borababe

For anyone whose looking for some ¡§light¡¨ reading, here¡¦s my Anguilla trip report. Some would call it lengthy. I like to call it thorough.

I¡¦m not sure where to begin, so I¡¦ll start off by saying that I have never written a trip report before. Not for the many trips I have been fortunate enough to experience the last several years; not even for my honeymoon to Bora Bora. I have always been an avid forum reader (as in, I don¡¦t miss a day), but regardless of my best intentions, I just never got around to writing a trip report, that is, until now.

A few weeks back, I read on one of the forums that a woman started to cry when she had to leave Anguilla. That struck me as being odd, as I have never been moved to tears by any one destination. Well, wouldn¡¦t you know, I found myself doing the same thing, literally, as I was packing up my bags to go home. Didn¡¦t think it was possible.

My husband and I fell hard for Anguilla. It captured our hearts like no island has before. We loved everything - the people, the food, the beaches, the smell of the air; the list goes on and on. Of all the places we have been to, Anguilla has quickly become our favorite, and because of this, I felt compelled to share my experience with those who have done so before me.

Here¡¦s a quick breakdown¡K

Ku ¡V 3 nights
Cap Juluca ¡V 4 nights
Car rental: Hertz
Cell phone rental: Cable & Wireless
Checked out: Scilly Cay & Gwen¡¦s on Sunday (ended up following Happy Hits, as they were at both locations as well), Maoulihanna¡¦s for sunset cocktails
We saw: 3 rainbows, a shooting star, horseback riding on Maundays Bay, a one foot starfish!, beach crabs, garden snails, lizards, birds, and goats galore.

And now for the details¡K

We flew from JFK to St. Maarten on 1/19 and took the Funtime Charter. We arrived in pouring rain, which tends to be our luck, as it has poured on all our trips, including Aruba! We spent our first three nights in a pool/oceanview room at Ku. We found the staff to be pleasant and Shoal Bay beach to be beautiful.

Unfortunately, it was rainy, windy, and cloudy during our first three days, so we made the best use of our time by driving around the island and familiarizing ourselves with the lay of the land. During this time, we also went to Scilly Cay, stopped by Le Bon Pain for some fresh croissants, and had lunch at Cuisinart (best feta we ever had).

We spent the remaining four nights in a Luxury Villa at Cap Juluca. This hotel was nothing short of extraordinary! Attention to detail is the name of the game! Let¡¦s start with the much talked about room conditions. No, the room didn¡¦t have that brand new feel to it, but I would by no means say it was dated either. It could probably use a quick facelift, but couldn¡¦t we all! ƒº The bathroom was HUGE & looked like something out of a soap opera, in all its glass and marble glory & we loved the outdoor sun porch filled with foliage that is grown right on the premises. The terrace with direct water views is basically an extended part of the room. Because of this, it would be helpful if a screen was separate from the wood doors, so that you wouldn¡¦t have a nightly battle with the plethora of mosquitoes flying around the room. On the other hand, having breakfast on the terrace in your bathrobe and slippers each morning is quite a luxury and a heck of a way to start off any day! The service is comparable to any Four Seasons. We checked in early, so we made our way to George¡¦s (which is conveniently located at the midway point on the beach) for a celebratory cocktail. On our way back to the main house, a staff member, addressing us by our full names, stopped us en route to let us know that the front desk is looking for us and that our room is ready. At that point, we knew we had arrived! Our first villa assignment was villa #19, which was the last villa at the far end of the beach. Since we were at the tail end of inclement weather, the water was rougher and it was much windier at that end, so much so that beach umbrellas couldn¡¦t be opened. We went back to the main house and requested a lower # villa and we ended up in villa #5. We couldn¡¦t have been happier and our villa manager, Sheila, was awesome! Some of my fav¡¦s about this place¡K.private check in, ice brought to your room throughout the day, 1st round of drinks in mini-fridge is complimentary (including bottle of rum), complimentary unlimited bottles of water, both in villa & on the beach, drying rack on sun porch, ceiling fans in both the bathroom & bedroom, 2 computers w/24 hour unlimited internet, nightly movies in library w/popcorn & juice, tennis clinic with cold towels & water at your side, herb gardens, the beach is raked each morning, extensive drink menu at George¡¦s (Junior¡¦s Special is a must: fresh banana, baileys, coconut cream & ice, topped off with nutmeg), complimentary water sports, turndown service (a lit lantern & bottled water on each side of the bed), twice daily housekeeping, impressive fitness center, shuttle service that always seems to be there before you even realize you need it, hospitality at its best! As for the beach, it might as well be one of the most perfect beaches I have ever been on. Powder white sand and gorgeous water (yes, just like Turks) & there is no bad seat in the house. Each beach chair has an unobstructed, spectacular view of St. Martin and you don¡¦t have to get up at 6:30am and wait in line to get your name on a list to get it! Any time of day, really, any time, and a chair and umbrella is available. Not to mention the beach attendants that bring you your towels, cold water, cold towels, cocktails and afternoon sorbet. I know the hotel discussion is a subjective one, and although this hotel won¡¦t suit everyone, my husband and I absolutely loved CJ & couldn¡¦t have been happier that we chose to stay there!

