Antigua - Our Romantic Getaway Diary
Day 1
After boarding an 8:00 am early morning American Airlines flight from New York, we arrived at my 101st country, Antigua (St. John’s) around noon. We were picked up by the lovely ladies from Antigua and Barbuda’s Official Tourism Authority and greeted with a gift bag. Let me tell you, this gift bag had the most delicious pepper and banana jam along with the island’s most popular treats and souvenirs. It took us only a 30-minute mini van ride to reach our resort and we were immediately in paradise. Our room at the Blue Waters Resort & Spa was all-inclusive and opened to stunning ocean views. The room where our villa was located had its own pool too! While all we wanted to do was take in the views from our balcony, we were hungry. We headed over to the resort’s poolside restaurant, Carolyn’s where we enjoyed fish salad, burger, flatbreads and lots of drinks. Everything was delicious.
We spent the rest of the day resting and relaxing at the resort. Truth be told, we did not want to leave the resort a bit but we love to try local restaurants when visiting a new country and heard great things about Ana’s on the Beach. We ventured there for dinner and were not disappointed. They had set up a cute flower decorated table right by the beach just for us and it was very romantic. We enjoyed a 3-course dinner where I had lobster and Mr. T chose to try their chicken curry. Curries are a must when visiting this part of the West Indies and will not disappoint. The lobster dish was the best I had in the island. Everything at Ana’s was cooked to perfection. That night we slept like babies.
Day 2
After sleeping in, we started the day with a freshly made smoothie at the poolside bar and a private Garden Tour that taught us a lot about the Flora and Fauna of Antigua. I even made a belt to wear with my dress! For brunch, we headed to the Palm Restaurant. Overlooking the lavishly landscaped gardens and the Caribbean Sea the Palm Restaurant offers an al fresco dining experience. The sweet potato croquettes were my absolute favorite.
The day went by so fast enjoying all the included water activities that before we knew it, it was time for our Sunset Cruise with Tropical Adventures. Grooving to the music we sailed into the sunset, literally. The boat with its open bar and canapés was just so perfect. We even made friends! After the cruise we continued the night at Beach Limerz for dinner and you guessed it, we tried lots of seafood and curries! For nightcap we hung out at the Pelican Bar at our hotel and listened to live music.
Day 3
We woke up the next morning ready for adventure! We were taken to Dickenson Bay where Wadarti Sip and Paint had set up a stunning private session for us. While we are not great artists, our instructor made it incredibly fun and easy. It is astonishing to be sitting on the beach looking out at the beautiful blue waters of the Bay, while you paint away. After we finished painting, we hung out at the beach for a bit before starting our horse-riding lesson with Uprising Riding School. This was less of a leisurely ride and more of a learning experience. Expect the instructor to be strict with you and actually teach you how it is done. We ended our ride right at our lunch spot, Casa Roots. This French-West Indian Fusion restaurant right on the beach is nothing short of amazing. Everything we tried from Foie Gras to deconstructed Lamb Tagine was fantastic!
While we had no room in our tummies, a feast awaited us at Rokuni Restaurant later that night. An upscale restaurant, almost an hour away from our hotel, Rokuni is perched on top of the roaring Caribbean Sea. The Asian Fusion restaurant’s Feast Menu ranges from dim sum to snapper. We were pleasantly surprised by the personal attention from the chef. We enjoyed our last night at Blue Waters Resort & Spa with some more live music at Pelican Bar.
Day 4
Our morning started with checking out from our resort. We were so excited to go to our next one but not before a few adventures! We first stopped at Stingray City Antigua. On board a speedboat they took us in the middle of the ocean to swim with stingrays! This is great for non-swimmers too as you can stand in the water for the encounter. Don’t be afraid, they won’t actually sting! We ended the adventure with some drinks and headed to our next spot – The Devil’s Bridge! Located right outside the village of Willikies, the bridge is the result of millions of years of ancient reef formation. For hundreds of years, the Atlantic’s waves have crashed into this eastern part of Antigua creating a natural arch. We saw geysers and blowholes as waves constantly crashed into the coastal rocks.
Our next stop was lunch at The Nest Bar. It is the cutest colorful beach shack and you cannot go wrong with any of their delicacies. After lunch, we finally checked into our next resort, Tamarind Hills. Perched on top of a cliff and overlooking the stunning blue waters of the Caribbean, this resort is perfect for couples looking for seclusion. Each villa comes with a Jacuzzi or private pool and a kitchen. It is great for couples that want to cook or have a private chef prepare meals for them. The resort is currently building a common pool and restaurants but there are many restaurant options within very little walking distance. We tried a few of them!
We were very interested in visiting the Shirley Heights Lookout that offered the best view of the Falmouth Harbours and the Nelson Dockyard, a cultural heritage sight and marina in English Harbor. It is a restored military and gun battery, 490 ft above sea level. We were in luck as it was a Sunday! Every Sunday from 4pm – 10 pm Shirley Heights has its Sunset Party and BBQ. This place with live music, BBQ smoke filling the air and stunning sunset over the harbor was such a vibe. You get to meet locals and other tourists and truly bond through dancing and food.
Day 5
Our morning itinerary consisted of a tour of St. John’s and Fort James and a Cooking Class at Nicole’s Table. This is hands down the best cooking class you will attend in the Caribbean. Nicole opened her heart and picturesque pool home to us. We cooked the most delicious jerk chicken, plantain chips, salad, dips and cake while listening to the sound of the quick rain showers and her life story. We became friends with our group and I also met a Penn Alumna! There is nothing like a home cooked local meal when you are on holiday.
But we were not done being fed or being surprised yet for the day. For dinner, Papilio Events who went above and beyond transformed the balcony of a two-bedroom pool villa into a romantic getaway just for us. Our private chef who was hard at work leading up to dinnertime served us a 3 course sumptuous meal. We ended the night dipping into our Jacuzzi.
Day 6
This was going to be our last full day on the island and we were so ready for an epic adventure. We started with a short and sweet zip lining tour with Antigua Rainforest Canopy Tour. I never say No to being able to fly over treetops and this was refreshing to begin with. They even took photos for us!
Since it was our last day, we needed to get our COVID-19 Antigen Test done in preparation for our return to New York. We were taken to the health center of American University of Antigua (Medical School). It is the best place to get it done. Our result was given in minutes. We had lunch at Dennis Beach Bar and Restaurant, which was right by our hotel and shares the beach with our hotel. We stuck with our favorite West Indian curries!
Next on our itinerary was a helicopter ride with Calvin Air Island Helicopter. They offer island tours along with the Montserrat volcano tour ranging from 15 – 45 minutes. Mid-day has to be the best time for this tour as we saw the sun bring out the most beautiful shades of blue in the water. After enjoying the ride, we opted to relax in our Jacuzzi before getting all dolled up for our last dinner on the island. We went to the nearby The Fox House where they have an amazing selection of cocktails. As I had learned on this trip, it is best to stick with their curries and seafood.
Day 7
We spent our last morning strolling on the beach, hand in hand, before packing and leaving for the airport. It was only the two of us on the beach. The airport is small but efficient and check – in process was smooth. As we bid farewell to this beautiful island, we only longed to come back again one day.
