Hi -

Now that we have decided on 6 nights in Anguilla, I am contemplating taking my husband for a daytrip to St. Barths. Neither of us has ever been. Worth it? Best to fly? Where to lunch?

We did a boat trip from St. Martins to St Barths and it was sooo worth it. Loved it. Rented a car and drove from beach to beach. Very lush.

St. Barths is not easy to get to. From Anguilla you can charter a plane for a non-stop flight to St. Barths (read expensive). Otherwise your options are to first make your way to St. Martin by either ferry or plane and then take a different ferry or plane to St. Barths. Do a google search using such topics as "Getting to St. Barths" and you'll find the links to all your transportation options (such as they are) with schedules and fare information..

I meant to tell you to start your search on this website:
www.sbhonline.com

we've heard the boat ride to st.bart's is a upchucking horrible time?????? would love to do that on next stay on anguilla but need to hear more about the boat ride? any comments welcomed!

Yes, the ferry is know affectionately as "the Vomit Comet". If you get the least bit queasy on the water you are better off flying into St. Barth's

The ferry from St Maarten to St Barths is horrible due to the currents. However the ride, either via speedboat, sailboat or catamaran between Anguilla and St Barths is lovely and can't be compared to the horrible ferry ride.

If you wish to fly you have to fly from Anguilla to St Maarten then switch planes and fly to St Barths and it's a real pain. You can also book a private charter direct from Anguilla to St Barths, if price is no object, with St Barths Commuter, for about 600 euros each way.

As for where to lunch, it depends on your budget and the experience you're after. I'd recommend having lunch at the Sandbar restaurant at Eden Rock hotel, right on St Jean beach. You can then use the beach facilities for the afternoon, if you wish for an extra 20 euros pp. This is a high end resto right on the beach and is fantastic.

If you don't care about being on the beach, given the beautiful beaches in Anguilla, and would prefer to be "in town" for some shopping and walking around, then you might consider a more casual spot in Gustavia for lunch such as Le Repair, or even better, Do Brazil, which is actually overlooking a beautiful beach but walkable to town.

Have fun.

I've done a day trip to St. Barth's twice from Anguilla. Both times I went on Gotcha, a private boat charter. As Gayle said, the boat charter is very luxurious, very different than the ferry experience. Once we arrived in Gustavia and went through immigrations, we had a taxi driver give us an island tour, then had lunch on the beach at Eden Rock. Afterwards we did a little shopping in Gustavia and returned to Anguilla. It was a wonderful day. So if you're not on a budget, I'd recommend Gotcha 264-235-7902.

St Barts will blow you away! It is like no other island in the Caribbean.

Last night was talking to someone who came for a 4 day vacation, fell in love with the island, got a job and never left.

Hot Off The Press
check Anguilla Air Services at www.anguillaairservices.com. They just started what I consider to be very reasonable day-trip rates between St. Barth and Anguilla: $175 per person round trip with a minimum of four people.
local phone number: 264-498-5922
or [email protected]

I'm prejudiced, but I think St. Barth's is the best island in the Caribbean. Years ago, we took a trip from St. Barths to Anguilla by speedboat, but we spent the night. If you can do it, that's what I recommend. There's not that much to do on St. Barths if you are only there for a couple of hours - you can drive around the island and have lunch, but you can't "take it easy," which is the best part.

If you must confine yourself to a day trip, there are countless places for lunch. You should probably go to a beach restaurant. On St. Jean, you could go to the ultra-hip Nikki Beach, the Eden Rock (never had lunch there, but hear that it's great and the hotel is exceptionally beautiful), or the Thom Beach Hotel to watch the planes take off. Another great bet is Do Brazil on Shell Beach - the advantage of this is that it is in walking distance of Gustavia.

Definitely take a walk around Gustavia before you go.

About 3 years ago we did a day trip (family of 4 via a 9 seat puddle-jumper) for $150 per person roundtrip from Anquilla to St Barths. The plane ride coming in between a pair of mountains over a traffic circle and the a dive bombing run to the air strip is something to behold! St Barths is extremely hilly and narrow. Topless beaches and great views from the hilltops but nothing special I thought. Went for the plane ride. As always, remember to bring passports.

If you don't mind the trouble of getting to St. Barths, I would recommend it. Lunch at Eden Rock is exceptional. From there you can see planes land and take off, which is amazing.
You could also go to one of the many food shops and prepare your own picnic.
Gustavia does have some amazing restaurants and good shopping.
I am an island hopper, so I would make the effort to get there.

Around how much was Gotcha to St Barts? I usually spend one day of my AXA vacation shopping in St Martin but would switch for shopping and lunch in St Bart if not too expensive to get to. It looks like it's realatively easy

Beachykeen,
The price with Gotcha will depend on whether you hire the boat for the day, which is what I did, or you can book it similar to an airport pick-up/drop-off. For the day, figure 8 hours at around $100/hr or $200/hr, depending on which boat you book. I probably spent $800 for Gotcha and $1600 fro Summertime. For a one-way fare, don't quote me, but it's probably something like $500 each way. Call Garifed at 264-235-7902 to get current prices or email him.