Simply Antigua Barbuda 2015

EXPLORE A TROPICAL PARADISE

Sterling silver charms from $25

Heritage Quay St. John’s V.C. Bird International Airport 268.562.5662 sterlings@candw.ag Find us on

Facebook

COLIN C. JAMES, CEO Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority

The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority is pleased to congratulate Gulliver, Janie and their team for ten years of capturing Antigua and Barbuda’s vibrant and colourful cuisine and bringing it to life in the pages of the Food & Drink Guide. We also applaud the team on this first publication of Simply Antigua Barbuda, a comprehensive guide which gives the reader unique insight into the picturesque twin islands of Antigua and Barbuda.

Antigua and Barbuda provide the ultimate escape with 365 glorious beaches, its rich colonial history, first class hotels and resorts, sporting history, exhilarating excursions, mouth-watering cuisine, friendly people and captivating culture. Choose your accommodation from world-class resorts and boutique spa hotels, luxury villas, intimate guesthouses and modern apartments.

Immerse yourself in our culture, and celebrate Antigua’s Carnival and Barbuda’s Caribana, both energetic festivals full of lively music, pageants and costumed parades. Try our Mango, Pineapple and Seafood festivals. For water enthusiasts, Antigua is the Sailing Capital of the Caribbean - why not participate in a regatta?

With attractions no more than 45 minutes away wherever you choose to stay, exploring Antigua is easy. Zip through the rainforest in the south, hop on a helicopter, take to the seas for a kayaking adventure or catamaran cruise, stroll through historic Nelson’s Dockyard, shop for local arts, crafts and souvenirs at the vendors 2

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

WELCOME TO ANTIGUA & BARBUDA mall in Heritage Quay, visit art galleries, enjoy a round of golf, relax at one Antigua’s finest spas or dine out at one of the many restaurants on island. On Sundays, bring your dancing shoes to Shirley Heights, one of the most identifiable settings in the world, and home of the longest-running party in the Caribbean.

Our sister island Barbuda, with a population of under 2,000, is one of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets. Recognized for possessing some of the best beaches in the world, Barbuda’s 17 mile stretch of unspoilt pink sand beach is yours to explore.

The island is known for its seafood, but is even more famous as the home of the largest Frigate Bird sanctuary in the western Hemisphere.

There are few more romantic places to say ‘I do’, or take a honeymoon than Antigua and Barbuda. With a range of romantic settings and no residency requirements, why not tie the knot in the Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination?

Simply Antigua Barbuda will help you make the most of your holiday experience when you visit our islands. Enjoy!

visitantiguabarbuda.com facebook.com/antiguabarbuda twitter.com/antiguabarbuda

!

! " # $

! " ### $ % & ' ( %

PUBLISHERS DETAILS THE BUCK STOPS HERE Gulliver Johnson

ART, DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Janie Conley-Johnson

EDITOR Madeleine Jardim McComas

CREATIVE DESIGNER Nigel Francis - Takumi Media

WEBMASTER Chris Maisey

INTERN Lily Smith

CONTRIBUTORS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Zahra I. Airall, Alexis Andrews, Maria Blackman, September Christian, Cathia Christopher, Ngardy Conteh George, Claire Frank, Michelle George, Ann Granger, Roddy Grimes-Graeme, Sallie Harker, Valerie Smithe Lee, Dorothy Martel, Trevor Simon, Charmaine Spencer, Carolyn Thomas-Parker, Tim Wright

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks to: Neil Butler and Carissa Warner

CREATED & PUBLISHED BY Leeward Consultants P. O. Box W1795, Woods Centre, Antigua.

5FM t 5FM

info@foodanddrink-caribbean.com www.lifesapicnic-antigua.com The contents of this publication are protected by copyright, owned by the publishers Leeward Consultants. No reproduction of this publication or its contents is possible in whole or part without prior written consent. All Rights Reserved. Copyright Š Leeward Consultants 2014. While every care is taken, prices and details supplied are subject to change and the publisher can take no responsibility for client entries, omissions or errors.

4

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

Bay House Restaurant at the Trade Winds Hotel is a haven of tropical peace and tranquility with excellent food. Whether you’re travelling to Antigua for business or leisure they’ll give you a genuine, warm, Caribbean welcome.

Breakfast & Lunch are uniquely served all day at any time, with our Tapas menu & sundowners happy hour daily between 5:00-7:00pm.

The Ă la carte Dinner menu is served from 6:00pm.

Open daily and continuously from 7:00am until 11:00pm.

The restaurant and two multi-purpose conference/function rooms are available for private hire, suitable for weddings, private occasions and meetings.

Telephone for Hotel or Restaurant Reservations: (268) 462-1223 Trade Winds Hotel, Dickenson Bay, Antigua www.twhantigua.com

Classic Fusion Aero Chronograph.

