caribtraveler

My husband, our 5-year-old son and I just came back from our first trip to Anguilla.

GETTING THERE: We flew Newark to St. Maarten on a non-stop Continental flight. We left 50 minutes late but landed only 5 minutes behind schedule at 12:10pm. Immigration and getting our luggage took about 30 minutes. The 20-minute taxi ride to Marigot Port cost $18 (before tip). We had to wait about 30 minutes for the next ferry ($12/adult + $8/our son). Going through Anguilla immigration took about 15-20 minutes. The short cab ride to our hotel cost us $16 ($16! and it was no more than 1/2 mile away!). All in all, it took us about 2 hours from the time we landed to the time we got to our room. We were on the beach by 2:30pm.
Anguilla Ferry Port:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...uilla00011.jpg

HOTEL: We stayed at the Rendezvous Bay Hotel and Villas. We were sold by a Trip Advisor photo which was taken from inside the guest's first floor beach villa room looking out the door toward the beach/water. WOW. We wanted that view too. The cost for it, especially compared to the other resorts, was a pretty big selling point as well.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...uilla00012.jpg

~ ROOM: We booked a first floor beach villa room. I actually thought all the villas had 2 floors. Not true. We were in #15, a one floor only villa room (the next to last one at the end of the beach). The room is spacious, clean and airy with vaulted ceilings. It has a mini-fridge, a.c., ceiling fan, safe (big enough for our son's portable dvd player and other items) and a powerful hairdryer. There is no tv (which we loved) but you can get one on request. There's also a huge patio with a bucket of water on the steps, so you can clean your feet after beach time and avoid tracking wet sand into the room. The water is changed every morning. Be aware that the sound of the waves can clearly be heard. We loved falling asleep to it every night, but it could be a problem for some. The biggest positive to the beach villa rooms is being just steps away from the water.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000111.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000112.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000113.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...uilla00019.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001240.jpg

Now for the negatives. The room is spartan and dated. Some towels had wear and tear. The water pressure is not great. There's low light in the bathroom (not conducive to applying makeup before an evening out). There are hangers but none for skirts. I don't know about you but I love to wear them in the Caribbean so I was not very pleased about that. The 2 double-doors to the patio are old and have gaps around the frame which probably makes it easier for mosquitoes to get into the room... which brings me to the biggest negative (at least to me): those darn mosquitoes!! They are RELENTLESS . They would get in the room every day. They lay in wait by the front door and the patio doors. Thanks to a previous review, I was aware of the problem. We brought a HUGE can of Raid and Off spray. Both my son and I still got bitten (maybe 10 bites each). My husband who NEVER gets bitten got 2 bites. There's your proof to how RELENTLESS they are! It would have been much worse without Raid and Off.

~ BEACH: Sigh.......... Forget all the negatives I listed! Uh, except the mosquitoes.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...uilla00013.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000114.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000137.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000123.jpg

~ FOOD: Cedar Grove Cafe's food is very good. We had breakfast there every morning, lunch once and dinner once. My detailed review is in the restaurant review section below.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000162.jpg
This was not a problem for us, but please know that the restaurant is a 5-minute leisurely walk from the villas.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001217.jpg

~ STAFF/SERVICE: Bart, the hotel manager, is great. We weren't very impressed by the wait staff at the restaurant. We thought they lacked warmth, except for one young waitress (her name escapes me now). As our stay progressed, the other waitresses became friendlier.

~ RENTAL CAR: We rented a Toyota Corolla through the hotel for 4 full days. No problems.

~ BEST OF RBH: Rex and Earl... the resort's beautiful sweet dogs.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000140.jpg

CONCLUSION: We really liked RBH. It's very laid back and quiet. If we were to go back to Anguilla and the resort wasn't shutting down this summer, we would absolutely consider staying there again. But we recognize that it's not for everyone. If you want a modern resort, then you should stay somewhere else.

caribtraveler

BEACHES: Picture perfect. Our favorites were Rendezvous Bay, Shoal Bay West and Savannah Bay.

