Anguilla - Caribbean Vacation Paradise

Anguilla Rentals

2007-08-05T12:25:00.000-04:00

There certainly isn't a shortage of rental accommodations on Anguilla. Accommodations seem to more expensive and luxurious then every and lookin around it seems to be all that's being built nowadays. However, there are still plenty of reasonable accommodations to be found on Anguilla. Paradise Cove and Royal Palms Apartments are just two examples. Modern, both with pools, but not on the beach. But remember, Anguilla is only 16 x3 miles so no matter where you stay you're never far from a beach. If you want to be on the beach consider Serenity, Allamanda or Ku on Shoal Bay East. Carimar Beach Club on Mead's Bay is another fine accommodation on the beach that's reasonably priced.

Viceroy Workers Stage Protest

2007-07-28T14:54:00.000-04:00

Anguilla received some unwanted press in the end of June when 200 migrant workers protested their treatment by the Viceroy Resorts and Residences and Carillion Construction (West Indies) Ltd (the contractor for the Viceroy project) for whom they are working. They protested they are being only paid 1/2 of the amount they were told they would receive and complained about poor living, food and health conditions. Anguillians lined up and marched with these Indian workers in a sign of solidarity. Unfortunately initial talks broke down.

Afer the Indian workers protested and staged a march the second time the Carillion Construction (West Indies) Ltd agreed to the pay increases.

Find the entire story in The Anguillian.

Shopping on Anguilla

2007-07-09T12:59:00.000-04:00

Anguilla is not a shopping mecca. If you want to shop on Anguilla what you will find are quite a few art studios and smaller shops and boutiques. There are a few boutique type gift shops scattered throughout the island. Caribbean Fancy is one located on the west end as is the In Style Boutique. The Anguilla Arts & Craft Center is located in The Valley. It has a wide range of local made pottery, jewelry, hand made handbags, carvings and lots of other items. Irie Life is a very popular store for tee shirts and beachwear. There are two locations on Anguilla, one on South Hill and one on Sandy Ground. Caribbean Silk Screen Tee-Shirt Shop is not to be missed. It's on South Hill and has a wide variety of tee shirts, shorts and cover up styles. Higher end resort fashions can be found at the Boutique in the Malliouhana, as well as at Blu, Capri and Solei Sundries Boutiques in the Cuisinart.

All Inclusive Caribbean Golf Vacation on Anguilla

2007-07-08T20:26:00.000-04:00

Golf has arrived on Anguilla. Along with golf are the all inclusive Caribbean golf vacation packages. If you can afford it you can stay at the fabulous Temenos Resort on Long Bay Anguilla and take the very bumpy dirt road back to civilization and to the Temenos Golf Club. Some of the islands resorts Cuisinart, Cap Juluca and Malliouhana may also be able to get you special rates to the golf course. The rate runs from $3,500 a night for four bedrooms in the Fall to $12,000 a night for Dec-Jan holiday time. You will have a private chef to cook anything you desire, for a fee, 24 hour security and a personal butler.

Anguilla Villas

2007-07-01T19:24:00.000-04:00

This has always been one of my favorite little villas on Anguilla. It's called The Boat House and it's in the Forest area of Anguilla. I've never stayed in it but have, as you can see, been up close to it. One thing that Anguilla has a lot of is rental villas. It isn't easy to find a small one anymore, it seems that most of the newer ones being built have 4 or more bedrooms. The Boat House would be perfect for a couple as it has only one bedroom upstairs. As you can see there isn't much of a beach but it's perfect for two, and the water is lovely.

Building on Anguilla

2007-06-25T15:12:00.000-04:00

There's a lot of construction going on right now on Anguilla. Temenos opened their golf course and St. Regis are in the process of building a hotel, estate homes and condo's on Merrywing Bay. The Viceroy Estates, also hotel, estate homes and condo's are being constructed on the beach at Meads Bay around the corner onto Barnes Bay. Fairmont will soon start construction on a golf course and also hotel, condos, and estate homes. The Rendezvous Bay Hotel on beautiful Rendezvous Bay will close in Oct 2007 for two years. They will be building beach front estate homes, townhomes, condos and a hotel. The Cuisinart Resort & Spa will be building estate homes on property adjacent to their current location. A resort and spa is being built on Shoal Bay East behind Maderiman.

Lovely little Anguilla is growing up. Along with all these huge construction projects going on you'll find scattered throughout the island smaller groups of estate homes being built. It will soon be hard to find a beach, or an area without construction.

One can only hope that the government really has a handle on what's going on. The locals that we talked to recently all seemed to be pleased about what's going on. Hopefully they will be the ones who benefit. Time will tell.

Anguilla Videos

2007-06-21T12:59:00.001-04:00

I've just uploaded some videos from our recent trip to Anguilla. You can see them on youtube where I'm "therealaxalady".

Here's one of my favorites

Anguilla Sunrise

2007-06-18T16:11:00.000-04:00

I love the break of day on Anguilla. It's such a quiet time. The only sound you hear is the lapping of the waves on the shore and the birds, and the occasional rooster - the original Anguillian Alarm Clock! This is a pic of sunrise on June 6, 2007 at 5:35 AM from Rendezvous Bay. The first of several magnificent sunrises that I'd take on this vacation. I love the pastel colors of the clouds and the water.

Please visit my Anguilla lens on Squidoo

Ahh Anguilla.

2007-06-14T15:46:00.000-04:00

We're fresh back from a week. We stayed at the fabulous Cuisinart Resort on Rendezvous Bay, and we loved it. What's not to love? We had a third floor luxury junior suite beach front. The room was exceptionally nice and the bathroom was big and bright. Cuisinart has two restaurants, the casual Cafe Mediterraneo and the fine dining restaurant, Santorini. We had our meals at the Cafe Mediterraneo. All the food was excellent. The soups and salads, burgers, fish, pasta and steak. Due to the fact that the Cuisinart has it's own hydroponic gardens the salads and vegetables were out of this world!

Cuisinart Anguilla

2007-05-31T22:29:00.000-04:00

My hubby and I leave in five days for a week in Anguilla. It's my eight trip - YIPPEE!!! and his first. He chose the Cuisinart Resort, not a bad choice at all. I like to have a more self catered type of trip. When I wake up at 5A to watch the sunrise I want a cup of coffee then, I don't want to have to wait until 7:30 when the restaurant opens. We'll have to see what type of arrangements I can make to get coffee early. I'll be letting you know how the vacation goes and posting pics when we return. We're staying in a luxury junior suite on the beach, on the third floor so the view over to St. Martin will be glorious. I don't have any spa services scheduled yet. Years ago I had a hot stone massage at the Cuisinart that was heaven. I think I may also look into their cooking classes (believe it or not, my husband's suggestion!).

