Anguilla trip report, February 2011
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 7:05 am
After many trips to STJ, my dear husband and our dear, best-est friends staged a rebellion and decided they wanted to see something new for our annual winter trip together.
So they overruled me 3 to 1 and the search began. Anguilla has been on the wish list ever since I read A Trip to the Beach many years ago. VickiH’s trip report was all it took to convince us we had to check out Anguilla.
In order to be on-island for my 40th birthday, we had to travel over President’s Weekend. First shock of the trip, insanely high airfare! We waffled back and forth between flying from Philly direct to San Juan and taking Anguilla Air Express to Anguilla or flying from our local airport to St. Maarten (SXM) and ferrying over to Anguilla.
Eliminating the Philly overnight trip led us to the SXM route and we took USAir thru Charlotte to SXM. SXM is a nice, modern airport and we were met outside arrivals by Funtime Charters.
We decided to book a private transfer from the SXM airport to Anguilla. Funtime leaves right across the street from the airport, which sealed the deal for us. After we got out of the Funtime van, the rep asks us if we mind sharing our private boat with another party, which reduced our cost from $90 pp to $55. (drinks included!) No problem we said and it turns out the other party was sitting right next to us on the plane.
I have been on my fair share of boats, crossing the North Sea via ferry, off-shore fishing off the coast of New England in weather, sailing with my grandparents in high wind. I will say I was never as nervous as I was during our trip between SXM and Anguilla.
We motored broadside to huge swells half the time and crashed over the swells the other half. Once, it seemed like we free-fell 15 feet right into a trough with a deafening crack that sounded like it split the hull in two. The first mate scrambled below, which didn’t ease my fears. Turns out, he was fetching us more Red Stripes, which were gratefully accepted. The woman next to me was close to tears, she was so scared. Our 5 yo son was catching air as the boat dropped over the swells until I ran my arm up the back of his shirt and held on to his collar with a death grip. (The rough water dominated the entire vacation)
Thankfully, the return trip was eventful. We had also booked a private transfer on return but when we checked in; Funtime waved off that reservation, asked us for $25 for the regular fee and put us on a larger, shared boat. There are a number of private ferry companies operating between SXM and Anguilla, offering all sorts of arrangements, and based on the departure terminal, it appears to be a popular option for the island residents.
The villa rental agent arranged for a rental vehicle from Gumbsie. I can’t remember the model but it was a new four door SUV at a rate of $50 per day (no tax). It could not have been easier. I was told to expect the vehicle to be waiting for us at the house (it was) and that Gumbsie would “find us some time” (he did).
We rented a 3BR house right behind the Carimar and Malliouhana resorts on Meads Bay. The house was a short walk, maybe one minute from the house, to the beach. A very nice feature of the house was our own lounge chair and umbrella on the beach.
Link to the house –
http://www.twinpalmsvillas.com/
We really liked the house and would consider it again for our next Anguilla trip. Anguilla architecture is different than what you see on STJ. I read somewhere than many of the old island homes were destroyed during a hurricane (maybe Earl?) and were replaced with all concrete structures.
Our rental was lovely, clean lines with lots of mahogany doors and louvered shutters. Other houses in the neighborhood had similar features. Fun elements seen from our porch –
Anguilla’s version of cell towers –
These owners must be happy people –
Beaches
Anguilla beach access is quite nice. Every beach we visited had plenty of parking partially right on the beach. This was nice not to worry about whether or not there was a place to park when we arrived at the beach.
Also, every beach we visited had some sort of bar/restaurant, most seemed to have chairs and umbrellas for use if you were visiting their establishment, also a nice feature. We planned on eating at the beach every day so it was great to have access to an umbrella set up.
Beach pics –
Anguilla beaches are very lovely, wide and clean. One day on Barnes Bay we ran into a couple wearing Penn State hats and struck up a conversation. Turns out they also were cheating on STJ.
The water during our visit was very, very rough. After a couple of days, I really missed STJ. We were on Anguilla 10 days and we got in the water three times, it was that rough. The woman at Sandy Island told me conditions were typical for January, February and March.
The day I took the pictures below, we could literally feel the pounding of the waves coming up through the sand.
Yacht spotting –
Boaters might know about “A”, which is a crazy huge, extravagant yacht built by some Russian oligarch that caused a huge fuss when it was launched. We had read about it in the WSJ or some other publication.
