4 minute read
Paradise Found
The Caribbean ocean, calm and crystal clear, stretches out in front of me. The frequently passing sailboats contribute to the sea-side aesthetic. My view, framed by the arches of my hotel room balcony, is almost too perfect to be real. With room service pancakes within fork’s reach on the round striped daybed, I could easily stay on the balcony all day. But the rest of Malliouhana, An Auberge Resort, and the island of Anguilla are waiting and just as beautiful.
The resort is a design lover’s paradise from the moment you walk in the mirror-floored lobby, like you’re walking on water. The ‘Living Room’ adjoining the lobby is filled with comfortable nooks, backgammon tables, and Haitian art that the property’s original owner collected. Pale yellow and aqua accents and walls covered in antique diving helmets embody the tropical-chic vibe of the resort. Everywhere you look is an Instagrammable view.
From the moment my friend and SBLS photographer Kennedy and I got off the plane, we gathered that everyone was in an upbeat mood, as if headed to a party. When the clock strikes 3 p.m., we flock to the Living Room for “Fun Tea/Rum Tea,” a daily hotel delicacy. We get our rum-spiked tea and coconut cookies then head to the pools. The two pools (one is adults only) are lined with ruffled yellow umbrellas and black and white cabanas. I swim to the edge of the pool and watch the sailboats and clouds pass by, eyeing the beach below.
We head down the steps below the pool, tracking wet footprints all the way to Turtle Cove Beach. The powdery strech of white sand is deserted aside from yellow chaise lounges. Kennedy and I jump off the rocks and swim in the warm ocean until it’s time for dinner.
As luck has it, it’s a Tuesday. Taco Tuesday. As if spending a Tuesday in paradise didn’t make it good enough, Soleil Bar has a special menu and inviting window seating. We spend the evening at the most comfortable bar I’ve ever been to, snacking on grilled shrimp and jerk chicken tacos washed down by classic margaritas (which come complimentary with each taco order).
The next evening’s dinner is just as memorable. The nautical decor of onproperty restaurant Café Celeste adds to the cohesive sea-side ambience of the hotel as a whole. I dine on branzino garnished with ratatouille, and conclude the meal with an exceptional goat cheese creme brûlée with truffle-honey ice cream slowly melting on top.
The following afternoon, after a day of soaking up the rays on Meads Bay Beach and indulging in ginger and arnica massages at The Spa at Malliouhana, we book a sunset sail with Tradition Sailing. As we board the red sailboat, Captain Laurie informs us of the most important sailor’s saying he knows: one hand for the boat, one hand for your cocktail. Abiding by that rule, we set sail. The ocean is smooth and the rosé is free flowing. As the sun sets, First Mate Deborah brings out platters of charcuterie (imported from nearby Saint Martin) and her homemade bacon-wrapped gorgonzola-stuffed figs that have everyone going back for seconds.
For some Carribean culture on our last day, we bike across the three-mile-wide island to the highly recommended Sunshine Shack. We sign our names on the shack among thousands of others and sit at a table in the sand, sipping Banana Baileys Daiquiris and listening to reggae. A perfect island afternoon. Next time you’re looking for a tropical vacation, remember there’s a party in Anguilla, and you’re invited. *
aubergeresorts.com/malliouhana
Photographed by Kennedy Williams | Written by Ottocina Ryan
