Vacation Part 1: Anguilla

I cannot tell you how much I heart Anguilla. The people are friendly, the beaches are pristine, the weather is perfect, and the restaurants are amazing. The only thing that would make it better is if there was more shopping! I think it's the best island in the Carribean (although that's a pretty uninformed opinion since I've only been to one other island!) because it is so peaceful and quiet. There is tourism, but it does not disrupt the island or infringe on its charm. Anguilla doesn't have the huge resort complexes that other islands have. Instead, it has small (and large) villas that dot the numerous beaches. Cruise ships do not dock in Anguilla as it is not a destination with a lot "to do" ... but we still love it! Here are a few of my favorite moments of the trip:

Mead's Bay - right outside the condo

Cute straw hat chandelier in The Straw Hat, one of my favorite restaurants and where we at dinner on our first night.

I'm basically obsessed with this chandelier at Cap Juluca, one of the more famous resorts on the island. I love it's laid-back Middle Eastern meets Carribean theme. We had drinks at Maunday's there one night and then came back another night for more drinks and for dancing.

The beach at Long Bay. Anguilla has many beaches and we tried to see as many as possible. I let my boyfriend handle the map and the driving, most of which was down dirt roads. Practically every beach we went to was deserted and so peaceful and beautiful. This beach, on Long Bay, is right near Oliver's, another one of my fave Anguillian restaurants (it's all about food for me!). The owner, Oliver, is a wonderful woman who recognized us from last year and immediately came up to us and hugged us when we came in! She's from Massachusetts just like me, but she came on vacation to Anguilla and decided not to leave! Oh how I wish that were my life!!

Me, on the beach. Note the long sleeves - I got a horrible sunburn on the second day and tried to cover my shoulders as much as possible afterwards.

There are so many brightly colored houses in Anguilla.

My boyfriend and I after dinner at The Barrel Stay, another great restaurant. We had so much fun and it was so wonderful to spend an entire week with him! I was bummed to leave Anguilla after the five days, but also excited to go on to St. Maarten for the rest of our trip!! Stay tuned!

P.S. If you're thinking about taking a trip to the Carribean, I whole-heartedly recommend Anguilla. You won't find the whole all-inclusive thing, but there are so many wonderful restaurants, beautiful beaches, water sports, beach bars, etc. You won't be disappointed!

Counting Down...

Happy Sunday! I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful day! I've been on a cleaning spree - I hate coming home to a messy place, so I'm cleaning everything like a mad woman. Then, when I come back from vacation, I will come back to a clean apartment! I'm getting more and more excited to leave on Tuesday! I went shopping yesterday for some last minute things and already have a plan to sneak the extra clothes I bought into my bf's suitcase... I will definitely not have room in mine! ;)

I've been looking through some of my pictures of vacation last year and wanted to share some with you!

This is Shoal's Bay, one of the more popular beaches in Anguilla. It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. You can buy drinks, go snorkeling, grab some lunch, get a massage, or just lay out.

Driving down to Cap Juluca, a resort in Anguilla. We had drinks at Maunday's Club there one night (soo preppy) and then walked around another day. This year, I'm looking forward to having dinner at Pimm's, one of the restaurants there.

Entrance to Pimm's. I love the ginger jars!

I'm looking forward to St. Maarten too! The island is divided into two sides - the French side (Saint Martin) and the Dutch side (Sint Maarten). Our resort is on the Dutch side so we spent most of our time there last year, but we really want to see the beachs on the French side this year.

Staircase down to the beach (Cupecoy Beach) at the resort.

Thanks for looking! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

Destination: Paradise!

In just 3 short days (who am I kidding - the days are gonna seem SO long! Especially Monday!), I will be off to the Carribean. My boyfriend and I are headed to Anguilla and then St. Maarten...

...we'll arrive in the afternoon at Princess Juliana airport on the Dutch side of St. Maarten...

The planes fly right over Maho Beach - it was cool (OK, and a little scary) to see this as we landed last year, but even cooler watching the planes land from the beach bar! The bar has a chalkboard that lists the arrivals/departures and little speakers where you can hear the pilots and the control center talking to each other. My bf is getting his pilot's license so this is right up his alley and we must have watched the planes for an hour. And people lay out on the beach! We sat there for a few minutes, but I got too scared so we moved before a plane flew over!

Then we'll take a taxi to the French side of St. Maarten and hop on the ferry to Anguilla. Note to self: bring dramamine. I got horribly sick on the ferry ride last year. I had NEVER gotten sea sick before!

...after the 20 minute ferry ride, we'll arrive in Anguilla where our rental car will be waiting. We'll hop in (side note - Anguillan rental cars do not lock. We kept trying to lock the car and it would unlock every time we shut the doors. The island is supposed to be very safe!) and drive to the condo on Mead's Bay!

Picture I took right outside the condo on Mead's Bay. The beaches are always super quiet and private.

And then dinner that night will be at The Straw Hat, just a short walk down the beach from where we are staying!

Photo from StrawHat.com. The food is fabulous and the staff is amazing. And you can't beat eating delicious food just steps away from the ocean!

We'll be in Anguilla for 4 days and then we'll be off for another 3 in St. Maarten. Why stay in Anguilla first if we land in St. Maarten? Anguilla is so quiet and peaceful. There is practically nothing to do except lie on the beach. There's very few traces of tourism. We'll veg out for a few days and then head over to St. Maarten where there are casinos, bars, shopping, etc!

Can you tell that I'm super excited??!! Has anyone ever been to either island? I'd highly recommend them... especially Anguilla, it's like no place I've ever been and is perfect for those who prefer places that are not touristy!