Self-winding skeleton chronograph movement. Case crafted in a new unique red gold alloy: King Gold.

Black rubber and alligator strap.

Heritage Quay, St. John’s, Antigua Tel: (268) 481-1880 antigua@shopdi.com www.DiamondsInternational.com

www.hublot.com t

UXJUUFS DPN IVCMPU t

facebook.com/hublot

WHAT’S INSIDE OUR PAGES 2

WELCOME TO ANTIGUA & BARBUDA

4

Publishers Details

10-15

Only an Antiguanice.com Would Know... -

10

Ask a Local. Connect with Our People and Island 16-39

SHOPPING, ARTS & CRAFTS SECTION

18-19

Duty Free Shopping at Heritage Quay

21

Top Buys Heritage Quay

22-25

The Game of Count and Capture Warri in Antigua

26-31

Perfect Gifts Made in Antigua and Barbuda

32-33

Top Buys Redcliffe Quay

36-39

Mehalah Spencer & Shem Alexander Young Antiguan Artists

40-57

DESTINATION WEDDINGS

44-53

Plan the Destination Wedding of a Lifetime

58-67

WELLNESS & NATURE

58-59

Spa Treatments -

18

Being Pampered Caribbean style 62-64

Take a Path Less Trodden Hiking in Antigua

66-67 6

The Beach is Just the Beginning...

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

44

Heritage Quay,St. St. John’s, Antigua Heritage Quay, John’s, Antigua Tel: (268) 481-1880 Tel: (268) 481-1880 www.DiamondsInternational.com www.DiamondsInternational.com

70

74

68-87

TOURS & ATTRACTIONS

70-71

Off the Beaten Track Fun, Affordable Tours

74-75

It’s All an Adventure Tours for Thrill Seekers and Active Families

82-83

Get Wet with Offshore Excursions Let the Caribbean Sea be your Playground

88-119 PROPERTIES & ACCOMMODATION 90-93

Citizenship by Investment in Antigua and Barbuda

104-108 Intimate Vacation Properties

90

110-113 Historic Charm at The Admiral’s Inn in Nelson’s Dockyard 116-117 Horticultural Groups and Dedicated Gardeners A Kaleidoscope of Blooming Gardens 120-123 Only a Barbudaful.net Would Know... Ask a Local. Connect with Our People and Island

124-127 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 8

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

120

Incentive Travel Destination Management Signature & Special Events Tailored Island Tours Destination Weddings

40 YEARS EXPERIENCE, AND COUNTING

“CARIBBEAN STYLE TO MEET UK EXPECTATIONS�

-VYVSZ EFWFMPQNFOU PG UP CFESPPN BQBSUNFOUT 4JUVBUFE JO UIF IFBSU PG UIF JTMBOE #VDLMFZT $PVOUSZ $MVC PĂľFST BĂľPSEBCMF "OUJHVB IPMJEBZ BQBSUNFOUT GPS UIPTF TFFLJOH B USVF JTMBOE FYQFSJFODF

CONGRATULATIONS TO ‘SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA’ Leeward Consultants, 10 years of publishing. & CPPLJOHT!CVDLMFZTDPVOUSZDMVC DPN t "OUJHVB 5FM

6, 5FM t 64" 5FM

www.buckleyscountryclub.com

Creative itineraries, Trusted local knowledge and Reliable solutions.

We take pride in putting you in touch with our unique Caribbean experiences.

Cnr. Woods Centre & Mahogany Drive, St. John’s, Antigua

ww.carib-world.com

Photo: Š Roddy Grimes-Graeme. www.acquafilms.com

ONLY AN ANTIGUANICE.COM WOULD KNOW...

ASK A LOCAL. CONNECT WITH OUR PEOPLE AND ISLAND Antigua is a small Caribbean island with a huge international presence. With a landmass of less than 110 square miles, it is blessed with safe natural harbours and is unabashedly the winter capital of the international yachting world. And with 365 beaches to choose from, it is a paradise for tourists who follow the sun. But it is much more than these well established things; it is an island where 80,000 people live their lives with gusto, practicing the arts that define their culture, and enjoying the beauty of their island to the full.

Ask a local, how to get to the National Parks and the 18th Century British naval defense forts. Visit one of our Pan Yards and

10

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

listen to a local steel pan orchestra rehearsing. Ask a local about the pre-Carnival fetes, friendly themed parties starting in June and leading up to Carnival in early August, open to locals and visitors alike. Ask about the Festival of Kites at Devil’s Bridge on Easter Monday, and the Independence Festival events. Our Independence Day is November 1st.

Ask a local where to buy the sweetest pineapples, where to find a group to hike with, where to go birdwatching, or when and where to spot turtles coming to shore at night to lay their eggs. Go horse racing at the Antigua Turf Club at Cassada Gardens, or watch the

sports fishing craft come in after a tournament, with their catch weighed up for all to see, and take-home fish for sale. Take the time to enjoy our island – there’s much more to experience than sun, sand and sea.