Well, one morning Mr. PA was having coffee up in the tower and look was pulls up in front of our beach –
Later, it was joined by its buddies, apparently the owner of these yachts travel with the “A” –
I didn’t go down to the beach that afternoon but the guys did and reported there were several tents set up with many large, menacing men guarding the perimeter.
That evening, we watched the launch ferry guest from the boat to the beach. After dark, the boats were quite bright with deck and underwater lights.
There are a number of island off of Anguilla that are home to small restaurants/bars. We spent one day at Sandy Island. We called that morning and arranged for them to pick us up at the dock. ($5 boat ride, round trip)
Sandy Island –
Sandy Island lunch, I think this lobster was $40, including three sides, which was by far the best deal on Anguilla –
Mr. PA and I split a share platter of shrimp, ribs and a lobster as big as the one shown above, with three sides each for $90. Little PA’s adult chicken dish was $15 with sides.
We loved our day at Sandy Island – great food and a great beach. I only wish we would have arrived earlier in the day as they close at 4pm.
Anguillans think nothing of letting 5 yo tourists drive the shuttle boats! –
(I nearly freaked out when I turned around and saw this. We were going fast!)
Food, Food, Food!
The restaurants on Anguilla are incredible, truly fantastic!
I read that Anguilla restricts beachfront land to restaurant and resort development because this type of development provides good jobs. (All places charge an automatic 15% service fee that goes straight to the employees) Every restaurant but two we visited were located on the beach. Most had local chefs, local as in born on the island, who specialized in local ingredients.
At Oliver’s, we had stingray. Another night, I have curried goat and Mr. PA had parrot fish or maybe it was trigger fish, it is all a blur. I also had conch for several meals, typically prepared in a curry sauce. Every restaurant had numerous fresh fish specials nightly as well as grilled crayfish (smaller lobsters) and lobsters.
BBQ is also popular on the island and we saw many back yard BBQ set ups all over the island. The ribs were consistently good.
In no particular order, we visited:
Picante – twice – really good Mexican.
Sandy Island
Lucy’s – local and very good, casual
Malliouhana – beach restaurant and Michel Rostang (see Odds and Ends for the wacky story)
Straw Hat
Tasty’s – local cuisine, very good
Oliver’s – very good but very pricey
Mango’s – wonderful seafood
Fireflys
Smokey’s
A beach bar on Rendezvous, can’t remember the name
Hank & Marlins
Luna Rosa
Roy’s
Prior to our trip, I posted on two travel different travel forums to ask if we should make reservations prior arriving on Anguilla. No, no, no everyone said, that is crazy, just call that afternoon. Ha! What a mistake! The first three days we called at least three places each day only to be told they were completely booked for that night and for the coming days.
Odds and Ends
Anguilla is sort of, to make up a word, “sceney.” People dress up much more than they do on STJ. It was not unusual to see women in full resort dress, lots of jewelry, high heels, etc. and the men wearing pink pants, long sleeve pastel linen shirts, Gucci-looking loafers and sweaters tied around the shoulders.
Someone in the group joked that Anguilla is a “heavy metal” island – serious gold, diamonds and status watches day (yes, on the beach) and night.
At Smokey’s, a woman toddled in wearing skin tight white jeans, 3+ inch stilettos, a pink tweed blazer, ropes of a certain brand of jewelry I see advertised in the WSJ all the time and a huge white Chanel purse on her arm – for lunch, at 1 pm, in 85 degree weather…..go figure.
Mr. PA and I ate lunch at the Malliouhana on Valentine’s Day and it was a strange experience.
We arrived around noon and were told that “someone is still finishing breakfast” and did we mind sitting at the bar (around the corner) until those guest were finished? I didn’t argue (we weren’t in any hurry) but I thought it was strange as the place is huge and when I looked down, there were only two people in the entire restaurant. Later, I heard another table name dropping Hollywood names, which made me wonder if they didn’t shut the entire restaurant down for Mr./Mrs. Star.
The restaurant at the Malliouhana is stunning. It is completely open and sits on a cliff, fantastic views of the ocean and the beach below. There must be 50 tables right along the rail (maybe more) and we were seated at one of these tables.
Another couple walks in and is seated several tables away, also along the railing. After their drink order was taken, the woman jumps up and runs over to their waiter and starts waving the menu in his face and yelling about ordering her salad RIGHT NOW! The waiter calms her down and walks her back to the table.
