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Message
Anguilla - updated with trip report
Posted on 1/27/24 at 11:48 am
Posted on 1/27/24 at 11:48 am
Considering an impromptu trip in March. Any thoughts or recommendations are welcome.
Edit: trip report added at the bottom of this page
Edit: trip report added at the bottom of this page
This post was edited on 4/2/24 at 10:55 am
7
Posted on 1/27/24 at 1:05 pm to Decker
I have some friends who go multiple times each year. From what I gather, they rent a car and hit up a different beach every day.
I’ll see if I can get some food and other recs.
I’ll see if I can get some food and other recs.
Posted on 1/27/24 at 1:12 pm to patnuh
Thanks!
Posted on 1/27/24 at 1:24 pm to Decker
Elvis' Beach Bar on Sandy Ground.
Posted on 1/27/24 at 2:05 pm to VABuckeye
Thinking of staying at Aurora. Any thoughts? Is March a good time to visit?
Posted on 1/27/24 at 2:26 pm to Decker
Stayed at the Four Seasons a couple of years ago. It was an incredible property with a really good beach.
Posted on 1/27/24 at 2:30 pm to Decker
March may be the best time to visit. Weater will be perfect but you are still in high season so prices are higher.
Posted on 1/28/24 at 9:59 am to Mr. Blutarski
quote:
Stayed at the Four Seasons
This. Stayed there a couple Novembers ago. Incredible. Large group of us. Best part of the trip was when we spent a day on a chartered boat roaming around the island. Did some cliff jumping, found a secluded beach, hung out at the small island bar about a mile off the property.
This post was edited on 1/28/24 at 10:02 am
Posted on 1/29/24 at 12:26 pm to Decker
It's a great island. We stayed at the Zemi House and it was great. Lots of really good restaurants: Blanchards, Straw Hat, Cips by Cipriani, Jacala, Pimms
Posted on 1/29/24 at 1:24 pm to Decker
Went last year and stayed at the Hilton LXR Zemi Beach House. Incredible location, can walk to several great beach dive bars for food and live music. Did several island tours and excursions. Definitely want to go back. Flew in direct to Anguilla on American and was at the resort in 10 minutes from landing.
Posted on 1/30/24 at 9:47 am to Decker
Frangipani is a nice, less expensive option to FS on the same beach with easy access to the restaurants mentioned above
This post was edited on 1/30/24 at 9:48 am
Posted on 1/30/24 at 10:26 am to BIGC
What excursions did you do? Have some Hilton certificates to burn and have been eyeing Zemi but most of my initial searches say it's just a hang out kind of island. Fine with me, we go to the Caribbean a good bit so don't need to go on a boat just to do it but would like to do at least a half day excursion if it's worthwhile. Do we need to rent a car? Generally prefer not to for drinking reasons.
This post was edited on 1/30/24 at 10:30 am
Posted on 1/30/24 at 11:25 am to TheChiefHasArrived
I'd rent from Andy (google Andy's Anguilla Car rental). You'll get a cheap beater but perfect getting around the island. They drive on the opposite side so that's fun too. You also have to get a driver's license at the airport but it's cheap and painless and makes for a unique souvenir. Plus, (if memory serves) parking at the Zemi house is free. It's a pretty undeveloped island. I wouldn't want to rely on taxi or uber (which may not even exist there). No cruise ships and very few flights come in. We saw the people that were on our flight everywhere we went. That said there are great resorts, beaches, and restaurants to explore.
Posted on 3/5/24 at 11:53 am to Decker
Please report back when you get home. Heading there in a few months. On the fence about renting a car, but doesn't seem like much is walkable from Zemi.
Posted on 3/5/24 at 1:49 pm to TheChiefHasArrived
quote:
On the fence about renting a car, but doesn't seem like much is walkable from Zemi.
correct. rent a car. Zemi is nice but it is not close to most activities, restaurants and stuff
Posted on 3/30/24 at 8:05 am to Decker
Trip Report:
Summary:
Anguilla has amazing uncrowded beaches, fantastic food, and great people.
