Anguilla

I have to admit I knew nothing of Anguilla before going. The only thing I knew aoub tit was that the hotel Cap Juluca was located on it and that was the "it" place to stay. I flew down on American Airlines from JFK - please note that if you are traveling international and want to check bags, leave yourself plenty of time. I arrived at JFK 2 hours early and just made the 1 hour cutoff point for the baggage check. We flew down to St Maarten, where we caught a ferry over to Anguilla. Anguilla is International, so a Valid Passport is required and going through St Maarten, we had to clear customs at the airport and then again on the boat before heading out to Anguilla. Once we arrived on Anguilla, we had to go through customs. I haven't had my passport stamped that many times in a short period of time!
The Viceroy Hotel was hosting our stay. They are a brand new hotel that was in the middle of a soft opening when we visited in October 2009. The hotel consists of regular rooms all the way up to 4/5 bedroom villas. I was lucky enough to stay in a 4 bedroom villa on the bluff. The views were amazing as was the villa itself. Each villa contained a full size kitchen, dining room and living room with a private half bath and laundry room. Each bedroom had their own bathroom and 2 of the bedrooms went right out to the patio. The patio was large and each villa had their own infinity pool. To the side of the pool, was a covered area with a long table and chairs and sofas. There was also a commerical size grill off to the side where you could grill yourself or hire the chef for a private meal. Each villa also included a lifestyle coordinator who oversaw everything during your stay.
Since the hotel was still in soft opening, the many public spaces were not open as of yet. The bar at the pool was open with limited food options. We ate at the bar for lunches and for a dinner and then had the chef prepare a meal in our villa. It was outstanding!
Getting out from our hotel was nice and the island is very pleasant. It is nothing like any of the other Caribbean Islands I have been to. It doesn't have that touristy feel and there was no village for local shopping like you see on the other islands. That being said, I didn't get to do any shopping! The island is famous for it's beaches and their food. Every meal I ate on this island was amazing! We were lucky enough to try some local restaurants besides eating at the Viceroy and the food was just great.
I did get to tour the famous Cap Juluca. It is a lovely property and they are currently renovating their villas. I was also fortunate enough to eat at one of their restaurants. The food was outrageous and the view could not be beat. This restaurant jutted out onto the water and it was beautiful.
We did see other properties on the island - with prices ranging from $500 a night all the way to $90000 per week. This island is definitely not for those on a strict budget. Between the air to get here, the hotel to stay and then the food, it could cost a pretty penny.
Leaving Anguilla we opted to fly straight from Anguilla to San Juan instead of taking the ferry back to St Maarten. The airport was very tiny and it reminded me of that show Wings. Security was tight even for this small island, as my huge suitcase was searched in the back shack of the airport - you have to stay with your bag and watch! Transfering in San Juan was a breeze until they started to question me at customs if I lived in Florida, etc. Guess they were looking for another Jennifer Rivera :)

I have to say that Anguilla has quickly become my favorite Caribbean Island. The island was so clean, the people were so nice and friendly and the beaches are the best I've ever been to. I highly recommend anyone to this island that is looking to relax and for some great food.