Historical sites, national parks and natural phenomena are always worth a visit, and there are other 18th Century military sites that would intrigue the history buff. Fort George at Monks Hill near Falmouth was built as a last place of refuge for islanders in case of invasion by the French. It took 15 years to build, and was used as a fort until 1850. Fort James near St. John’s was built to protect the town when it overtook Falmouth and Parham as the most populous town on the island. There are 10 cannon on the ramparts, and they were used well into the 19th Century to deter the French privateers from Guadeloupe who often raided British shipping. It is the only fort in Antigua with cannons still in place. Fort Berkley at English Harbour was built on the peninsula that shields the entrance to the hidden inland harbour, protecting ships that were careened there. Fort Barrington lies on a hill on the south side of St. John’s harbour, set in a giant semicircle looking out to sea. Below the fort you can snorkel or dive the “Andes” shipwreck, which sank in Deep Bay in 1905. Devil’s Bridge lies on the eastern side of the island, where the Atlantic Ocean waves have carved a bridge

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

11

into the soft limestone of a natural peninsula. The wave surges have formed blowholes in the stone, and huge jets of water play like giant fountains on the rocks. A great way to visit these sites is by using a guided taxi tour; your driver will provide lots of essential information and local knowledge. Another must-see site is Great Bird Island, which is part of the North Sound National Park, where lives the Antiguan Racer snake, (Alsophis antiguae) in its natural habitat. It lives nowhere else in the world. Ask a local how to get there.

Pan yards are exciting places to visit, to see how the pans are crafted and tuned, and also to see the pan masters play their musical arrangements. The Hells Gate, Ebony and Harmonites pan yards encourage young people to learn to play pan, and other bands likely do the same. Every Sunday afternoon you can watch the Harmonites Steel Orchestra perform at Shirley Heights. Ask a local….

There are many cultural Festivals in Antigua, at different times of the year. The Kite Festival at Devil’s Island is held every Easter Monday, and the number and styles of kites on display high up in the sky are not to be missed. The National Warri Festival is a proud demonstration of the Antiguans’ supremacy in the internationally acclaimed game of Mancala, a board game of great strategy that came originally from West Africa. Visit the Seafood Festival at Urlings Fishery, where you can spend a whole day tasting exquisitely fresh fish and seafood prepared while you wait in the shade and listen to the happy sounds of people at leisure enjoying their island bounty.

12

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

Photo: © Roddy Grimes-Graeme. www.acquafilms.com

Ask a local... where to buy the sweetest pineapples, where to find a group to hike with, where to go birdwatching, or when and where to spot turtles coming to shore at night to lay their eggs.

Independence celebrations are at the end of October and early November. The festivities include youth steel pan concerts, school parades, theatrical and musical events and it is a great time to buy local art and crafts, and to sample local cuisine. And there are the pre-Carnival Fetes, which start in June and lead up to Carnival in early August. Many are themed Fetes, and most are pay-as-you-go.

So pick a party; glow in the dark at the White Fete, wear denim to the Blue Jeans party, BYOB (Bring you own booze!) to a Cooler Fete, where you come with your friends and a cooler of drinks. Support the Rotary Club of Antigua’s charitable works by attending their fundraising Colours Fete which has a different theme every year. As

an opportunity to meet Antiguans of all ages and from all walks of life, Fetes are hard to beat.

Live musical performances happen year round in Antigua and we have some exciting talent. On Fridays and Sundays evenings, year round, Roland Prince and Calypso Val play sweet jazz music at OJ’s beach bar and restaurant on the southwest coast. They also perform at Catherine’s Café on Wednesdays and Paparazzi’s on Thursday evenings during high season. Roland is acknowledged universally as one of the greatest jazz-guitarists of all time, although nowadays the piano is his forte. The Roland Prince Quintet’s latest album, “Pop! Goes the Jazzle” can be found at King Progress SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

13

St. John’s Public Market: Sister Grant

Vendors Mall Heritage Quay: Booth #19

Rico Anthony

music store at the airport or online here www.cdbaby.com/cd/ rolandprincequintet. Rico and Music Foreplay band are a favourite live band on the island, performing weekly on Friday evenings at Sugar Ridge Resort. Even if you are not staying at one of our resorts, many like Sugar Ridge welcome visitors for dinner and to enjoy their live entertainment. Rico and his band will being playing at Sugar Ridge on Ole Year’s Night (New Year’s Eve). He also plays at Carlisle Bay Resort’s reggae BBQ Sunday nights. Look out for his new album entitled “Perhapsability”.

Ask a local – what day is market day? Many farmers and vendors travel from rural villages to trade their fresh produce and crafted merchandise at the St. John’s Public and Craft markets. Enjoy the bountiful displays of exotic crops, herbs, spices and handicrafts.

