My Week in Antigua

In November I was lucky enough to be invited to Antigua by the tourist board to discover what this lovely little island has to offer.

Well, as all their advertising says, it has 365 beaches – ‘one for every day of the year’ but also, as their slogan says – ‘The beach is just the beginning….’

We flew from Manchester on Thomas Cooks first flight of the season. It was direct to Antigua on the outbound but touched down in Barbados on the return ( which was great for a bit of extra duty free shopping!). I was thoroughly impressed with Thomas Cook. It was a brand new plane and there was plenty of legroom. The food was as good as airline meals can get ( James Martin endorsed) and although you had to pay for drinks, they did have some great deals which meant the prices weren’t too bad. The seats all had seatback TV and you had a choice of a handful of films and programmes or you could upgrade for just £4 so you had a selection of over 40!

On arrival in Antigua we were whisked through immigration and met by our driver who took us to our hotel for the first 3 nights – Tranquility Bay. This is a great property if you like to be independent. They are large self-catering apartments with one or two large bedrooms, a large living area with full kitchen and large verandah ( some with hot tubs). It is on one of the best beaches on the island, Jolly Beach, and is within a few minutes’ walk of Jolly Harbour where there is a selection of restaurants and shops plus a large supermarket

During our stay we visited quite a few hotels but some particularly stuck in my mind as exceptional.

Inn at English Harbour

We took the golf buggy down the hill to the beach where all the accommodation is, along with the breakfast and lunchtime restaurant. The bedrooms and suites keep that traditional feel about them but still have all the modern necessities that we need ( TV hidden away in the wardrobe).

We had lunch here, hosted by the manager, Fabio Giorgio. The setting was perfect, right by the sea and the food was excellent – Italian influenced. I have never raved so much about a salad but it was so tasty, and that was just the starter!

Galley Bay

One of my favourite properties on Antigua has always been Galley Bay. Whilst being an excellent standard of hotel, with amazing food and lovely staff, it retains a traditional Caribbean Charm. It is also set on an amazing beach.

I am happy to see that they are in the process of refurbishing and slightly changing the Gauguin Cottages. These are the lead-in room type here and are perfect for romantic couples as they are very private with their own plunge pool. However, I used to find them quite dark, and didn’t really like the fact that you have to go out to another building to the bathroom. They have now changed this in that they have covered them to make one big room and painted the interiors white so they are much brighter, with sliding door to the plunge pool. I can now quite happily recommend these, especially for honeymoon couples.

I also love the beachfront rooms where you literally step out of your room onto the sand.

Sandals Grande Antigua

This is always a popular couples’ only hotel. What I love about it is that there are two sides to the hotel – the more traditional Caribbean side, which is much quieter with lush gardens, and traditional rooms. The Mediterranean side is more modern, with higher rooms showing amazing views, a large pool with swim-up bar, a choice of restaurants and bars. It doesn’t matter which side you stay on, you can use the facilities of both.

Sandals Grande Antigua

As well as the large choice of hotels, there is plenty to do on Antigua. It is a great place for sailing and there is plenty of opportunity to try this.

We also visited a donkey sanctuary which is trying to take in the many donkeys which are ancestors of the ones used on the sugar plantations

We took a jeep safari where we saw most of the island, including amazing views over Falmouth Bay & English Harbour ( whilst being offered the excellent rum punch

We also did the obligatory trip to Shirley Heights on Sunday night. This was a great evening, with fabulous views, until it went dark. There were lots of tourists and locals alike enjoying the food, drink, views and the excellent steel band and singers who were entertaining us.

Sunset at Shirley Height

All in all it was an amazing trip and I would highly recommend you go and see it for yourself!

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