Trip Report: Anguilla, St Martin, & St Barts

August 11-19, 2007
by Ellen Dericks
edericks@wimco.com

“Hey baby, what can I get you?"
"1 Carib beer please!"

We have arrived on St Martin on a sunny August day and easily made our way from the airport to the Marigot ferry dock via a 15 minute taxi ride. After paying our departure fees, we headed to the glass enclosed waiting room to watch for our 5:30pm ferry to Anguilla. Luckily for us there is a little snack bar there and we toast our Caribs to the start of another adventure.

Anguilla Ferry Dock

The 5:30 ferry arrives around 6:00 and we board the Niki V for a 30 minute ride to Anguilla. I had a great seat by the door and enjoyed the cool splashes of the sea as we made our way out of the harbor and (quite literally) into the sunset. There were certainly waves along the way that made the trip pretty bouncy, but it's manageable since it's such a short trip. On the other side of customs in Anguilla, we were greeted by the smiling face of "the famous" Wendell Connors, our driver for the next 4 days. A lot of his business is based on referrals, and I'm quite sure it's a result of his reliability and passion for and knowledge of the island of Anguilla. He has a comfortable taxi van with A/C and is available to visitors of Anguilla for taxi rides during their trip.

Sheriva – Villa Harmony

On the West end of Anguilla is Sheriva, our home for 3 nights. Sheriva is self-described as a luxury boutique villa hotel. It is more villa than hotel and one of their greatest assets is the friendly and accommodating villa staff. This was my first experience of a staffed villa, and I found it to be a very special and privileged experience. I actually appreciated it even more after we had departed as I started to miss all the small details of their service that had made my stay so relaxing and comfortable. The lovely Vivienne was the first to greet us from the steps of our villa, named Harmony, as she held a tray of cool, floral scented towels to wipe away the stress of travel and welcome us to Anguilla. Inside there was rum punch and assorted appetizers that we enjoyed poolside as we chatted with the Sheriva staff. The dinner table was already set as Santiago was busy in the kitchen preparing a lobster dinner and other tasty treats for the evening.

The 3 villas of Sheriva are all within site of each other so you can’t expect total privacy when you are using the terraces and pools, and that is where there is more of the hotel aspect for this property. There is staff on-site and you will feel the buzz of other clients around the property. In the end I sensed that this property would have a really fun atmosphere when several guests are on property. The villas are not beachfront, but in just 3 minutes you can be down to the very beautiful beach at Cap Juluca in your own personal golf cart. As a guest of Sheriva you are welcome to use the Cap Juluca beach as well as their restaurants where you will have signing privileges.

Sandy Ground Beach - Anguilla

Our first full day in Anguilla happened to be the last day of their Summer Festival, a big celebration on the island. They close the festival with the Champion of Champions Boatrace and a fireworks display at Sandy Ground. The party was hopping when we got to Sandy Ground. There were a few shops and restaurants lining the beach, and then there were dozen of trucks and tents selling regional foods. Each tent had a BBQ grill cooking up ribs and chicken, a radio blasting music, and some cool drinks for sale. For just $15 we were able to rent 2 chairs and an umbrella and we just enjoyed the atmosphere and our first dip in the Anguillian seas.

We visited several villas and hotels on Anguilla. The island offers a great selection of luxury accommodations, ranging from classic to elegant to over-the-top! Some of the highlights were the Cuisinart hotel which is set on a beautiful beach and is undergoing an expansion that will add condos, villas and a new fitness/spa facility. This is a great property for food and wine lovers with the on property hydroponic farm, fruit gardens, 3,600 bottle wine cellar, and Kitchen Stadium which offers gourmet cooking classes. Then there is Covecastles set on a lovely beach at the most western end of the island. The villas here are very private and have a calming natural feel, great for quiet getaways. The larger villas are also great for groups, and in fact they had just had a party of 10 girlfriends traveling together for a week in the 5 bedroom villa.

Anguilla - Villa TEM SEA

Just down the beach is Altamer, which I think falls into the over-the-top category. The 3 villas have tons of personality and offer a terrific atmosphere for vacations centered on special events between large families and groups of friends. The African Sapphire villa had just been host to a wedding where the bride rode in on a horse!

In the elegant category is certainly Temenos, a St Regis managed property. Guests here will stay in one of 3 villas named Sand, Sky, and Sea and will enjoy the finest furnishings, surroundings, and service. And don’t forget the drama…the gorgeous water views and one of the most incredible bathrooms that I've been in, complete with an electronic privacy screen between the indoor and outdoor portions of the bathroom.