The air is filled with enticing aromas of sweet pineapples, mangoes, roasted corn, seasoned crabs and simmering ital (vegan) foods cooking in clay pots. If you want to support the local economy and the local people, and you want to experience something genuinely made or grown in Antigua, venture along to our markets. They really are worth a visit.

Get active! Hiking is a very popular weekend or evening activity in Antigua. Most groups encourage visitors to join them, and there is enough variety to please ramblers of all levels. Scenic hikes take you through Christian Valley and past the Cades Bay pineapple farm.

Take a walk around McKinnon’s Pond for bird watching, or look for the Antiguan whistling duck and the Brown pelican on Great Bird Island. Ask a local for the best beaches for a turtle watch, and when the Hawksbill, Green and Leatherback turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. The Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) offers turtle watching trips during the summer months. Find the venues for our Sport Fishing Tournaments, and join the crowd as the anglers’ boats come in with their catch. There’s food, drink and music to turn these into memorable occasions. The main annual Sport Fishing Tournament and the Marlin Classic are in May, the Francis Nunes Jr. Memorial Tournament is in September and the Best in the West tournament is during November.

The best way to see Antigua is to see how Antiguans enjoy their island. The next time you visit, ask a local…

14

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

beauty in the details.

Global Customer Service | Certified Appraisal | 30 Day Insurance Plan | Follow us on Facebook Member of the Dufry Group, a Swiss company established in 1865 and operating in over 60 countries | www.colombianemeralds.com OUR STORES IN ANTIGUA: HERITAGE QUAY • SANDALS GRANDE RESORT • V.C. BIRD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT • TEL: 462-3462

TAX FREE & DUTY FREE

beauty in the details.

Global Customer Service | Certified Appraisal | 30 Day Insurance Plan | Follow us on Facebook Member of the Dufry Group, a Swiss company established in 1865 and operating in over 60 countries | www.colombianemeralds.com OUR STORES IN ANTIGUA: HERITAGE QUAY • SANDALS GRANDE RESORT • V.C. BIRD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT • TEL: 462-3462

TAX FREE & DUTY FREE

THE TAILOR’S DAUGHTER : BED : BATH : DECOR ACCESSORIES : DINE : ENTERTAIN : KITCHEN : FOOD

A coffee table photography book by Alexis Andrews “My compliments on this beautiful book, it will be a perfect reminder of our trip to the island” Marc Jerrard, Visitor

THE CARIBBEAN’S FINEST ARTISANS & PRODUCTS STORE No.1 Redcliffe Quay, Redcliffe Street, St. John’s, Antigua +1 (268) t islandgourmetboutique@gmail.com

www.islandgourmetboutique.com

Limited Edition Hardcover: 12 x12 inches, 180 pages. USD$75.00 From Giftshops, V.C. Bird Int’l. Airport Departure Lounge, & IndianCreekBooks.com

DUTY-FREE SHOPPING Photo: © Alexis Andrews. www.IndianCreekBooks.com

AT HERITAGE QUAY

You’ve just landed at Antigua and Barbuda’s premier duty free shopping destination, Heritage Quay, a shopper’s paradise on the waterfront of historic St. John’s. Heritage Quay features over sixty exciting shops spanning two floors, offering a wide array of branded goods; leather, designer clothing, sporting and fishing supplies, linen, jewellery, electronics, liquor, cigars, fragrances, swimwear, souvenirs and more. Our international, regional and local visitors can also delight in the ambiance of a colourful Caribbean experience mingling at the sports bars and speciality restaurants. Make Heritage Quay your shopping choice while in Antigua.

18

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

It’s an experience. You sense it, you feel it.

DIRECTORY OF STORES Antigua Island Code: +1 (268)

J. A. Bijoux Limited 461-3122 Newgates 460-7211 Spirits of the Caribbean 764-2449 ZIBA 460-8060 / 5860 Rasta Pasta 462-2066 Ravi’s Enterprise 460-8646 Cheers Bar & Restaurant 562-5360 Diamond Republic 562-1972 First Diamond 562-5363 The Linen Shop 462-3611 Shipwreck Shop 562-6055 The New Image 462-6602 / 562-7474 Lands 462-3721 / 464-1618 Island Beehive Restaurant 481-1322 Gingerlilly 462-4523 Abbott’s Jewellery 462-3107 / 8 Sterlings 462-3107 / 461-6442 Silverado 562-7575 Longchamps 562-5297 Cattleya Boutique 562-1133 Mimosa 462-2923