Travel:
We flew direct from Atlanta to Sint Maarten and then took a "ferry" (we used Calypso Charters, the boat held about 15 passengers) from Sint Maarten to Anguilla. The boat was docked very close to the airport. We paid for a transfer but could have walked. Sint Maarten aiport is under construction and the customs lines were long, but, luckily, someone came around and took travelers who were transferring out of the longer line and let us get processed faster. There were also shorter customs stops at the boat dock and then at arrival in Anguilla. The boat ride was nice, with complimentary non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. We (family of 5) took my preferred cocktail of meclizine and zofran and no one felt sea sick on any of our boating excursions. For our return trip, we arrived at the Blowing Point ferry dock in Anguilla 45 minutes before departure and paid a departure fee of approximately $30 per person. At the airport in Sint Maarten, we made it through security in less than 1 hour (I'd recommend arriving at least 2 hours before your flight just in case). Food options at the airport were limited and the lines were long. We had crepes, which were pretty tasty. There are direct flights available from Miami to Anguilla, if you want to go that route.
Getting Around:
I rented a car from Junie's, which had great service. I rented an SUV but they had to cancel it last minute. They provided an escort free of charge to transport our luggage to and from the hotel. I tried to book from Island Car Rentals but they are closed on Saturdays and our hotel concierge said they are not the most dependable. I think I paid $250 total for 6 days, including insurance. Getting around by car is easy and my recommendation. Cabs are expensive. The roads aren't great but they are also not crowded. The maximum drive you will make will be less than 30 minutes. You drive on the left side of the road, FYI.
Accomodations:
We stayed at Manoah Boutique Hotel on Shoal Bay beach. It is a good hotel for the price. The location is unbeatable. We had a two bedroom suite on an upper floor with a giant balcony and amazing views. The hotel provides a continental breakfast each morning that includes delicious freshly made croissants and is more than enough, although you can purchase additional items off of the breakfast menu. I walked down our beach and checked out Zemi House at the other end, which is very nice. We also had chances to check out Cap Juluca, Aurora, and the Four Seasons. All of these are great but they are pretty pricey and large and spread out. It really depends on whether you want to spend most of your time at your resort or explore the island a little more.
Beaches:
All of the beaches in Anguilla are public. We stayed at Shoal Bay East beach but visited numerous other beaches. The beaches are generally not crowded and most have chairs and umbrellas available for a small price or just for buying a drink at the bar that owns them.
I might be biased because we stayed there, but Shoal Bay East is probably the best beach in Anguilla. It is long and has the softest sand and beautiful water. There is decent snorkeling off shore. There are multiple casual restaurants along the beach that are all excellent. You can come right out of the water and eat at them. Zemi House resort is at the western edge of the beach. If you go any further west, the beach is rocky. Manoah and Shoal Bay Villas are at the eastern edge of the beach. If you walk past them to the east you can go around the point to North Shoal Bay Beach, which is pretty much empty. There are no hotels to speak of between Manoah and Zemi House. The beach was never crowded the entire time we were there. It was calm for the first 3+ days we were there. The last 2 full days, it was a little rough, so we visited other beaches.
We visited Rendezvous Beach one day. The Aurora Resort is on this beach, as well as Anguilla Great House. It is a beautiful beach with great sand and water and views of Sint Maarten across the channel. We ate at the Sunshine Shack, which was crowded and fun but had really slow service. All in all, it is a fantastic beach. If you stay at Aurora, you might want to figure out which building you are in, as part of the resort is not actually on this beach and is in a less desirable area. Parking was easy and free; we parked in a lot close to Anguilla Great House. We used their chairs and umbrellas and I bought a couple of drinks from their bar in return. The famous beach dog Saba came by and played frisbee with us for a long time.
We visited Maunday's Bay Beach (Cap Juluca resort covers basically the entire beach) one afternoon. It is equally beautiful, with soft sand and colorful water and views of Sint Maarten. We bought drinks at the Cap Shack and used their chairs/bean bags. You can park at either end of the bay, either by the main part of the resort or by the Cap Shack (I'd recommend parking at the Cap Shack). It seems a little uninviting because the resort covers the whole beach, but, again, it is all public.
