Recommendations - Antigua

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alcyone
  • Start date Start date
While in Antigua watch out for bald middle aged men in tight tee shirts running around calling people bubbles, and asking people if he looks like Vin Deisel !

Have a great time by the way.
 
Agree

Highland Bear said:
If you want just one really special meal on Antigua, try Harmony Hall overlooking Nonsuch Bay. It is a converted sugar mill on the western side of the bay at Browns Bay. If sailing there, anchor off and dinghy ashore to their jetty. At night, the taxi driver will know the way. Be sure to book and enjoy the experience.

If going the other way round the island, Carlisle Bay Hotel is top notch (and top dollar) but again you can sail into the bay, drop the hook and take the dinghy to their jetty.

When we went 3 or 4 years ago a staff member wearing immaculate Bermuda shorts walked along the jetty towards us. Expecting the "Do you mind taking your hired cat elsewhere" instead we got the usual wide Antiguan smile, "Welcome to Carlisle Bay and what can we do for you?"

Cocktails followed by lunch in the open sided restaurant looking out at the yacht we had arrived in was something very special
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About Harmony Hall and Carlise Bay both excellent but top dollar, I can guarantee you will have good if not better food at Catherine's and it will be cheaper (not that much cheaper though!)...try the foie gras creme brulee...trsut me!
 
In terms of the comments about Montserrat: there's loads to do in the inhabitable zone in the north. The white sand beach in the NW is deserted and beautiful. The north west headlands are spectacular. There is some amazing bushwacking in the north. The trail across the Central Hills is amazing: a tropical rainforest with a view of an active menacing volcano.

The people are totally fantastic. It is a "must go" destination. It's my favourite island: everything Flat Holm should be and so, so much more.
 
RichardShead said:
Watch out for Byron on his donkey, he is easy to spot he only has one leg...
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Jacko is the Donkey man. And if you pay a couple of EC then he'll give you a taxi ride home on the Donkey.

Byron is the English Harbour tramp. He is the chap with one leg and quite a nice guy.

As for do's and don'ts, Shirley Heights on a sunday evening is a must see. You need to get up there by about half four, or five, because the whole point is watching the sun set. Then get tanked up on rum punch and enjoy the evening.

Depending on how you like parties then there are bands playing at the Mad Mongoose quite regularly.

As for the bad points, there is no shortage of crime, even though no one really wants to admit it. So be careful and don't take chances in leaving your belongings lying about, especially at night. The English Harbour area is generally safe, but you don't need to go far to find trouble.

The murder a couple of weeks ago was actually on Windward beach, which is a lot more secluded than Pigeon, but only a few hundred yards away all the same. The worrying thing about it was that it happened in daylight. It is not sensible to visit beaches in darkness unless you are in a fairly large group.
 
Now I am confused

Woodlouse said:
Jacko is the Donkey man. And if you pay a couple of EC then he'll give you a taxi ride home on the Donkey.

Byron is the English Harbour tramp. He is the chap with one leg and quite a nice guy.

As for do's and don'ts, Shirley Heights on a sunday evening is a must see. You need to get up there by about half four, or five, because the whole point is watching the sun set. Then get tanked up on rum punch and enjoy the evening.

Depending on how you like parties then there are bands playing at the Mad Mongoose quite regularly.

As for the bad points, there is no shortage of crime, even though no one really wants to admit it. So be careful and don't take chances in leaving your belongings lying about, especially at night. The English Harbour area is generally safe, but you don't need to go far to find trouble.

The murder a couple of weeks ago was actually on Windward beach, which is a lot more secluded than Pigeon, but only a few hundred yards away all the same. The worrying thing about it was that it happened in daylight. It is not sensible to visit beaches in darkness unless you are in a fairly large group.
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I am sure I have seen byron on the donkey?

Yes you are correct on the windward beach comment but as you say only a few hundred yards away. One can only hope it was just one of those shocking but unusual events that can (and does) happen anywhere.

Very sad which ever way you look at it.

Be carful in the mad mongoose, first time I ever went there I came out with a wife....
 
not antiguia

My advice would be to get away from Antigua and go to Les Saintes (south) or st martin or st barths (NW) where i am right now and not stay in antigua. Godawful food, slow service, increasingly high prices and the place is falling apart due to genetic laziness and (perhaps) uncomplaining brits who find a direct uk-carib flight, and seem fine about things being rubbish and don't like to make a fuss. I tellem it's not good enough every time (most recently last week, waiting 2 hours for four simple meals in jolly harbour, lots of americans just walked out) but they don't do anything to improve. Can any restaurant in antigua make food that you couldn't actually make yourself, really, and probably better? Not as far as i've found yet.

The supermarket is reasonable in jolly harbour, but the bars and beaches are fly-ridden cos there's not much cleaning going on. The general fabric of jolly harbour is rapidly worsening to the crumblingly low levels achieved at Nelsons dockyard, easily the worst base of any carib sailing regatta base, and apparently only acceptable to brits. Perhaps it's cos lots of fans went to boarding school and hence think it's okay, ish, or (often) haven't spent time in the better islands. Heyho, it's nice and sunny tho, i suppose.

Montserrat blew up a couple of weeks ago, btw - lots of ash closed guadeloupe airport (and some others ithink) for several days. Montserrat itself very smoky on the east side.
 
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