burnsie

My husband is turning 40 in Feb, and wants to celebrate it laying on a beach, with no one around (except me, of course--leaving the kids behind). I'm thinking of Anegada (BVI) or possibly St. Croix. We've been to Culebra (loved it) and Cayman Islands (nice, too). I'd love to surprise him. We just want peace and quiet. No night life. How hard is it to travel to either of these places? We live just west of the Rockies so where ever we go, it will be a trick. But well worth it!
Thanks!

Traveler863

Burnsie,
I have no idea of your budget but timewise, perhaps a wash or maybe a little longer from West Rockies you might want to look the So. Pacific. Tahiti but not Tahiti itself, but Moorea, Huahine or Bora Bora. You know the familar saying Bora Bora is so boring they named it twice, well it has some truth Or about 2 hour west (flying) of Tahiti are the Cook Islands much less expensive to stay. Typically airfare isn't cheap to these places but well worth it...Cook Islands for example there's great deals and could very well offset airfare costs.

For Caribbean, Anegada is certainly a good choice for quiet. You might also look into Bequia or other islands in the Grenadines such as Young Island, Union Island or Carriacou, part of Grenada however do check their current status from the recent hurricane. Or even look at some of the Bahamas outislands, very good for beaching it...and far from the busy tourists areas of Nassau and Freeport.

Further you might want to consider a quiet Hawaiian island like Molakai.

Have fun wherever you end up, please post trip report....love to hear about the quiet off the beaten trail places. Enjoy.

Traveler863

Burnsie,
I totally missed commenting on St. Croix, it it not what you are looking for...its a very densely populated island with crime problems. If you want to read more on subj look for the "just beware" thread. It is not one of my top picks although some love it.

meta

If you do end up going to the Carribean, check out Anguilla. Very quiet island, and in many places, you'll feel like you have the beach all to yourself.

Traveler863

Meta,
Very good suggestion I forgot about Anguilla, very nice beaches and solitude very easy.

Sunnyboy

You will find some fantastic uncrowded beaches on Anegada (some say the best in the Caribbean - oops! I let the cat out of the bag - Anegada lovers will chastize me for telling their little secret) making it a perfect location for lying on the beach with no one around. There are only a handful of hotel rooms on the island (most visitors are the bareboaters who make it one of their stops while sailing through the BVI's) so you are likely to encounter only a handful of people even on the busiest days. More than likely you when you go to one of the beaches the nearest person will be hundreds of yards if not miles away. Anegada is, however, extremely difficult to get to and even more so given that you are originating west of the Rockies. Since "just west of the Rockies" can can cover a big area I suspect you are looking at at least 2 days of air travel and possibly 3 if your connections don't work out. You first have to get yourself to Tortola and all that entails. From there you can catch an island hopper to Anegada. I just read where a Tortola based aviation company just started offering several fights each week (maybe even daily) or you can charter a plane to take you. Sailing is another option and I heard that someone (Speedy's?) has recently announced they will be doing a ferry service. Now you know why Anegada doesn't get talked about too much on this forum.

As Traveler863 says forget about St. Croix, it doesn't come close to having beaches "with no one around" as it is a very populated island.

You might find it a little easier getting to one of the Bahamas Out- Islands (Long Island, Eleuthera, the Abacos, The Exumas or even Cat Island) but in February the temperatures (both air and water) in the Bahamas can be on the cool side so I would not recommend those places.

The problem that you have is most of Caribbean islands with "secluded" beaches are that way because they are difficult to get to even from the East coast making it even tougher from "just west of the Rockies". One suggestion, if you can make your way to St. Martin, it is a short 11 minute flight or 20 minute ferry to Anguilla, an island with georgous beaches that while not as empty as those on Anegada are, nonetheless, relatively uncrowded. It also boasts a number of fine resorts and hotels and over 80 restaurants some of which are among the best in the Caribbean (but be warned some can be very pricey).

Another alternative is to go to one of the major islands and stay in a private villa or a smaller upscale resort - both will offer you the opportunity to be pretty much by yourselves.

