Antigua
Our base this time was a boutique style hotel called Sugar Ridge, located on the West of the island close to the amenities of Jolly Harbour. We spent our wedding night here a few years ago and it’s still a little gem. Although not on the beach, the courtesy ride to nearby Valley Church Beach or Turners Beach a mere five minutes away dispels any worries about not being beachfront. The views from Carmichaels Restaurant high up on the ridge still take my breath away. I can arrange for you to have the perfect wedding at Sugar Ridge and take advantage of the sunsets at Carmichaels, or beach locations close by.
Antigua is not Antigua without a visit to the award winning Curtain Bluff Hotel in the southwest, but more importantly, Gilly at the outstanding spa. With a variety of treatments to choose from, in rooms with spectacular views, you really are spoilt for choice, but I can thoroughly recommend the full body scrub! Chill out afterwards on the veranda overlooking the Caribbean Sea; enjoy a well-deserved drink and some welcome nibbles.
The drive eastwards takes us through the tropical rainforest. For the more adventurous there is the zip line tour, however with a 5 year old and 10 month old in tow, this wasn’t possible this time. Pack your trainers if this does appeal to you as flip flops and sandals are not permitted!
As we drove over Horsford Hill we stopped to admire the view of English Harbour and Falmouth in their full glory. Lots of amazing boats and yachts can be seen, and for the culture vultures we visited Nelsons Dockyard. As the name suggests, Admiral Nelsons historic dockyard, a small entrance fee is payable but worth every dollar. This is the only continually working Georgian shipyard in the world. 18th century charm and restored buildings include some great watering holes! Don’t miss Cloggys Café at Antigua Yacht Club.
Although we didn’t visit Shirley Heights this time round, it’s a great spot for photographers. The elevated lookout over English Harbour has stunning views and photo opportunities, not to forget the famous Sunday night party where tourists and locals alike can jam to the sweet sounds of reggae, calypso and soca, whilst sampling some local food and superb rum!
Of Antigua’s 365 beaches, I can thoroughly recommend Half Moon Bay on the east coast. As the name suggests it’s a crescent shaped bay with some reef. It can be quite rough as on the Atlantic side of the island, but if you walk further round the waters are turquoise, shallow and calm with shade, ideal for us with small children. Other beaches which are superb and with that picture postcard turquoise water are Valley Church Beach, Jolly Beach, Little Ffryes, Hermitage and Long Bay.
An excellent way of viewing the island is taking a catamaran circumnavigation with Wadadli Cats. This well-equipped catamaran takes you round the coastline of Antigua and stops at Green Island for snorkelling followed by a delicious BBQ lunch. When you set sail after lunch the rum begins to flow and the crew get you jamming on board to some sweet sounds.
Nothing had changed much since our last visit, although I did notice an increase in prices at the supermarket. Most hotels offer all inclusive or varied meal plans which I would recommend. We ate out about five times with the kids and our favourite haunt was Sheer Rocks. Our good friend, Alex Grimley, owner and chef did not disappoint, the food and cocktails were out of this world and again spectacular views and sunsets. Our kids were very welcome and all of the staff were very attentive. It may be an English favourite, but the pea and ham soup starter was exquisite!
Finally, being a smallish island of 108 square miles, it is very accessible. Nowhere is further than a 40 minute drive. Car hire is plentiful and local buses are cheap “white knuckle rides!” My last recommendation would be to make sure you bring home a bottle of “English Harbour five year aged Rum” as part of your duty free allowance. It will not disappoint!