Where the hordes don’t go

Anguilla is not on the top of everybody’s holiday destination list but it has been quietly building a real head of steam in attracting Brits to visit it.

This island in the Caribbean that is served by no direct flights from the UK or Ireland has seen nearly a 14% increase in visitors during the second quarter of the year compared to last year. In all, 83,203 of us visited in the first six months of this year or six visitors for every inhabitant!

This British dependent territory means that they drive on our side of the road, there are lots of British links (which date back to 1600) but they don’t use sterling. The east Caribbean dollar or US greenbacks are the currency that you’d use here. It has a range of accommodation to attract the seriously rich like Paul McCartney and Sandra Bullock but at prices that are less than on some other islands in the off season. In the high season – our winter – it will be pricier so consider September/October time when the island is quieter and prices are keener.

Most visitors from the UK desert our winter rather than our summer and decamp to the island where its 33 beaches are the main draws and one of them, Shoal Bay, has been called the best beach in the world. For sunbathing, swimming, snorkelling and diving this island matches any in the Caribbean so what makes it different and appealing? The answer is that it is unspoilt, compared to others, has fewer visitors so you feel more relaxed. If you want a fun-filled evening then you can go to Sandy Ground for the restaurants, the music and the fun.
It claims to be the cuisine capital of the Caribbean; decide for yourself as there are a range of restaurants (over 120) verging from the beach standards to fine dining up on Crocus Bay which is the highest point on the island

Given that Anguilla attracts a high APD charge that we must pay and that we have to change flights in the US or another Caribbean island to get there, it’s a bit surprising that it attracts so many of us. I wouldn’t want that. I’d rather just those of us that know about it go, it doesn’t change and the hordes go elsewhere.

It might sound insulting to some but I just want it to remain as it is

For more about Anguilla, I reluctantly ask you to click here.