Thanks so much for all your input ....it is so nice to get help from people who actually know what they are talking about!!In regard to actually reaching these destinations...it seems like a huge pain (flight wise )to get to PI vs.Cap.Is this accurate??Also , what are your thoughts on the ferry to Cap vs. plane,etc.Is the water as perfect on PI as it is in Anquilla and what about sailing in Anguilla??Thanks!!

SteveL and Beachplum -- Thanks for your insights. I would love to visit Cap Juluca. It looks beautiful and I love white powdery sand. However, I honestly don't think I will be as enthralled as many of the posts I have read on this and other sites. For one, I do not like lying on a beach all day without palm trees or thatched huts. I could not even imagine doing it for a whole week. I really love lying under complete shade and if I am not in the water, I am always under shade. I live in south Florida and I can (and do) have a beautiful beach experience with beach umbrellas pretty much year round. So as wonderful as Cap Juluca looks, with its spectacular architecture and white sand, it would not be as magical for me as for the majority of folks who go there. Nevertheless, I am intrigued and honestly need to see it since it gets such rave reviews by a loyal following. And I appreciate both of your opinions and advice.

Blair: If you are concerned about decor and linens, then you should seriously consider Four Seasons or Sandy Lane over Peter Island Resort. And I am not saying that this would be a negative. My husband and I came very close to booking Four Seasons Nevis over Peter Island because we knew the rooms would be outstanding and the service impeccable and the rooms just perfect with beautiful bath products and linens and all the extras that really give you the feeling of being pampered. And the spa at Four Seasons gets raves. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting that kind of experience.

Peter Island is not about pampering. If you ask for something there, you will most likely get it, but you could not put the serivce at Peter Island in the same league as a Four Seasons or a Ritz Carlton. The decor at Peter Island is lovely (check out the website photos since they are accurate), West Indies looking. The bed was comfortable and the room was bright and airy and very nice with an absolutely gorgeousview of the water, just steps away, and a beautiful bathroom with double jacuzzi tub. But the linens are not Frette, the bath towels are great but they are Charisma, and the bath products are unrecognizable by name but we learned they are from Amway. The owner of the resort is the name behind Amway and the Orland Magic basketball team -- he's worth over $1 billion -- and he's put Amway bath products in Peter Island's bathrooms. Despite not having a name with cache, the bath products were fine, I suppose, but I bring my own anyway, so it really didn't matter! :-)

Anyway, my point is that at these prices, you have the right to want what you want, and if a certain decor or certain linens are what you want, then go for what is important to you. In the end, we decided that going to Peter Island was such a unique experience that we wanted that over the Four Seasons. There are Four Seasons all over the world, they are not going anywhere and we will have another chance to visit one on another trip. but for this trip (our belated honeymoon), we wanted something unique and somewhat magical. We found it at Peter Island.

Blair9535:

Good questions.

First, I am not a fan of the ferry. You need to take a cab to the ferry, moving luggage with each step, and the total cost isn't much different than the flight. Also, the ferry can be a little rough. It's a pretty flight and gives you a nice literal overview of Angulla. Perhaps better is to fly to San Juan and direct from there to Anguilla.

Everywhere is a pain to fly to from Columbus, OH, but to be honest, I didn't really see much difference. For PI, you fly to Tortola and PI takes it from there transferring your luggage and you very easily to their private boat for a 20-minute ride.

The water in Anguilla is as clear as it is in BVI (up to 240 feet of visibilty), but the two calmest waters of the Caribbean (but still plenty of breeze) are BVI and the Grenadines. Those are the top sailing waters in the world by some accounts. That said, sailing on the leeward side of Anguilla is still really nice and you can find lots of opportunities.

Thanks guys...you have answered so many questions for me.Just what I needed to know and what the books dont really tell you.A luxurious , pampering trip is what I want but I also want beautiful water and sailing.One of the best memories I have is sailing with friends from St.Thomas to St. John ....absolutely stunning.Im a little unclear on the water ,etc in Nevis but I know the service would be exceptional.I think I may have ruled Sandy Lane Barbados out..like Steve said there are several people living there.lol..I wonder which place would be better for a wedding..any thoughts??

I'd bet opinions on where to get married must be extremely varied. Of the places we've discussed, I think Cap Juluca would have nicest setting for a wedding. The man-made beauty combined with the beauty of the sea would be extraordinary and the resort is big enough to handle complex arrangements. After that, I'd choose PI.