~ SHOAL BAY WEST: We LOVED this beach. Just GORGEOUS. We had lunch at Trattoria Tramonto that day. If you do that, you can use the beach chairs for free. If not, the cost is $30 (yikes!).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001145.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001146.jpg

~ SAVANNAH BAY: We LOVED this beach so much that we went back there a second time. There are no resorts lining the beach and it's a little bit off the beaten path.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001230.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001235.jpg

~ SHOAL BAY EAST: We liked it but it was not one of our favorites. The weather that day was overcast and windy. We used the beach chairs in front of Gwen's Reggae Grill for $5/chair.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000193.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000171.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000186.jpg

~ MAUNDAYS BAY: This is where the famous Cap Juluca is located. I have to say that the resort looks top notch. A lovely beach but one of the more "crowded" ones.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001204.jpg

~ MEADS BAY: We were on the Malliouhana side of the beach so there were lots of families. Another lovely beach but also one of the more "crowded" ones and definitely "noisy" due to the number of kids.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001126.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001140.jpg

~ CROCUS BAY: This is where you can find Calvin and his boat. For $12/person, he'll take you over to Little Bay and pick you up whenever you want.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001164.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001195.jpg

~ LITTLE BAY: It is simply lovely. We spent a couple of hours there swimming and snorkeling. It is truly a "little" bay and can get crowded very quickly. We loved watching the birds diving for food.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001193.jpg

caribtraveler

RESTAURANTS: Planning this part of our trip was sooooo hard. Why? Too many choices, too little time. The restaurants we visited all had a service charge included in the bill. You can add a tip if you chose to.

BREAKFAST:

~ CEDAR GROVE CAFE: For convenience sake (read: 5-year-old child), we chose to have breakfast at RBH each morning. The food was consistently good. Our usual breakfast was 2 orders of scrambled eggs with toast ($8/person), 1 cheese omelette with toast ($10) + 3 juices ($4/juice). Total: $41.80 (includes a 10% service charge). One day, I tried their plain pancakes. You get 3 thick ones ($8). Very good. A copy of the NY Times Digest is provided at the breakfast table.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000130.jpg


LUNCH:

~ CEDAR GROVE CAFE: We actually did room service. It would have been nice to eat out on the patio but the mosquitoes would have had a field day with my son and me. We had a cheeseburger with fries ($12), a grilled chicken breast on a sesame seed bun ($12) + 4 slices of white bread (to make our son jelly sandwiches). With 2 cokes + 1 juice, total came to $48.50 (includes $5 delivery charge and 10% service charge). The food was good.

~ GWEN'S REGGAE GRILL: We had lunch there after spending the morning on Shoal Bay East. We had a chicken salad ($12), a chicken sandwich with fries ($10), a cheeseburger with fries ($10). With a mango daiquiri + 2 juices, total came to $43. We were not impressed.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000190.jpg

~ TRATTORIA TRAMONTO: What a lovely restaurant. We had lunch there after spending the morning on Shoal Bay West. As I mentioned before, you can use their beach chairs for free if you have lunch there. I had the mussels ($16). My husband had the penne pasta with basil and tomato sauce ($14). Our son had the penne pasta with tomato sauce ($14). With 2 juices + 1 coke + 1 bottled water, the cost came to $69 (includes 15% service charge). Despite the lovely setting and good service, we thought the food was just okay.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001150.jpg
View from our table:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001148.jpg

~ ROY'S BAYSIDE GRILL: This is another casual place in a very nice setting. However, the service was SLOW and INDIFFERENT and the food was BLAH. I had the caesar salad ($10). My husband had the grilled cheese with fries ($12). Our son had a bowl of fries ($3). With 1 coke + 1 Juice + 1 small bottled water, total came to $39.10 (includes 15% service charge).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001199.jpg
View from our table:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001198.jpg


DINNER:

~ CEDAR GROVE CAFE: We have such mixed feelings about our one dinner there. The food was OUTSTANDING (frankly, the best dinner we had our entire stay on the island) but the service left a lot to be desired. Bottom line, we sat down for dinner at 7pm and didn't get out of there till a little after 9pm. We only had entrees. No appetizers, no desserts. Ugh. When we got the bill, we were charged for a soup we didn't have. When we pointed it out to the young lady (we were not rude about it), she just took the bill, made the change while NOT uttering a word to us. Double ugh.

