I have been lucky enough to visit many amazing luxury
villas around the planet so I consider myself a pretty good connoisseur of
beautiful retreats. Each gives its own feeling of perfection with glorious
scenery, graceful buildings, distinctive furnishings, excellent cuisine, and of
course the mandatory house cocktail. Infinity pools nearby make you feel as if
you have found the blessed end of the universe, and it all belongs to you. Villa
staff work hard to provide one perfect day after another for the guests who
visit. Each day ends with sunset drifting into a darkness that promises another
glorious day. Luxury rental villas and the staff of them offer beautiful living
in one of the most rarified form.
What
Anguilla as an island and the Villa at View Fort adds to that experience is a
sense of home. It is not a blistering white austere temple to the ocean gods,
but rather a brightly colored beautifully decorated home, complete with
excellent cooking smells from the kitchen and of course the mandatory Villa at
View Fort Rum Punch. With many balconies, hammocks and terraces all planned to
show off the beauty of the ocean, the sky, and lush flower gardens for the first
few days we only left to visit the famous beaches of Anguilla, to get warm and
salty, and then drifted back to the comforts of home. Here you feel that your
life is filled with loving friends who appear just when you are thinking you
need them and no matter when you come back will have been looking forward to
your return.
The
Villa at View Fort has two upstairs bedrooms with a large balcony accessed by
wide doors where the only distinction between inside and outside is floor to
ceiling diaphanous white curtains. Each bed is heavy dark hand carved wood with
a luscious mattress that makes sleep a gentle reward waiting like a gift at the
end of each day. Soothing tiled bathrooms with rain head showers, large Jacuzzi
tubs, fabulous stone sinks and as many different candles, water fountains and
soft lighting effects as possible so that you can create any mood that soothes
you. The two bedrooms on the ground floor offer a sense of the old world island
architecture within softly painted Caribbean colored walls and gaily designed
pillows and throws. The 200 year old bedroom known as "The Cottage" with its
lime green walls and handsome bed facing the sea is the essence of welcoming
island rest.
A
small rectangular swimming pool set into the center of the main terrace is not
only the perfect temperature but has an adjunct area where you can sit on a tile
bench in the water, put your feet up on an edge with nothing before you but the
million blues of the Caribbean sea. I found this one of my favorite perching
spots during the day, cooled by the water and warmed by the sun with the ever
present View Fort rum punch nearby.
Down
a flight of wide stone steps from this terrace and across a small yard the large
spa terrace perches over the sea. Sitting out there watching graceful yachts
from all over the planet come to rest for the evening, with a golden orange Rum
Punch in the horizon wide sunset inspires the thought "It doesn't get better
than this". Whether it is your first or your fifth punch the golden light
drawing your eyes to the west and the soft sound of the ocean greeting the shore
with gentle breezes cooling your skin, it really doesn't get much better than
that.
But Wait! Momma Gumbs has inspired the kitchen smells that
drift over the cliff and draw you irresistibly up the steps as darkness eases in
where you will find a lovely candle lit dinner set on a large flower laden table
surrounded by softly billowing curtains on the terrace by the pool. Sunset,
dinner through the evening, velvet darkness with its millions of start all lead
a graceful path to the cool sheets over your sunned skin in luscious bed that
awaits. Each evening a small sentiment appears on the turned down bed. On
Valentine’s day a large heart created in bougainvillea blossoms covered my bed.
One night a small shell held down a note with a quote about the simple pleasure
of living.
Next
morning Dennis drove us a half mile down the hill to the beach that we had been
overlooking from the spa terrace. Calvin backed his small sturdy boat up to the
beach and we stepped over the transom for a gentle ride around the point to
Little Bay. There is a perfect diminutive beach at the bottom of the cliff that
is only accessible by boat or "the rope". Christine nimbly climbed the rope to
the top of the cliff and reported that “up was easier than down”. Happily wading
into the salty azure sea with its sugary clean sand and coral beds visible
further out we floated on our backs and watched the pelicans dive for fish.
