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Recent Trip to Anguilla
Recent Trip to Anguilla
I know, I know. I cheated on my beloved St. John. This was the first May trip since 2001 that my husband and I were not on STJ. I love STJ, but we were both itching to try something new. So, we went to Anguilla. If you'd like to read the trip report, you can find it here:
http://vicki-h.travellerspoint.com/
If you'd like to see photos of Anguilla, you can find them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42427255@N ... 033473716/
If you'd like my opinion of how Anguilla compares to our favorite little island, read on.
Pros:
Anguilla is similar to STJ in that it is small, has minimal development and no real "town" to speak of, and is a little hard to reach so visitation is minimal. The island has 33 beaches which are definitely as beautiful as the beaches we all know and love on STJ. A distinct advantage that we enjoyed on Anguilla as opposed to STJ was the fact that each beach has some restaurants and bars on them. Each bar/restaurant offers nice chairs and umbrellas for use, allows you to eat and drink the day away, and usually has live music. They are few and their presence in no way detracts from the beach or the natural beauty. Think White Bay on Jost without the hoardes of people or all the party boats....that is a good description of a typical Anguillan beach. Simply divine.
We may have hit it at a particularly slow time, but on almost every single day...we were virtually alone on the beach. Not another soul in sight. When some other folks did show up, it was usually after 1:00 pm and at most, maybe 4 other people would be present on a 1 mile stretch of beach. Crowds did not exist. I felt like I was on a private island at times.
The dining kicked STJ dining in the tookus. Seriously. The number of dining options and the quality were simply phenomenal. The food was to die for.
The Anguillan people were simply the sweetest, most generous, outwardly kind and friendly people I have ever encountered on any island anywhere. They were the #1 reason I will definitely return to Anguilla. Beautiful, wonderful people. On more than one occasion, they left us awed and amazed at their kindness.
Anguilla is also very easy to navigate. Easy to get around. It's small, flat and the road system is simple.
No direct flights. No cruise ships. No cattle catamarans. No yellow vest people anywhere.
Cons:
Lots of hotels, few villas. Anguilla has a great number of resorts, many more than STJ. There were fewer villa choices and villas were a bit more expensive than the ones you can find on STJ. On the positive side, the resorts were low key, small, and tasteful. You almost didn't notice they were there.
The interior of the island lacks St. John's lush beauty. It is flat. It is dry. It is scrubby.
Forget snorkeling. The few areas we tried that were supposed to have "excellent snorkeling" were pretty bad compared to what we are used to on STJ.
It's also a little more expensive. Accommodations and food seemed to cost a little more, but you got what you paid for. The quality of everything was excellent.
Will I go back? ABSOLUTELY!
Did I love it more than St. John? No.
Did I love it as much? Yes.
http://vicki-h.travellerspoint.com/
If you'd like to see photos of Anguilla, you can find them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42427255@N ... 033473716/
If you'd like my opinion of how Anguilla compares to our favorite little island, read on.
Pros:
Anguilla is similar to STJ in that it is small, has minimal development and no real "town" to speak of, and is a little hard to reach so visitation is minimal. The island has 33 beaches which are definitely as beautiful as the beaches we all know and love on STJ. A distinct advantage that we enjoyed on Anguilla as opposed to STJ was the fact that each beach has some restaurants and bars on them. Each bar/restaurant offers nice chairs and umbrellas for use, allows you to eat and drink the day away, and usually has live music. They are few and their presence in no way detracts from the beach or the natural beauty. Think White Bay on Jost without the hoardes of people or all the party boats....that is a good description of a typical Anguillan beach. Simply divine.
We may have hit it at a particularly slow time, but on almost every single day...we were virtually alone on the beach. Not another soul in sight. When some other folks did show up, it was usually after 1:00 pm and at most, maybe 4 other people would be present on a 1 mile stretch of beach. Crowds did not exist. I felt like I was on a private island at times.
The dining kicked STJ dining in the tookus. Seriously. The number of dining options and the quality were simply phenomenal. The food was to die for.
