Jo Junie Tours — See the Island the Way Locals Know It
A cruise ship excursion gets you around the island. Jo Junie Tours gets you around the island the way someone who lives here would show it to you. The difference is considerable.
Joseph 'Joe' Liburd has been running island tours long enough to know that no itinerary can be written in stone. "Attractions and sights change every day," he explains. "Sometimes higher ocean waves remove some sand from a favorite beach spot within a few hours and swimming there is no good anymore. Living here, we get to hear that the sand is gone and we can change the tour accordingly." That kind of real-time local knowledge is not something a cruise ship excursion desk can offer.
Small vans, not big buses
Jo Junie Tours operates large buses but Joe does not believe they are the right tool for individual sightseeing. His preference is air-conditioned vans — flexible, unhurried, and genuinely comfortable. "Our guests never feel rushed. Just think about the time it takes for fifty passengers to leave and re-enter a bus at every stop." The vans also travel with a well-stocked cooler: beers, sodas, and rum punch included.
Traffic on Sint Maarten is real — an affluent island population means congestion at predictable times. Joe knows the patterns and routes around them.
The itinerary
For first-time visitors, Joe's tour covers both sides of the island with a logic that makes geographical and cultural sense. The route takes in Oyster Pond and a hilltop viewpoint above Orient Bay before descending to the beach — still a must, though Maho Beach has become the most requested stop as airplane spotting has captured the imagination of visitors worldwide.
From Orient Beach the tour moves to Marigot. "Marigot is so different from Philipsburg that I think they need to see it," says Joe. The French capital — market, waterfront, a completely different architectural and cultural register from the Dutch side — is one of the island's most underappreciated contrasts.
The Driftwood Boat Bar at Maho is a calculated arrival. Joe times it to coincide with the transatlantic jets coming in from Europe. "Nowhere can you have a drink that near to a landing or starting airplane. They are the most dramatic sight." The afternoon ends in Philipsburg, where passengers are dropped in the centre of town for unhurried shopping.
The philosophy
Joe is clear about what the tour is ultimately for. "We want to give our guests an impression of what St. Martin has to offer. We need to do such a good job that they come back for an extended vacation. People need to realize that this is a special place worth a longer stay."
Rates start at USD 15 per person — significantly below cruise line excursion pricing for a more personalized experience.
📍 Sint Maarten / Saint-Martin island tours 📱
WhatsApp: to be confirmed
💰 From USD 15 per person
🚐 Air-conditioned vans, small groups
🍹 Complimentary cooler with drinks included
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