When we last visited Anguilla in 2010, we quickly became fans of SandBar, a beachside tapas restaurant in Sandy Ground. It quickly became one of our favorite beach bars. Since our last visit, the restaurant was sold to Darren and Alicia Banks, and I feared that one of my favorite restaurants would become merely a memory. I was thrilled to find that the “new” SandBar was just as impressive, with fantastic food and great service. There were a few changes. You used to be able to enter from the beach along the deck on the eastern side of the building. Now, the only entrance is on the western side of…
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We were looking for a special restaurant on Anguilla for what was Thanksgiving Day in the States, and we found our way back to Barrel Stay. Located in Sandy Ground on the beach, hosts and chef, and husband and wife team, Jill and Graham, offer a great place for fine beachfront dining. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Jill as if we were old friends. We had been there before, back in 2009 or 2010, but we were not even close to regular guests, yet we were treated as if we were. Jill has a warm way of welcoming you, and when it comes to describing what Graham has prepared…
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Coming back to The CuisinArt was like coming home again. We stayed here on our very first trip to Anguilla in 2007. I still remember the doorman calling to us as we ventured out for our first bit of driving on the island, “Left is right, right is wrong!” It’s a family-friendly resort that’s not too stuffy and not at all chaotic. It just fits. The resort is just as beautiful and the staff just as welcoming as I remembered. The grounds are well-maintained, filled with lush plantings. The lobby looks out to the beautiful series of tiered pools that lead you out to the beach. And the beach is…
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Looking for beautiful, unique gifts for the people back home? Be sure to stop into Limin’ Boutique, located on the northside of the main road, just east of the turnoff to Smokey’s on Anguilla’s west end. Looking for beautiful, unique gifts for the people back home? Be sure to stop into Limin’ Boutique, located on the northside of the main road, just east of the turnoff to Smokey’s on Anguilla’s west end. Looking for beautiful, unique gifts for the people back home? Be sure to stop into Limin’ Boutique, located on the northside of the main road, just east of the turnoff to Smokey’s on Anguilla’s west end. The shop,…
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Sunday afternoons are the perfect time to visit da’Vida, located on Crocus Bay in Anguilla. The restaurant always had a great reputation, but we never found our way there on previous visits. After this visit, I look forward to visiting again. We weren’t alone. Sunday afternoon seemed to be the time, and da’Vida seemed to be the place. The parking lot was packed, and we knew we were in the right place when we spotted this van. Omari Banks plays at da’Vida on Sunday afternoons. So not only do you get a nice meal, you get great music too! The setting is beautiful, especially on a gorgeous afternoon like…
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One constant has remained for every trip to Anguilla – – Saturdays are for Smokey’s. I remember our first trip to the island in 2007. I heard there was live music at Smokey’s for lunch on Saturday, so I was determined to make it there on our first full day on the island. We walked there from the CuisinArt (you could do that back then – the beach was wider). I remember being seated at the table just inside the easternmost door, looking out over the water. I had the jerk chicken (which I’ve had every time since), and heard The Musical Brothers performing, doing Christmas songs. I had found…
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It was time to see Anguilla from a different point of view – to go below the surface and see what lay beneath. We did just that this year with our scuba/snorkel trip with Shoal Bay Scuba. My daughter always wanted to learn to scuba dive, so in the summer of 2012 before heading to the British Virgin Islands, we both took the certification course at our local dive shop, Underwater Connection. We both passed the written test, but I never got certified because I was unable to descend below 10 feet (two blown eardrums in my past). My daughter did get certified, but we had never arranged for a…
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A trip to Anguilla is not complete without a stop at Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve. We first visited in 2007, and although our kids were young, ages 8 and 10, we forced them to stay up late so we could hear Bankie play. The place has such a relaxed feel to it, that it’s hard to pass up. It’s kind of like being at your own beach place. It’s just so easy to hang out there, and the views of St. Martin never get old. The sign on the road has been updated since 2007. And it’s a bit more built up since then. This year, we popped in when…