Shouls Liquor and Perfumery 462-2606 Sand (ANU) Ltd. 462-3610 JCM Jewellers 462-4398 Athlete’s Foot 462-3610 / 9771 Tobacco Negro 562-5866 Caribbean Gems 462-3670 Sunglass Hut 460-8059 Aqua Sports 480-3070 The Body Shop 462-4779 / 562- 1054 Quin Farara Co Ltd. 462-1737 / 462-3090 Tropic Wear 462-6251 / 460-7211 Rasta Pasta 460-6303 / 562-1754 Champion Footwear 462-2362 The Camera Shop 461-5285 One Love Variety Store 562-1754 Tanzanite International Ltd 481-1880 Diamond Creations Antigua Ltd 481-1880 Baobab Antigua 560-4468 Makai 562-8392 Beauty Sea-Spa (Anu) 560-6742 Sange 462 3273 SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

19

SHOPPING, ARTS & CRAFTS Great gifts handmade in Antigua, available at retail outlets island-wide

NEW Mrs Shooz Dawn & Dusk In Antigua

Mrs. Shooz

™

FRAGRANCED SOY WAX CANDLE BIODEGRADABLE SOY WAX ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

5IF "OUJHVB $BOEMF 'BDUPSZ +PMMZ )BSCPVS /PSUI (BUF "OUJHVB t 5 t info@mr-shooz.com

www.mr-shooz.com

ISLAND MANTRA

Artisan Originals by Lyris Tracey

t. (268) 725 8561 / 722 1910 or +1 (904) 827 7990 / e. islandmantra@gmail.com / skype: lyristracey

Nice Things... Good Energy

ZENERGY

BOUTIQUE Hand-picked jewellery, islandwear clothing home interior and beachwear items Monday to Saturday from 10am to 10pm

Dockyard Drive, English Harbour, St. Paul’s, Antigua. T. 1-268-728-7552 E. goodenergy@zenergyboutique.com

TOP BUYS

HERITAGE QUAY

2

1

1. COLOMBIAN EMERALDS INTERNATIONAL - Fine Jewellery & Watches Shop with confidence with global customer service, certified appraisals and instant credit.

Island Locations: Heritage Quay - Sandals Grande Resort - V.C. Bird Int’l Airport. +1 (268) 462-3462

3

2. MAKAI – Towards the Ocean Beachwear Sexy Trops Swimwear, beach and lounge wear for island living by the ocean. +1 (268) 562-8392

3. AQUA SPORTS - Premier Watersports and Fishing Store High quality Body Glove and Cressi snorkelling and diving gear for children and adults. +1 (268) 462-3474

4. LIPSTICK – Perfumes, Skin Care & Cosmetics Pick up his and her Gucci Guilty perfume from Lipstick who carry the widest selection of luxury fragrances, skin care and cosmetics on the island. +1 (268) 562-1133

2. SHADES - Designer Eyewear & Stunning Jewellery Exclusive retailer in Antigua of Oakley branded sunglasses, selling the best selection of designer and sporty sunglasses to protect your eyes from the intense Caribbean sun. +1 (268) 562-5662

6. FIRST DIAMOND – Exquisite Jewellery Collections Shine like the star you are with the Belle Étoile jewellery range hand-painted Caribbean parrot Italian enamel made with sterling silver and coloured enamel with white stone highlights. +1 (268) 562-5363

6 5

4

THE GAME OF COUNT AND CAPTURE WARRI IN ANTIGUA

Warri is a highly complex board game with a few simple rules. Two players face each other across a long, narrow wooden board with twelve spherical hollows (houses) carved out of solid hardwood. Each opponent controls six hollows on their side of the board, in each of which four nickernuts (nickars), or seeds are placed as counters to be captured as the game unfolds. The game starts with forty-eight seeds on the board. There are two larger hollows (storehouses) carved into the narrow ends of the board to hold each player’s captured seeds.

The player who opens the game scoops four seeds from any one of the hollows on his side of the board, and drops one into each consecutive hollow moving to the right. As the game progresses, the opportunity to capture seeds arises when a player puts the last seed of his move into an opponent’s hollow which contains only one or two seeds, bringing the total number of seeds 22

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

in the hollow to two or three. He can then remove all the seeds in this hollow, and the one preceding it if the same count results, and place them in his large holding hollow or storehouse at the narrow end of the board. The player who captures 25 of the 48 seeds in play on the board wins the game.

Within the framework of these deceptively simple rules lies a world of mathematical precision and quick, confident moves. The player must count the number of seeds in his hollow, count the number of his opponent’s hollows that he will hit, and the number of seeds in each hollow he hits. He must think not only of his move, but of his opponent’s likely counter move, and what that might do to improve or damage his position on the board. It is a game of strategy, of looking ahead to the implications of each move, of offering choices and setting traps, and in the purest sense it is a

Antiguans play warri in a friendly way, but with a distinctly competitive edge. They are recognized by the International Association of Warri Players and the World Oware Federation as the best warri players in the world.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

23

mind game of great sophistication.