The Anguillan people were simply the sweetest, most generous, outwardly kind and friendly people I have ever encountered on any island anywhere. They were the #1 reason I will definitely return to Anguilla. Beautiful, wonderful people. On more than one occasion, they left us awed and amazed at their kindness.
Anguilla is also very easy to navigate. Easy to get around. It's small, flat and the road system is simple.
No direct flights. No cruise ships. No cattle catamarans. No yellow vest people anywhere.
Cons:
Lots of hotels, few villas. Anguilla has a great number of resorts, many more than STJ. There were fewer villa choices and villas were a bit more expensive than the ones you can find on STJ. On the positive side, the resorts were low key, small, and tasteful. You almost didn't notice they were there.
The interior of the island lacks St. John's lush beauty. It is flat. It is dry. It is scrubby.
Forget snorkeling. The few areas we tried that were supposed to have "excellent snorkeling" were pretty bad compared to what we are used to on STJ.
It's also a little more expensive. Accommodations and food seemed to cost a little more, but you got what you paid for. The quality of everything was excellent.
Will I go back? ABSOLUTELY!
Did I love it more than St. John? No.
Did I love it as much? Yes.
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piscesgirl0314
- Posts: 598
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- Location: Chesapeake, VA
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sailorgirl
- Posts: 1644
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:03 pm
Vicki - The timing of your post is uncanny. Just yesterday my husband mentioned going somewhere other than St. John next year and I said - "What about Anguilla?".
Can you tell me how you found your villa and if you went again would you stay in a villa or a resort? Also, where did you do your research for restaurants, etc?
Thanks for a terrific trip report.
j.
Can you tell me how you found your villa and if you went again would you stay in a villa or a resort? Also, where did you do your research for restaurants, etc?
Thanks for a terrific trip report.
j.
Much like the author of this post, we were looking to branch out beyond the familiar St. John for our honeymoon and found another oasis on Anguilla! I loved the island, and felt it was a nice departure from St. John, though each island has its own personality and neither can honestly take a "top prize".
I'm happy to answer any specific questions from other forumites familiar with St. John on how it compares to our beloved USVI oasis. I did a TON of research on Anguilla to be sure I wouldn't be disappointed with the island on our honeymoon after loving St. John so much. It was a risk that paid off for sure!
I'm happy to answer any specific questions from other forumites familiar with St. John on how it compares to our beloved USVI oasis. I did a TON of research on Anguilla to be sure I wouldn't be disappointed with the island on our honeymoon after loving St. John so much. It was a risk that paid off for sure!
Did you stay in a villa or resort? Which part of the island did you enjoy the most?Wakeclt wrote:Much like the author of this post, we were looking to branch out beyond the familiar St. John for our honeymoon and found another oasis on Anguilla! I loved the island, and felt it was a nice departure from St. John, though each island has its own personality and neither can honestly take a "top prize".
I'm happy to answer any specific questions from other forumites familiar with St. John on how it compares to our beloved USVI oasis. I did a TON of research on Anguilla to be sure I wouldn't be disappointed with the island on our honeymoon after loving St. John so much. It was a risk that paid off for sure!
We actually did both. Because it was our honeymoon, we stayed for two nights at Cuisinart Resort, which was fabulous. We couldn't afford to stay there the entire 9 days we were on the island, and probably wouldn't have wanted to do so anyway, but it was fantastic the entire time. Beautiful, large rooms, awesome pool, wonderful beach, crazy-good beach bar, and wonderful staff. Only complaint was the food. I'm a bit of a foodie, and for the price, I was unimpressed, especially considering the quality of the restaurants throughout the rest of the island.
The rest of the time we stayed in Jasmine Villa. I HIGHLY recommend this villa to a couple or two couples. Probably not a family. But for us, it was perfect. Very cozy, great location, nice view, VERY well maintained, and I thought it was a great value. The villa has one bedroom upstairs, and then downstairs is the kitchen, living and dining areas. The Pool and lanai are attached to this building. Then, there's a separate building about 15 feet away with another bedroom and full bath, which makes it very private for two couples to enjoy together, yet still maintain some privacy.