EasyCruise Caribbean Vacations Cruise the Islands of St. Maarten, St Barths Anguilla

2006-12-04T20:04:00.000-05:00

Here's a very different way to visit Anguilla, St. Maarten and St. Barths.

easycruise is offering a new itinerary from Dec 8 thru April 13. Sailing from St. Maarten you visit the islands of St. Barths and Anguilla on a three night cruise.

Winter Sun in the Caribbean from 8 Dec 2006 to 13 April 2007

Stunning destinations for our second season

easyCruise returns to the Caribbean with a new itinerary taking in the island paradises of St Maarten, St Barts, Anguilla, St Kitts, Nevis and Antigua. From 8th December, complete with a stylish new look, easyCruiseOne will take to the seas from as little as £98 per person per week.

Arriving at some of the Caribbean’s most exclusive islands, our new itinerary allows you to immerse yourself in a diverse mixture of cultures, stroll along numerous white sandy beaches, dive in and explore the depths of the clear blue coastal waters or simply visit the islands chic boutiques or enjoy an espresso in one of the continental-style cafés.

Unlike any other cruise, on easyCruise you have freedom to explore each destination at your leisure. Sailing early each morning, easyCruise arrives in a new port by late morning so you can enjoy the day and nightlife in some of the Caribbean’s best destinations.

easyCruiseOne has a stylish new look!

easyCruiseOne has a sleek new exterior and the new fusionon4 bar and restaurant, where you can enjoy a drink, a meal or late night dancing with our house DJ. Outdoors there’s a sun deck complete with hot tubs and the sun&moon bar and cafe. Your accommodation is on a room only basis and each cabin has private shower, w.c. and is made up with linen and towels on arrival. Then you decide how much you want to spend either ashore or onboard in the bar, restaurant or shop and on fresh linen whenever you need it.

Book a long weekend, a short break or a week away!

3 night Long Weekend from £45 per person
Departures on Friday from St Maarten
2006 December 8, 15, 22, 29;
2007 January 5, 12, 19, 26; February 2, 16, 23; March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; April 6

Friday: St Maarten (Phillipsburg)	embark from 3pm	depart 7am (Sat)

Saturday: St Barths (Gustavia)	arrive 9am	depart 6am (Sun)

Sunday: Anguilla (Sandy Ground)	arrive 10am	depart 6am (Mon)

Monday: St Maarten (Phillipsburg)	arrive 9am	disembark

Cabin Type	Price Per Person

Standard Inside Twin	£45

Twin with window	£48

Suite with balcony	£180

Quad Standard Inside (based on 4 sharing)	£34

Click HERE to check availability and book.

Anguilla Hotel & Tourism Association Auctions

2006-11-29T16:52:00.000-05:00

The old motto of the Anguilla (per their tourism board) was "tranquility wrapped in blue", which I always thought summed it up really well. Tranquility was exactly what I was looking for every time I visited Anguilla, and I always found it. The new motto is "feeling is believing". I don't like it nearly as much because I don't think it describes Anguilla at all. Ah well.

One thing you may want to check out is the Anguilla Hotel & Tourism Association auctions. You can find these auctions at http://www.anguillaauctions.com/

They have some good deals from hotels and private villas around the island and have auctioned off packages from places like La Sirena, Sheriton Estates, Paradise Cove and Cuisinart, Eden House Villa and Rendezvous Bay Hotel to name just a few.

The colorful image you see above is of The Arawak in Island Harbor.

Womens Swimwear Fashions

Scilly Cay makes for a fun, albeit expensive day on Anguilla

2006-11-26T14:21:00.000-05:00

It is a novelty to stand on the dock and wave for the boat to come and pick you up. It's a two minute ride (if that) from the dock to the small island just off shore.

They offer rum punch (what Caribbean establishment doesn't?) along with lobster, crayfish or barbecued chicken, very basic Caribbean fare. Two lunch plates plus two rum punches will set you back about $160, so this place isn't for the faint of heart.

Scilly Cay does feature local musicians on Wednesdays and Sundays when it can get VERY crowded. If you want a deserted Caribbean island feel you would be better off going on a Saturday or a weekday other than Wednesday when there isn't music so it won't be as crowded.

The little island has gotten itself a reputation over the years and with the influx of visitors from the larger resorts such as Cap Juluca it tends to get crowded. Although nothing happens quickly in the Caribbean it can take up to an hour to get your food served, plenty of time for you to down at least 2 more rum punches (a complaint some make is the food is served slowly for this reason). Also, there isn't any children's menu, so beware if you take the kiddies.

There isn't any decent snorkeling off Scilly Cay so don't bother to drag your gear with you. In fact, you won't find any nice beaches for swimming in Island Harbor, a real drawback if you're considering staying at The Arawak which sits opposite Scilly Cay.

Scilly Cay is a place that people seem to love or hate. But having said that, I remain ambivalent about the place. I've been to Anguilla 9 times and went Scilly Cay once, the first year I traveled there in 1994. I haven't felt a need to return. It was something that we did as first timers so that we could say we did it, but over the years we've found better values and just as much fun elsewhere on the island.

It's our opinion that Smitty, who also has an establishment in Island Harbor, has the best grilled crayfish on the island.

Maui Vacations

Beaches on Anguilla

2006-11-06T13:49:00.000-05:00

Beaches are the one thing Anguilla has plenty of. From Shoal Bay East where all the "action" is, to Rendezvous Bay, the home of the Cuisinart Resort and the Anguilla Great House to the very small Elsie Bay, there is a beach on Anguilla that will suit you perfectly. All you'll need to find the perfect beach is a map, a jeep, and a sense of adventure.

For me the deserted beaches are best, and there are plenty of them. It isn't like any beach on Anguilla gets "crowded", but if I can find a beach and have it all to myself I like it best.

I like Forest Bay Beach. The very popular Straw Hat Restaurant is located on Forest Bay. The Boat House rental villa is located directly on the beach on Forest Bay. I remember the first time I found Elise Bay. I was amazed how red the sand is. It may be the only red sand beach on the entire island. It's small and very private. Captains Bay is located on the north shore and tends to be very rough. It's a long ride down a winding dirt road, a very long ride. The Exclusivity Villa sits overlooking Captains Bay. Another deserted bay is West End Bay. I found it when I was staying at Cove Castles many years back. Savannah Bay and Junks Hole is another great deserted beach. Don't miss Nat Richardson's restaurant The Palm Grove on Junks Hole Beach.