Villa ALZ ALZ

There are villas to choose from all across the island, and more popping up every month. Some of the standouts for me were Villa Azure, a bright villa with terrific common areas indoor and out and mesmerizing sea views and direct access to the best snorkeling. Shoal Bay beach is also within view, and got the vote from the locals I spoke to as the most beautiful beach on the island. Villa ALZ ALZ was a full retreat with pool, Jacuzzi, tennis court, and beach access. This villa is set among gorgeous mature gardens and has a spectacular view of Barnes Bay, complete with a Pelican that I swear they paid to hang around for our pictures. This villa has a ton of personality with its separate living areas and Indonesian antique furnishings.

Anguilla is really a haven for tennis lovers, with most of the resorts and many of the villas offering courts. One remarkable villa with a tennis court is RIC DES. The highlights of this villa are the infinity pool whose drama is magnified by the villas cliffside location. The tennis court also boasts a view that most home builders would kill for. We were lucky to get a tour from the villa owners who gave us the history on the stunning building materials used - polished Anguillian rock and fossilized coral rock. No need for art on the walls here…the walls are art enough!

Villa RIC DES

One other villa that I expect to be very popular is Villa Sandcastle, brand new and ready to rent in September 2007. I loved the location of this villa on Crocus Bay and just steps from the beach. It is a very quiet location. The villa itself was designed to be lived in so guests can enjoy the gourmet kitchen, large closet areas and fantastic outdoor kitchen.

Overall Anguilla had a great feel of casual elegance. It's a casual island with incredibly kind, friendly people who love the slower, quieter pace of their island. The accommodations on the island are outstanding though, offering guests a peaceful retreat in beautiful well-appointed surroundings. Oh, and did I mention the food? Beyond our culinary treats prepared by our chef at Sheriva, we enjoyed an authentic Northern Italian meal at Caprice, homemade pasta and fresh seafood. It was all just mouthwatering. We also had a very fresh lunch at Cuisinart where the chef incorporates ingredients from the onsite farm. The most entertaining meal was at Georges at the Cap Juluca resort for their International Chefs Challenge. All the tables are set up with candlelight right on the beach. There is live music and 3 chefs competing for your taste buds by preparing dishes from their country. It’s a lot of fun and you just can’t beat the location!

Orient Beach

Back in St Martin for 2 partial days, we wanted to make the most of our time by getting a good feel for the island. After checking into the Beach Plaza Hotel in Marigot we jumped in a rental car that Value Car Rental delivered right to the hotel. Up and over the hills we headed to Grand Case which is near the airport. This is a great strip of restaurants and beach bars along Grand Case Beach. The Calmos Café was busy with lots of people lying in their beach chairs out front. A lot of the other restaurants looked awesome but weren't open until dinner. At the end of the beach are the Grand Case Beach Club and Villas C GUI and C ROC.

Over another hill and we came upon Orient Beach which is a terrifically active area. The area between the main road and the beach reminded me of the hills of California with villas and homes nestled in lush gardens. This is where the Green Cay Villas are located. Down at the beach you have your choice of beach bars to try out, and lots of cool watersports for when you get restless. The water is gorgeous and we just couldn't resist a swim. Heaven on a hot day!

Mr Busby's

We drove a full loop around the island through French and Dutch territory and it didn’t take long at all, although this is a busy island and we did hit some rush hour traffic. Our last stop before returning to the hotel was at Dawn Beach where Villas JPS GIA and JPS BLM are located. We settled in for a sunset cocktail at Mr. Busby's Beach Bar where we had a full view of St Barts, our destination for the next day (assuming the hurricane stays south).

We toured some of the villas in the Baie Rouge area of St Martin. This is a great area because it is purely residential (except for La Samanna hotel) and has access to wonderful beaches. It's quiet but also very convenient to the lively commercial areas for dinner, shopping and entertainment. The villas themselves had some consistent themes, large bathrooms with stunning colored tiles, easy flow between bedrooms and living areas, and a great central outdoor pool terrace. Villa C Lab is a great new hillside villa with 7 bedrooms and is walking distance to La Samanna for lunch and dinner. Villa C ADO had spectacular 180° views from its large terrace - a perfect villa for watching the Heineken Regatta each March. Villa C BER has a great outdoor area with a 2-level pool complete with waterfall and built-in game table and 2 hammocks overlooking the sea. On the exclusive Baie Rouge beach is villa C ALM which was full of activity as the staff was readying it for the arrival of clients that day.