Warri is an ancient game with debated origins from Egypt to West Africa. It is played in West Central Africa, where it is called by several different names; Mancala in Nigeria, Wari in Senegal and Oware in Ghana. The game moved down the Silk Road to Central Asia with the spread of Islam, and it is known in Kazakhstan as Toguz Kumalak, and among the Tamils in Sri Lanka, Warri is considered a women’s game. It was brought to the Caribbean by captured Africans sold into slavery for the sugar plantations of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, and St. Lucia. It is also played in Guyana, Suriname and Brazil. More recent migrations of West Indians to Great Britain, Europe and the US have taken the game to these countries, and there is now an international circuit of Warri competitions and dedicated players, the finest and most mentally agile of which are the Antiguan players, some of whom are living legends of the game.

Trevor Simon is an Antiguan warri master who was taught the game by his mother when he was a boy. But Cricket was his game until he met two old warri players named Bimmy Greenwich and Reynolds Philip (also known as 1&2) in his village of Liberta, who taught him as a young man the higher subtleties of the game that was to change his life. Warri became an obsession, and Trevor has been known, as have many other serious players of the game, to play for twenty four hours or longer without sleep.

The game has taken him to warri competitions in many countries, including England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, as well as to several countries in Africa. He and his friend and fellow Antiguan September Christian have dominated the game in the international arena since 1998. Trevor Simon is the only named International Grandmaster of the game of Oware, a title awarded to him at the international Mind Sports Olympiad in London, England, in 1999.

An accountant by profession, Trevor Simon has brought the game of warri to schools in Antigua in partnership with his friend 24

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

September Christian. Together they founded the Antigua and Barbuda Warri Academy, whose aim is to use the game of warri to develop in their students powers of concentration and discipline, and to build their problem solving skills. They hold workshops in various schools, preparing their students for competitive play. In their experience, children with no previous aptitude for mathematics will sometimes grasp the subtleties of the game and become transformed by their growing skills, which include alertness, foresight, resilience, perseverance, discretion, memory, self control and dexterity.

Warri is played in Antigua among friends and often by people of like occupations. Taxi drivers play warri at East Bus Station.

Fishermen, stevedores, fire fighters, policemen all play the game.

There is still a place in St. John’s called Bakers Corner, where in the old days bakers met to play warri after their bread was baked.

Seasoned players like Elwin Mascal, a shoemaker, who says warri could take up all of his time, but he loves his girl more than the game and Pumpkin Lewis, a taxi driver whose love of warri leads him to marathon sessions of 24 hours and more and says that’s why he’s not rich, are among the greats who teach younger players. And there are men like Trevor Cranstan, president of the Antigua and Barbuda Warri Association (ABWA), who gives his time generously for the good of the game.

The ABWA organizes two major competitions each year, the National Warri Competition, which determines who the new master and senior champions are in time for international competitions, and the Warri Festival, which is held at Easter each year.

There is a definite hierarchy of players, with masters like Trevor Simon, September Christian, Walwyn Barton and Ulysses Henry, the top four winners in the 2013 International Warri Competition, then seniors and novices. Antiguans play warri in a friendly way but with a distinctly competitive edge. They are recognized by the International Association of Warri Players (IAWP) and the World Oware Federation as the best warri players in the world.

September Christian and Trevor Simon

Warri seeds (nickernuts or nickars) SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

25

ENGLISH HARBOUR 5 YEAR OLD RUM Produced by Antigua Distillery Ltd.

WADADLI BUSH TEA

Acclaimed as one of the best rums in the world and applauded by rum connoisseurs as an impeccably smooth, light-bodied rum that is truly superior in flavour. Available in all supermarkets islandwide.

5FM

t XXX QSFNJFSCFW CJ[

A “likkle� bush tea cures all ailments! Locally cultivated herbal teas, dried, packaged and ready to go! Available from Island Gourmet Boutique, Redcliffe Quay, St. John’s, Antigua.

Tel: +1 (268) 734 2080 www.islandgourmetboutique.com

TABLEMANNERS Cookbook & Guide With 150 illustrated recipes, this Gourmand award winning cookbook celebrates our wonderful cuisine.

Available from Island Gourmet Boutique and Best of Books.

Tel: +1 (268) 725 5433 www.fooddrinkcaribbean.bigcartel.com

PERFECT GIFTS Made in Antigua & Barbuda Shopping for gifts or souvenirs? We make it easy for you to find original presents without breaking the bank. When your cruise ship docks in Antigua a quiet stroll down the street can lead to rich pickings. Island Gourmet Boutique is full of beautifully presented Caribbean gourmet and artisanal products: cakes, jams, chocolates, chutneys, Barbuda sea salt and dry spices. loom-woven West Indian Sea Island Cotton table cloths, mats and napkins, and scented candles. Stroll a little further, to the end of Market Street beyond the St. John’s public market and 26

