Vacation Mavens Kimberly Tate and Tamara Gruber

St. Maarten is a popular destination in the Caribbean, but many people only visit as a brief cruise port destination. However, getting there is pretty easy with direct flights from the USA and there is plenty to do and see on this Dutch and French Island.

Tamara recently visited St. Maarten to stay at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort as part of a press trip. This is the largest all-inclusive resort on the island and it has plenty of offer for families.

Read the full review of the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort on We3Travel. It is located in Maho Beach Village, very close to the airport and the famous Maho Beach.

Sonesta Maho Beach Resort fast facts:

420 rooms and suites in one tower There is an adults-only sister resort next door at the Ocean Point Resort The rooms either have a water (pool or ocean) view or island view It isn't directly on Maho Beach Large pool with water slides and swim up bar Small pool with kiddie slides near the kid's club Teen Zone offers a variety of games and entertainment There are many food options including: Mexican, Asian, Italian, pizza, cafe, tavern, and buffet restaurants
Tamara also did a johnnycake cooking class and the world's steepest zipline at Rainforest Adventures.

Other Episodes You May Enjoy
Caribbean Cruise on Holland America Where to go in the Caribbean Planning a Barbados vacation Everything you need to know about Beaches Turks & Caicos Planning a family vacation to Grand Cayman
Follow Kim at @stuffedsuitcase on Instagram

Follow Tamara at @yourtimetofly on Instagram

Kim took her oldest daughter on a Caribbean Cruise for her college spring break this past March. After sailing Holland America in Alaska in the past, she was excited to try the Holland America Caribbean cruise on the Nieuw Statendam.
This was a unique itinerary that left from Fort Lauderdale and visited Nassau, Bahamas, Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, and Grand Turk in Turks & Caicos, along with Half Moon Bay, which is Holland's private island in the Bahamas. This itinerary included two days at sea.
Kim has cruised Norwegian, Disney, and Celebrity in the Caribbean in the past, so in this episode, she points out the differences between the different cruise lines and the highs and lows of the Holland Nieuw Statendam.
Learn more at:
Review: Caribbean Cruise on the Holland Nieuw Statendam Printable cruise packing list Review: Our Alaska Cruise on Holland America Follow Kim at @stuffedsuitcase on Instagram
Follow Tamara at @yourtimetofly on Instagram
Other Episodes You May Enjoy Barge and river cruising through France NYC to Bahamas cruise on Norwegian Norwegian Bliss cruise to Alaska Disney Cruise for First-timers

Tamara has finally made it to her 50th state...Oklahoma!! She took an Oklahoma road trip to visit both Oklahoma City and Chickasaw Country in south-central Oklahoma, in partnership with Chickasaw Country and the Chickasaw Nation.
Oklahoma City has a lot to offer as a stand-alone destination including the First Americans Museum and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Tamara stayed at the aLoft hotel in Bricktown, which is the entertainment district with plenty of restaurants, bars, shops, and the minor league baseball stadium and water taxis.
If you are interested in learning more about First American culture and love visiting small towns, tune in to learn more about Chickasaw Country. Some highlights include:
Chickasaw Cultural Center Chickasaw National Recreation Area (see bison!) Chisholm Trail Heritage Center (learn about life as a cowboy) "Leg Lamp" sculpture in Chickasha for those that love roadside attractions Small town shopping in Sulphur Art Walk in Pauls Valley You can also read more about Tamara's Oklahoma road trip itinerary on We3Travel.
Follow Kim @stuffedsuitcase
Follow Tamara @yourtimetofly
Other Episodes You Will Enjoy: Glacier Country, Montana Off the beaten Path in Maine West coast road trip Southwest road trip Family road trip tips

Tamara is hosting an all-women small group trip to Portugal this fall and she would love for you to join her! Find out all the details and sign up here.
Did you know that Kim has been on safaris in four African countries? Today she shares some great tips that will help you decide where you might want to go, understand the differences between various safari experiences, and provide some advice for planning an African safari trip.
You can read more about a few of Kim's safari experiences here:
Garden Lodge, Chobe River, Botswana Chobe National Park, Botswana South Africa

Tamara is hosting an all-women small group trip to Portugal this fall and she would love for you to join her! Find out all the details and sign up here.
In this episode, Tamara talks about her two-week German Christmas Markets road trip! If you have this magical holiday trip on your radar, make sure to give this episode a close listen and check out the following articles:
German Christmas Market itinerary (10-day road trip) Beyond Bratwurst: 32 German Christmas Market foods and drinks to try 5 Reasons to visit the Stuttgart Christmas markets 7 Christmas Markets near Frankfurt work a day trip

Before we say goodbye to summer and pull on our flannels and break out the pumpkin spice, Tamara and Kim are back with a recap of Tamara's European summer travels including a month spent exploring France by river and barge cruise!

Tamara first spent two weeks in the United Kingdom, on a road trip through both Scotland and Wales with two other travel writers. She then took the Eurostar down to France and spent one week cruising through the Canal Nivernais on the Hotel Barge Elisabeth. Next, she went to Bordeaux and her husband joined her for a weeklong river cruise with AmaWaterways. Tamara finished up her summer of cruising with another canal barge cruise with European Waterways on the Canal du Midi in Southern France.

The Mavens break down the differences between river and barge cruising and what to expect on each.

Mentioned on the Podcast:

2 Days in Edinburgh itinerary Wales road trip itinerary Prettiest villages in Wales Cruising through Burgundy, France on the Hotel Barge Elisabeth Barge Lady Cruises - travel agency specializing in barge cruising Things to do in Bordeaux, France AmaWaterways Guide to a Bordeaux river cruise with AmaWaterways European Waterways