Diving Vacations on Belize

Affordable Accommodations on Anguilla

2006-10-30T17:14:00.000-05:00

Not all accommodations on Anguilla are exorbitantly expensive, thank goodness! For us regular-Joe's there are still affordable rentals.

Nathan's Cove is located right on the beach on Meads Bay. Nathan's Cove has everything you need for a comfortable self-catered stay on Anguilla. They have two bedroom and four bedroom units. Each unit is air conditioned and offers a full large living room, dining room, kitchen. Nathan's Cove has laundry facilities. Visit their site http://www.nathanscove.com.

The Carimar Beach Club is also located on Meads Bay. They offer beach view and beach front one and two bedroom apartments. The units have living room, dining room, full kitchen and A/C in the bedrooms. Visit their site http://www.carimar.com.

The Madeariman Beach Hotel is located on Shoal Bay East. The hotel offers fully air conditioned rooms with queen beds, cable TV, micro, mini frig, coffee maker and hairdryer. The Madeariman Reef Restaurant is located right on the premises. Visit their site at http://www.madeariman.com.

Caribbean Vacation & Cruise Experts

Music on Anguilla

2006-10-25T21:00:00.000-04:00

When you visit Anguilla one treat you won't want to miss is an opportunity to hear the local musicians. The first thing I do when I visit the island is find out who's playing where so that I can decide who I want to hear.

Johnno's is located right on the beach on Sandy Ground and has dancing on Friday and Saturday and on Sunday Johnno's offers lunchtime jazz. Visit Johnno's on a Wednesday night for a chance to hear local musician Dumpa play the steel drum. The Pumphouse is a favorite of the locals. Also located on Sandy Ground the Pumphouse offers live entertainment Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday with a mixture of reggae and calypso/soca. Be ready to mix-it-up at the Pumphouse. The Dune Preserve is owned by local son Bankie Banx. Follow the road down to the Cuisinart, and turn right. The Dune has music on the weekends and if you're lucky you might even get a chance to hear Bankie himself play. Bankie also hosts the annual Moonsplash cerebration in March. The Dragon's Dance Club located on South Hill has a variety of dance music over the weekends.

Some of the bars along Shoal Bay East such as Gwen's, Elodia's and Uncle Ernie's have live entertainment on Sunday's. If you're lucky you might catch the Mussington's at Smokey's on Cove Bay on a Sunday afternoon. The very popular Scilly Cay has local musician Sproka on Wednesday afternoons and the Happy Hits on Sunday. Don't forget that the Malliouhana, Cuisinart and Cap Juluca offer entertainment.

The choices of music on Anguilla are varied and there is a lot to choose from. Please remember that establishments change their schedules depending on the season and as everything in the Caribbean is a bit "looser" than at home you may want to call ahead to see who's playing.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Charter Fishing Excurisions

Cuisinart Anguilla Spa Services Venus Spa at Cuisinart

2006-10-24T14:57:00.000-04:00

One of the most decadent things you can do while on any vacation is have a fabulous and obscenely priced spa treatment. Anguilla is just the place to go for such services. There are several very high end resorts on Anguilla, the Malliouhana, the Cuisinart and Cap Juluca that each have a spa offering a wide variety of services.

The Venus Spa at Cuisinart stands out above all the rest. Sitting nestled between the lush gardens of this Mediterranean styled resort the Venus spa offer spa treatments such as their four-layer facial. This facial deep cleans and re-hydrates your skin and is perfect after a day laying on the beach and soaking up the rays. Don't forget the wear and tear from the sun on your body. Nothing is better for your sun baked body than a Revitalizing Sea Salt Glo. Your body is massaged with oil infused marine salts leaving it soft to the touch and glowing. Having this treatment before you tan will help you to tan evenly and to keep your tan longer.

The Venus Spa at Cuisinart offers the perfect interlude for a couple called the Candlelight Couple's Escape. This is a relaxing massage in unison for two followed by a toast with Cuisinart Champagne. How could you possibly go wrong with that?!?

Anguilla Overflowing with Luxury Accommodations

2006-10-19T15:44:00.000-04:00

One of the many things that I always loved about Anguilla is it's small size. Anguilla is only 16 miles long and 3 miles wide. It takes about 20 minutes to get from one end of the island to another, say from Shoal Bay West to Shoal Bay East. It may be even faster now with all the road work and re-paving that's been going on.

I always loved to explore the island. Years ago I was there for a week and put over 400 miles on the rental jeep - I believe it was actually 462. I went down every dirt road I could find, some of them twice. I followed dirt roads as far as I could to the west end of the island and then parked the jeep and walked the path to the very end and actually stood on the end of the island itself.

Anguilla is growing and changing and isn't the same sleepy little island it once was. It's changed in many ways. Thanks to Jen and Brad and their pre-splitsville stay on Anguilla it got an inordinate amount of publicity. I remember the first time I was on Anguilla in '94 we had just missed Al Pacino at Smitty's. I'll bet there was no mention of him on the island in any US papers or on TV.

Ah, for the good old days. There is so much building going on now it's hard to find anywhere to stay on the island where you don't hear the sound of a jackhammer breaking through coral. And most of what's being built on Anguilla now is for the uber-weathly.

I just read that Rendezvous Bay Hotel will be closing in 2007 for demolition and they will be building luxury villas on that site. A shame as RBH has always been known for their reasonable accommodations. I guess that they want to be able to compete with all the big-boys like the new Temenos golf course homes and the new Viceroy development that's going up. Blue Waters on Shoal Bay West has apparently been sold to the Altamer owner. I haven't heard of any definite plans for it yet, but I'll be that another moderately priced accommodation will bite-the-dust.

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Visit the Bahamas

Temenos Golf Course Anguilla

2006-10-16T20:32:00.000-04:00

It seems that the price for a round of golf at the new 18 hole Greg Norman Golf Course on Anguilla will be $480. It's rumored that Anguillians will get discounted greens fees, but this price has not yet been announced. Those who have played on it are said to be singing it's praises.

Some of the resorts on Anguilla, such as Cap Juluca and Cuisinart are going to be offering "golf packages". It'll be interesting to see how they're going to try to take the sting out of the greens fees with their packages.

$480 seems like a bargain compared to some places. Some say that Barbados has the most expensive greens fees in the world. The place is called Sandy Lane which offers three different courses. The greens fees are $300 but - here's the catch - the cheapest room is $2000 a night.

It'll be a while before we see what the rates will be at the St. Regis Hotel and Spa which isn't scheduled to open until next year.

Anguilla Nightlife

2006-10-03T14:04:00.000-04:00

There is nightlife on Anguilla if you know where to look. Although what I love about Anguilla is it's quiet charm there are plenty of places to "mash it up" when the mood strikes!