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

WA’OMONI BEE HONEY produced by John Mussington Produced and available only in Barbuda. Logwood and Wild Flower Honey. Tel: +1 (268) 460-0170 E: jrmuss@candw.ag

RAW ISLAND PRODUCTS

by Eef Armstrong Wonderful raw organic food mostly derived from the coconut and organic local honey. Available from Island Gourmet Boutique and major supermarkets. www.rawislandproducts.com

SUSIE’S HOT SAUCE Antigua & Barbuda’s favourite hot and mild sauces come in many flavours and are the iconic island gift. Available in all supermarkets islandwide. www.susieshotsauce.com

DOLCIE’S ANTIGUA RUM CAKE Traditional sponge cake flavoured with Antiguan Cavalier rum, that we devour down to the very last crumbs. Available from Island Gourmet Boutique and supermarkets islandwide.

NICOLE’S TABLE CONDIMENTS Private chef/tutor Nicole Arthurton offers intimate Caribbean cooking classes and also produces her own line of chutneys and jams made from locally sourced produce. Available only from Island Gourmet Boutique. www.nicolestable.com SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

27

TROPICAL CUSHION COVERS

by Island Mantra Art Studio Lyris Tracey produces affordable, original art & artisan jewellery reflecting Caribbean culture, colours & ecological sustainability. Marble Hill Road, St. John’s, Antigua. Tel: +1 (268) 722 1910 PS t JTMBOENBOUSB!HNBJM DPN

NOREEN PHILLIPS COUTURIERE Sophisticated eveningwear, classically styled dresses, slacks, blouses and men’s linen shirts all made in Antigua.

Available from her store in Redcliffe Quay, St. John’s, Antigua.

Tel: +1 (268) 462 3127 noreenphillipscouturiere@hotmail.com

you will find the Craft Market with a treasure trove of local craft stalls to browse in. And at the back of the market look for the Antigua & Barbuda Society for the Blind Workshop, which sells a variety of finely made straw hats, baskets and table mats made by its handicapped member craftsmen and women. Stop at Zemi Art Gallery in Redcliffe Quay on the way back to your ship for authentic Caribbean art. You’ve just had a very successful day!

If you are visiting Antigua for more than a day you can venture further afield. Stop at Island Mantra for colourful hand-painted cushion covers, beach bags, coasters and unique painted earrings designed and made by artist Lyris Tracy. Drop in at Noreen Phillips Couturiere shop for glamorous, tailored island clothing. In supermarkets find locally produced Raw Island Products for nicely packaged organic raw honey and raw coconut products, including tasty coconut wedges and coconut shavings. Take home a rich black fruit cake from Melee an’ Tings, and some of Susie’s Hot Pepper Sauces, internationally known for their high quality and sizzling heat. Visit Cedars Pottery studio gallery for oneof-a-kind pieces made and fired on site by Michael Hunt and Imogen Margrie.

Take a south of the island road trip to Art at the Ridge gallery & craft gift shop 28

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

MRS SHOOZ CANDLES - natural soy-wax and biodegradable Tropically fragranced gift candles manufactured in Jolly Harbour by the Antigua Candle 'BDUPSZ 5PVST PG UIF GBDUPSZ BSF BWJMBCMF 5FM

t JOGP!NS TIPP[ DPN

MAHOGANY POD PENDANT by Island Mantra Art Studio Lyris Tracey crafts leather and sea fan coral jewellery and earrings, cushion covers, custom home-dĂŠcor items, beach bags, coasters, bird feeders, paintings on palm bracts, bespoke t-shirts and cards. .BSCMF )JMM 3PBE 4U +PIO T "OUJHVB 5FM

PS t XXX FUTZ DPN TIPQ JTMBOENBOUSB

CONCH SHELL JEWELLERY by Miranda Askie Designs Gifted jewellery designer Miranda Askie produces eclectic, bold and elegant custom-designed jewellery. Main picture: Copper wire half necklace with individually wired conch shell pendant. Matching ring and earrings made with freshwater pearls. Inset necklace: 2-strand necklace with granulated mother-of-pearl shell disks, patina copper hammered centre pendant with copper wired agate stone and Swarovski pearls. Store located in the departure lounge of the V. C. Bird Int’l Airport. Also available at Harmony Hall and several prime resorts.

Tel: +1 (268) 560-8050 or 776 3090 miranda_askie@hotmail.com

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

29

SEA ISLAND COTTON TEA TOWELS by Island Gourmet Boutique Tailors Daughter West Indian Sea Island Cotton tea towels and placemats.

Loom-woven in Antigua by Fab Weaves.

5FM

t XXX JTMBOEHPVSNFUCPVUJRVF DPN

CEDARS POTTERY Founded by ceramicist/sculptor Michael Hunt and ceramicist Imogen Margrie. They produce hand-thrown decorative table and domestic wares, earthenware lighting sconces, relief carving and sculptures. Available from their art studio on St. Clare Estate, Buckleys Road, Antigua.