Lastly, since Barbados is a "gateway" island you might be able to fly there relatively easily. From there you can take an island hopper to Bequia (as suggested by Traveler863) or any of the other Grenadines. If that works for you look into Petit St. Vincent (not one of my favorite destination but others like it alot), Palm Island Firefly on Mustique or the soon to re-open Raffles on Canouan.

burnsie

Wow! That was fast! I appreciate all the info. I will definitely stay away from St. Croix. We looked into going to Bora Bora before, maybe we'll try again! However, the other carribbean islands seem worth exploring. We're planning on a couple of days travel so any of these seem like a good bet. I will keep checking the forum and hopefully, make a decision!

Traveler863

Burnsie,
Another thought is St. Barts....not really so secluded but not heavily touristed, great beaches...very upscale. For St. Barts definitely recommend private villa.

burnsie

Thanks. I forgot to ask, but I heard that Anguilla is really expensive. Like a Coke costs $5. Just wondering.

Traveler863

Info for air services to Grenadines. As Sunnyboy pointed out Barbados is an excellent gateway for the major airlines, typically it is one of the cheaper destinations in the Caribbean to fly to. From Barbardos you can catch a "shared charter" to the Grenadines. Look into either SVG Air or TIA at:
www.svgair.com
www.tia2000.com

Traveler863

Yes Anguilla is expensive.

burnsie

Thanks. Sorry to add to the confusion, but what about Nevis? Appreciate your help.

Traveler863

Nevis is great, love the island. Its really a bit of the true Caribbean....a true charm, wonderful friendly people. Although I wouldn't say the beaches are that spectactular, they aren't the sugar white sand from the postcards many envision of an island...its a volcanic island with much island beauty but the beaches tend to be brownish to black in some areas. Getting there isn't too difficult. American Eagle now flies nonstop from San Juan. Not sure if that is a good thing...easier for people to get there means more tourists Used to be you flew into St. Kitts then puddle hopped from there...shortest flight I've taken, about 5 minutes.

Sunnyboy

burnsie: Nevis is a terrific island if you don't mind dark sand beaches. The beaches are long, uncrowded (you will find plenty of places with no one around even on the busiest days) and most are lined with hundreds of palm trees. There are lush rainforests, score of old ruins to explore, caves (for those who know how to find them), hot springs, hiking trails, a dormant volcano that towers 3,600' above sea level, botanical gardens, fine restaurants, and small intimate Plantation Inns where you will be treated like the guest of honor. The island is home to some of the friendliest people in the Caribbean. Nevis is not for everyone but because you are seeking peace and quite it is a perfect destination for you.

Kimberly

Try the Pearl Island Resort in Abacos.

Kimberly

Sorry wrong post... try Aitutake Pearl Beach Resort on Cook Island if you want solitude!

Maureen

Look into the Stonefield Estate Villas Resort at Stonefieldvillas.com. Beautiful view of the Pitons in St. Lucia and definitely very quiet and romantic. They offer a romance package that may suit you.

burnsie

O.K. I think I've narrowed it Nevis or Anegada. These islands seem to fit what we're looking for. Best places to stay at both of these would be appreciated(of course, all of you have already been incredibly helpful). We're not the "Four Seasons" type, but don't mind spending the money if its worth it. Should we rent a villa or stay at a small hotel or B & B? Thanks Guys!

Sunnyboy

On Anegada there are only 3 hotels, the Anegada Reef Hotel, The Ocean Range Hotel and the Sands Hotel. They are all rather basic and similar to each other. Go to www.bvitouristboard.com and click on the Anegada link for more information.

On Nevis you will find all types of accomodations ranging from the upscale Four Seasons to small housekeeping cottages and everything in between. Without knowing what type of hotel and amenities you want it is hard to make recommendations. Go to www.nevis1.com for unbiased reveiws of just about every resort, hotel, plantation inn and rental villa on the island. Read through all the descriptions, narrow your choices to a couple and then use the search feature above to get recent feedback as quite a few of the resorts have been reviwed on this site or post a new question. Also go to www.tripadvisor.com to see how others have rated a particular resort. Since only you know what type of accomodation is rght for you you shouldn't rely on others to choose where to stay.