Cactus’ cling to the rocks blooming with last night’s rain, and a booby watched
us suspiciously as we were for a while, children alone in paradise enjoying the
simple pleasure of living.
Today
the small onsite spa was active. Christine had a massage under the palms out by
the hot tub. She loves that deep tissue work which Carey delivered beautifully.
Of course between the sound of the ocean, the breezy salt air and the lime & gin
filled coconut that Dennis brought each of us, she only remembers 20 minutes of
that enchanting massage. Still the afterglow lingered for hours for hours and
made her body hum. Suzanne and I had opted for pedicures which two practitioners
delivered inside the diminutive spa. As we gazed through the wall of windows
overlooking the sea and the buttery afternoon light glowed, they transformed our
hard working and travel weary feet into “les pieds jolies” polished, soft and
ready for dancing.
We
visited Shoal Bay, which is a relatively developed area on the north eastern end
of the island. Easter egg colored beach bars, a lady sitting under a tree
selling her beads and pareos, huge wide white sandy beach and the smell of good
cooking in the air made us at ease and hungry immediately. We were again
surprised and happy to find the beaches uncrowded and quiet. We could see Scilly
Cay just around the corner, where people walk to the end of the pier and wave
their arms to be whisked across the short distance by launch to the only thing
there, a breezy tavern perched on the rocks serving great food.
What Anguilla really doesn’t have much of is shopping. One
morning we hopped the ferry over to St. Martin to visit the fresh air market
that happens on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It is worth remembering that you need
a visa to go between these islands as Anguilla is a British Protectorate and
Marigot, St. Martin is French Territory. The open market offers a charming mix
of imported goods from all over the planet and hand made local bags, bowls,
jewelry and mixed spices. With shopping bags full and with Mastercards smoking
we grabbed a taxi for Loterie Farm where we had a fabulous innovative lunch in
the tree house decks under a rain forest canopy ten minutes from the ferry dock.
We left Anguilla at 10AM on the ferry, did retail therapy and had lunch on a
neighboring island and were happily home again by 3PM. A very nice day.
What
Anguilla does have is food. The only harder decision to be made on this 35
square mile island than which of the 33 gorgeous beaches to visit is what
delicious food to eat next among the 70 restaurants. Fruit de mer is varied,
fresh and plentiful! Cocoanut crusted red snapper or chicken, steamed crayfish,
grilled plantain, exotically spiced veggies, and fresh gingered sugar cakes are
regular features served in strapping amounts. This is an island of eternal
sunshine which blooms lustily but grows few vegetables so most of the produce
comes by boat from St. Martin fresh daily. Each restaurant adds its signature
style to traditional and innovative cuisine so dine on!
Anguilla
is a place of a thousand tiny kindnesses done just in passing as an appreciation
for the simple pleasures of living, and the Villa at View Fort is a home I can
hardly wait to return to.
What
Anguilla as an island and the Villa at View Fort adds to that experience is a
sense of home. It is not a blistering white austere temple to the ocean gods,
but rather a brightly colored beautifully decorated home, complete with
excellent cooking smells from the kitchen and of course the mandatory Villa at
View Fort Rum Punch. With many balconies, hammocks and terraces all planned to
show off the beauty of the ocean, the sky, and lush flower gardens for the first
few days we only left to visit the famous beaches of Anguilla, to get warm and
salty, and then drifted back to the comforts of home. Here you feel that your
life is filled with loving friends who appear just when you are thinking you
need them and no matter when you come back will have been looking forward to
your return.