Ok, so speaking of hot topics, here¡¦s our take on the much talked about subject¡K.food! We had lived in NYC for six years and the restaurants in Anguilla were comparable to any fine dining establishment in the big apple. In addition, we were amazed at how big the portions were for food that good! What I loved about Anguilla was getting to the restaurants. That was half the fun! We would be going down a dirt road, over bumps, dodging goats, around palm trees, and just when you thought you were lost, the restaurant appears & the next thing you know, you¡¦re eating this amazing dinner in what feels like the middle of nowhere. Love it!

And now for the list¡K

Caprice: our favorite restaurant on the island. Aside from the staff being hospitable and heartwarming, the food was amazing! We started with a bottle of red wine that was outstanding and served in the largest wine glasses we¡¦ve ever seen. We had a mozzarella, avocado, tomato appetizer, which was delicious. For our entrees, we had fresh seafood over homemade angle hair pasta and lobster-filled tortelli in a lobster bisque sauce. I am pasta-obsessed and this dish goes down as one of my top 3 favorites. It could have easily been served in any top restaurant in NYC, including Mario Batali¡¦s, Babbo. We finished off with tiramisu and limoncello. On an island renowned for its food, Caprice reigned supreme. If you like Italian, this is a must!
Olivers: Our second favorite restaurant. David, who tends the bar on the lower level, was really sweet. Oliver came over and introduced himself and couldn¡¦t have been nicer. For apps., we got a goat cheese salad (best on the island) and conch fritters, and our entrees were rack of lamb (best on the island) and seafood pasta, followed by the amazing Caramel Kisses dessert. This restaurant had a great vibe, great food, and great people.
Cote Mer: loved the calamari sticks and delicious tartar cream sauce; never seen calamari served like fries, but we loved it! Great idea!
Hibernia: enjoyed the smoked fish appetizer & ambiance
Blanchards: enjoyed the crabcake appetizer & ambiance
Trattoria: beautiful setting on the beach
Picantes: loved the seafood enchilada; the chocolate pudding was out of this world! It was hard to believe it was pudding. It reminded me of a flourless chocolate mousse.
Zurra: we had lunch here; the swordfish sandwich was absolutely outstanding! I got a similar sandwich at George¡¦s and it just wasn¡¦t the same..
Overlook: we ate breakfast here. The name says it all¡Kfantastic view.
Tastys: ate breakfast here too. Best French toast we ever had!

And finally, I saved the best for last. The local people are truly remarkable. Very kind, often smiling, and always helpful. They are very proud of their home and are happy to share it with you. I hope that will still be the case several years from now once the developmental boom subsides. Only time will tell.

I felt really prepared for this trip & I have the forums, and everyone who contributes to them, to thank for that. So, THANK YOU! May all your future trips to this very special island be amazing and long-lived. As for me, the countdown has officially begun¡K.again! 51 weeks and counting¡K¡K

ejcrowe

Funny little punctuation glitches aside (I assume you copied & pasted this from another document?), this is a great trip report about Anguilla. Very thorough and enjoyable to read. It's always terrific when someone comes back to report that they've fallen in love with a particular island!

emcash

Glad you enjoyed Anguilla and CJ as much as we did last year. It is truly a magical place.

Callaloo

Thanks for the report! Makes my own trip coming up seem that much closer.

Can you write more about Ku? We're staying in an oceanview suite there. Rooms well-equipped and fresh? Did you eat at the on-site restaurant? Did it seem crowded or busy?