We visited Savanna Bay Beach for a couple of hours. It is on the south eastern side of the island and completely deserted except for a restaurant that opens for lunch (this is where we parked). It was beautiful and calm but there was a lot of seaweed that day. Along the eastern side of the beach, near where we parked, the kids found some decent shells and a lot of brain coral pieces.
Sandy Ground is a very protected cove where a lot of boats anchor/moor and from which both of our excursions embarked. It has several beach bars, including the famous Elvis'. It is very pretty and typically calm. We saw several small sea turtles swimming there. We watched sunset there one evening and it was very picturesque. It isn't really a place for swimming but is nice for hanging out. There is an island (Sandy Island) not too far away that is tiny and only has a bar/restaurant on it. A boat shuttle can take you from Sandy Ground to the island for a small fee.
Barnes Bay Beach is one of the two beaches that the Four Seasons has access to. We visited it on an excursion and swam and snorkeled. It is great for both and was pretty empty while we were there. The beach itself is a little narrow.
Meads Bay Beach is one of the most famous in Anguilla. We toured by it by boat and ate at a restaurant on it one evening, but didn't spend any time on it during the day.
Little Bay Beach is only accessible by boat. We visited it on an excursion and it was a fun place to swim and snorkel. Additionally, there is a rock you can climb (a little difficult/scary) and then jump off of, which was fun.
Prickly Pear Cay is a small uninhabited island a few miles from Anguilla. You can visit it on calmer days, when the restaurant on the island is staffed. It is very beautiful and great for swimming/snorkeling/exploring.
Continued in the next post
Summary:
Anguilla has amazing uncrowded beaches, fantastic food, and great people.
Travel:
We flew direct from Atlanta to Sint Maarten and then took a "ferry" (we used Calypso Charters, the boat held about 15 passengers) from Sint Maarten to Anguilla. The boat was docked very close to the airport. We paid for a transfer but could have walked. Sint Maarten aiport is under construction and the customs lines were long, but, luckily, someone came around and took travelers who were transferring out of the longer line and let us get processed faster. There were also shorter customs stops at the boat dock and then at arrival in Anguilla. The boat ride was nice, with complimentary non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. We (family of 5) took my preferred cocktail of meclizine and zofran and no one felt sea sick on any of our boating excursions. For our return trip, we arrived at the Blowing Point ferry dock in Anguilla 45 minutes before departure and paid a departure fee of approximately $30 per person. At the airport in Sint Maarten, we made it through security in less than 1 hour (I'd recommend arriving at least 2 hours before your flight just in case). Food options at the airport were limited and the lines were long. We had crepes, which were pretty tasty. There are direct flights available from Miami to Anguilla, if you want to go that route.
Getting Around:
I rented a car from Junie's, which had great service. I rented an SUV but they had to cancel it last minute. They provided an escort free of charge to transport our luggage to and from the hotel. I tried to book from Island Car Rentals but they are closed on Saturdays and our hotel concierge said they are not the most dependable. I think I paid $250 total for 6 days, including insurance. Getting around by car is easy and my recommendation. Cabs are expensive. The roads aren't great but they are also not crowded. The maximum drive you will make will be less than 30 minutes. You drive on the left side of the road, FYI.
Accomodations:
We stayed at Manoah Boutique Hotel on Shoal Bay beach. It is a good hotel for the price. The location is unbeatable. We had a two bedroom suite on an upper floor with a giant balcony and amazing views. The hotel provides a continental breakfast each morning that includes delicious freshly made croissants and is more than enough, although you can purchase additional items off of the breakfast menu. I walked down our beach and checked out Zemi House at the other end, which is very nice. We also had chances to check out Cap Juluca, Aurora, and the Four Seasons. All of these are great but they are pretty pricey and large and spread out. It really depends on whether you want to spend most of your time at your resort or explore the island a little more.
Beaches:
All of the beaches in Anguilla are public. We stayed at Shoal Bay East beach but visited numerous other beaches. The beaches are generally not crowded and most have chairs and umbrellas available for a small price or just for buying a drink at the bar that owns them.