The
Villa at View Fort has two upstairs bedrooms with a large balcony accessed by
wide doors where the only distinction between inside and outside is floor to
ceiling diaphanous white curtains. Each bed is heavy dark hand carved wood with
a luscious mattress that makes sleep a gentle reward waiting like a gift at the
end of each day. Soothing tiled bathrooms with rain head showers, large Jacuzzi
tubs, fabulous stone sinks and as many different candles, water fountains and
soft lighting effects as possible so that you can create any mood that soothes
you. The two bedrooms on the ground floor offer a sense of the old world island
architecture within softly painted Caribbean colored walls and gaily designed
pillows and throws. The 200 year old bedroom known as "The Cottage" with its
lime green walls and handsome bed facing the sea is the essence of welcoming
island rest.
A
small rectangular swimming pool set into the center of the main terrace is not
only the perfect temperature but has an adjunct area where you can sit on a tile
bench in the water, put your feet up on an edge with nothing before you but the
million blues of the Caribbean sea. I found this one of my favorite perching
spots during the day, cooled by the water and warmed by the sun with the ever
present View Fort rum punch nearby.
Down
a flight of wide stone steps from this terrace and across a small yard the large
spa terrace perches over the sea. Sitting out there watching graceful yachts
from all over the planet come to rest for the evening, with a golden orange Rum
Punch in the horizon wide sunset inspires the thought "It doesn't get better
than this". Whether it is your first or your fifth punch the golden light
drawing your eyes to the west and the soft sound of the ocean greeting the shore
with gentle breezes cooling your skin, it really doesn't get much better than
that.
Next
morning Dennis drove us a half mile down the hill to the beach that we had been
overlooking from the spa terrace. Calvin backed his small sturdy boat up to the
beach and we stepped over the transom for a gentle ride around the point to
Little Bay. There is a perfect diminutive beach at the bottom of the cliff that
is only accessible by boat or "the rope". Christine nimbly climbed the rope to
the top of the cliff and reported that “up was easier than down”. Happily wading
into the salty azure sea with its sugary clean sand and coral beds visible
further out we floated on our backs and watched the pelicans dive for fish.
Cactus’ cling to the rocks blooming with last night’s rain, and a booby watched
us suspiciously as we were for a while, children alone in paradise enjoying the
simple pleasure of living.
Today
the small onsite spa was active. Christine had a massage under the palms out by
the hot tub. She loves that deep tissue work which Carey delivered beautifully.
Of course between the sound of the ocean, the breezy salt air and the lime & gin
filled coconut that Dennis brought each of us, she only remembers 20 minutes of
that enchanting massage. Still the afterglow lingered for hours for hours and
made her body hum. Suzanne and I had opted for pedicures which two practitioners
delivered inside the diminutive spa. As we gazed through the wall of windows
overlooking the sea and the buttery afternoon light glowed, they transformed our
hard working and travel weary feet into “les pieds jolies” polished, soft and
ready for dancing.
We
visited Shoal Bay, which is a relatively developed area on the north eastern end
of the island. Easter egg colored beach bars, a lady sitting under a tree
selling her beads and pareos, huge wide white sandy beach and the smell of good
cooking in the air made us at ease and hungry immediately. We were again
surprised and happy to find the beaches uncrowded and quiet. We could see Scilly
Cay just around the corner, where people walk to the end of the pier and wave
their arms to be whisked across the short distance by launch to the only thing
there, a breezy tavern perched on the rocks serving great food.
What
Anguilla does have is food. The only harder decision to be made on this 35
square mile island than which of the 33 gorgeous beaches to visit is what
delicious food to eat next among the 70 restaurants. Fruit de mer is varied,
fresh and plentiful! Cocoanut crusted red snapper or chicken, steamed crayfish,
grilled plantain, exotically spiced veggies, and fresh gingered sugar cakes are
regular features served in strapping amounts. This is an island of eternal
sunshine which blooms lustily but grows few vegetables so most of the produce
comes by boat from St. Martin fresh daily. Each restaurant adds its signature
style to traditional and innovative cuisine so dine on!
Anguilla
is a place of a thousand tiny kindnesses done just in passing as an appreciation
for the simple pleasures of living, and the Villa at View Fort is a home I can
hardly wait to return to.