The folks we met on Anguilla kept saying that they enjoyed living there versus St Martin, because St Martin is too busy. I didn’t think there would be such a contrast, but there was. St Martin has a faster pace and there are a lot more activities and places to go. The villas themselves hold a peaceful, private atmosphere, but once you leave that enclave, the island offers lots of energy.

Winair
Winair

Alas, the storm has veered away and we are back on track for our final stop of the trip in St Barts. We jumped into our 8-passenger plane which I'm pretty sure was just a 1975 Cadillac with wings and our 20 year old supermodel pilot had us on the runway and off the ground in a matter of seconds. This was my first time landing with the hillside approach and it was just as exciting as you could possibly expect, especially from the front row of the plane!

Our first night was spent in the Tropical Hotel which was great since it was just 2 minutes from the airport and we were in the water at St Jean beach 10 minutes after that. It also allowed for a quick walk down to St Jean for dinner. Back to Andy's for dinner with a "view of the car park" and some vanilla rum.

Villa SIB AJF

For a small island of maybe 7000, St Barts is always buzzing. There are always cars zipping around every corner and sometimes I just wonder where they are all going. But instead of questioning it, it's just better to join in. Driving there reminds me of a roller-coaster and I actually find it so entertaining that it makes me giggle. We spent most of this trip on the Eastern end of the island since our villa was in Pointe Milou. Villa SIB AJF had a very elegant feel to it, all white with marble floors and baths, but with really warm, lovely furniture that was quite comfortable. Amazingly I ended up in another villa with 2 pools (just like my first trip). It's great for groups that want to have some separate living areas.

We actually visited a lot of villas that are being renovated, newly built or are just coming into the rental market, so its exciting to see what will be available next for clients. Villa SIB MAK is a great new 2 bedroom in St Jean that is very private and has a gorgeous pool with green tile. The villa style is very simple using dark woods and white accents. Villa SIB BLA is way up in the hill right between Grand and Petit Cul De Sac, with awesome views of both. This is a 2 bedroom, but there is also a bonus room with bunk beds for those traveling with children. The pool area was a lot of fun with an infinity pool with a palm tree in the middle and an outdoor kitchen and BBQ area. Just down the drive is a really sweet 1 bedroom that is of the original St Barts home style with low ceilings (you have to duck to get through the doors) and terracotta floors. It has a pretty large outdoor space for spreading out, including gardens, a Jacuzzi, and a view of Grand Cul de Sac.

La Mandala

If I can digress to food for a while, I had what I believe to be the best meal of my life so far at La Gaiac in Le Toiny hotel. The atmosphere was relaxing with a mild breeze coming off the water and Alan Landry at the piano, the service was the definition of impeccable, and the food was fresh, creative, beautiful, and absolutely delicious. Certainly a treat I most appreciate and will always remember. The food in St Barts really does stand up to the hype. It's entertaining to see the restaurants and test out the menus. Other big hits of the trip were O'Corner for lunch in Gustavia and La Mandala for dinner in Gustavia. And for breakfast, we twice enjoyed the bakery in Lorient.

Friday night was the Sibarth party at Le Toiny, so we decided to try out a local spa for a pedicure to get ourselves ready. Recommended was Saline Spa which is a lovely little retreat with an Asian flare. We sat outside and enjoyed our pedicures poolside with great breezes coming through. They have a full menu of services and a small pool for relaxation after massages. I would highly recommend this spa to anyone looking to get off the beaten path and out of the hotel environment. They also can perform their services in the privacy of your villa if you choose.

The party at Le Toiny was fabulous. The champagne was constantly flowing and everyone was smiling. The weather was dry but extremely windy as a result of the storm. At one point champagne glasses started blowing from the tables, which just brought up the excitement and energy level at the party. Le Toiny wowed once again with an assortment of creative passed hors d'oeuvres. It seems to be the signal of a great party in St Barts when dancing ensues, and so the music went up and there was plenty of dancing.

St Barts just oozes a fun, sophisticated, social atmosphere. From the restaurants to the bar at Le Ti and the SB Jam on the docks in Gustavia, there was always a great time to be had. I'd guess it's the result of a recipe of a stunning island in a warm climate with beautiful vibrant people, top-notch food, and a general contentment with life as it is. Au revoir et à bientôt.

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