I might be biased because we stayed there, but Shoal Bay East is probably the best beach in Anguilla. It is long and has the softest sand and beautiful water. There is decent snorkeling off shore. There are multiple casual restaurants along the beach that are all excellent. You can come right out of the water and eat at them. Zemi House resort is at the western edge of the beach. If you go any further west, the beach is rocky. Manoah and Shoal Bay Villas are at the eastern edge of the beach. If you walk past them to the east you can go around the point to North Shoal Bay Beach, which is pretty much empty. There are no hotels to speak of between Manoah and Zemi House. The beach was never crowded the entire time we were there. It was calm for the first 3+ days we were there. The last 2 full days, it was a little rough, so we visited other beaches.
We visited Rendezvous Beach one day. The Aurora Resort is on this beach, as well as Anguilla Great House. It is a beautiful beach with great sand and water and views of Sint Maarten across the channel. We ate at the Sunshine Shack, which was crowded and fun but had really slow service. All in all, it is a fantastic beach. If you stay at Aurora, you might want to figure out which building you are in, as part of the resort is not actually on this beach and is in a less desirable area. Parking was easy and free; we parked in a lot close to Anguilla Great House. We used their chairs and umbrellas and I bought a couple of drinks from their bar in return. The famous beach dog Saba came by and played frisbee with us for a long time.
We visited Maunday's Bay Beach (Cap Juluca resort covers basically the entire beach) one afternoon. It is equally beautiful, with soft sand and colorful water and views of Sint Maarten. We bought drinks at the Cap Shack and used their chairs/bean bags. You can park at either end of the bay, either by the main part of the resort or by the Cap Shack (I'd recommend parking at the Cap Shack). It seems a little uninviting because the resort covers the whole beach, but, again, it is all public.
We visited Savanna Bay Beach for a couple of hours. It is on the south eastern side of the island and completely deserted except for a restaurant that opens for lunch (this is where we parked). It was beautiful and calm but there was a lot of seaweed that day. Along the eastern side of the beach, near where we parked, the kids found some decent shells and a lot of brain coral pieces.
Sandy Ground is a very protected cove where a lot of boats anchor/moor and from which both of our excursions embarked. It has several beach bars, including the famous Elvis'. It is very pretty and typically calm. We saw several small sea turtles swimming there. We watched sunset there one evening and it was very picturesque. It isn't really a place for swimming but is nice for hanging out. There is an island (Sandy Island) not too far away that is tiny and only has a bar/restaurant on it. A boat shuttle can take you from Sandy Ground to the island for a small fee.
Barnes Bay Beach is one of the two beaches that the Four Seasons has access to. We visited it on an excursion and swam and snorkeled. It is great for both and was pretty empty while we were there. The beach itself is a little narrow.
Meads Bay Beach is one of the most famous in Anguilla. We toured by it by boat and ate at a restaurant on it one evening, but didn't spend any time on it during the day.
Little Bay Beach is only accessible by boat. We visited it on an excursion and it was a fun place to swim and snorkel. Additionally, there is a rock you can climb (a little difficult/scary) and then jump off of, which was fun.
Prickly Pear Cay is a small uninhabited island a few miles from Anguilla. You can visit it on calmer days, when the restaurant on the island is staffed. It is very beautiful and great for swimming/snorkeling/exploring.
Continued in the next post
This post was edited on 4/4/24 at 8:15 pm
Posted on 4/4/24 at 8:15 pm to Decker
Trip Report (continued):
Excursions:
We chartered a private boat one day for a tour of the island and a trip to Prickly Pear Cay. This was definitely a highlight of the trip. We stopped at Barnes Bay Beach by the Four Seasons and snorkeled and swam. We snorkeled and swam at Prickly Pear and ate a delicious meal of lobster and bbq at the restaurant there. We snorkeled and swam at Little Bay and some of us jumped off of the rock there that you can climb (only mildly scary). We used Anguilla Rum and Reel charters, and they were excellent. We began and ended our trip at Sandy Ground.
My oldest and I did a two tank morning scuba trip with The Scuba Shack (formerly Shoal Bay Scuba). They are based in Sandy Ground. It was easy to set up and our captain and dive leader were both great. Our first dive was a wrecked freighter with a maximum depth of 80 ft and our second dive was a beautiful reef with a maximum depth of 60 ft. We saw a reef shark, turtles, rays, eels, tons of lobsters, and tons of fish. We spent our rest period between dives on Sandy Island. I would definitely dive with them again.
