leo_arg

Hello everyone!

I am planning a trip to Anguilla in November. Will be flying from Miami and I am a little bit worried because of the size of my check in luggage as the planes flying there are small and they charge you per piece of luggage.

Another thing I am not sure about, is that compared to other islands such as Barbados, Antigua, T&C the hotels here don't seem to be that nice or confortable, though the beaches are great. Finally, not sure about the weahter conditions in Nov.

I will appreciate your comments very much to help me decide. I am opened to other destinations as well. I've been to Aruba, stayed at Buccutti and loved it, but I want to visit other places now. Many thanks!!

adlmllr

Anguilla is truly a beautiful island and has a range of accommodations -- I'm sure you can find a hotel with the amenities you seek, in your price range. We usually rent a villa (either a small villa or a larger one at the 1-bedroom rate) and have never been disappointed. We went to T&C last year, and while the beach in Provo was wonderful, let's just say there was no comparison to Anguilla.

Can't address the issue of luggage, since we always fly with carry-on bags and have never had a problem, even when we have to check at gate for the smaller planes. But then again, we travel very light...................................

Good luck with your planning!

Kristen1206

Anguilla is one of my favorite islands. There are hotels/condos/villas in all price ranges. High end..go with Cap Juluca, Cuisinart or Mali. Less expensive yet still nice: Frangipani, Ku, Carimar, Shoal Bay Beach Hotel, Rendezvous Bay Beach Hotel (which was rcently renovated).

RoamsAround

You can check average weather statistics for Anguilla in November at: www.weatherbase.com

If you want more detailed weather info you can find what the actual weather conditions were on Anguilla for any given period during the last 10 years at: www.wunderground.com

Simply click on the the Trip Planner link (it's in the Travel & Activities Section at the top right side of the page), type in the Airport Code for Anguilla (AXA) in the search box, enter your planned dates of travel. You'll get a chart showing so much data you'll know more about Anguilla's weather in November than most locals.

Not sure what your routing is out of MIA since there are no flights from MIA directly into AXA. You'll be switching planes in either San Juan or St. martin. If you are taking American Eagle from SJU to AXA, they fly fairly large ATR's which hold quite a lot of baggage. If you are flying an "island hopper" from SXM to AXA then you might have a problem as those definitely are very small planes. If you are going through SXM consider taking the ferry rather than flying as the ferry does't have baggage restriction.

Regardless of your routing you really should learn to pack less. We travel to the Caribbean multiple times a year for anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks and NEVER take more than one standard 22" rollaboard and one "personal size" bag per person. You don't need near as many clothes as you think. Follow the old adage: "Take less clothes, bring more money". Seriously, here's a little drill you can follow: A few days before your trip spread out all the clothes you think you'll need on a spare bed. For the next 2 days adm,ire your wardrobe and complement yourself on your fine sense of fashion. Now, put half back in the closet and pack the rest. If you can't fit it into standard carry-ons you really don't need it. Remember, no one will notice what you are wearing or that you didn't wear something different to dinner every night.

Lastly, I'm not sure I understand your concern about the hotels/resorts on Anguilla, there are accomodations in all price ranges and comfort levels, some places are among the poshest in the Caribbean. Like everywhere, there's a variety of places to suit everyone's taste and budget.

leo_arg

I see whot you say about nice accomodation. I thank you all for the information. Now I can narrow my search and ask more accurate questions...

I'm thinking Frangipani and CuisinArt will be good choices, but here is the thing...I am into great and confortable accomodation and beatiful beaches, but I don't really care that much about food. I would like to have options to eat in a beach bar, bakery...laid back in my hotel area.

Will I find this kind of places within walking distance if I chose Rend. Bay or Meads Bay????

ejcrowe

It's a shame to go to Anguilla if you really don't care much about great food, as it's pretty much top notch in the Caribbean for consistently great food. But sure, there are plenty of places where you can dine around the island without having to spend an arm and a leg for a 3 course meal. Lots of casual eateries, both on and off the beach, but you won't find a ton of them within walking distance of anywhere except along Shoal Bay East, which has a handful of beach bars within easy walking distance.

My recommendation is to pick a hotel you like the looks of and then rent a car to get you to the rest of the beautiful beaches on the island and to give you a choice for meals.

leo_arg

I see what you mean. Is it easy to drive through the island?
Should I choose another island??

sassy_cat

It's very easy to drive on Anguilla. Small island with mostly good roads. A few less well known beaches require a little 'off road' driving but not the main tourist beaches.

Food is fuel to us and we don't go on vacation just to eat but we love Anguilla. Plenty of local places to eat in town plus the beach bars. Try Gerauds for pastries.. they are excellent!
Anguilla is a beach lover's dream island. It is laid back, friendly with perfect beaches and the ocean is the prettiest blue colour.
Just cut back on your luggage! If you're eating at a beach bar then you won't need fancy clothes.

ejcrowe

Anguilla is the easiest left-hand driving experience I've ever had--partly because the island is so flat that there aren't blind curves through the hills/mountains like the other islands I've driven on. All of the main roads and most of the secondary roads are paved and amply wide. So pick a place anywhere on the island that appeals most to you, and rent a car without fear! It's easy, I promise.