We loved many different parts of the island, because as the original author pointed out, many beaches have a restaurant/bar on them. Each has its own unique style though, which is nice. We loved the following: Crocus Bay (great bar/restaurant, average beach quality), Captain's Bay (NOTHING near this beach, so VERY isolated. Probably our favorite Caribbean beach on ANY island), Meads Bay (picturesque, awesome sunsets, great places for late afternoon stroll and drinks), Shoal Bay East (Anguilla's signature beach and rightly so. Very cool, good restaurants and bars, yet probably the most crowded), Rendezvous Bay (where Cuisinart is, as well as Bankie Bank's place...a MUST visit).
Bottom line is I would NOT recommend that you stay at a resort the entire time, but only because there is SO much to see on the island. If you DO stay at a resort the entire time, be sure to rent a car at least HALF the time you're there to explore.
The rest of the time we stayed in Jasmine Villa. I HIGHLY recommend this villa to a couple or two couples. Probably not a family. But for us, it was perfect. Very cozy, great location, nice view, VERY well maintained, and I thought it was a great value. The villa has one bedroom upstairs, and then downstairs is the kitchen, living and dining areas. The Pool and lanai are attached to this building. Then, there's a separate building about 15 feet away with another bedroom and full bath, which makes it very private for two couples to enjoy together, yet still maintain some privacy.
We loved many different parts of the island, because as the original author pointed out, many beaches have a restaurant/bar on them. Each has its own unique style though, which is nice. We loved the following: Crocus Bay (great bar/restaurant, average beach quality), Captain's Bay (NOTHING near this beach, so VERY isolated. Probably our favorite Caribbean beach on ANY island), Meads Bay (picturesque, awesome sunsets, great places for late afternoon stroll and drinks), Shoal Bay East (Anguilla's signature beach and rightly so. Very cool, good restaurants and bars, yet probably the most crowded), Rendezvous Bay (where Cuisinart is, as well as Bankie Bank's place...a MUST visit).
Bottom line is I would NOT recommend that you stay at a resort the entire time, but only because there is SO much to see on the island. If you DO stay at a resort the entire time, be sure to rent a car at least HALF the time you're there to explore.
VH,
You are an amazing writer of travel. Thank you and please continue to share your adventures.
What I enjoy the most is that you are so flexible and willing to pretty much become one with the culture that you are traveling with. Consider yourself (and hubby) probably one of the best couples that any foriegner would enjoy to show off their country or island to. We try to do the same when traveling. The respect one has, yet combined with the fear of the what ifs is an incredible balance when traveling and you balance it so well.
Please continue to send your travels to us.
Terry
You are an amazing writer of travel. Thank you and please continue to share your adventures.
What I enjoy the most is that you are so flexible and willing to pretty much become one with the culture that you are traveling with. Consider yourself (and hubby) probably one of the best couples that any foriegner would enjoy to show off their country or island to. We try to do the same when traveling. The respect one has, yet combined with the fear of the what ifs is an incredible balance when traveling and you balance it so well.
Please continue to send your travels to us.
Terry
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Berlingirl
- Posts: 499
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:09 pm
- Location: New England
VickiH...you are such a talented writer and photographer that I don't doubt you could probably make a trip to the North Pole in the dead of winter appear like the trip of a lifetime. 
Great report on Anguilla. I've booked it a number of times for clients as well as my own little brothers honeymoon a couple of years ago!!! He and his wife are mega foodies and loved every minute there. They stayed at Cusinart the entire time. I read "A trip to the Beach" a few years ago myself and have been wanting to visit too, but alas...the family votes for the USVI win every election in my house. I'm ever hopeful though...someday!
Great report on Anguilla. I've booked it a number of times for clients as well as my own little brothers honeymoon a couple of years ago!!! He and his wife are mega foodies and loved every minute there. They stayed at Cusinart the entire time. I read "A trip to the Beach" a few years ago myself and have been wanting to visit too, but alas...the family votes for the USVI win every election in my house. I'm ever hopeful though...someday!
Hoping for a USVI ticker in 2013!