Antigua Weddings and Honeymoons Fam Trip November 2010

In our latest blog post Travel Agent Julie Arksey remembers a trip to Antigua...

I was one of 10 very lucky agents escorted by Cherrie Osborne from the Antigua and Barbuda Tourist Board, Charlotte Moss from Jolly Beach and Graham Hawkins from Elite Island Resorts, to depart London Gatwick on a cold and frosty November morning to attend the Weddings and Honeymoons fam trip to Antigua.

 

This tiny island, steeped in history and in the eastern Caribbean is a stunning location for weddings of all sizes, be it just a couple or a large group. Without some of the red-tape found in most other destinations, it is easy to say "I do" in any location on any day of the week - on the Beach, in a Historic spot overlooking the turquoise waters, or in a traditional church. It is even possible to be married on a boat! 

Antigua is an ideal location, being the home of Liat, it is possible to twin centre with any other Caribbean island on it's routes, giving our clients a taste of very different geographical or cultural Caribbean.

Most Hotels and Resorts will supply a free wedding package, dependent on the time of year, number of nights spent in resort or number of guests attending.

We visited the very top 5* hotels to the best budget 3 star hotels, and they all have something to offer clients with all tastes and budgets. 

Curtain Bluff with the Caribbean's best stocked wine cellar, gorgeous ocean facing rooms and hilarious GM Rob Sherman, who showed us his "old house" where the Monday night cocktail parties (and weddings) are held. They have a tennis pro or personal fitness trainer on hand for those wanting to burn off the calories, or improve their game. The Spa was an oasis of calm for those just wanting to be pampered with views over Montserrat. Christophe Blatz and Mark Smith are the chefs here waiting to entice you with fine dining (or even a cooking class) and an old Tamarind Tree makes a quiet, shaded area to have traditional afternoon tea.

Carlisle Bay is a large boutique hotel with a spread out beach that never gets crowded, and has one of the most beautiful 3 bedroom villas with a wrap around L-shaped balcony on the beach I have ever seen! It has a vast reception area that doubles as a cocktail lounge at night with huge wooden pots and white sofas in a contemporary Balinese style.

The spectacular views from the Hillside Cottages with private plunge pools and semi-outdoor bathrooms were at the all inclusive Hermitage Bay, we were very lucky to eat a beautifully prepared lunch here at the al fresco fine-dining restaurant, overlooking the beach where Queen Elizabeth 11 swam.

Galley Bay has it's unique twin rondaval style rooms, connected by a small deck outside and plunge pools, and it's beachfront rooms were gorgeous. The Spa was an oasis of tranquility set amongst the trees with some of the treatment rooms outside.... The ocean views from the bar and 3 restaurants, Seagrape, Gaugin's or Izmay's - all al fresco  are shared with Giorgio Armani who has a house in the hills. The charming James Lane is the GM here, his family have owned the property for years.  

At Blue Waters we saw amongst spacious, elegant rooms, the new Cove Suites and Rock Cottage - with it's own jetty and pool and up to 5 bedrooms. This was voted the best waterfront villa in the world. There are 7 pools to choose from here and a number of secluded beach coves. This also had one of the prettiest wedding gazebos at the end of a "bluff".  

Carmichael's at the newest and funkiest resort, the Sugar Ridge, is very popular for Sunday Lunch, with it's views over the salt lakes and the ocean, it also has a pool by the Restaurant - so ideal for an after lunch spot to chillax. There is a further pool, a state of the art gym, an Aveda salon and spa, and the very tastefully furnished rooms all have spectacular views facing the sea, the ground floor rooms have plunge pools and the rooms above have a balcony. Although not on a beach, a shuttle will whisk you off to one of the local uncrowded beaches, and it's close proximity to Jolly Harbour makes this a very popular choice for diving and sailing. 

The Coco Bay Hotel was a very pretty resort with it's quaint, rustic cottages dotted around - some with plunge pools. The Restaurant, "Sheer Rocks" with it's very cute resident chef Alex Grimley, served up yet another culinary masterpiece of fine-dining whilst taking in the views of the crystal clear waters and beach below.

The all inclusive Sandals, Grand Pineapple and Rex Hawksbill resorts all provide a good standard of 3 and 4 star accommodation and have a choice of Restaurants to choose from and great Wedding locations for those on a tighter budget.

