Hi everyone,
I am looking to plan a trip to the caribbean in feb. I'm looking for a quiet laid back atmosphere that won't cost a fortune. I've been to anguilla which I adore, but the prices are a little out of control. Wondering if anyone can recommend an island with a similar charm and beauty to anguilla with a more affordable market. Appreciate any advice. Thanks a lot!

Highly recommend St. Kitts & Nevis!! The Caribbeans best kept secret.

Both are have a quiet, laid back atmosphere. Uncrowded beaches, friendly and helpful locals, rainforest tours, breathtaking views, variety of accomomdations for all budgets.

www.discover-stkitts-nevis-beaches.com

I was going to suggest Eleuthera, but it will be too chilly for the Bahamas (Out Islands) in February.

We just returned from Nevis, and it is a wonderful island, with great charm. It is a different kind of beauty than Anguilla - mountainous and lush is exchanged for those aqua waters. If you are willing to rent a cottage (instead of hotel room) and cook some of your own meals, you can cut way back on your budget.

You do know that Feb is high season, right? So your lodging anywhere in the Caribbean will cost much more than it would in the spring/summer/fall.

The Bahamas are closer and therefore a bit cheaper to get to. Maybe Exuma or another one of the less traveled islands?

Let me offer a island suggestion and hotel recommendation. If you're interested in a quiet laid back Caribbean atmosphere on an island with charm and beauty, you should certainly consider Grenada. Grenada is a lush tropical paradise (even after Hurricane Ivan) with beautiful beaches, rainforests, great restaurants, and wonderful friendly people. In my view, while Anguilla's beaches are tremendous, the island itself is rather sparse. Grenada's beaches aren't quite as stunning as Anguilla's (few islands' are) but they are some of the nicer ones in the Caribbean.

And if you're looking for inexpensive but still quite lovely lodging, you can't go wrong with the La Sagesse Resort ( http://www.lasagesse.com/) in southern Grenada. La Sagesse is a special romantic hotel located on an absolutely beautiful, yet secluded, beach. La Sagesse has a delightful and very pretty restaurant that won't break your bank account. Mike the owner/manager is very prompt and responsive in answering e-mail inquiries. Room rates go for about $150 a night during the high season and about $100 a night during the low season. At least one of the rooms is currently air conditioned but several more will soon be.

I agree with Laby about LaSagesse.