A Caribbean dream in Antigua
Before we start
Quite a few things have changed since our last holiday post 4 years ago which lead up to this holiday, so we thought we’d give a quick update on what has been happening.
Bought, sold and bought again!
Nearly 4 years ago we bought our first home together and in that time we realised that it wasn’t going to be our forever home. On a quiet weekend we decided to have a look at a new show home which quickly turned in to us reserving the plot and putting ours up for sale! It’ll be a few months before it’s ready but we can’t wait to move in!
We’re now married!
January 2025 was a big month for us as we got married in the Lake District. As both of us were never interested in a big wedding we decided to keep it small and intimate with just us, our kids, and Jodie’s Mum.
We spent two nights in Windermere and had an absolutely perfect wedding day.
The Caribbean was originally planned to be our wedding destination (Barbados) however due to other commitments we decided to change it up a little and make it our honeymoon instead.
Quick note: We visited Antigua in March - April. We were a little delayed in getting this out!
Welcome to Antigua 🇦🇬
Perfect beaches, crystal clear waters, and five-star luxury.
An early start
Instead of driving down to Heathrow during the night as our flight was at 8am we decided to stay at a hotel near the airport. 4am came around quickly and everyone was up and ready to go. Joining us on our holiday was Jodie’s Mum and our kids - a perfect way to celebrate by having everyone together.
The flight went smoothly (although the plane did have to go around once due to a storm passing over the island!) and we landed at St John’s Airport.
Home for the next two weeks
On arrival we were greeted and taken to the diamond club lounge where we met our butler (Beverley) until our rooms were ready.
When we booked our holiday we didn’t pay for the diamond club upgrade however after a little persuasion from Matt we opted for it and it was worth every penny! With upgraded rooms, access to the diamond club lounge, and a butler service it made our holiday even more special.
As we arrived late in the day we settled in, had an evening stroll along the beach and called it a night ready for the morning.
The first few days
Pool, beach, cocktails, and food. The first few days were spent relaxing and getting settled in to the resort. On one of the evenings we walked up to Fort Barrington which provided great views over Deep Bay and the island.
Island tour, Devils bridge, sting ray city, and Bettys Hope
A busy day was planned for us and which involved something Jodie had really been looking forward to - swimming with sting rays! We were picked up from the resort and first taken on a tour of the island. Our tour guide was awesome and made sure we all had a great time.
First stop Devil’s Bridge
After a short drive through the villages we arrived at Devil’s Bridge. Located on the eastern coast of Antigua the Atlantic Ocean was certainly less calm than the Caribbean Sea we had been enjoying. The waves crashing against the rocks and the natural limestone arch made for some great photos.
Sting Rays!
Sting Ray City was our next stop and it’s fair to say everyone was excited for this! All the rays are wild and free to swim around the area or leave at any time, but they are used to humans and will happily swim around the shallows and give you a nudge as they pass!
The rays are fed by the guides with the opportunity to feed them yourself after being shown how to hold the squids!
Our guide was awesome, when we arrived at Sting Ray City he made sure we were on the boat first to beat the queues. Unexpectedly he then joined us out in the shallows and helped handle the rays and take photos.
Nobody wanted to leave when the time came to get back on to the boat however we picked up some memorabilia to remember the experience and headed off to our next stop.
Bettys Hope
Back inland the sun was beating down and we were all ready for a drink and some shade. Yet again our guide was awesome, we found the perfect bench to make base and when the food arrived he’d already made a queue for us to get our drinks and food first! Chicken, rice and fresh salad was on the menu and it was delicious!
After exploring the sugar plantation and the windmill we headed back to the resort for a well deserved rest and a few cocktails before dinner.
Island life
Enjoying the relaxed pace we had a few days of lounging around at the pool and beach broken up by a venture into St John’s to visit the local market and shops.
Catamaran island tour
As the island is small a great way to see it is by boat and we booked a catamaran tour which took us around the island and to a snorkelling spot by the reef.
The calm Caribbean waters gave way to the Atlantic Ocean as we made our way around, Passing through English Harbour and the historic Nelson’s Dockyard.
One beach, many pigs!
Before we arrived we’d heard that Pigs Paradise had closed down much to the disappointment of Matt who loves pigs! However during the island tour another couple had mentioned that it was back up and running in a new location. One Search later and we’d booked with Pigs in Paradise for a visit!
We all had an awesome time, all the pigs were friendly and the piglets we held were adorable - if only I could have taken one home 🐷
A holiday to remember
We’ve only covered the highlights of our holiday, but we had an amazing time. The hotel and resort were perfect, the food was delicious and the staff were friendly.
So many memories and experiences were made and we can’t wait to go back again one day.