Johnno's on Sandy Ground is a famous place for local music on Fridays and jazz on Sunday afternoons. Also in Sandy Ground is the Pumphouse which has live music Friday & Saturday nights. These are great places to meet and hang with locals. You may also happen upon music at Ripple's Restaurant.

Scilly Cay has local musician Sproka playing for lunch on Wednesdays and Happy Hits on Sunday.

Shoal Bay East comes alive on Sunday afternoons. Don't forget Bankie Bank's place The Dune where you may hear Bankie himself play.

The large restorts, Cuisinart, Malliouhana and Cap Juluca all have various musical entertainment. It's best to call to see who's playing.

I remember one quiet afternoon at Smokey's on Cove Bay when The Mussington's showed up to play. There were probably only a dozen or so of us in the place.

Remember, you may find that during the "off season" there will not be as much nightlife as during prime time at the resorts, but you'll still find plenty of local nightlife where Anguillian's hang.

Anguilla Wedding

2006-09-27T16:49:00.000-04:00

The perfect place for your wedding just may be paradise. I always thought so, although I couldn't talk my now husband into it. He had never been to Anguilla, it was my paradise. Our parents are older and have trouble traveling. An Anguilla wedding wasn't an option for us. (We did have a perfect wedding though, on a 100 foot rented yacht that sailed out of Annapolis with 50 of our closest friends and family. It was a perfect October day.)

But, if Anguilla is your paradise an Anguilla wedding may be the perfect thing for you. There are several wedding consultants now on island to help you with all your planning.These people do all your "leg work" for you. They make sure that you have all the legal paperwork done.

There are several things you will need to know beforehand, like, if one of you has been on Anguilla for at least 15 days before the date of marriage, the cost of the license is US $37.45. If your stay is shorter, the cost is US $244. You must have proof of citizenship from your resident country such as a valid passport or birth certificate and photo driver’s license. You must have proof of divorce or a death certificate if applicable and all of these documents must be in English, if not, they must be translated and notarized.

These Anguilla wedding packages include a wide array of services and come in many different "levels" depending on what you wish to spend. Some of the services are; the sending of invitations posted from Anguilla, airport or ferry greeting and help with your accommodation choices. They will also arrange for a church, minister, witnesses (2 are required by law) photographer, wedding cake, bouquets and boutonnieres, reception spot, food, etc., etc. Some of these packages even include massages, a very special dinner for two and lunch at Scilly Cay.

Luxury Accommodations on Anguilla

2006-09-24T16:25:00.000-04:00

As Anguilla continues to grow and change those of us who have visited there for years hold our collective breath waiting to see what happens.

Some of the old favorite accommodations such as The Blue Waters which is located on Shoal Bay West is closing. Blue Waters has always been known for very reasonably priced accommodations. Rumors are that the owner of the Altamer villa has bought the land. What does he have planned? Perhaps another $10,000 a night villa?

Rendezvous Bay Hotel, another reasonably priced accommodation located right on the beach is undergoing major renovations. A lovely hotel located on Meads Bay called Frangipani Beach Club has recently undergone renovations and undergone quite a hefty price hike too.

While the Temenos Golf Course is just getting ready to open on the western end of the island it seems that Jack Nicklaus is looking to make his mark too. He was very recently on the island looking at the Savannah Bay area on the south east end as a potential golf course site.

Two golf courses on Anguilla?

Along with these golf courses comes more ultra expensive hotels and villas. Some say that the real reason the airport had to be enlarged was to accommodate more and larger private jets landing on the island. This may be the case as American Airlines hasn't made it any easier to get to Anguilla since the airport was enlarged. In fact, since enlarging the airport American Airlines schedule has become so ridiculous (with a 6-7 hour layover on San Juan) that many people now fly to St. Martin and ferry over to Anguilla.

The attached pic is what Savannah Bay looks like today. How about 3 years from now?

Anguilla Villa Options

2006-09-19T21:15:00.000-04:00

If you want to vacation on Anguilla you'll be able to find any type of accommodation you want. From a guest room at Lloyd's Bed & Breakfast on Crocus Hill at $105 nightly for doubles, to Carimar on Mead's Bay which starts at $160 a night all the way up to the most exclusive villas, the Temenos Villas on Long Bay. Each of these villas has different characteristics and are called Earth, Sea and Sky. And, the sky better be the limit of your pocketbook at $6000 a night.

The best part of visiting Anguilla is that no matter where you stay you're no more than 20 minutes from the "other" end of the island, meaning that if you stay in budget accommodations, say the Arawak on Island Harbor you can be on Rendezvous Bay where the Cuisinart crowd hangs, or Mead's Bay where the Malliouhana crowd hangs, without paying those high prices.

Things to do on Anguilla

2006-09-14T13:29:00.000-04:00

What initially drew me to Anguilla was the beaches. Anguilla has 33 blinding white sand beaches to sink your toes into. Exploring that number of beaches can take you days and days and days, even weeks! Some of the best beaches are well off the beaten path and not easy to find, but well worth the effort.

Others are happy to sit at the better known beaches like Shoal Bay East or Rendezvous Bay or Mead's Bay soaking in the rays.

Others need more entertainment. Don't think that Anguilla is only beaches. Even though it's what made the island famous it's only part of what the island has to offer. There are many activities for those who need diversions other than the beach.

Start with horseback riding. There is the Cliffside Riding Center located in the North Hill village. They are open 7 days a week from 9A till dusk and offer sunset rides. Rent a mountain bike and explore Anguilla. Anguilla has what would be considered challenging climbs if you're riding a bike and it would be a great way to really see the island close up. There are several public tennis courts located on the island. Some of the resorts and exclusive villas have tennis courts. There is hiking and putt-putt golf. Now the Temenos Golf Course has opened. Visit the Pyrat Rum factory, take a tour and enjoy tasting their rums. Visit the local history museum on South Hill. Stop into the dive shop on Shoal Bay East and arrange a dive. Take a boat to Little Bay to do some snorkeling. Charter a fishing boat to do some fishing.

There are just a very few suggestions. You will only run out of things to do if you stop looking!!

Cuisinart Anguilla here we come!!!

2006-09-13T10:29:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago I was controlling the remote, watching what my husband calls the "girl package" on TV (my favorite cooking shows). My hubby came upstairs from his office with a piece of paper in his hand and said "if you give me control of the remote you can have this piece of paper". I thought for a moment and took the paper from him. See, I have the "girl package" on the TV in the family room downstairs too, so I had nothing to lose. I am so glad I took that paper because it was...

TWO FIRST CLASS AIRLINE TICKETS TO ANGUILLA!!!!

