We're thinking about traveling with our daughter to Anguilla in Dec./Jan. and have a few questions. I've heard that there are mosquito's and was wondering if they're more prevalent in the night hours. Also, I've heard that the side roads are very rocky/bumpy-- is this the case? And, do these roads lead to the more popular beaches and hotels? And, is it a very remote and secluded island or do you see others mainly in certain places/times? I'm also wondering about the ferry and if it's mostly smooth sailing. Is the weather at that time of the year a little cool-- I've heard the highs are in the mid to upper 70's. That seems a little cool for the beach. Our other thought is Manzanillo, Mexico, which seems more like a resort. Thanks in advance for replies.

Mosquitos are about the same as any island -- we use "bug stuff" when we go out at night but are not bothered during the day. The roads to most of the resorts & popular beaches are paved. The roads to many of the villa properties & more obscure beaches are not. There are a number of resorts, 80 restaurants, 30-some beaches -- you can be alone on some of the remote beaches; the "main" beaches will have other people on them. The ferry is a 20 minute ride that can be somewhat bumpy but often is fine. You may very well have a problem getting a room at this late date for Dec./Jan. Check out www.news.ai for a listing of all the resorts & beaches.

I took my daughter to Anguilla last Dec/Jan. The weather is in the low 80's at that time of year and most of the year. The only challenge we found is that some of the hotels require a 10-day or 2-week minimum stay over the holidays, so to go for just a week took some looking. She loved it, though. It was her third visit to the island and my 12th.

We were in Anguilla in May. My first visit. We stayed with friends. There were definetly alot of mosquitos and we live on a neighbouring island so should be used to this. But to us it was noticeable. That said, it did not detract from our visit. We used alot of OFF and made sure to cover up at night. The roads - well the main roads are all paved but for some reason still very bumpy in parts. The side roads which you heard about are probably not paved - there are alot of unpaved side roads - for example where my friends live is very nice but the side roads leading to the house are atrocious. Bottom line, the roads are not the greatest in Anguilla but again, you can live with it. Not really a big deal - the beaches and the many great restuarants more than make up for this.
We took the ferry to and from St Martin to get to Anguilla. Going and coming were just fine. Calm seas. The ride is about 30 minutes. Don't know what sea conditions would be like in December/Jan but it is a ride that people do every single day without incident. And the weather,hot during the day even in December/Jan, definetly beach weather although it might cool off a bit at night which is great relief from the heat of the day. I hope you decide on Anguilla. Even with the mosquitos and the bad roads, its still a wonderful place to be.

Thank you for your nice and good comments. That has cleared things up quite a bit. The concern that I have with mosquitos is in contracting malaria. I'm wondering if the mosquitos are really so prevalent or if there are just a few at night. Also, if you can escape the mosquitos by going into your hotel room or if they manage to get in there, too. I'm hoping the main roads are not very bumpy in parts, as Enya stated, because I don't want any jarring. Or, if there's just a few bumps-- that's o.k. And, MaryD. does "somewhat bumpy" for the ferry mean a little rocky or does the ferry seem like it's going to tip over in some weather conditions? Again, thank you and I've heard so many good things about Anguilla.

You do not need to worry about malaria in Anguilla - it is considered a risk free island, as is most of the Caribbean, with the exception of Haiti and parts of the Dominican Republic. You can verify that by visiting the CDC website.

cartera45- thank you very much. That's nice to know and it seems like I did run by that info. on the CDC. about the Dominican Republic. If anyone has more info. on the ferry, I'd appreciate hearing about that, also.

I prefer flying into Anguilla on American Eagle from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The airport in Anguilla will be resuming AA flights in mid december 2004. I suggest you follow up on this. Ferry service available from St. Martin every 30 minutes and small planes can still fly to Anguilla airport, during this period of airport expansion.