Anyway, moving on to the outstanding food:
-- Our son had the penne pasta ($8).
-- I had the night's special, a swordfish in creole sauce with curried yam in a bed of plantains ($34).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000121.jpg
-- My husband had the seared cajun spiced loin of yellow fin tuna.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000120.jpg
May we say YUMMY and YUMMY?! Both of our fish were WONDERFUL. With a fruit punch + a rum punch + a bottled water, dinner came to $86.45 (includes 10% service charge).


~ STRAW HAT: What a FANTASTIC looking place. I can't begin to describe it as I wouldn't do it justice. All I can say is that it's on the water with flood lights illuminating the surrounding water and the boats bobbing in the water. And I love the fact that all the lamp shades are actually straw hats. The staff/service was very good. The food was good, but not great. It's a popular restaurant. A lot of people showed up for dinner and it did get kind of loud.
-- Our son had the fettucine with tomato sauce ($9).
-- Both my husband and I had the seared filet of red snapper ($29/each) with a side of plantains and mashed potatoes ($6/each).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001118.jpg
-- For dessert, I had the caramelized bananas broiled with sugar served with vanilla ice cream ($11).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001119.jpg
With 1 ti punch + 2 juices, total came to $124.20 (includes 15% service charge).


~ FLAVOURS: This is another lovely open air restaurant with great views of Road Bay. We noticed right away that Flavours had more choices on its menu than the other places we had been to. Instead of the standard bread, fried cakes with salsa on the side were brought to the table. They were DELICIOUS. Then we were brought some pumpkin soup, compliments of the chef. That was also VERY GOOD.

-- My husband had the garlic flavored Tilapia ($22).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001161.jpg
-- I had the broiled spare ribs in special bbq sauce ($22).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001162.jpg
With 1 bottled water + 1 glass of wine + 1 coke + 1 juice, total came to $73 (includes 15% service charge). The food and the staff/service were VERY GOOD. Christine, the French owner, is so nice. We recommend Flavours.


~ BANANAS BY THE SEA: This restaurant is open air and right on Meads Bay. We LOVED the look, the atmosphere, our wonderful waitress Marceer (sp?) and Bob (the owner?). We HIGHLY recommend this place. =D>
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001210.jpg
View of Meads Bay from our table:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001209.jpg

-- Both my husband and I had the shrimp scampi with white wine, butter and an ingredient they won't divulge ($32/each). Simply DIVINE!
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001212.jpg
-- For dessert, I had the chocolate souffle with bailey creme ($12). YUMMY!
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001213.jpg
With 1 glass of wine + 1 coke + 1 juice + 1 bottled water, our dinner came to $108 (includes 15% service charge).


~ CAPRICE: Our final WONDERFUL dinner on Anguilla. This is a CLASSY Italian restaurant with GREAT food and GREAT service. Even though it's not on the water, you still get a great view of St. Maarten at night. You can have dinner in an enclosed terrace or inside. We were seated on the terrace which has sliding windows. They were open and a lovely breeze could be felt. We HIGHLY recommend Caprice. =D>
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001249.jpg

-- The yummy appetizers:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001251.jpg
-- Both my husband and I had the lasagna alla bolognese ($26/each).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001253.jpg
-- For dessert, my husband had the white and black chocolate. Don't recoil! It's not really salami. ($16).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001255.jpg
-- I had the creme brulee ($14).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001254.jpg
With 1 glass of wine + 1 coke + 1 juice + 1 bottled water, dinner came to $126.50 (15% service charge included).

caribtraveler

AROUND ANGUILLA:



BARNES BAY:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001220.jpg

ROAD BAY:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001200.jpg

ISLAND HARBOUR:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000198.jpg

SCILLY CAY:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000197.jpg

LITTLE HARBOUR:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001224.jpg

ELSIE BAY:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001225.jpg

SOMEONE'S ART ON SHOAL BAY EAST:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...illa000179.jpg

ANIMALS FOUND AROUND THE ISLAND:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001112.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001114.jpg

ROAD BAY SUNSET:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...lla0001158.jpg




WEATHER/WATER TEMP: We had GREAT weather, except for one day. That day it rained in the morning for no more than 5 minutes, then the rest of the day remained windy and overcast. The other days were sunny and hot. There were a couple of days when I thought the water temp was a little cool, but overall the water was nice.