We aren't going until June 2007. This will be trip #9 for me to Anguilla and June has always been my favorite time on the island. Generally nice weather (I've only had one rain filled day in June in all my stays), uncrowded beaches, and off season rates to boot!!! We're going early in the month before summer vacation starts.

We're staying at the Cuisinart in a luxury junior suite which is ocean front, third floor. We'll have a marvelous view of the lights of St Martin at night. The Cuisinart is on my favorite beach, Rendezvous Bay. It's always been my favorite beach for a nice morning stroll.

I had a spa treatment there a few years ago, a hot stone massage that was very different and relaxing. I'm sure that I'll have another treatment or two while we're there in June!!!

As this is my husband's first visit to Anguilla I'm glad that he choose The Cuisinart. It's the newest of the three "resorts" on Anguilla (the other two are the Malliouhana and Cap Juluca) and I think the loveliest. It has very lush gardens all around it and several hydroponic greenhouses. The overall theme of the resort is Mediterranean, with lovely whitewashed villas, and a fantastic pool smack dab in the middle.

The Cuisinart has two restaurants, the Mediterraneo which is their poolside restaurant and the Santorini which is their fine dining restaurant. They also have two lounge bars, one offering tapas and a poolside beach bar, so I think that we're well covered from a dining standpoint. Although I'll want to make sure that my wonderful hubby experiences Junks Hole and the Altamer, and E's Oven and Tasty's and a few other of my favorite places.

Believe you me, we'll be charging up the digital camera and our new DVD recorder for this trip!!!

Shopping on Anguilla

2006-08-17T14:54:00.000-04:00

I had to chuckle recently when I read about a cruise ship that moored off of Sandy Ground on Anguilla. No, I wasn't chuckling about the cruise ship itself, but that it's passengers were seen wandering around The Valley looking for duty-free shopping!! The last thing that Anguilla would be noted for is shopping.

The lovely part is that if you MUST SHOP you can always hitch the ferry from Blowing Point to St. Martin. Take a taxi from Marigot on the French side where you'll land to Phillipsburg on the Dutch side. It's probably around $12. There you will find all the high-end fashion, accessory, jewelry, makeup and perfume shopping you could want.

What Anguilla does have is lovely little "boutique" stores and art galleries scattered throughout the island. Malliouhana and Cuisinart each have a small boutique store where you can purchase some high priced resort clothing, jewelry, accessories and "necessities" such as suntan lotion, hats, bug spray, etc. But I think the drug store in The Valley is perfect for that. Oh, and the drug store in the Valley may be the perfect place to pick up a souvenir shirt for that someone you had to leave behind.

There are numerous art galleries throughout the island. Some of them feature local Anguillian art such as Cheddie's Studio on the West End. Cheddie's carries lovely wood carvings. The Devonish Art Gallery is also located on the West End. They have a large selection of paintings, prints, pottery and jewelry.

If you're looking for a nice gift that's a bit cheaper or for great Anguilla pictures and cards Sandles & Such near South Hill is probably one of the oldest "touristy" stores on Anguilla. I bought a 14 kt gold Anguilla charm there in 1994. Also, Bartlett's located near the round about down to Sandy Ground has some great gift ideas. I've picked up many Anguilla related Christmas ornaments there.

Temenos Golf Course Anguilla

2006-08-10T16:37:00.000-04:00

The once sleepy little island of Anguilla is about to open up one of it's biggest undertakings. In November of 2006 Temenos Golf Club will open on the west end of the island on Merrywing Bay.

The golf course, designed by Greg Norman is a 7,200 yard 18 hold course with what are undoubtedly the best views in the Caribbean.

Along with the golf course will be a 120 room St. Regis Hotel and spa. Flag Luxury Properties who are in partnership iwth St. Regis also announced they will have a restaurant in the clubhouse which will be operated by Bob and Melinda Blanchard, already well known on the island for their own restaurant Blanchards.

I don't think that I'll ever play a round of gold at this course. It's rumored to be $500 for 18 holes. But, if you look at the cost of renting one of the already existing Temenos villas - Sand, Sea and Sky, you know that $500 is a drop in the bucket for these people. I'm sure there won't be any shortage of corporate CEO's flying in by private jet to play a round.

Sadly though it seems that some of the old familiar favorite mid-range accommodations, such as Rendezvous Bay Hotel and even Frangipaini (which was on the costly side) are undergoing renovations and rates will probably be going up as well.

Anguilla Rental Cars

2006-08-08T08:43:00.000-04:00

One thing that everyone who visits Anguilla should do is get a rental car and cruise the island. I should re-phrase that - get a rental JEEP and cruise the island.

When I visited in 1994 we had what I call a jeep-jeep. No frills, five speed, although we didn't get much past fourth gear due to the conditions of the roads, no AC, convertible roof. My S.O. and I went wherever we wanted free as the wind. I remember the horrendous sun burn I got on my right arm having it hanging out of the passenger window for a week. Over the next few vacations to Anguilla when I traveled alone I developed the same horrible burn on my left arm while driving. Gee, a few years ago during a vacation on Anguilla in one week I put something like 472 miles on a jeep - and that's on a 16 x 3 mile island. I explored every single dirt road I found, and drove some of them twice.

Today, I prefer an air conditioned Jeep and they seem to be the norm on the island. Anguilla is doing lots of repaving of the roads now, making driving much easier and smoother. I do believe that some of the larger resorts actually give cars as rentals for their visitors. What's the fun in that? I also hear that some people don't even rent cars, they use the resort's bicycles to explore the island. If you want to find the lovely deserted beaches on Anguilla you need to be able to go off the beaten path and you have to have a jeep to get you down the bumpy dirt roads.

You always read about Shoal Bay East when you read about Anguilla. I say that Shoal Bay East is way too busy now. It has all the daytrippers from St. Martin and those that come in on the very small and exclusive cruise ships that dock off of Sandy Ground on Anguilla.

To see the real Anguilla get a jeep and do some exploring!!

Royal Palms Apartments Anguilla

2006-08-02T21:48:00.000-04:00

The last time I was on Anguilla I stayed at the Royal Palm Apartments and boy were they nice! They are very new and modern and fully air conditioned. They have very comfortable furniture and a kitchen fully stocked with dinnerware and cookware and everything you could need. The Royal Palms is beautifully landscaped and it has a very nice pool with very comfortable pool furniture, which is a necessity for me.

It's located in the South Hill area of Anguilla, not near the beach. The closest beach is actually a short drive across the street to Rendezvous Bay. If you visit Anguilla you'll definitely want a jeep, even if you stay in an accommodation on the beach because you'll want to travel around and see as much of the island as you can.

