Anguilla Honeymoon?
 

I am planning my honeymoon in Anguilla for May '04 and it is down to Frangipani, Carimar, Shoal Bay Villas, and Madeariman. If anybody has any advice on these accomodations, please let me know

That sure is a broad spectrum of choices. Frangipani and Carimar are on Meads Bay on the west end of the island where the more upscale restaurants are. Frangipani has a very nice pool, on site restaurant and dual zone A/C which you will need in May. Carimar does not have a pool or restaurant and you have to rent a portable A/C unit for the bedroom. The other two are at Shoal Bay Beach East. Madeariman does not have a pool--don't know about A/C, Shoal Bay Villas does have a small pool and I thnk one unit with A/C There are about 6 beach bars/restaurants within walking distance of both. If I were going to pick a place out there I would pick Serenity Cottages which is new and in a more secluded part of the beach. They have a restaurant but don't have a pool yet. Might by next May.

Bottom line--For a honeymoon which is a special event I would go with Frangipani. With the Sun Sea and Sand package (about $1600 plus tax) you get a full sized condo with kitchen and a daily continental breakfast. Frangipani is small, quiet and intimate--perfect for a honeymoon. If you have other questions e-mail [email protected]

Dan27, I spent some time on Anguilla last summer and loved it. We stayed at Cap Juluca, but made a point to visit Frangipani and see a room while we were there. I loved Frangipani, and when I return to Anguilla it will be my choice. Some impressions from my limited visit....beautiful beach, spacious rooms, friendly staff. I wouldn't hesitate to book there, and the pricing is quite attractive. I enjoyed my stay at Cap, but would go out on a limb and say that Frangipani is a much better value. The one thing I noticed (at least off-season in June) was that it was incredibly quiet. IMHO a pro for a honeymoon, but thought I would mention it.

HowardC, I do have a few specific questions if you don't mind:
-If we travel with another couple, is the 2 bedroom penthouse worth the extra$. What makes it different, or more special?
-Is the pool bar usually staffed? I've read in a few places that sometimes it is closed.
-My guess on this is no, but is there ever any entertainment offered?

Thanks in advance,
KimM

Congratulations Dan27!

We stayed at the Carimar Beach Club in October 2001 and loved it. The units are impeccably furnished and I don't think there is a better location on Meads Bay. The previous poster is correct about the Carimar not having a pool or restaurant on the premises. We did not feel that the lack of either had any impact on our wonderful vacation there. As for no A/C, we were fine the first couple of nights, but after a bit too much sun, ended up getting one of the portable A/C units for the bedroom which worked quite well. The kitchen did not lack for any utensil and we actually enjoyed cooking up breakfast and/or packing picnic lunches. It is less than a 10 minute walk to a nearby convenience store, which sells meats, pasta, dairy products, etc. The Carimar suited our needs very well. We visited Frangipani, which is almost next door to the Carimar, and it looked lovely. Wherever you end up staying, I would urge you to rent a car and explore the island. We came upon numerous beaches that were glorious and completely empty. And for a nice celebration dinner, have a romantic evening at Altamer. Fantastic location, wonderful ambiance and the perfect place to celebrate your nuptials. Congratulations again.

Thanks for the help everyone! Which is a better to stay on? Do they have calm water? Are they crowded?

Meads Bay is usually very calm, which is one of the reasons we opted to stay on that beach. As for crowded, when we were there we were hard-pressed to find 10 or more people anywhere along the entire length of Meads Bay. Not crowded at all. I noticed when we stopped at Rendezvous Bay, which is where what was formerly called the Sonesta is located, the water was a bit rougher. But virtually every beach we discovered or stopped at the water was as smooth as glass. We did find the Shoal Bay area a bit more crowded then what we were used to at Meads Bay. Wherever you end up staying, you will have a wonderful time on Anguilla!

For Kim M---We have stayed at Frangipani 13 times and believe it or not haven't stayed in the Penthouse yet. On my list of things to do. It sounds very nice and quite large--Over 2000 sq ft. Nicely decorated with large balconies, three bathrooms and at least one has a whirlpool tub. On the third flood so great views but you do have the stairs to contend with. We have stayed in suites 1,3,4,5,6,7 (Junior efficiency siute). All are very nice. If you didn't stay in the Penthouse my first chioce would be 5A/C which is on the second floor in the front. There are two balconies off the living/dining area and a third off the bedroom in 5C. 1A/B is very nice and is beachfront on the first floor. My only problem is that the terrace off the second bedroom is walled for privacy which is understandable but no view. If you E-mail me at the address in my post above I can put you in touch with someone who stayed in the Penthouse in Jan so you can get better info. Re pool bar--It is not open on a daily basis only for special occasions. Since Frangipani is small there isn't enough trade day in and day out to justify it. Some day when the resort is built out it probably will be. This isn't a problem though. The main bar in the restaurant opens out to the terrace where they serve breakfast and lunch is open all day and is only about a 20 yd walk from the beach and pool.
Re entertainment--Again only on special occasions. Not a lot of night life on Anguilla except at Sandy Ground at Johnnos and the Pumphouse which are fun. On sundays there is entertainment at Scilly Cay and also at several places at Shoal Bay Beach East. Feel free to e-mail me with more questions