Dining:
The food in Anguilla is amazing. I had lobster or crayfish at almost every meal and it never disappointed. Crayfish is a term they use for a smaller species of Caribbean lobster; they typically give you 3 or 4 tails per order. It is a little more tender and sweeter and I preferred it.
The best food we ate was at the beach shacks/small restaurants on Shoal Bay East. My favorite was Madeariman, which stayed open later than the others (the rest closed around sundown) and had the best fried calamari I've ever tasted. Their crayfish was amazing. They had a singer one night we were there and he was really good. All of the singers we encountered at restaurants seemed overly qualified.
The other restaurants we visited on Shoal Bay East include Ola's tacos (great snack fish tacos), Tropical Sunrise (fantastic crayfish and plantains), and Gwen's Jamaican Grill (great food and a scratch band several days a week). Additionally, the Manoah Hotel has a restaurant we ate at one night for dinner and a couple nights for dessert, and it was pretty good.
We visited three "nice" restaurants during our stay: Strawhat, Pimm's, and Hibernia. Strawhat was my favorite. It is in the Frangipani Resort on Mead's Bay Beach. I had the curried goat, which was phenomenal.
Pimm's is located on the rocks overlooking the water in the Cap Juluca resort. It is by far the best restaurant we visited in terms of ambience and presentation. The food was really good, but a little over-priced considering what you can get on the beach. The highlight was the crayfish tartare.
Hibernia is on the east side of the island and has a small art gallery inside. Dining is outside in a nice setting. The food is Asian influenced (I had Japanese crayfish soup) and pretty good overall.
We also had appetizers and drinks at Elvis' in Sandy Ground one evening. The jerk chicken nachos were delicious. It is a cool place and worth a visit.
Perhaps the most memorable meal we had was at the restaurant on Prickly Pear Cay. BBQ chicken, fish, and ribs, a lobster tail apiece, shrimp, and really good sides. Lots of little birds and lizards came up to us while we ate. The green rum punch was delicious.
Summary: stick to the beachside restaurants and you can't go wrong. Eat plenty of lobster/crayfish.
View from Manoah Hotel balcony
Shoal Bay Beach
Shoal Bay Beach
Lunch at Tropical Sunrise
Rendezvous Bay Beach
Saba at Rendezvous Bay Beach
Maundays Bay Beach
Maundays Bay Beach
Prickly Pear Cay
Sunset at Sandy Ground
Excursions:
We chartered a private boat one day for a tour of the island and a trip to Prickly Pear Cay. This was definitely a highlight of the trip. We stopped at Barnes Bay Beach by the Four Seasons and snorkeled and swam. We snorkeled and swam at Prickly Pear and ate a delicious meal of lobster and bbq at the restaurant there. We snorkeled and swam at Little Bay and some of us jumped off of the rock there that you can climb (only mildly scary). We used Anguilla Rum and Reel charters, and they were excellent. We began and ended our trip at Sandy Ground.
My oldest and I did a two tank morning scuba trip with The Scuba Shack (formerly Shoal Bay Scuba). They are based in Sandy Ground. It was easy to set up and our captain and dive leader were both great. Our first dive was a wrecked freighter with a maximum depth of 80 ft and our second dive was a beautiful reef with a maximum depth of 60 ft. We saw a reef shark, turtles, rays, eels, tons of lobsters, and tons of fish. We spent our rest period between dives on Sandy Island. I would definitely dive with them again.
Dining:
The food in Anguilla is amazing. I had lobster or crayfish at almost every meal and it never disappointed. Crayfish is a term they use for a smaller species of Caribbean lobster; they typically give you 3 or 4 tails per order. It is a little more tender and sweeter and I preferred it.
The best food we ate was at the beach shacks/small restaurants on Shoal Bay East. My favorite was Madeariman, which stayed open later than the others (the rest closed around sundown) and had the best fried calamari I've ever tasted. Their crayfish was amazing. They had a singer one night we were there and he was really good. All of the singers we encountered at restaurants seemed overly qualified.