The Inn at English Harbour is a quintessentially traditional English Boutique Hotel. With it's breathtaking views and enormous contemporary rooms, this has stylish Italian touches here and there reflected by it's owners and manager Fabio, the beach and pool is the ideal location for yacht spotting as Nelson's Dockyard is just next door. The manicured lawns and gardens make this another beautiful wedding location. 

I also visited the building site at Tamarind Hills, which will be a very sexy Villa style living Resort once finished. Owned by the same family as the Cap Maison in St Lucia, the Villas with their private black tiled pools will offer the very highest standard of accommodation, within a very private, exclusive resort. Nestled between the almost deserted Ffryes and Darkwood beaches, and a short walk to Dennis' bar for a cocktail for great local cuisine, watching the Frigate Birds or Cranes flying backwards and forwards.    

We spent 4 nights at Jolly Beach, this was a great fun hotel, ideal for all ages. The Beach here is the best on the island. Food at the fine dining restaurant Bocciolo's was superb, there are 2 other restaurants that served mainly buffet style with a live cooking station for your eggs each morning, and a huge bar that was the central point of the highly entertaining team of singers and dancers performing there every night. With it's great value Spa to pamper and close proximity to the Golf course this has something for everyone. Rooms were a good size with a balcony and most have a partial or full ocean view. The Wedding co-ordinator here is Beverly King and she is used to dealing with all kinds of Bride and Groom-zillas!! Nothing is too much trouble for her and she personally sees through the weddings from start to finish.

We then moved on to St James Club, the new adult only Royal St James Club had beautiful spacious rooms, with bathrooms to die for, the Villas were ideal for big families, accommodating 6 people, and the walkout beachfront rooms were ideal for sunseekers. The bath was big enough for two and these rooms had a wet bar with refrigerators and tea/coffee making facilities.  With many restaurants to choose from (with a small supplement for the fine-dining "Itali-bean" Piccolo Mondo and seafood restaurant The Docksider) this is a very popular first class hotel. Numerous Wedding spots or even at the Villas make this a fantastic resort for tying the knot.  

Our last night was at the Verandah, it's rooms all face the ocean and were all semi-detached single storey properties on stilts, with interconnecting balconies ideal for familes or couples requiring their privacy. Half a dozen new 2 bedroomed Villas have recently been added with full kitchens and furnished to a very high standard, and although this is an all inclusive resort it is a facility some clients require with children. The kid's club, huge pool and two beaches make this a very family friendly resort and the simple Wedding on the "Rasta Beach" was clapped by the sun-worshippers who tactfully moved out of sight of the happy couple and their guests.  Jenny Lui is the very hands-on GM here, and nothing is ever too much trouble for her. 

After "I do" things "to do" 

The Sunday afternoon/evening at Shirley's Heights, an Historic Fort with the amazing sunset views over Falmouth Harbour was an ideal place for families and later after the steel band and food had finished a local band entertained us with a great atmosphere.

The National Park that is Nelson's Dockyard, the working and restored Georgian Dockyard and home to Antigua Sailing week in April, was a great place to look at the yachts or visit the Museum, take in some nibbles or a drink or two.

The Sunset Cruise with Ondeck was very hands-on with some of our group working the ropes to "gybe" on 65' race yachts that sail across the Atlantic every winter. They will also do sailing courses (RYA certified) and deep sea fishing trips, if you fancy hauling in a Marlin or Barracuda, or  a charter trip across to Montserrat.

The Tropical Adventures Catamaran was a 6 hour circumnavigational boat trip and we visited Green Island, an uninhabited island to have a great lunch and snorkel, this was a fun day out and the potent Captain's Punch is not for the faint hearted! It is also possible to visit Barbuda (the famous K Club where Princess Diana stayed) or take a Sunset Cruise on the Excellence, who will arrange to collect you, by taxi, from your hotel.    

There are also Jeep Safaris, Zip Lining and Canopy tours, numerous diving wrecks to explore, swimming with Ray at Sting Ray City, Horse Riding and at certain times of the year Whales, Dolphins and Turtles can be found in these beautiful waters.  Or just visit one of the 365 beaches that lends themselves to this beautiful island. The beach is just the beginning.....