Seconds later, the husband jumps up and starts waving his arms in the air (I am not exaggerating) and yelling that he needs more expansive views! The waiter scurries over and the man just goes on and on about how their table was unacceptable and, hopping around, gesturing with his arms, they “need a more expansive view, don’t you understand?” It was truly bizarre. I reminded me of the scene in Terms of Endearment when Shirley McClain’s character is chasing the nurses around yelling “give my daughter the shot!”
The waiter asked them which table they would like and of course, they come and sit right next to us. They spent the entire lunch loudly complaining about being seated at the first table, like it was the biggest disappointment of their lives. Seriously, there wasn’t a bad table in the place. My husband asked me if he could tell them to shut the F$@# up.
The amazing thing was that the waiter was completely unaffected by their behavior. He treated them like I do my 5 yo when he has a meltdown, talking to them like one would speak to an irrational child.
All three of us came down with horrible colds (head and chest) as soon as we arrived on the island and by the third day, we decided to go to the doctor. It was a very pleasant experience. My husband left a message and as soon as the office opened, they called and had us in within two hours. The female doctor was very thorough and gave us her cell number in case we had any concerns. The pharmacy was on site and we were on the beach by 11am. I can’t remember the name but the decongestant she prescribed was a wonder drug, it cleared everything out in minutes. Charge for the office visit - $90 for the adults, pp and $70 for our son.
Overall, we really liked Anguilla and will return during the summer but we missed many elements of our typical STJ vacation. We enjoy strolling around Cruz Bay at night and there isn’t anything like that on Anguilla. I desperately missed being able to snorkel and play in the water with our son. Food and drink on Anguilla is more expensive than STJ and after 10 days, we were ready for more simple dining options.
While on Anguilla, we visited an elementary school. An American woman started a program to bring books to island schools. The teachers post a wish list on the website and the basic idea is bring a book in your beach bag. There are drop off locations all over the island. The teacher at our son’s school let me order book through their supplier and we took a large bag of books along and dropped them off at the school. (I had been in contact with the principal prior to our trip, we didn’t just show up.) It was a wonderful experience. The kindergarten teacher had our son sit in on her class while the principal took us on a tour.
Anguillan public schools are very different than US schools. All the students wear uniforms and are so polite. Children attend the school closest to where the parents work, not wear they live. The particular school we visited was attended by children whose parents work at the hotels along Meads Bay. The school hours correspond with the hotel shift hours so the parents can drop off and pick up on the way to and from work.
So they overruled me 3 to 1 and the search began. Anguilla has been on the wish list ever since I read A Trip to the Beach many years ago. VickiH’s trip report was all it took to convince us we had to check out Anguilla.
In order to be on-island for my 40th birthday, we had to travel over President’s Weekend. First shock of the trip, insanely high airfare! We waffled back and forth between flying from Philly direct to San Juan and taking Anguilla Air Express to Anguilla or flying from our local airport to St. Maarten (SXM) and ferrying over to Anguilla.
Eliminating the Philly overnight trip led us to the SXM route and we took USAir thru Charlotte to SXM. SXM is a nice, modern airport and we were met outside arrivals by Funtime Charters.
We decided to book a private transfer from the SXM airport to Anguilla. Funtime leaves right across the street from the airport, which sealed the deal for us. After we got out of the Funtime van, the rep asks us if we mind sharing our private boat with another party, which reduced our cost from $90 pp to $55. (drinks included!) No problem we said and it turns out the other party was sitting right next to us on the plane.
I have been on my fair share of boats, crossing the North Sea via ferry, off-shore fishing off the coast of New England in weather, sailing with my grandparents in high wind. I will say I was never as nervous as I was during our trip between SXM and Anguilla.
We motored broadside to huge swells half the time and crashed over the swells the other half. Once, it seemed like we free-fell 15 feet right into a trough with a deafening crack that sounded like it split the hull in two. The first mate scrambled below, which didn’t ease my fears. Turns out, he was fetching us more Red Stripes, which were gratefully accepted. The woman next to me was close to tears, she was so scared. Our 5 yo son was catching air as the boat dropped over the swells until I ran my arm up the back of his shirt and held on to his collar with a death grip. (The rough water dominated the entire vacation)
Thankfully, the return trip was eventful. We had also booked a private transfer on return but when we checked in; Funtime waved off that reservation, asked us for $25 for the regular fee and put us on a larger, shared boat. There are a number of private ferry companies operating between SXM and Anguilla, offering all sorts of arrangements, and based on the departure terminal, it appears to be a popular option for the island residents.
