Expert: John Crandall - 1/20/2008

Question
John,
I am planning a honeymoon for June of this year, with the preferred destination being Anguilla.  Would you recommend this place as a honeymoon destination?  My fiance and I are both in our 20s and are looking for beautiful scenery, adventurous activities, nice beaches, and nightlife.  
I love exploring "local secret" type places when travelling.
Can you give me any advice?
Thanks for your time.
Edward

Answer
Hi Ed...First of all, congratulations! You get to join the many of us in our own institution. (LOL)

Anguilla is a quaint island off the coast of St.Martin. I've been all over the Caribbean, including Anguilla. Here's a little history for you:

Anguilla (English pronunciation ang-GWILL-ah, IPA: /æŋˈɡwɪlə/) is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. It consists of the main island of Anguilla itself, approximately 26 km (16 miles) long by 5 km (3 miles) wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. The island's capital is The Valley. The total land area of the territory is 102 km² (39.4 square miles), with a population of approximately 13,500 (2006 estimate). The majority of residents (90.08%) are black, the descendants of slaves transported from Africa. Growing minorities include whites at 3.74% and people of mixed race at 4.65% (figures from 2001 census).

72% of the population is Anguillian while 28% is non-Anguillian (2001 census). Of the non-Anguillian population, many are citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, St Kitts & Nevis, the Dominican Republic, or Jamaica and a very few Nigerians ranging from 7-15.
2006 and 2007 have seen an influx of large numbers of Chinese, Indian, and Mexican workers, brought in as labor for major tourist developments due to the local population not being large enough to support the labor requirements.

Check out this link for the Anguilla experience:
http://www.anguilla-vacation.com/index.htm

Being in your 20's I don't know if you will like it since there isn't a lot of what your looking for. If your thinking of Anguilla, I would suggest honeymooning in St.Maarten/Martin and visiting Anguilla from there. There are day trips to Anguilla that I think would be more your speed. Angilla is more secluded and may not be what you imagined for your honeymoon. Though the island is gorgeous and the beaches are as pristine as you can get, it may be too quiet for your personality. Check out the links for yourself. You may consider this as what you had in mind. Good Luck!
John