Also, did you find it easy to explore the island? We're also renting a car, and love to visit beaches, beaches and more beaches.

cobbs1

Borababe, enjoyed the report. We'll be going to Anguilla soon and staying at Shoal Bay Villas, which I beleive is next door to Ku. Were there any good breakfast choices within walking distance along Shoal Bay? Also, I heard there is construction on the other side of Ku. Is that true, is it ongoing and is it much a distaction?

We're also renting from Hertz (a.k.a. Triple K, right?) Any positive or negative reactions?

mnag

Thanks for posting. Enjoyed your report. Anguilla was our first island in the Caribbean and it spoiled us forever. Though over the past several years there are others islands that come pretty close but nothing quite has the combination of beautiful beaches/quiet/awesome restaurants.

TPAYT

We stayed at Shoal Bay Villas next door to Ku and also loved it. That beach is fabulous, and the stars at night--stunning.

One of our favorite restaurants, "Zara's" is walkable down the beach. We liked it so much, we went there 3 times.

Also went to the gourmet take out place and ate on our adorable balcony overlooking the sea.

With a car, there are so many good restaurants that it is hard to choose.

borababe

We didn't spend a lot of time at Ku or Shoal Bay East due to the weather. Instead, we made a point to see the rest of the island, until the sun came out & by that point, we were already moving on to our second hotel.
We didn't eat there, so I can't comment on the food. The room was ok. Our AC in the bedroom was loud, so it was really hard to fall asleep with it on. If you're looking to take advantage of having a kitchen, you'll appreciate Ku. They kept it pretty well stocked with utensils, plates etc. Having the market on-site is great & I thought the staff was really nice.
Probably my favorite part of Ku was the view from our pool/oceanview room. Just amazing!
During our time there, we ate at Hibernia & Cote Mer and checked out Scilly Cay, Gwen's, and Le Bon Pain and Ku is in close proximity to all these places, so it really helped out with the first half of our itinerary. & driving around the island is easy. It took about a day to get used to driving on the left hand side, which is easy from the beginning, except the traffic circles takes a little getting used to. Yield to the car on the right in a round about. What was helpful was driving around during the day so that when we went out in the evening, it made sense. We got lost our first day twice, but it was pretty easy to figure out how to get back on track. We loved having a car. Just the ease of going where you want when you want is awesome. We had never done that before on any our trips and will definitely consider it again going forward.

borababe

Oops, I realized I only answered Callaloo's questions.

Cobbs1, I'm not sure what the breakfast options are around Ku. The market has fresh croissants (from Le Bon Pain)that go quickly after the it opens, which is 8am, although the last two days we were there, they didn't open on time. Or you can just drive to Le Bon Pain, which is under a 5 minute drive from Ku. They have more than just croissants on the menu, especially on the weekends. We got there too late, but there was a picture of a fruit tart on their menu that looked amazing. There is some light construction on one side of Ku, but I only saw it when we stepped out onto our balcony, since we had an end unit. Otherwise, you wouldn't even notice or hear it. I was concerned about that too before we left, but you'll be fine. Hertz was great. They brought the car to Ku. Both my husband and I each got a temporary license & glad we did because we both enjoyed driving. FYI - the license can only be paid for in cash ($20 per person) unlike the car reservation itself. We left the car at Cap at the end of our trip & Hertz came by to pick it up. Very easy, no issues. & unbelievable gas mileage! Since we're talking about cash-only items, when we departed Blowing Point, the departure tax was also $20 per person and they only took cash. FYI

caribtraveler

Enjoyed the trip report (We also had a great dinner at Caprice).

TPAYT

We stayed at Shoal Bay Villas and it was one of our best Caribbean vacations.

Uncle Ernie's and Gwenn's are both great for lunch,right on the beach.

Zara's, walkable down the beach and just inland from Gwenn's, was one of our favorite dinner restaurants--went there 3 times.

We rented a car from Uncle Ernie for 3 days so that we could check out the high-end resorts for drinks and all of the wonderful dinner restaurants.

Also rented floats from Uncle Ernie's for the 10 days we were there, and hauled them into our room each night.

While floating in the gorgeous water in front SBV, I saw my first sundog in 17 years of going to the Caribbean( a completely round rainbow not touching the sea or ground anywhere). The stars were exceptionally beautiful there because there is not much light to distract.

We're going to Turks and Caicos this year, but now I'm thinking I miss Anguilla!