The villa rental agent arranged for a rental vehicle from Gumbsie. I can’t remember the model but it was a new four door SUV at a rate of $50 per day (no tax). It could not have been easier. I was told to expect the vehicle to be waiting for us at the house (it was) and that Gumbsie would “find us some time” (he did).
We rented a 3BR house right behind the Carimar and Malliouhana resorts on Meads Bay. The house was a short walk, maybe one minute from the house, to the beach. A very nice feature of the house was our own lounge chair and umbrella on the beach.
Link to the house –
http://www.twinpalmsvillas.com/
We really liked the house and would consider it again for our next Anguilla trip. Anguilla architecture is different than what you see on STJ. I read somewhere than many of the old island homes were destroyed during a hurricane (maybe Earl?) and were replaced with all concrete structures.
Our rental was lovely, clean lines with lots of mahogany doors and louvered shutters. Other houses in the neighborhood had similar features. Fun elements seen from our porch –
Anguilla’s version of cell towers –
These owners must be happy people –
Beaches
Anguilla beach access is quite nice. Every beach we visited had plenty of parking partially right on the beach. This was nice not to worry about whether or not there was a place to park when we arrived at the beach.
Also, every beach we visited had some sort of bar/restaurant, most seemed to have chairs and umbrellas for use if you were visiting their establishment, also a nice feature. We planned on eating at the beach every day so it was great to have access to an umbrella set up.
Beach pics –
Anguilla beaches are very lovely, wide and clean. One day on Barnes Bay we ran into a couple wearing Penn State hats and struck up a conversation. Turns out they also were cheating on STJ.
The water during our visit was very, very rough. After a couple of days, I really missed STJ. We were on Anguilla 10 days and we got in the water three times, it was that rough. The woman at Sandy Island told me conditions were typical for January, February and March.
The day I took the pictures below, we could literally feel the pounding of the waves coming up through the sand.
Yacht spotting –
Boaters might know about “A”, which is a crazy huge, extravagant yacht built by some Russian oligarch that caused a huge fuss when it was launched. We had read about it in the WSJ or some other publication.
Well, one morning Mr. PA was having coffee up in the tower and look was pulls up in front of our beach –
Later, it was joined by its buddies, apparently the owner of these yachts travel with the “A” –
I didn’t go down to the beach that afternoon but the guys did and reported there were several tents set up with many large, menacing men guarding the perimeter.
That evening, we watched the launch ferry guest from the boat to the beach. After dark, the boats were quite bright with deck and underwater lights.
There are a number of island off of Anguilla that are home to small restaurants/bars. We spent one day at Sandy Island. We called that morning and arranged for them to pick us up at the dock. ($5 boat ride, round trip)
Sandy Island –
Sandy Island lunch, I think this lobster was $40, including three sides, which was by far the best deal on Anguilla –
Mr. PA and I split a share platter of shrimp, ribs and a lobster as big as the one shown above, with three sides each for $90. Little PA’s adult chicken dish was $15 with sides.
We loved our day at Sandy Island – great food and a great beach. I only wish we would have arrived earlier in the day as they close at 4pm.
Anguillans think nothing of letting 5 yo tourists drive the shuttle boats! –
(I nearly freaked out when I turned around and saw this. We were going fast!)
Food, Food, Food!
The restaurants on Anguilla are incredible, truly fantastic!
I read that Anguilla restricts beachfront land to restaurant and resort development because this type of development provides good jobs. (All places charge an automatic 15% service fee that goes straight to the employees) Every restaurant but two we visited were located on the beach. Most had local chefs, local as in born on the island, who specialized in local ingredients.
At Oliver’s, we had stingray. Another night, I have curried goat and Mr. PA had parrot fish or maybe it was trigger fish, it is all a blur. I also had conch for several meals, typically prepared in a curry sauce. Every restaurant had numerous fresh fish specials nightly as well as grilled crayfish (smaller lobsters) and lobsters.
BBQ is also popular on the island and we saw many back yard BBQ set ups all over the island. The ribs were consistently good.
In no particular order, we visited:
Picante – twice – really good Mexican.
Sandy Island
Lucy’s – local and very good, casual
Malliouhana – beach restaurant and Michel Rostang (see Odds and Ends for the wacky story)
Straw Hat
Tasty’s – local cuisine, very good
Oliver’s – very good but very pricey
Mango’s – wonderful seafood
Fireflys
Smokey’s
A beach bar on Rendezvous, can’t remember the name
Hank & Marlins
Luna Rosa
Roy’s
Prior to our trip, I posted on two travel different travel forums to ask if we should make reservations prior arriving on Anguilla. No, no, no everyone said, that is crazy, just call that afternoon. Ha! What a mistake! The first three days we called at least three places each day only to be told they were completely booked for that night and for the coming days.
