I’ve been traveling quite a bit the last six months. As a travel writer, I’m routinely invited to visit fun destinations. But I’ve also been taking advantage of quick trips so that I can enjoy a mini escape without the headache of leaving work for extended periods.
As someone who views travel as the single most important way to reset, I don’t need a lot of arm-twisting to dust off my passport and fly the friendly skies. But as a self-proclaimed city girl, most of my trips are either to major cities like San Francisco, Tokyo, Sydney, or Seoul — or to bustling resort towns like Cancun or San Juan. So, when I had the chance to take a Caribbean couples vacation to Anguilla, I was intrigued.
Before my trip, I literally knew nothing about the island except that it’s located in the Caribbean. All I could think about was the opportunity to spend a few nights off the grid. Since this was a quiet trip that I planned independently, it meant I could spend my time doing exactly what I wanted rather than following a predetermined press trip schedule. So, how did I channel my Black girl luxury vibes in Anguilla? This is how I spent three glorious nights and four days in Anguilla.
Getting to Anguilla
For us mainlanders, getting to Anguilla will usually require one of two options — either a direct flight into Anguilla-Clayton J. Lloyd Airport from Miami, or flying into Sint Maarten with a quick ferry ride to Anguilla.
I chose the second option and flew into Princess Juliana International Airport in the capital city, Phillipsburg. I then hopped a quick 45-minute ferry across the Anguilla Channel into the Blowing Point ferry terminal in Anguilla.
I highly recommend the ferry since it includes complimentary refreshments like tasty rum punch drinks during the ride. Even while you wait for your scheduled ferry, there’s an on-site bar which also serves mamajuana, a drink that’s popular beyond The Dominican Republic. Once I was through immigration, a shuttle bus was ready to take me to my new home away from home for the next few days, Zemi Beach House in Shoal Bay East — rated one of the best beaches in the world.
Also, if you love watching planes land, time your flight-ferry transfer right to spend some time in Sint Maarten at any of the casual bars dotted along Maho Beach. This infamous strip of land borders the airport and is perfect for capturing iconic photos of large passenger jets landing on the runway. We made a quick stop at the Sunset Beach Bar on our way back home and spent a few hours watching the planes land before hopping a flight back to the States.
Arriving in Anguilla
One of the biggest things travelers should know is that Anguilla runs on a much slower rhythm than more heavily trafficked islands like Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republic, Jamaica, or even Sint Maarten. While there are town centers peppered across the island and a nightlife district in Sandy Ground, the locals take pride in knowing that Anguilla isn’t overdeveloped by tourist attractions and resort complexes like other Caribbean islands. It’s genuinely a destination for people that want to slow down.
There are plenty of gorgeous 4- and 5-star resorts spread across the island, but they’re not crowded together. The benefit is that you can enjoy the island’s natural beauty with gorgeous views that aren’t interrupted by overdevelopment. The drawback is that you should pick your resort wisely to ensure that it has everything you need since it isn’t always easy to get around the island.
For me, this wasn’t an issue because I really wanted to unwind, and had zero desire for an action-packed vacation since I only had two full days in town.
Anguilla’s Quiet Luxury
The best way to describe Anguilla as compared to some of the more frequented Caribbean islands is, quiet luxury. And, Zemi Beach House, a LXR Hotel and Resort that’s part of the Hilton family, is a great example of this. Although it’s not an all-inclusive resort, the staff works diligently to ensure that you have everything you need — and it’s family-friendly with an onsite kid’s club. Being that I love nice things and luxe experiences, I genuinely appreciated that we were greeted at check in with rum punches. Once the administrative tasks were out of the way, they escorted us to a golf cart to drive us to our specific building.
As a quick overview, Zemi Beach House boasts direct beach access to Shoal Bay East, two on-site pools complete with cabanas, tennis courts, and a very much worth it on-site spa known as the Thai House. I liked that we could freely walk the beach at Shoal Bay East to discover other local beachside restaurants, villas, resorts, and low-key attractions in the area.
There are plenty of on-site food options with two restaurants featuring locally sourced ingredients and incredibly fresh seafood, and a rum tasting cigar bar known simply as Rhum Room. And yes, I sampled every restaurant, enjoyed a rum tasting event at the Rhum Bar, and room service while at Zemi Beach House.
Anguilla Is Perfect for Group Travel
Caribbean vacations are always amazing. But hands down what made this trip so spectacular for me was the room — or should I say the penthouse that I called home for my entire trip. While it was just two of us, we enjoyed a two-bedroom three-bathroom penthouse complete with a full length massive balcony, a large interior sitting space and dining area, a complete kitchen, in-suite laundry, and (the biggest feature) an infinity pool that overlooked the ground level resort pool and with an ocean view.
This could easily be a great family or girl’s trip getaway since there was so much room for everyone to spread out. Plus, having the balcony pool meant we could enjoy a dip in the very warm water anytime we wanted. Because there are less distractions from nearby attractions or an overloaded schedule, this trip was ideal for a couples getaway where we could just enjoy our time together, relax, and reconnect.
Re-centering with Spa Time
The Thai House Spa has a storied history that could honestly be a standalone topic. But essentially, Zemi Beach House was built around this 307-year-old authentic Thai House. Once occupied by a family that had emigrated from Thailand, they dismantled and shipped the entire original house from Thailand in the 1970s and rebuilt it in Anguilla.
When it was a family home, each member of the family had a separate “mini house” that served as their private rooms, along with a main house where the family gathered for meals and quality time. These days, each of those mini houses has been transformed into a private treatment room. But you can also enjoy an onsite juice bar, vitality pool, and Moroccan Bath known as “Hammam Maghrebi” which relies on a dry heat rather than sauna steam to help open and cleanse your pores.
My spa experience began by being greeted with a refreshing juice from the juice bar and a cool refreshing towel. I was lucky enough to snag a Therapeutic Well-Being massage which began by having my masseuse cleanse my feet. I’m someone who carries tension in their neck and shoulders — probably from leaning over my laptop writing all day. So, I asked for more pressure and my masseuse was amazing. As usually happens, I fell asleep halfway through the massage but also enjoyed the optional hot stones which further melted away any muscle tension.
The Best Time to Visit Anguilla
I chose to travel to Anguilla in mid November, which is near the end of hurricane season. Being a Caribbean island, there’s technically no bad time to visit. But during hurricane season (June 1st through November 30th), your chances of bad weather interrupting your travel plans are higher.
Even though Anguilla isn’t as heavily visited as other islands, it still has a high season. The peak season is between December and April when the weather is more pleasant and drier. If you’re trying to travel on a budget, be flexible and go during the late Spring through Summer months of May through August which is the low season.
Is Anguilla Your Next Vacation Destination?
Those seeking to unplug and unwind — but in an idyllic setting — should absolutely put Anguilla at the top of their list. Travelers most likely to enjoy Anguilla will be individuals or groups wanting a break from the hustle and bustle. Likewise, those that want to stay mainly on-site at a full-service resort as soon as they check in until it’s time to leave will also find Anguilla to be a perfect escape.
From the New York Metro where I’m based, it’s a roughly four-hour straight flight. But most importantly, the slow pace of the island and the somewhat isolated vibes makes it ideal if you want to take a moment to breathe, relax, reconnect with your fellow travelers, and just soak in the therapeutic atmosphere. If you still crave a little excitement, Anguilla’s Sandy Ground is a popular nightlife destination. Alternatively, you can easily hop the regular scheduled ferry back to Sint Maarten for day trip to enjoy a more vibrant island vibe.