No, folks, this is not where I'm staying. It's one of the villas I inspected at Cap Juluca two days ago. See that island in the distance? That's St. Martin, my base of operations here in the Caribbean.

by Wendy Perrin

As I started telling you yesterday, my day trip to the British territory of Anguilla somehow turned into a whirlwind tour of the island's best beach resorts. After checking out Malliouhana, we headed to Cap Juluca.

That's Cap Juluca's white-sand beach. Could you live there or what?

One thing I love about Cap Juluca's beach: Like all Anguilla beaches, it's open to the public yet feels private because there's barely anyone there. Another thing I love: All water-sports activities are included in the hotel rate.

That's us marching from room to room at Cap Juluca with our tour guide, Director of Sales & Marketing Charles Black.

Now, as I also started telling you yesterday, trying to keep 5- and 6-year-old boys under control inside elegant five-star hotel rooms--especially when a beach with boats beckons in the distance--is not something I would wish on anyone ... especially when a rough ferry crossing that morning had already made one of the kids sick. Just in case anyone is starting to think my life is far more glamorous than it actually is, this was the scene when we'd landed at the pier that morning:

Mead's Bay Beach was one of the whirlwind stops during our day trip to Anguilla, Feb. 11, 2009.

by Wendy Perrin

When I boarded the ferry for Anguilla yesterday, my goal was to check out some of the fab restaurants, beaches, and activities recommended by those of you who've been shooting me Anguilla tips via Twitter, email, Perrin Post comments, even Facebook.

I was derailed: Somehow or other, the Anguilla hotel association found out I was coming (apparently they read this blog), and most of my time on the island got sucked away touring hotels. I know, I know, there are worse things than spending a day checking out over-the-top rooms in Conde Nast Traveler Gold List beach resorts. Still, "the real Anguilla" that I had wanted to explore . . .

... was only a blur as we whizzed past, racing from five-star property to five-star property.

Let me be the first to assure you that dragging 5- and 6-year-old boys from fancy hotel to fancy hotel is no easy thing, especially at a place like the Malliouhana Hotel & Spa:

How did we cope? Find out after the jump.