Anguilla

Travel Dates: February 2023

Hotel:

Zemi Beach House – At an average nightly rate of $1200+, we used a combination of points and credit card benefits to spend two free nights here, and it was worth it. Complementary amenities include breakfast buffet, on-site parking, welcome drink and refreshment towel, Voss still and sparkling water in the room, flip flop and beach bag, and cookies delivered to the room in the evenings. As a Diamond member, we also received chocolates, a small bottle of champagne, and a complementary upgrade to an ocean front suite.

The hotel has a tennis court, “adult only” pool area, main/larger pool by the beach, and beachfront access with complementary chairs and umbrellas. The hotel also provides beach towels, sunscreen, and water by the pools.

If you are a big spa person, Zemi’s Thai House Spa is the place to go, and what the hotel is known for. Although we didn’t have a chance to try any spa treatments, we can attest the vibe was very zen from our short tour of the Spa house.

Food:

SunShine Shack – Laid back beach bar-restaurant with live reggae music. They’re known for BBQ ribs, but unfortunately we had to wait an hour for the next batch, so we ordered grilled lobster and broiled snapper instead. Both were great, but be warned they may try to overcharge you for the weight of the lobster, like they did for us. We had half a lobster (about 1/2 – 3/4 lb max, pic below), but the bill charged us for 2 lbs of lobster. We asked for the manager and it turned out two other customers also had the same issue. It was evident they were trying to scam tourists, and for this reason, it’s hard for us to recommend or support this business, no matter how good the food was.

20 Knots (at Zemi Beach House) – The complimentary breakfast buffet had plenty to choose from, and it was overall delicious. The offerings change slightly from day to day, but they usually include smoothie and juice shots, an omelette station, a hot bar (plantains, bacon, grilled vegetables, potatoes, etc.), and a cold bar (fruits, deli meats, cheese, etc.). Our favorite goes to the fresh chocolate croissant that was offered on our first day–the pastry was still warm from the oven!

For dinner, we had Frutti Di Mari Risotto and Fisherman Cataplana (mixed seafood stew) on the first night, and chicken red curry along with tofu green curry on the second night. We definitely recommend the Fisherman Cataplana and seafood risotto as both were very appetizing.

Rhum Room (at Zemi Beach House) – If you’re up for high quality rum tastings, then this is your spot, although it is pricey–the tasting menu starts at ~$100. If you fancy yourself a “regular” cocktail, those are more wallet friendly starting at $18/drink. We were too full after dinner so had to pass on additional drinks after a hearty meal.

Activites:

Anguilla Arch is a nice view of a natural arch bridge right off a cliff northwest of the island. When you use Google Maps to get there, it will stop in the middle of an unpaved road with no signs, so keep driving a bit until you see a corner property on the right with a green fence. Turn right and drive down a little until you see a path on the left, and turn down that road. Use caution as there is no fence that safeguards you (or your car) from the cliff. This is a quick, beautiful stop if you have time to drive around and explore the island.

Little Bay is a secluded beach area that is only accessible by boat either via tour from St. Maarten, renting a charter boat, or cheapest option–paying $40 per person round trip for a 10-minute small motorboat ride. This is probably the most popular method of getting to Little Bay from Anguilla. Drive to Crocus Bay and you’ll see a sign about the “taxi” boat ride, which is managed by Calvin. There’s also a phone number to call him if you don’t see him nearby.

We decided to spend our day at Zemi Beach relaxing instead, but did hear Little Bay is beautiful and not that crowded, given how difficult it is to get there.

Miscellaneous:

Ferry tickets from Sint Maarten to Anguilla should be bought in advance at www.stmartinbookings.com. The ferry terminal is right across from SXM airport and the tickets include free pick up and transfer at the airport, or you can easily walk across the street in 5 minutes. The ferries are available almost every hour, leaving Sint Maarten starting at 9am and the last ferry returning from Anguilla at 4:30pm. The ferry is ~20 minutes each way. There are two companies: Calypso and Funtime. Calypso is a smaller speedboat that fits 5 people inside the cabin comfortably, and has more seating at the bow of boat, but it’s uncovered. Because it’s a smaller speedboat, it doesn’t handle waves as well compared to the slightly bigger boat we took on the return leg via Funtime. Funtime’s ferry can seat 16 people inside comfortably; it is more stable and generally a more relaxing ride. Funtime also offered complimentary drinks that included water, soda, beer, and rum punch, while Calypso did not.

When leaving Sint Maarten, you will need to bring your passport to the ferry terminal and fill out a customs paper to show Immigration once you arrive at Anguilla.

When leaving Anguilla, it’s recommended to arrive 45 minutes before departure at the Blowing Point Ferry terminal (though we got through everything in ~15 mins). You will check in at the window for the ferry company that you’ve booked, and they will give you a ticket. Then you will have to pay a $36 departure tax/fee (cash or credit) per person, go through Passport Control and then security. A worker will announce when it’s time to board each ferry, and you will have to provide the ticket prior to boarding.

Be mindful that at both terminals (in Sint Maarten and Anguilla), if a porter helps take your luggage, you will be expected to tip them–the porter at Anguilla even rushed onto the boat to make sure he got tipped.

Driving in Anguilla is on the left side of the road (since it’s a British territory), but the steering wheel can either be on the left or right, depending on the car. If you rent a car, you’ll need a valid driver’s license and pay $15 for a three day temporary Anguillian driver’s license. If you need a longer time frame, then it’s $25 for a three month temporary license.

US currency is widely accepted and if you’re from America, you do not need an adapter.