About People Past – Visitor Interview With Jeroen Simons
In todays’ visitor highlight we talk to Jeroen Simons (22), a three time visitor to the island. He works at Jumbo Supermarket as Department Manager. His visits to St. Maarten serve to find some downtime to all the passion he puts into his work. Jumbo is a professional, multi-billion company with over 725 stores. “What is great fun about my work is that I have space to constantly try and improve myself and the department I am in charge of. I am in charge of a team of over 50 people and I love to improve their skills as well by passing down all my knowledge and experiences I gained over the years.“
A Friendly (and Festive) Island
Why St. Maarten? “A core quality of St. Maarten for me is its nickname the Friendly Island. In my opinion it really lives up to that name. During all my stays on the island I have experienced this in any possible way. The people are very nice and open, and they also love to share their culture with foreigners which I find very appealing.“
The first time he experienced the island was marked by this island feature.” My most fond memory was my first week on the island. In this first week, I have met so many people whom I still consider to be live-long friends. Also it was the first time my eyes got opened on how beautiful and exciting the island really is. That feeling of discovering the great things this special island offers, and experiencing it for the first time is something I would give up a lot for to experience again.”
Events are also an island strength for this social animal. “A must-experience activity for me is Sole Luna located at Rainforest Adventures on top of Sentry Hill. When I visit the island I always make sure my visit is during this event. My favorite annual event is Jouvert Morning during the Carnival. Carnival is the purest form of local culture a foreigner could experience. I did Jouvert Morning twice now and every time it has been an amazing experience.”
Return Visitor Recommendations
When on St. Maarten, he heads for Buccaneer Beach Bar, his favorite spot on St. Maarten: ”Directly on Kim Sha Beach, with good food, drinks, free Wi-Fi and if you order lunch during your stay the beds and umbrellas are also free”. But it is not just the affordable prices that attract the Dutchman. “Furthermore, there is good music in the background as well as live music sometimes. Every time I have been there it was an amazing experience.”
When it comes to beaches itself, he chooses Mullet Bay Beach over Buccaneers’ Kim Sha Beach. “Mostly because of the beautiful sunsets you can experience there. The beach bars located at Mullet Bay Beach are also nice.” But any beach would do. “I can’t think of any beach I did not have a good and relaxing time, and I have almost visited every beach. In my opinion all beaches have their unique elements which makes them stand out. ”
Then, he would go to Sale & Pepe. “Sale & Pepe is a restaurant I would recommend because the food is amazing and the staff is also very kind and professional. With nice yachts anchored right outside Sale & Pepe, you always have a nice view.” Pelican Key / Simpson Bay is his favorite area in general. “The large number of bars and restaurants always make sure I am able to have a good time. In my opinion its the most ‘alive’ area on the island. A shop I would recommend is St. Maarten Nectar because they have a wide offer of cosmetics which are locally produced and also really characterize St. Maarten.”
In the Know Itineraries
Another itinerary by this three time visitor, again via Mullet Bay Beach: “First, I would have breakfast in Marigot, afterwards I would go to Mullet Bay Beach until sundown, in the evening I would go to Pure Life to end the day with some drinks and visit my good friend Alex, who is the owner.” It is clearly people that makes Jeroen tick. “Overall, I love to work with other people because I am very social. A surprising side most people don’t know about me is that I can be very introvert sometimes, although everyone knows me as extremely extrovert.”
That means there is more to the island for him than just the social side. “St. Maarten actually has a lot of historical sights and monuments, which represent the fascinating history of St. Maarten. Most people come to visit the island for the beaches, the food, the activities. But in my opinion people often forget that there are beautiful historical sights which are very nice to visit. A historic location important to highlight would be the Courthouse located in Philipsburg. I find the courthouse fascinating because it is also on the St. Maarten national flag – it is very rare for a flag to include a building on it. The building is quite old and still serves as a national symbol for St. Maarten.”
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