CARIBBEAN ANGUILLA DESTINATIONS N


o, I’m not going to Angola, I tell one concerned friend.


Another writes: “Have fun in Antigua.” Thanks, I reply, adding it’s actually Anguilla. “Where?” she types back. It’s not an unusual exchange,


I’m told. This tiny island, a British overseas territory in the eastern Caribbean with a resident population of about 15,000 (there are more Anguillans in the UK, mostly around Slough, of all places), has managed to stay more or less under the radar. That is until Hurricane Irma


swept through on its destructive path across the Caribbean, leaving this tourism-dependent island in the news for all the wrong reasons. The damage was significant, with many hotels out of action during their


all-important winter season. Now, after months of


rebuilding, the outlook is far more positive. Most properties have either reopened or announced a date to do so later this year; public amenities are back to normal; and with the same blue skies and sandy shores as before, there’s every bit as much to look forward to on holiday here. Perhaps more, knowing every tourist dollar spent is contributing to the island’s ongoing recovery. The tiny island – the most northerly of the Leeward Islands, 100 miles northwest of Antigua – is just 16 miles by three. “It’s old-school Caribbean,” says one local. “It’s like other islands were before they got touristy.” With one main island and a


handful of islets, Anguilla is often twinned with Antigua or St Barts using inter-island charters and ferry operators. Trans Anguilla Airways took over a scheduled service to Antigua this week, flying each way on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, from about £355 return, making for easy connections with BA’s Antigua service.


w GOOD NATURE Anguilla has long stretches of dazzling sand such as Rendezvous Bay; secluded bays and coves like Little Bay; and pristine coral and limestone terrains. It’s worth noting


18 January 2018 travelweekly.co.uk 63


PICTURE: DYLAN CROSS/DRAGONFLY IMAGE PARTNERS


TOP TIP Keep up with the


latest post-hurricane


reopenings in Anguilla irma.ivisit


anguilla.com


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