ANGUILLA for MOM and DAUGHTER??
 

Hi There.
My mom and I are planning a Caribbean getaway this May and we're trying to decide where we want to go. We've traveled all over the Caribbean to MANY different islands, but there are a couple of places we have not been...including Anguila and Grenada. We are thinking seriously about going to Anguilla but we would appreciate some much needed knowledge from anyone who has ever been there.
Basically we're looking for a very modest place ($90-$200 a night), but that is comfortable and VERY close to the beach as well. We wouldn't mind a place with AC units. Having a nice beach is VERY important to us. Also, we like to be able to sit down and have lunch and to have a nice dinner a few days a week somwhere that is in very close proximity to where we are staying. We like to enjoy ourselves at night as well...have a cocktail, listen to music, etc.
Does anyone have ANY recommendations on where to stay in Anguilla that would fit this description?
I'm 23 years old and basically my mom and I just want to get a away for a week or so and have a very relaxing trip where we are NOT croweded by tons of tourists...but at the same time, where we can find the nightlife if we so choose.
Any other general info. on Anguilla would help a lot too!
Any ideas?
What about Grenada?
We would GREATLY appreciate any advice!
Thanks!

Modest place is hard to come by in Anguilla, it's a pricey destination. You would also need a car to get around, as nothing is really walkable. Having said that, Anguilla has some of the most stunning beaches in the world. It also has easy access to St. Martin for great shopping and activities.
Grenada is completely different from Anguilla. Grenada is lush and hilly. It would fit your budget more. You can do a day trip to Carrioccou (spelling?) and Sandy Island which is pretty cool.
I personally love Anguilla alot more than Grenada.

Well we've already found two places that are pretty cheap (the Rendevous and the Carimar) and we've been told that you can definitly find more. Do you know anything about these two places? I know that Anguilla is supposed to be full of luxury resorts but I know that there has to be some inexpensive places to stay as well.

Ku, Mandeariman and Shoal Bay Villas are on the fabulous Shoal Bay East which has a number of beach bars & a couple of restaurants so you could start there & then get a car to explore some of the other 33 fabulous beaches!

What is the webstite for the Mandearamin? We cannot find it!
Thanks!

I agree with Mary's D's suggestion of Shoal Bay East and the hotels she recommended. Both of these hotels should fall within your price range in May and they both have air conditioning. The beach there is absolutely stunning and there's more going on there as far as nearby restaurants, music, etc., than the other main tourist beaches.

Two other Shoal Bay East hotels you should also consider are the Allamanda Beach Club (http://allamanda.ai/) and Serenity Cottage (http://www.serenity.ai/). Both are just a few feet from the beach and are very clean and nicely maintained (including air conditioning). They're also both within your price range and are adjacent to excellent restaurants (Zara's and Serenity's, respectively).

I'd still recommend that you rent a car for at least a few days so that you can explore some of Anguilla's other beaches, restaurants and nightlife spots.

www.mandeariman.com -- www.hotels.ai has a fairly complete list of resorts & web sites.

I would suggest Allamanda - reasonable and it has a following that has been returning for years and years. I have not stayed there - stayed on Rendezvous Beach but it was too windy - but this is the place I would choose - based on previous extensive research.

I can't seem to find the mandeariman anywhere.Could it have changed names? Thanks!

Try http://www.madeariman.com/.

One more quick question, what's the difference in terms of the beach and water on shoal bay versus meads bay, or even rendezous? Which do you prefer? THANKS!

All 3 are gorgeous -- turquoise water; white powdery sand; long for nice walks. There's more snorkeling off the beach at Shoal Bay East and there are more beach bars (actually none at Meads Bay) and live music some days. Meads gets deeper faster than the other 2 and can be a bit rough; Rendezvous has gorgeous views of St. Martin (the other 2 are Atlantic beaches). We love them all & we go to different beaches all of the time when we're there.