hamlet

My husband and I would like to go on vacation in late April or early May, mainly for some R&R. We are thinking about St. Kitts or Anguilla, unless we get another idea. The “problems” are 1) I recently suffered a leg injury and am recovering from knee surgery. I can walk, but am required to use crutches for now. I anticipate this will not be the case after a month, but I should still avoid physical danger/exertion. 2) We’re thinking 5-7 days for the trip so we don’t want to spend too much time from NYC getting somewhere and back. 3) We actually don’t want to go at this time, but are most likely limited to this window of opportunity until September or so when we usually go away, so we think we ought to take advantage of it. 4) Since this is a trip we really didn’t plan on (it’s a substitute for what we wanted to do but can’t, due to my injury) we don’t want to splurge, but just have a comfortably priced trip.

So our only idea is to go to the beach. My husband loves the beach, I don’t love it, it’s just OK for me. I really need other stuff to entertain me… sightseeing, eating, shopping, etc. Do you think St. Kitts or Anguilla is a good fit? We chose these islands because these are 2 we have never been to and we think are doable pricewise.

For St. Kitts, we can get decent airfare and we have connections that get us a very good rate at the Marriott, but I hear that the beach there may be rough – maybe too rough for my condition? Is it a hassle to stay at Marriott but go to the beach elsewhere? Is there enough besides the beach to keep us busy over 5-6 days? I expect we would day trip to Nevis, unless we really ought to spend a night or two there.

For Anguilla, air fares to SXM are very low and I’ve seen hotel prices about double what we would pay on St. Kitts. But is it better for beachgoing, and calmer waters for me? I get the impression there are fewer sights and activities to keep me occupied? I may enjoy the cuisine, but will the dinner bills really break the bank? Is the ferry service to St. Martin reliable – would we need to get there the night before the outbound flight to make sure we can catch our plane?

If you’ve been to both of these places and have any suggestions or thoughts, please share with me. Thanks.

RoamsAround

First off, you shoul;d know that American Airlines has two non-stop flights (Wednesdays and Sundays) a week from JFK to SKB so getting to that island is not all that difficult. The fight leaves around 10AM and you can be on-island by arround 2PM - all very easy. As for the beaches on SKB, if you don't want to use the one at the Marriott there are several on the Caribbean side of the island that have calm waters. The closest is lees than three miuntes by car and the furthest one is probably less than 15 minutes away. The island offers plenty of sights to see (the Fortress at Brimstone Hill, the Batik Factory at Romney Mannor, the Petroglyphics, the Black Rocks, historic buildings, old ruins, rain forests and much more), some very good duty free shopping and a variety of restaurants in all price ranges. Cost wise it will probably be less expensive than Anguilla.

Anguilla, on the other hand, is more difficult to get to so you'll spend more time travelling. The island is flat, arid and ratrher featureless. Anguilla is all about beaches (35) and restaurants (80+). Other than sitting on the beach and dining out there's not much else to do. Shopping is non-existant except for the ubiquitious tourist oriented t-shirt and trinket shops. Anguilla is considered an "expensive island" so prepare your pocketbook. Yes, you'll spend more for your accomodations and meals on Anguilla than on St. Kitts.

hamlet

Thanks for the reply. I was leaning towards St. Kitts, but something about Anguilla was grabbing me...

ejcrowe

For me, and I imagine for most people flying out of a non-hub airport in the north east, getting to Anguilla and to St. Kitts is pretty comparable--fly to San Juan and then make one connection to Anguilla. So even if you don't get your nonstop out of JFK that the previous poster refers to, you can still be on the beach by mid-afternoon.

It's very easy to get to other beaches from the Marriott on St. Kitts. If you rent a car or take a cab, it's less than a 5 minute drive away to get to South Frigate Bay, which is the main Caribbean beach that is lined up & down with beach bars, sitting next to Timothy Beach Resort. If you weren't on crutches it would even be an easy walk from the Marriott. Turtle Beach, Cockleshell Beach and the other beach whose name eludes me are all about a 10-15 drive away on the southeast peninsula. Again, very easy driving. I'd recommend renting your own car so that you can go to & fro on your own.

Usually I'd recommend the old Brimstone fortress, but with your mobility issues it might not be the best thing. It's an amazing sight, though.

Circumnavigating the island is pretty easy to do on your own and you'll see beautiful overlooks out to the sea, brilliant green sugar cane fields, and lots of donkeys, goats, & sheep. Not to mention the fun monkeys! And Mt. Liamuiga is always there, towering above the island. It's a beautiful drive, and stopping for lunch and a few other photo ops should take anywhere from 3-4 hours, depending on how long you linger at your stops.

There's also the train around St. Kitts. I've never ridden it, as at $95 pp it was pretty pricey and I was happy to take my rental car around to see other things, but I crossed paths with it on the island and it looks like a very fun & easy way to get around without having to worry about a thing.

SKBFAN1

For more information on St. Kitts visit www.discover-stkitts-nevis-beaches.com, www.stkittstourism.kn and www.myislands.myeyez.net

Anguillagirl

If your husband is a real beach guy I really strongly recommend Anguilla. There is nothing else that even comes close to comparing with the island's many beaches. St. Kitts doesn't have nearly as white of sand or blue, blue water. Yes, the water is calm at certain beaches and very warm.
You'll be going in the low season so prices will be much more reasonable. I recommend KU. It's very reasonabally priced and on a wonderful beach.
Yes, there isn't really any shopping, but tons of fun restaurants and beach bars to explore. Quite frankly, you need nothing more than a good book and the beach. You get so mesmerized by the beach you soon don't care about anything else.
I also really like the Anguillan people. They are very kind. I highly recommend a visit here.

ejcrowe

anguillagirl, I agree that if both hamlet and her husband loved the beach that Anguilla would be the superior choice. But she has already said that "it's just okay" for her and that she needs other things to do for a vacation.

beachdreams3

Have you considered spending a couple of nights on St. Martin if you go to Anguilla? That may be a good compromise between your desire for more sightseeing, shopping, etc. and your husband's desire for great beaches. It sounds like you are looking at flights into SXM anyway, so it would be pretty easy to add a night or two there. I haven't been myself, but from everything I have read, SXM is not relaxing, but it might balance out the quieter Anguilla atmosphere. St. Martin also is supposed to have great restaurants and lots of shopping.

coppertone80

I agree with Beachdreams3. I absolutely loved the beaches at Anguilla, but other than eating and laying on the beach, there is not much to do. St. Marten is an awesome island and easy to get to from Anguilla (30 minute ferry ride - rt $75 for two). St. Marten is very hilly and it's great to rent a jeep and tour the island and beaches. There's a lot of culture there too which was a great experience. I would also recommend the KU as it's on the best beach on Anguilla. We stayed on the Dutch side at the Sonesta Maho which I recommend for all ages. But if I went again I would stay in a timeshare/condo/villa in the Simpson Bay area. Stay on the Dutch side if you decide to spend a few nights on St. Marten. You will not be disappointed on eithe of these islands! Have fun!