The other restaurants we visited on Shoal Bay East include Ola's tacos (great snack fish tacos), Tropical Sunrise (fantastic crayfish and plantains), and Gwen's Jamaican Grill (great food and a scratch band several days a week). Additionally, the Manoah Hotel has a restaurant we ate at one night for dinner and a couple nights for dessert, and it was pretty good.
We visited three "nice" restaurants during our stay: Strawhat, Pimm's, and Hibernia. Strawhat was my favorite. It is in the Frangipani Resort on Mead's Bay Beach. I had the curried goat, which was phenomenal.
Pimm's is located on the rocks overlooking the water in the Cap Juluca resort. It is by far the best restaurant we visited in terms of ambience and presentation. The food was really good, but a little over-priced considering what you can get on the beach. The highlight was the crayfish tartare.
Hibernia is on the east side of the island and has a small art gallery inside. Dining is outside in a nice setting. The food is Asian influenced (I had Japanese crayfish soup) and pretty good overall.
We also had appetizers and drinks at Elvis' in Sandy Ground one evening. The jerk chicken nachos were delicious. It is a cool place and worth a visit.
Perhaps the most memorable meal we had was at the restaurant on Prickly Pear Cay. BBQ chicken, fish, and ribs, a lobster tail apiece, shrimp, and really good sides. Lots of little birds and lizards came up to us while we ate. The green rum punch was delicious.
Summary: stick to the beachside restaurants and you can't go wrong. Eat plenty of lobster/crayfish.
View from Manoah Hotel balcony
Shoal Bay Beach
Shoal Bay Beach
Lunch at Tropical Sunrise
Rendezvous Bay Beach
Saba at Rendezvous Bay Beach
Maundays Bay Beach
Maundays Bay Beach
Prickly Pear Cay
Sunset at Sandy Ground
This post was edited on 4/6/24 at 10:59 pm
Posted on 4/5/24 at 3:31 pm to Decker
Great post! Leaving in a few for my anniversary. Was thinking Pimms for anniversary night although I think I've changed my mind many times, but would prefer to play it by ear depending on how our days go. How far in advance did you make reservations?
Renting a car seems most cost effective but we like to be drinking at the beach/bars. I think we'll have a tough time leaving Shoal Bay for more than a day trip. Were taxis at least accessible? In most of my Caribbean experience it was easy enough to get a driver's number or use the front desk.
Renting a car seems most cost effective but we like to be drinking at the beach/bars. I think we'll have a tough time leaving Shoal Bay for more than a day trip. Were taxis at least accessible? In most of my Caribbean experience it was easy enough to get a driver's number or use the front desk.
This post was edited on 4/5/24 at 3:37 pm
Posted on 4/5/24 at 11:13 pm to TheChiefHasArrived
Pimm’s was great. The service was impeccable. I made our reservation a week or two in advance. I think it books up quickly. I made our reservation at Strawhat that afternoon, so it should be an available alternative.
If you are staying at Zemi House, I think you will really enjoy eating at the beach shacks between it and Manoah.
I get it about drinking (although apparently you can drink and drive in Anguilla), but I still think renting a car is the way to go. If the sea is rough one day you can just zip over to the other side of the island. Heck, you can always get a cab if you are hammered and then get the rental car the next day.
If you are staying at Zemi House, I think you will really enjoy eating at the beach shacks between it and Manoah.
I get it about drinking (although apparently you can drink and drive in Anguilla), but I still think renting a car is the way to go. If the sea is rough one day you can just zip over to the other side of the island. Heck, you can always get a cab if you are hammered and then get the rental car the next day.
Posted on 4/6/24 at 3:04 pm to Decker
Thanks, I might just go ahead and do the car. Did you do one of the local companies that leave car in parking lot of the airport? Taking a taxi to a rental lot seems super inconvenient after a travel day.
Arriving on Sunday so my dinner plans were already at Madeariman with a pre or post dinner drink at Gwen's for the live band, glad you enjoyed. Can't wait.
Arriving on Sunday so my dinner plans were already at Madeariman with a pre or post dinner drink at Gwen's for the live band, glad you enjoyed. Can't wait.
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