xGigi

We are looking for info. on the differences between these three beaches and are also looking for a hotel. We want the pretty white sand beach(es), tropical look & palm trees and flat land. We don't want it to be too remote or in the midst of too many trees, mosquito infested or to arrive to the hotel by very bumpy roads. Rendezvous Beach appears very pretty and accessible to the airport, ferry and restaurants. We've heard also about Shoal Beach E. and were wondering what exactly constitutes the high rating.

xGigi

Also wondering if there are busier areas on Shoal Bay E. or if it is pretty desolate. And, are the restaurants very good at Shoal Bay E.- and somewhat more beach type, or are the restaurants really better on the western end, although more high end? What's the atmosphere like on Mead's Bay, as well as the other beaches?

xGigi

We want a clean, well taken care of hotel and would prefer a swimming pool. We don't want an Americanized or sanitized looking hotel, but want something with more charm.
Thanks in advance for your replies.

MaryD

All three beaches are beautiful -- long with white sand & crystal clear water -- although Shoal Bay East is busier & has day trippers from St. Martin ("busy" in Anguilla is a relative term -- the beaches are never really crowded). You should pick a resort rather than a beach as part of the fun of Anguilla is visiting as many of its 33 beaches that you can! Rendezvous Bay Hotel has charm but no pool; CuisinArt is more hotel-like. Frangipani on Meads Bay may be the perfect solution for you; Shoal Bay Villas also has a pool. The high end restaurants are, for the most part, clustered at the west end & Frangipani is very close to all of them. The restaurants on Shoal Bay East are more like beach bars & are not open for dinner.

Anguilla is a flat, arid, scrubby island so you're not going to find too many trees anywhere although the resorts have lovely landscaping.

xGigi

MaryD.- Thanks for the reply. Rendezvous Bay Hotel looks nicer than Frangi. And Shoal Bay Villas (or beach hotel) looked nice from the web-site, although the reviews posted were not good. Shoal Bay E. is busier with day-trippers than Rendezvous? We're also considering Madeariman or Allamanda. Any comments on these appreciated.

xGigi

Also- Paradise Cove's pool and lush surroundings looked nice, but it's not on the beach and not a nice building.

MaryD

There are virtually no day trippers at Rendezvous -- the snorkeling is way better on Shoal Bay East. While we stay at both RBH & Frangipani, Frangi is a little more elegant than RBH. Let me try it this way, Cap Juluca, Malliouhana & CuisinArt are the "big 3" resorts on the island -- upscale, large & fairly expensive. Frangi would be the next category down; RBH below that. I would post the Allamanda & Mandeariman question on anguillaforum.com -- there are those who love them & those who don't. I can tell you that Allamanda is not on the beach & only the top floor has beach views and Mandeariman is located right at the busiest point of Shoal Bay East. Have you looked at Serenity?

xGigi

Thanks again for the reply. How does RBH. compare to Madeariman? And, how does the beach atmosphere and surroundings compare?
Is Allamanda very far from the busy part of Shoal Bay East? It's nice to have the accessibility of the location of RBH., but if it is really pretty at Shoal Bay E. and beachy, that would be a plus there. Thanks.

ALR

All three beaches are really nice. At Shoal Bay East, you can walk right out to great snorkelling. There are great beach restaurants for lunch. Rendez Vous Bay and Mead's Bay might be a little quieter, but both have several resorts on them so there's a little activity. There are restaurants at both ends of the island, more upscale ones at the West End. All three are convenient to the airport and ferry. Not all resorts have swimming pools because the beaches are the main attraction. You may want to look at Frangipani or Carimar Beach Club and use the pool at Malliouhana on occasion. I believe Malli will allow daily visitors for $25pp/day, at least they did a few years ago. Or on RendezVous Bay you may want to look at Anguilla Great House or RBH and use the pool at AGH for $5pp/day.

MaryD

There's a very informative thread about Mandeariman on the Caribbean-on-line board right now. You can check it out at: http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/ag/agforum.shtml

xGigi

Thank you AlR. and MaryD. That was helpful and nice. Do you have any comparisons for Anguilla Great House and Shoal Bay Villas? Also, if you stay at the Madeariman, could you use the pool at SBV. for a price? One other question or concern-- the hospital on Anguilla is only rated adequate?

xGigi

-meant to say- there are limited medical facilities on Anguilla. Any comments on this would be appreciated. And, any additional info. on Shoal Bay Villas and Anguilla Great House or comparisons between the two would be appreciated, also.

cartera

I can remember my first impression of Anguilla generally was one of disappoinment because it is so scrubby and "ungreen." We had been to Jamaica the two prior years and I had it in my head that all Caribbean islands should be lush. Therefore, my first impression of The Great House was one of disappointment too. There was no spectacular landscaping to hide the imperfections. Those impressions changed when I saw the magnificent beaches and started exploring. I stayed at the Great House years ago and in reading the reviews on www.tripadvisor.com, I don't think it has changed much. The rooms could use some renovating but broken tiles and simple furniture didn't bother us because we just didn't spend much time there. The staff and management were great - Rendezvous Bay is beautiful but it was quite windy when we were there. It is a wonderful beach for walking. There is an "old Caribbean" feel there that we liked - same thing to be said of Rendezvous Bay Hotel - great history there and fun to explore. I assume the Great House is still locally owned - a plus for us. I also loved the view from the beach across to St Martin. I think your decision is which beach to stay on. We decided if we returned to Anguilla, we would stay on Shoal Bay East because the sand was blindingly white, the water was calmer (that week) and there was more activity.

ALR

Another one you might want to look at is Serenity Cottages on Upper Shoal Bay. Their web site is www.serenity.ai.

xGigi

Thank you Cartera and ALR. That was very helpful. Shoal Bay E. does sound very nice and the view from Rendezvous very pretty. I'll have to look again for Serenity Cottages. Can anyone comment about the lack of medical care/facilities?

Kristen1206

I would recoomend Shoal Bay Villas (not hotel) on Shoal Bay or Frangi or Carimar on Meads Bay.

Meads was the prettiest beach I saw but Shoal bay is alittle shallower and has some snorkling. Either would be a great choice.

xGigi

Kristen1206- thanks. Shoal Bay Villas is the one we are checking into-- and it looks very pretty from the web-site. What, in your opinion, makes Meads Bay prettier?

Kristen1206

meads is a long, wide white beach. Very uncrowded. It is what you would expect the quintessential caribbean beach to look like.

Shoal Bay has a little more character...beach is a bit more uneven, with some curves and turns. I found the water though on Shoal bay to be prettier...more shades of turquosie because of the reefs etc...

Definitely visit both when you go!

Kristen1206

Here is a link to my shutterfly album if you are interested in seeing pics...

We stayed at Frangipani but I took a few pics of Shoal Bay Villas and saw one of the units...

http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeEOGLZo3ctGMq

KXR

The hospital in AXA provides secondary health in the areas of OB/GYN, ER, X-Ray, Laboratory, General Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Surgery. Limited paedeatrics and geriatrics. Chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, alcoholism, and renal function, hjeart function are routinely done. Serious operations requiring extensive surgery are usually refered to overseas. An air ambulance is available for emergency evacuation.

If you are a diver and need a decompression chamber, I am not sure if they have the equiptment to treat you. In addition, there are many private medical centers with fully trained doctors certified in canada and the UK