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My wife and I are planning a 7-10 day trip to the Caribbean. We are down-to-earth people who enjoy being comfortable but don't seek out "luxury" resorts per se. We enjoyed the low-key non-resorty St Croix and found it to be reasonable in terms of cost with lots to do and see besides the beach (which we both enjoy but not to the exclusion of other things). I have also traveled to Curacao, and Puerto Rico and enjoyed them in a similar way as St Croix. We are looking to splurge somewhat for this trip so have looked into flying into St Maarten, and spending half of our vacation in St Barts or Anguilla, but wonder whether $500 a day is really worth it (if we can even find something around this price on the beach in mid-February at all!) Other options are to return to where we've been, stay in St Maarten the whole time or choose a moderately priced island like St Lucia or Aruba. In short, what do St Barts or Anguilla offer to justify the expensive cost of food and lodging that my research shows to be the norm - are there any "deals" to be had? Thanks so much, and I'd be glad to share details about where we've been with other travelers if so asked....
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St. Barts - Overrated or Worth Every Euro?
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St. Barts is like a slice of the French Rivera in the Caribbean, in that the island is mostly white and, of course, French. Very chic, very pricey, good restaurants, shopping. Very limited sightseeing or historical sites. Beaches no better than many other places, and not lush tropical like a Grenada, St.Lucia, Martinique. IMO not worth big bucks. Having said that, there will be many here who rave about the island.
I'm another one that agrees with xkenx. It's gorgeous, I'm glad I went, I would return for a couple of days, but my tastes run more towards flat dry gorgeous beach islands like Anguilla.
To me, it sounds like you would get more out of staying in St. Martin the whole time, it seems more in tune to what you describe your tastes are.
However, the beauty of St. Martin is you can do day trips to Anguilla and St. Barth fairly easy, so not only are you staying within your budget and comfort, but you can explore the 2 additional completely different islands! Sounds like a win situation to me!
There are some reasonable places on SBH that I think you would enjoy, like Village St. Jean, Baie des Anges, and Salines Garden Cottages. But as long as the euro so very high, everything is going to be super duper expensive-- even buying groceries, and cooking for yourself, when its $1.50-ish to the euro. Anguilla, however, is dollar based, and there are lots of deals to be had, especially outside of the Christmas holiday period. Many of the properties are offering good deals, there are prix fixe options in some of the top hotels, and lots of local places that are very reasonable.
Here's my $.02 (or E.02) - a lot of travelers who ask "Is it worth it?" are sometimes budget conscious. It that describes you then chances are you won't enjoy extended stays on St. Barth's or Anguilla since they are among the more expensive destinations in the Caribbean. True, there are always a few places on any island that can be done "on a budget" but those are the exceptions not the norm for St. Barth's and Anguilla.
While Anguilla has some of the finest beaches in the Caribbean and St. Barth's has a special "French Rivera" flair if you are constantly counting your nickels you are not going to enjoy the experience as much as if you were not so concerned about price.
Do as blamona suggests and stay on St. Martin but plan on doing day trips to either Anguilla, St. Barth's or perhaps both. That way you'll get a first hand taste of what each island has to offer without exceeding your vacation budget. You can then decide if either island is a place you want to visit for an extended stay on your next trip to the Caribbean.
We've enjoyed both islands. St. Barth's is very French and very expensive----having just returned from France, I can tell you the exchange rate from Euros hurts. Is St. Barth's wonderful? Yes, if you have the bucks and enjoy the French atmosphere.
Anguilla is a little easier on the budget. Absolutely gorgeous beaches and some very high priced, stunning properties. Then there is www.sbvillas.ai A bit older property, but right on one of the most beautiful beaches we've ever been on---and I do mean your room is right on the sand. Check it out. it may be what you're looking for.