The owners of Royal Palms were always present and very helpful. They had actually gone to the food store for me before my arrival so that I wouldn't have to stop for food on my way there. There are washers and dryers available and also internet access in each room. They also have cable TV, not that you'll be watching a lot of TV while you're there.

I would definitely suggest them for a self-catered holiday.

Anguilla Restaurants

2006-07-31T08:57:00.000-04:00

Another thing, besides beaches that Anguilla has no shortage of is restaurants. Restaurants, restaurants, restaurants. How do you choose?

Well, for me it's simple. Go where the locals eat! The first thing I do is ask the taxi driver for a recommendation. I go the local route whenever I can. It's cheaper and I think more of a true flavor of the island than the many more expensive restaurants that cater to the Caribbean tourist crowd. Restaurants come and go on Anguilla, although a few have been mainstays for many years.

There are many fine small local restaurants that serve local food for very reasonable rates. One is English Rose. Located in the Valley English Rose has fantastic Caribbean specialties with dinner less than $10. Another favorite of mine is the restaurant located in the airport, Til' Last Flight. This little restaurant is always bustling in the afternoon, and after eight trips to the island it's still my favorite place for lamb curry.

For fresh seafood there is no place like Anguilla. I'll never forget the first time I had fish at the Palm Grove on Junk's Hole. My friend and I watched the fish be caught, and cooked. Fantastic. Smitty's in Island Harbor has the best crayfish around, and a pretty good rum punch to boot.

I'd never suggest any type of meal plan if you're planning to visit Anguilla, not that there are many offered. I did take a meal plan once, when I stayed at Cove Castles. But this was only after I'd visited about five times to the island, so I didn't feel like I'd miss out on anything. The food was fantastic. It was from the Altamer Restaurant.

The most popular "sit down - fancy" restaurants are located on the West End, where the high end resorts are. However, if you have a jeep you really should travel around to find the smaller restaurant gems located throughout the island, such as the Hibernia in Island Harbor.

Anguilla Beaches

2006-07-25T13:12:00.000-04:00

One thing that you won't find a shortage of is beaches on Anguilla. And better yet, if you have a jeep and a sense of adventure you will find gorgeous bits of sand to call your own.

The most popular beach on Anguilla is Shoal Bay East. This is the beach that gets the most day trippers, usually from St. Martin, or those who might end up on Anguilla's shore from a small cruise ship. It's a lovely stretch of beach with lots of great beach bars and restaurants and lots of places to rent chairs and umbrellas.

My particular favorite big beach is Rendevzous Bay. It's got a lovely gentle surf and is a wonderful crescent of brilliant while sand to walk. Rendezvous Beach Hotel is on the east end and the lovely Cuisinart on the west end. Continue your walk past Cuisinart and you will find a small "stonehenge", an area of interesting stone sculptures. Bankie Banx's place, The Dune Preserve is past this. The Anguilla Great House has wonderful drinks at the bar and for $5 they'll rent you a chair for the day. It's much less crowded than Shoal Bay East.

As I mentioned above, if you're an adventurous type you may be lucky and find Elsie Bay, a very isolated beach with wonderful red sand, or Dropsie Bay, another isolated beach, with a very neat cave and interesting rock formations looking out towards St. Martin.

Renting a canoe or kayak while on Anguilla is a fun thing to do.

Allamanda Beach Club Shoal Bay East

2006-07-23T11:39:00.000-04:00

One of the things I love about Anguilla, and the thing that drew me to it is it's peace and quiet. Depending on what time of year you travel there you really can stroll a beach and see very few, or no people at all.

So many people just don't understand. They say that you have to cruise, go on a cruise you'll love it, and I say "no". I have no desire to vacation with 2,000+ other people. When I worked I was with people all day in a very hectic and stressful job. When I was on vacation I wanted to have time to think and recharge.

The second time I traveled to Anguilla I stayed at The Allamanda on Shoal Bay East. It's located at the quiet end of Shoal Bay. Uncle Ernie's is probably a 7 or 10 minute stroll, depending on how fast you walk. Until Serenity Apts was built andGwen's opened there was really no one at that end of Shoal Bay East.
I was there in September, VERY off season. I had fantastic weather and the beach to myself for 3 full days. NO ONE in site at all except a few locals.

The Allamanda room I had was a poolside studio. It was very nice and had everything that I needed. When I was picked up at the airport (taxi arranged by Allamanda) the driver took me to the supermarket where I stocked up on food. I had planned to stay on the beach at Allamanda for three full days before getting a jeep and starting my exploring. That way I was sure to relax, and I did.

Anguilla Accommodations

2006-07-22T14:00:00.000-04:00

I am going to list all of the places I've stayed while on Anguilla. 1) Skiffles Villas 2) Allamanda Beach Club 3) Paradise Cove 4) Cove Castles 5) 18 Degrees North 6) Royal Palms Apartments 7) Ocean Breeze Holiday Apartments (2x).

What you see above is a varying degree of accommodations, some very inexpensive as with Ocean Breeze, and the top of the line Cove Castles, and lots and lots in between. What I've found out is that you really do get what you pay for, and, it really doesn't matter if you spend $125 a night or $400 a night, you still get access to the same great beaches.

A friend of mine was recently in Bermuda. What she said she found was that there weren't alot of different accommodation options. She said after looking that the best options were the large hotels on the island. It's so nice on Anguilla that there are so many different accommodation options (except camping).

I'd be hard pressed to say which was my favorite Anguilla accommodation, each one was very different. Needless to say, I really enjoyed the luxury of Cove Castles, the most expensive. The service couldn't be beat. The staff was most accommodating and gracious. I did nothing but relax.

The picture above is of the bedroom. Actually, it took me a night or two to get used to the sound of the surf. I remember waking one morning and the room was glowing red. I closed my eyes to go back to sleep, but then I thought, I'd better see what I'm missing. I am ever so glad that I did get up. A gorgeous sunrise awaited me.

Breakfast was brought to my patio at 8A every morning. It was served on lovely bone china with sterling silver cutlery. Breakfast was fresh fruit, a lovely assortment of pastries and danish and fresh coffee. Some days I ate lunch there. Dinner was included in the Cove Castles summer package. I believe it was 3 dinners for 2. As I was alone, they gave me dinner each night of the 5 nights of my stay and those dinners were the best I've had on the island. (I would not have taken the package including dinner if I hadn't had so many previous trips to Anguilla. For me a large part of traveling is experiencing all the restaurants you can.) By noon or so I'd let the office know my dinner choices and it was brought to the beach house.

Still Enjoying Anguilla!