I knew that most of the restaurants I wanted to try were located mid-island and westward, so I chose Meads Bay for my first visit. It's not centrally located on the island, but it was pretty central to the places I wanted to visit, with the exception of Shoal Bay East. Driving to various beaches by day wasn't a big deal for me, but my personal preference was not to have to drive as far for dinner at night. Your miles may vary on that point.

And I agree with the others who suggest cutting back on clothing. You really don't *need* much. My husband and I routinely pack for 2-week Caribbean vacations with only carry-on luggage, including snorkel gear. But if you're the kind of person who really enjoys dressing up and has changes of clothing for every occasion and just wants more options, don't let us bully you into changing your travel style. After all, it's YOUR vacation, not ours, so pack the way YOU want to. If your luggage doesn't make the transfer on your first day, it should make it to you by the next day. Just make sure that you have everything you need for 2-3 days in your carry-ons and you'll be fine. You might even feel liberated without the extra bags!

CaribbeanJill

Seriously, all you need is t's, shorts, perhaps a collared shirt if you're going to eat at a 5-star (but they won't turn you away with a decent t and shorts). Bathing trunks complete the carry-on. Sandy Ground has a great concentration of fine restaurants, Sand Dollar a must-try new opening.

Finally, don't fly to Anguilla. Fly to Sint Maarten (SXM) and take a ferry across. Many more options, better prices. Anguilla should leave the airports to the billionaires and their private jets and concentrate on smooth transit via St. Martin.

Hope this helps.

leo_arg

Wow!! many thanks again for your comments and suggestions.

I will consider flying to SXM.

I will now focus on deciding where to stay. At the moment I am considering Carimar vs. Frangipani...

What do you think about this??

MaryD

Frangipani has many, many more amenities than Carimar (2 pools, including an infinity pool on the beach), the fabulous Straw Hat restaurant on the premises, flat screen tvs in the rooms, washer/dryers if you're getting a suite) but both are on the same beach so if you want to save some money for those 80 or so restaurants, go for Carimar.

P.S. to an earlier poster. Rendezvous Bay Hotel is no more. It most definitely has not been renovated -- it is scheduled to be razed.

ejcrowe

If Frangipani and Carimar were the same price for oceanfront rooms, I'd probably pick Frangipani. As it was, last summer Frangi was about 2x the cost of Carimar, so that's where we went. It was pleasant and VERY spacious and on a great stretch of beach, and we LOVED having a full kitchen, but it wasn't luxurious at all. We walked to Straw Hat twice--once for breakfast and once for dinner, and we were pleased both times.

Either place would be a good home base for your Anguilla visit--it just depends on what you're looking for. We ended up choosing the more reasonably priced Carimar so that we could put more money towards the dining, but that doesn't seem to be your priority.

Kristen1206

My apologies about the Rendezvous Bay Hotel. I thought it was being renovated. What will go in its place?

MaryD

The owners made plans to put up this way over the top luxury villa/hotel/fractional ownership thing (villas in the millions of dollars range). The economic downturn happened as they closed the hotel so I've heard they're going forward with scaled down plans but who knows. They have cleared some of the land & let the existing buildings go to ruin. It's quite the mess!

leo_arg

Many Thanks Again!! I think I have narrowed my list to this two hotels: Carimar and Frangi.

I saw some pictures posted by other travelers and Frangipani looked more luxurious, but the rooms were very similar except from the flat screen TVs. I would say I liked the property, but I didn't find the rooms to be that different. I know pictures can be tricky sometimes.

Any more thoughts?

leo_arg

Serenity is on the list too.

Is Frangipani worth the extra bucks in terms of value for money?

Frangi - Carimar - Serenity.

Looking for: nicely decorated rooms, confortable, Tv, Great Bathrrom/shower. (Luxury isn't a must if others provided).

ejcrowe

Only you can say whether Frangi is worth the extra bucks. If you want a pool and restaurant on site, it's probably worth it for you. If, like me, you prefer more space and enjoy having the full fridge and cooking facilities, Carimar is a better value. We like the full fridge for keeping leftovers or snacks as well as juices and sodas, plus we like buying our own alcohol and keeping it in the freezer.

The room we had at Carimar was comfortable and the a/c worked really well, but the bathroom/shower wasn't what I would call "great," and the tv was in the living room, not the bedroom.

You sound like you're leaning more towards Frangi, reading between the lines of your posts.

adlmllr

Oh no, I'm really sorry to hear about the land at Rendezvous Bay Hotel. We rented a house near there on one of our trips and loved walking all up and down the length of the beach.

Speaking of which, have you considered renting a villa for the week? It's often a better deal than staying at a hotel and there's nothing like the privacy and space.

leo_arg

It looks like I have gathered the the information in order to decide!!! The hardest part. Frangi (5 nights) vs. Serenity (7nights) it is.