When we were in Maui at the Fairmont Kea Lani, they had an entire outdoor area just for weddings. It was spectacular. What about the Ritz in St. Thomas? Or, maybe the Hyatt on Grand Cayman? I don't like those places as well as BVI and Anguilla, but maybe you need more sophisticated facilities for a wedding. How many people are you having? How old are the oldest guests?

Steve...thanks for your wonderful insights and suggestions.They are truly helpful.As for St. Thomas and Grand Cayman..both lovely,but I have been to both.Even though my fiance hasn't visited either island, I think for this trip I'd like to try somewhere I havent been.Right now I think its truly between PI,Cap, and Nevis.Since this is the second tinme for both of us(I had the"works" the first time)we want a small intimate ceremony.It will be just us and another couple.They have visited Cap and loved it but on the flip side they have not visited the others and might like to visit a different island as well.We are all early to mid thirties and while we love kids(we all have them)we want this to be a truly lux escape..although in Jan. ,with school in session,I doubt any of the choices will be loaded with them.Now that you have a better idea of the plan ..what are your suggestions??

Well, remember that I don't know Nevis. With that in mind, I'd pick Cap over PI unless sailing and/or diving is paramount in importance. For a honeymoon, Cap can't be beat. Also, the restaurant scene at Cap is incredible, whereas at PI, it is good food, but really can't offer the options that you'd have at Cap. I can picture the wedding itself in either Cap or PI and it would be beautiful.

For a really cool Anguilla wedding, maybe you can get married at Little Bay. You'd have to get there by boat (Cap can take you). See http://www.news.ai/ref/littlebay.html for a picture.

Blair9535:

While driving back from taking our youngest to college, I posed the question to my wife and she said Peter Island and then Cap Juluca. So, you can choose either and know that somebody will support your decision!

Why haven't you considered St. John. Rent a gorgeous villa......their beaches are superior to any of the islands you have mentioned.

You have the best of both worlds. A villa is perfect for a honeymoon or even getting married on one of there many gorgeous beaches. We saw a few weddings whil stayin on this gorgeous island and would highly recommend it. Trunk Bay or Hawksnest is deserted after 4:30pm.

I don't think PI has it over St. John.....What am I missing here????

Nothing...St. John is beautiful.I have visited the island and found it to be breathtaking.I just wanted to try something new...but you are right...its hard to beat.

The only "problem" with St. John, if you consider it one, is that the only high end resort is Caneel. Many people, especially on their honeymoon, prefer the resort amenities rather than the self-catering route of a villa. One also has to recognize that there is sometimes lots of trekking to beaches unless you are in one of the beachside villas and the dining is generally in Cruz Bay or Coral Bay areas which means a drive also. For those who don't mind that route, it's fine but comparing Caneel to PIR is not a contest although Caneel does have fabulous beaches.

If you're still deciding whether Cap or Malli on Anguilla, I would suggest Malli. b we stayed at Cap several years ago in January, visited over at Malli and were very impressed with Malli. Cap faces south, Malli west, and our experience has been that west is best; the sunsets, the water during the day, and less wind make the surf calmer. The wind and high surf made the beach at Cap and Cuisinart problematic in my opinion. The restaurant at Malli is superior to Cap. My son spent his honeymoon at Malli, stayed down on the beach level rather than up on the cliff, and loved it.

Malli is a beautiful resort, it has a wonderful setting. Yes it faces west so you will get a beautiful sunset on most nights. As far as the beach, both are fabulous, but I have to differ with the above poster, Maundays Bay will be the calmer of the two. Mead's can be very rough on occasion, after all it is the Atlantic side of the island. I have friends who stay at Carimar every holiday season, they tell me it can be very rough. Maunday's Bay can be affected by the wind, weather but after more than 12 times at the hotel I have never seen waves or undertoe like the Jersey shore or Bermuda. Cuisinart is on Rendezvous, the west end is affected by the wind, thats why the hotel set its restaurants way back from the beach, none overlook the water. One year we stayed in Malli's junior suite, right above Turtle Bay (a cove)
off of Mead's, nice private spot. Malli
now has a few suites on the beach, great spot too. Yes, Malli's restaurant is excellent, Pimms and Georges are not as good, but nothing comes close to their setting. The best part about Anguilla is you can dine at many spots all within 10 minutes or less from these hotels, and go to some of the best beaches in the caribbean.