CONSTRUCTION: I read a lot about it before our trip, as well as the concerns about how Anguilla is changing. Obviously, I can't make any comparisons since this was a first trip. We did find the island to be very under-developed compared to other islands we've been to. We really liked the fact that the resorts lining the beaches are not on top of each other. But who knows what the future will bring, right?

RETURNING HOME: It took us about 1 hour 1/2 from the time we left our RBH room till we were sitting in the SXM airport lounge. Much faster and easier than coming in, we thought. I have to share a celebrity-on-our-flight-moment. We were one of the first people on board but didn't really pay attention to who was coming in after us. Before taking off, the flight attendant proceeded to move the row behind us to 2 rows in front of us on the other side. I looked up and who did I think I saw? Meryl Streep. But then I thought it couldn't be her. We were in coach! So I told my husband "the woman in the hat who just got up looks just like Meryl Streep". A few minutes later, my husband said "It has to be her, the woman sitting next the aisle next to her has a movie script in her hand". Fine detectives we are, aren't we? LOL! Anyway, to make a long story short, it was her traveling with 5 or 6 people. I'm sure other people noticed her but no one bothered her. Very cool.

PLANNING OUR TRIP: I can't say enough good things about http://www.anguillaforum.com/ and http://www.anguillaguide.com/ . Those 2 sites were really helpful during the planning stage of our trip. You should absolutely use them if you're going to Anguilla. Happy travels everyone.

BeachGirl247

Caribtraveler, I really enjoyed your trip report! Great info with pics for planning a trip.

blamona

spectacular report, spectacular pictures. I always enjoy reading your reports.

It's funny, I've been to Anguilla about 7 or 8 times. I've been lucky enough to see all the beaches at different stages (windy, wavy, calm, etc) In general, Shoal Bay East has always been calm, and Rendezvous and Meads are always wavy! It looks like your trip was backwards! Savannah Bay is always calm for me though!

I haven't been in about 4 years, and I can see changes just in your pictures!

You'll have to go back, because you didn't eat at my favorite: Mangos.

Since I know we've been to smoe of the same islands, and seem to have the same tastes: please give me your comparasons! (see if similar.)

ejcrowe

Another great trip report! Anguilla's beaches look just as beautiful as I thought.

For a future hot date weekend, would you choose Anguilla over T&C or would you return to T&C?

On the evening meals where you didn't list Patrick's selections, did he share with you, did they not have children's choices, or was he with a babysitter?

beachgirl86

Caribtraveler: Great trip report, thank you!

We went to Anguilla last June and absolutely loved it. We are leaving for Provo on Saturday. Which of the 2 islands did you prefer and why?

Also, my husband and I recently found out we are expecting our first baby in Nov. We are thrilled, and are already thinking of where we can travel with our baby! Out of Anguilla and Provo, which did you find easier to travel to with a child? Thanks so much!

Kristy

Hi Caribtraveler! Think I met you on the trip. did your husband wear the Dallas Cowboys hat? I think I saw my hat in your picture from Tratoria Tramonto...so funny. I had the 2 boys and stayed at RendezVous Bay Hotel as well. Glad you enjoyed your trip, what a special place!

albee622

.......as usual, a wonderful report....i always feel like i am "there" when i read about your adventures...thanks so much !!

the one thing i missed though is seeing your adorable boy enjoying his caribbean vacations....

what a great location to be situated right on the beach...i would think that it would make up for the very plain room.

thanks again
alison

Kristen1206

Really enjoyed your report! But you didn't eat at Blanchards or Mangos's! Meads Bay Beach was out fav but we were at the complete other end from Mali which I thought was much nicer..and deserted.

CaribbeanSoul

Bravo! Bravo! Another trip lived vicariously through the words and pictures of Caribtraveler! Thanks for that contribution and I am glad you had another great trip to the islands.

brenandg

Ditto what CaribbeanSoul said!!!! Love your reports. I think many of us enjoy seeing pics of your family too!

joan

Love your resport!

