribbean beauty. We even stumbled across a cute juice spot on the French side called Exodus Juice Bar, which was such a nice refreshing stop because baby it is very hot in that Saint Maarten sun. From there, we explored more of the island and made our way to Elodia’s Beach Bar, and the food here was easily rated but all of us a 10/10 especially the plantains and rice & beans, just everything tasted so good.

A little advice if you go: take the earliest ferry you can so you don’t feel rushed or miss out on exploring the island properly. There’s so much to see and do, and you really want time to just enjoy it instead of watching the clock.

We headed back to the hotel later to freshen up and get ready for the night, then went out to quick bite at fritay's Haitian creole food spot near captain skip jack. I love the vibe there with the locals the food is really good too especially it's the catch of day you can expect to spend about $20 to $35 but if you go, it’s worth it i like the pikliz that it came with it on the side.

We ended the night at Lotus Nightclub and Amore, both was a vibe on Saturday night. The music leaned mostly hip-hop that night, but it really depends on the day you go since they switch things up. The place was packed and energy was high, and the drinks were flowing. If you’re going with a group, I’d honestly recommend getting a section because standing in the middle of the dance floor all night is not for the weak the crowd gets thick here.

By the end of the night, my feet were done so wear comfortable shoes for something like this.

Day 4, Sunday May 3rd, was our last full day on the island, so it was honestly all hands on deck we knew we had to make it count before heading to the airport the next day. We started the morning with an ATV guided island tour (no transportation included to the pickup point, so plan ahead), starting at 109 Cannegieter St. From there we explored so much of SXM with stops at Orient Bay Beach, Oyster Pond, and Coralita Beach, plus a drive-through of Philipsburg marketplace. I feel like I got to fully experience of whole the island when we added this trip and I’m really glad we did it.

After the tour, we headed to Maho Beach and grabbed lunch at Tortuga. Quick tip: they don’t feed you on the ATV tour, so eat a big breakfast or bring snacks because you will be hungry right after. The views at Tortuga are beautiful, its by the water everything is right there and it’s a perfect spot for photos. The staff was also super kind and the service was great. I’d recommend trying their signature Caribbean dishes if you want something authentic, or you can keep it simple with burgers and sandwiches. And of course, don’t skip the classic Maho Beach moment where the planes fly directly overhead—it really gives “I lived my life here” energy.

That night we went all out at Bacchanal Sunday, which is basically a full-on Caribbean concert-style party. There were live performances, music, dancing, food vendors, desserts, and a really lively crowd. Definitely arrive early because lines for food and entry can get long sometimes up to an hour or two just in waiting. It’s a high-energy event, they even spray water in certain sections, and the whole vibe is just pure island party culture. It goes on late into the night, almost until 5 AM, so it’s definitely not for the weak but a full experience.

By the end of the night I was exhausted but also not ready to leave SXM at all. The next day was bittersweet heading home, but I got to capture everything on my socials from my Instagram where I even showed my custom carnival outfit I made for the trip, to my travel vlogs on YouTube and TikTok. If you want everything in one place, it’s all on www.lolasafe.com, where I break down my travels day by day.

And lastly, I have to give credit to our driver Alex—this is actually my second time using him and he’s always reliable with fair pricing. Just a heads up, most drivers charge per person, not per group, so keep that in mind when budgeting transportation around your itinerary. You can reach him on WhatsApp through Good Look Taxi Transportation, or DM me and I’ll share the contact.