2006-07-18T13:22:00.000-04:00

I had forgotten to mention when we arrived at Skiffles Villas that the pool was not operational. I remember looking at it and saying to the S.O. "We've just flown about 2,000 miles, I'm not going to let a pool ruin my vacation. " Besides, with 33 beaches, who needs a pool? When we visited St. Lucia we used the pool at the villa quite a bit as we were a distance from the beach. The part I particularly love about Anguilla is that it's so small you can be from one side of the island to another in 20 minutes. By the way, when I came home and contacted the owner of the villa about the condition of the pool he quickly refunded some money.

Another beach we found early in our travels on Anguilla was Rendezvous Bay. I remember that the Anguilla GreatHouse at that time was the Pineapple Beach Club. Skiffles Villa, like most villas on the island have just about everything you could need for your beach adventure, including chairs, umbrellas, and coolers. (Unfortunately the hammock at Skiffles wasn't portable!) We always had the beach chairs in the back of the jeep, just in case. We parked our chairs and umbrella on the beach at Rendezvous that day and had a marvelous time. There was a lovely soft breeze blowing.

The first vacation to Anguilla was quite an adventure really. We got up in the morning and looked at the map and pointed to a beach and said "let's go there!" We circled each beach we visited, sometimes we'd visit two in a day.

We went down to Sandy Ground and took a boat over to Sandy Island, which at the time had a restaurant on it. (It didn't for quite some time after hurricane Luis in 1995). It had several families on it. The snorkling was great.

Enjoying Anguilla!

2006-07-16T21:40:00.000-04:00

While I was lying in the sun as much as I could the S.O. was off fishing on a small fishing charter boat. He went out several times and he did catch some fish, red snapper. The captain and crew helped him clean it and he brought it back to the villa with him and we cooked it for dinner, and it was yummy!

One day I stopped and talked to a nurse at the Princess Alexandra Hospital for a friend of mine. At that time I was an office manager in a hospital and one of the girls I worked with, and had traveled to the Caribbean with many times was a nurse and she was interested in finding out if they used traveling nurses. Unfortunately, she said they didn't. Apparently it's still very hard to get a job on Anguilla if there is an Anguillian that can fill the job. It's not impossible, but not easy.

Anyway, one of the first beaches we found was Junk Hole. It had a wonderful restaurant called the Palm Grove Bar & Grill which was, and still is owned by Nat Richardson. It was a treasure. We had the best fish for lunch, and the freshest too. We actually watched Nat's friend catch it. This was a very small restaurant, built with 2x4's and plywood in case Nat had to take it down in a hurry in case of hurricane. Hmm, that also makes me think of Smitty's in Island Harbor. Way back when he actually had quite a large establishment on the beach.

Now, What to do?

2006-07-14T08:33:00.000-04:00

Anguilla is known for being laid-back and relaxing, one of the reasons I chose it. Once, while I was talking to someone about Anguilla this person said "Sounds like there's nothing to do.", and I said "Exactly!" I also remember showing pictures to a friend on my return and she asked me "Where are the people?"

Of course, there are plenty of things to keep you busy, if you're looking to be entertained. You can hike, or if you stay someplace like Cap Juluca you can bike (they have bikes for their patrons). Lots of people take snorkling trips to Little Bay, some like to go fishing. There are quite a few private charter boats available on the island for different adventures. Take a sunset cruise. There is horseback riding and miniature golf. You can visit the Pyrat Rum Factory for a tour and tasting. Visit the local museum and the Wallblake House and learn some of the history of the island and it's indigenous people, the Arawaks. Wander through one of the many art galleries. Cuisinart offers various cooking classes and also gives tours of it's hydroponic greenhouses. You can take a tour across the island. The tourism board will be able to give you advice on a good tour guide.

Of course with 33 brilliant white sand beaches to explore that could take up an entire vacation all by itself!

We Arrive!

2006-07-13T14:42:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a sleepy little island in the Caribbean called Anguilla. Oh, it's still there, but it's not sleepy anymore. Building is occurring at a frenzied pace with a golf course slated to open later this year, and multi million dollar estates being built. I'd say you'd be hard pressed to find an area to stay on the island where you won't hear the incessant noise of a jack hammer as it tries to makes it way through the coral bed.

When in 1994 I suggested Anguilla the then S.O. tried to talk me out of the Caribbean. "Why do you want to fly so far?" he would ask. "Keywest Florida has fantastic beaches, let's go there." "No", I said. "I want the Caribbean experience."

With all that has changed on Anguilla, the one thing that hasn't is that when you arrive on the island, whether by plane at Wallblake Airport, or by ferry at the Blowing Point Ferry Terminal you have to take a taxi to your destination. This is a great way to insure income for the taxi drivers, and a great way for you to find out about the island. Take advantage of the ride. I always ask for a recommendation for a meal, ask about what's going on locally, and ask about night-life. No one knows the island like a local, and generally they're very friendly and glad to answer all your questions. I've travelled to Anguilla nine times in twelve years, and I can tell you that restaurants open and close, and open and close. Your favorite restaurant of last year might not be open this year.

All the taxi rates are pre-set, I guess to help keep the drivers "honest" and to avoid any problems. The last time I flew into the airport once through customs we were lined up to get a "ticket" of sorts for the taxi ride. The person at the counter asks where you are staying, checks the name on the "ticket" and checks the price. You are then given the slip. This is a great way for the government of Anguilla to see who is staying where and to make sure that the private villa owners are on the up and up when reporting rental income.

OK, back to 1994. When we arrived at Skiffles Villas it was lovely. Down a dirt road and through a gate, it was very private. The caretaker for the villa had arranged for our rental car to be delivered to us. Within an hour of arriving at Skiffles there was a "beep-beep" as our jeep was being delivered.

How to Get There

2006-07-11T10:23:00.000-04:00

Way back when, Wallblake Airport on Anguilla was small with a very short runway. No planes carrying more than 35 or so people could land. American Airlines had a great schedule with several afternoon/early evening flights from San Juan.

We left BWI at 7AM on American Airlines, which up until this year was my choice of airline. Arrival at San Juan was about 11:15. The plane for Anguilla (puddle jumper) left about 1:55P. One hour, and one drink later you were on Anguilla.

No later than 3P we were in Skiffles Villas, being shown around by the care taker and his wife.

Last year Wallblake airport was enlarged to accommodate larger planes. Apparently some threats from American Airlines to the government of Anguilla accomplished this. So what American has chosen to do is fly one larger plane a day instead of several smaller planes. So, as mentioned in an earlier post that means that you wile away your entire late morning/afternoon/early evening sitting in the airport in San Juan only to arrive to Anguilla 7PM or later. Who thought of this awful scheduling? What a horrible move on American Airline's part.