I just wanna fall face first into all the aqua water!!!!!

sunni

Nice report. Anguilla is our favorite island. You captured it well. We have been going to Anguilla for 10 years and yes, unfortunately it is changing. But to your point, it not as developed as many other islands are. The past 2-3 years has really been the most active. There are so many great places to eat, to be honest you missed nothing by not going to Blanchard’s. Banana’s is just as nice. It is fairly new and has a much better feel to it.
Of course that’s just my opinion. Our favorite beach is Meads Bay. It is very active in that bay during the winter/spring months the locals have told us. We always go in May and it is always very calm. I am assuming you were on the public beach which you access at the Mali. It gets very busy there on weekends with the local kids. Meads Bay other wise is very quiet, except for when there is a boat race. We look forward to it every year. Can’t wait to get back!

Thanks for sharing

caribtraveler

I'm feeling the love. Thanks for the compliments everyone.

Here are a lot more pics if you're so inclined.
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...8AcNmThi0atmQ1

Regarding restaurants, we really didn't want to do high-end places because we were with our son. We agreed on one which was Caprice. As I said in my review, it was really hard to decide which ones to go to because there are so many of them that get great reviews. If my husband and I ever go back (just the two of us), we'd definitely try the high-end restaurants.

Blamona: I do love those magazine cover beaches that T&C and Anguilla have... but I also love lush and mountains. Give me a combination of both and I will be in love forever. St. John comes pretty close.. but I'm still searching. Have you been to Eleuthera? That's our next trip. Pretty flat I believe but I'll get those incredible beaches again.

ejcrowe: Do you think Grenada will be THE island for me? Anyway, to answer your question.. I don't really like going back to the same places. So many countries, so little time... But if I could only choose between T&C and Anguilla for a hot date weekend, I'd go with T&C. Much easier to get to from where we live. And I wouldn't mind trying out Parrot Cay . Regarding Patrick, we have never and will never do babysitting while on a family vacation. He was at dinner but was being a pain about eating. He does this every trip. He'll eat breakfast just fine, lunch is so-so, but dinner is another story. After wasting our money at the first 2 dinners (he barely ate), we gave up and went to the grocery store for items to make him sandwiches.

Beachgirl86: Congratulations on the baby! I don't know that we preferred one island over the other. We like lush mountainous islands better so for us T&C and Anguilla were not "pretty" despite the gorgeous beaches (no offense intended to those who love those 2 islands). I don't know where you're traveling from but from NY/NJ area, we thought T&C was the easiest island to get to. We went to T&C without our son but I think both islands are good family destinations. You just need to pick a good family resort. Have a great time in Provo.

Kristy! Too funny. Are you the one I was talking to at Shoal Bay West about snorkeling? Can I tell you something funny? When my husband and I first saw your family at breakfast at RBH, we said "who knew Gwyneth Paltrow was now married to Edward Burns and vacationing at RBH?" . Do you get the "you look a lot like" comment from a lot of people? You make a very nice looking family.

Albee622: Lots of pics of our son in the link above . And yes the great location totally made up for the plain room.

ejcrowe

hi, caribtraveler. Maybe Grenada will be the perfect island for you, but half the fun is giving them all a try, no?

When is your Eleuthera trip? Is that your hot date trip or with Patrick?

Glad you posted the other pics, but I'll have to wait until my lunch break at work tomorrow before I can take a look--computer's too slow at home!

caribtraveler

"...but half the fun is giving them all a try, no?" My kind of talk.
Bahamas is at the end of July with Patrick. We'll be gone for almost 2 weeks. Mostly in Eleuthera with 3 days in Nassau.

Do you know when and where you're heading to next?

soggydollar

caribtraveler...
great trip report, and with the pics, it feels like we are there!
anguilla has always been on my "list", but like you, I love the lush with the white sand beaches, STJ...is what I think of first!!

alya

Good grief woman! Are you ever home????

OK, I admit I'm jealous of your travels - In a major way, but how wonderful for Patrick. Now I just have to check out your Shutterfly piccies to see if there are any of you having a 'bad hair day'

Fab trip report - as usual