Odds and Ends
Anguilla is sort of, to make up a word, “sceney.” People dress up much more than they do on STJ. It was not unusual to see women in full resort dress, lots of jewelry, high heels, etc. and the men wearing pink pants, long sleeve pastel linen shirts, Gucci-looking loafers and sweaters tied around the shoulders.
Someone in the group joked that Anguilla is a “heavy metal” island – serious gold, diamonds and status watches day (yes, on the beach) and night.
At Smokey’s, a woman toddled in wearing skin tight white jeans, 3+ inch stilettos, a pink tweed blazer, ropes of a certain brand of jewelry I see advertised in the WSJ all the time and a huge white Chanel purse on her arm – for lunch, at 1 pm, in 85 degree weather…..go figure.
Mr. PA and I ate lunch at the Malliouhana on Valentine’s Day and it was a strange experience.
We arrived around noon and were told that “someone is still finishing breakfast” and did we mind sitting at the bar (around the corner) until those guest were finished? I didn’t argue (we weren’t in any hurry) but I thought it was strange as the place is huge and when I looked down, there were only two people in the entire restaurant. Later, I heard another table name dropping Hollywood names, which made me wonder if they didn’t shut the entire restaurant down for Mr./Mrs. Star.
The restaurant at the Malliouhana is stunning. It is completely open and sits on a cliff, fantastic views of the ocean and the beach below. There must be 50 tables right along the rail (maybe more) and we were seated at one of these tables.
Another couple walks in and is seated several tables away, also along the railing. After their drink order was taken, the woman jumps up and runs over to their waiter and starts waving the menu in his face and yelling about ordering her salad RIGHT NOW! The waiter calms her down and walks her back to the table.
Seconds later, the husband jumps up and starts waving his arms in the air (I am not exaggerating) and yelling that he needs more expansive views! The waiter scurries over and the man just goes on and on about how their table was unacceptable and, hopping around, gesturing with his arms, they “need a more expansive view, don’t you understand?” It was truly bizarre. I reminded me of the scene in Terms of Endearment when Shirley McClain’s character is chasing the nurses around yelling “give my daughter the shot!”
The waiter asked them which table they would like and of course, they come and sit right next to us. They spent the entire lunch loudly complaining about being seated at the first table, like it was the biggest disappointment of their lives. Seriously, there wasn’t a bad table in the place. My husband asked me if he could tell them to shut the F$@# up.
The amazing thing was that the waiter was completely unaffected by their behavior. He treated them like I do my 5 yo when he has a meltdown, talking to them like one would speak to an irrational child.
All three of us came down with horrible colds (head and chest) as soon as we arrived on the island and by the third day, we decided to go to the doctor. It was a very pleasant experience. My husband left a message and as soon as the office opened, they called and had us in within two hours. The female doctor was very thorough and gave us her cell number in case we had any concerns. The pharmacy was on site and we were on the beach by 11am. I can’t remember the name but the decongestant she prescribed was a wonder drug, it cleared everything out in minutes. Charge for the office visit - $90 for the adults, pp and $70 for our son.
Overall, we really liked Anguilla and will return during the summer but we missed many elements of our typical STJ vacation. We enjoy strolling around Cruz Bay at night and there isn’t anything like that on Anguilla. I desperately missed being able to snorkel and play in the water with our son. Food and drink on Anguilla is more expensive than STJ and after 10 days, we were ready for more simple dining options.
While on Anguilla, we visited an elementary school. An American woman started a program to bring books to island schools. The teachers post a wish list on the website and the basic idea is bring a book in your beach bag. There are drop off locations all over the island. The teacher at our son’s school let me order book through their supplier and we took a large bag of books along and dropped them off at the school. (I had been in contact with the principal prior to our trip, we didn’t just show up.) It was a wonderful experience. The kindergarten teacher had our son sit in on her class while the principal took us on a tour.
Anguillan public schools are very different than US schools. All the students wear uniforms and are so polite. Children attend the school closest to where the parents work, not wear they live. The particular school we visited was attended by children whose parents work at the hotels along Meads Bay. The school hours correspond with the hotel shift hours so the parents can drop off and pick up on the way to and from work.
- although I have seen much the same thing happening on STJ more and more over the years too.