With St. Martin a twenty minute ferry ride, or 5 minute charter airplane ride away I imagine that American is losing quite a bit of money. Read the forums, a lot of people are now opting to fly to the airport on St. Martin and take a ferry. There are several private ferry's and a public ferry. Taking the public ferry means taking a taxi ride or private car from the Dutch side of St. Martin, where the airport is, to the French side to Marigot where the public ferry dock is. Several private ferry services are available between St. Martin and Anguilla that leave from the airport directly.

A Villa on Anguilla

2006-07-10T16:12:00.000-04:00

Somehow I had found it. The perfect villa on Anguilla. A beautiful pink house sitting on a bluff overlooking the water with the island of Sandy Ground off in the distance. This was a privately owned villa, there were no time shares available on Anguilla. I had written to the owner, who sent a pamphlet showing the accommodations. One of his selling lines was "a little bit of Bermuda in the Caribbean".

I definitely wanted a self-catered type of vacation. I was going with the S.O. (significant other) at the time, Dale. I don't remember exactly what type of input he had on the accommodation choice though. I'm sure he approved.

Skiffles was, as I mentioned in an earlier blog in the South Hill area of Anguilla. It was reached by going down a bumpy and dusty dirt road, which is what Anguilla was full of in 1994. The complex consisted of three houses, a gate-house and a fresh water pool. The compound had a gate, and also a chain link fence, which I later came to find out was to keep the goat from eating every bit of vegetation.

I believe that the villa we had was called "Sea Grapes". It sat closest to the cliff overlooking the water and was the most private villa. It was pastel pink and white and beautiful. You could lie in bed with the window open and look out over the water. I remember lovely breezes each night, no need for air conditioning at all. We had a simple AM/FM radio cassette player in the room. No phone. No TV, no need for them. I don't remember missing them at all.

The Search for Anguilla Accommodations

2006-07-09T21:35:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in my prior post armed with my Caribbean Travel & Life magazine I set out to find the perfect accommodations on Anguilla. When I visited St. John in the USVI there were campgrounds for vacationers who desired to "rough it". We actually met some hardy souls on St. John who camped in the woods so they wouldn't have to pay the $6.00 or so a night to stay in the campgrounds. There were no such campground accommodations on Anguilla.

The Villa Section in the Caribbean Travel & Life Magazine listed 16 different accommodations. I called and or wrote and got information on many of them. I contacted a travel agent who specialized in the Caribbean. I dreamed about a lazy afternoon resting in a hammock strung between two palm trees listening to the waves lap upon the shore.

The magazine centerfold is a picture of Cap Juluca. Of course the article mentioned many other accommodations which are still there Frangipani, Malliouhana and the Cove Castles. There is a mention of Casablanca (or the Sonesta as it became), which, until it's unfortunate demise was my favorite bar spot for lunch.

I don't know how I came to decide on the place, but it was a private villa on South Hill. I think it was the pictures of the pink house that struck me and the view of Sandy Ground from the villa. It was called Skiffles Villas.

Where to Stay?

2006-07-08T10:19:00.000-04:00

After some research I decided in 1994 that Anguilla was the island for me. I had a Caribbean Travel & Life magazine from July/August 1993 that featured Anguilla that I had held onto (I am looking at it right now as a matter of fact).

The front cover is a shot of a man and a women sitting in beach chairs that are placed in the surf. As the clear water laps over their feet they are looking out into the blue nothingness that I've come to associate with Shoal Bay East. Nothing but a view of blue sea and blue sky. This is a scene that I would come to repeat myself many times on Shoal Bay East.

The article is written by Susan Pierres and is called Anguilla Love Song. It had certainly struck a cord with me. This lucky lady lived on Anguilla at the time, I don't know if she still does. What I always remember from the article is when she talks about going "over the hill". Heading to Shoal Bay East she says "as you cross the crest of the little hill on the final stretch of the Shoal Bay road and you're heading straight for the sea, all of the sudden-kaboom-the vista appears. It's British Anguilla's tricolor, a panoramic blue on blue on blue; the indescribably iridescent turquoise water as far as the outer reef, then a horizontal strip of luminous cobalt as far as the horizon topped by a celestial cerulean sky".

Ahhh, Anguilla.

The Choice is Made

2006-07-07T16:48:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about choosing a vacation to Anguilla was the ease of travel there. Leave BWI 7AM, to Wallblake Airport on Anguilla before 3:00PM. That meant that you could be at the beach the same day. I have always traveled via American Airlines, but they have changed their schedule over the years and have made it somewhat more difficult lately with lengthy layovers in San Juan.

On a trip to Tobogo with a friend close to 10 years ago we had a 6 hour layover in San Juan, something I don't want to repeat (although the jewelry store was happy to have our business during our wait). What a horrible schedule. We left BWI at 7AM and didn't get to Tobogo until around 9:00PM and then were staying all the way at the far end of the island from the airport. It was a long wasted day as far as I was concerned. Anyway, I digress.

Back to Anguilla, I think the next time I travel back there, which will hopefully be in November with my wonderful husband David (it'll be his first time) we'll take US Air from BWI to St. Martin and then take one of the private ferry's from the airport directly to Blowing Point.

How the Love Affair Began

2006-07-06T16:38:00.000-04:00

My love affair with Anguilla began twelve years ago in 1994. I wanted to travel back to the Caribbean but I didn't want to return to St. John, that was Val's island. I wanted a place to call my own. I got a Fodor's Caribbean Guide out of the library and read about every single Caribbean island it listed.

On our trip to St. John we spent some time shopping on St. Thomas. Sure, some of the jewelry and perfume looked like a deal, but were they really? Shopping wasn't on my list of must-haves for a Caribbean trip. I can buy anything I want right here in my own town, so I wasn't looking to travel thousands of miles for shopping. I wasn't a big partier either, and now that I'm older I'm less of one, so active nightlife wasn't what I was looking for either. I wanted to get away from crowds. What I was looking for was a small island with beaches, beaches, beaches.

Well, after reading the Caribbean Guide from cover to cover it seemed that my choices were narrowed down to Saba, Montserrat and Anguilla. Reading about all three again I soon came to find out that Saba is a diving island, small, but no real beaches. Montserrat has beaches, but black sand beaches, not for me.

Then I re-read about Anguilla. Small, 16 x 3 miles with 33 brilliant white sand beaches. Ahhh, Anguilla looked just right.

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Book a long weekend, a short break or a week away!

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Enjoying Anguilla!

Now, What to do?

We Arrive!

How to Get There

A Villa on Anguilla

The Search for Anguilla Accommodations

Where to Stay?

The Choice is Made

How the Love Affair Began