5FM

t QPUUFSZD!DBOEX BH

HARDWOOD WARRI BOARDS Locally handcrafted warri boards can be found in the Craft Market. For a truly special custom-made board, contact George Edwards, official warri board maker to the Antigua & Barbuda Warri Association.

Tel: +1 (268) 779 1468

EARTHENWARE POTTERY FROM ANTIGUAN CLAY

by Edith Lyne Her miniature jabba pots, urns and pitchers make excellent travel gifts and traditional full-size versions make ideal on-island gifts. Her studio is in the famous pottery village of Sea View Farm, and her pots are also available at the Art at the Ridge gallery at Sugar Ridge Resort.

BAJEZ SOAPS by Cheryl Samuel She has been hand-making her natural soaps for over 10 years. They are vegetable oil based with healing and moisturizing properties and wonderful natural scents. Available at her store in the St. John’s Craft Market, or from Art at the Ridge gallery at Sugar Ridge Resort.

Tel: +1 (268) 728 1558

HANDMADE CARDS at THE ART CAFÉ, Barbuda Visit the Art CafÊ for hand-painted silks and t-shirts by local artist Claire Frank.

You will also find local crafts, maps, cards and homemade refreshments.

5FM

t CBSCVEBGVM!HNBJM DPN based at Sugar Ridge Resort. It has been voted one of the top 10 art galleries in the Caribbean. Continue on into the southern rainforest to visit Fig Tree Art Gallery where artist Sally Harker creates intriguing sculptures and beautiful paintings. The gallery also sells original artwork by various Caribbean artists. As you leave island have your final shopping fix at Miranda Askie Designs in the departure lounge at V.C. Bird International Airport. You will fall in love with Miranda’s stunning handmade jewellery collection.

With such a wealth of local arts and crafts to choose from, why would you settle for any old souvenir or gift made in a far distant country? Support local artisans, craftspeople and producers. Buy local!

BARBUDA PINK SAND

by Saadia Christian Hand painted and decorated bottles of Barbudan pink sand. The perfect keepsake of your trip to Barbuda.

Available from Saadia’s store in the Craft Market and at the Art at the Ridge gallery at Sugar Ridge Resort.

ANTIGUAN BLACK FRUIT CAKE Denise Stamers Doherty produces traditional Caribbean rum cakes using her Antiguan family recipe. They make great gifts for your dinner hosts, loved ones and souvenirs for the traveller, or simply eaten all by yourself.

Available at major supermarkets and Island Gourmet Boutique.

TOP BUYS REDCLIFFE QUAY 1. SARAH FULLER’S POTTERY

1

One-of-a-kind driftwood hangings made with seashells, glazed pottery and found beach-combed items. Sarah creates a wide selection of beautifully designed pottery gift items for your home.

Tel: +1 (268) 462-3462. www.sarahfullerpottery.com

2. ZEMI ART GALLERY Wooden Lionfish sculpture from the art exhibition “When Jack Fish Turn Shark”, a show which raised awareness of the endangered coral reefs around Antigua & Barbuda. Art works created by Antiguan artist Stephen Murphy.

Tel: +1 (268) 562-7662. www.zemiartgallery.com

3. DESHAUN - Ladies Fashion Red & white striped summer dress. Locally designed and made by Adalia Joseph, the owner, buyer and in house designer of Deshaun ladieswear store. Adalia also specializes in bridal dresses, pageantry and evening gowns.

Tel: +1 (268) 460-5680 and 723-1496

3

2

4

4. FOOTNOTES - Shoes & Accessories

6

Handcrafted bag from natural fabrics and indigenous materials made locally by Amya Designs. Fun ladies fashion at affordable prices. Tel: +1 (268) 562-2237

5. SILVER CHELLES - Sterling Sliver Jewellery made with Seashells Red Nautilus Shell Jewellery. Handcrafted using the Nautilus shell - a wonder of nature with its perfectly proportioned spiral shape and a symbol for the inner beauty of nature, life and internal harmony. Many other styles of Silver Seashell jewellery are available in the boutique and online. Tel: +1 (268) 789-2662. www.silverchelles.com

7

6. C & C WINE BAR & RESTAURANT Cabernet Franc blend wine by Ridgeback Journey produced in Paarl, South Africa. For over ten years C & C Winehouse has been importing fine South African wines to Antigua. Tel: +1 (268) 460-7025

7. ZEITGEIST - 120% Lino Italian Linen Mens & Women’s wear and shoes Beautiful leather crafted men’s studded loafers by Swing Bath. Linen and silk combination ladieswear blouses.

Excellent collection of bright and pastel men’s and women’s linen clothing for all occasions.

Tel: +1 (268) 562-2259

5

SHOPPING, ARTS & CRAFTS I t al i an L i n e n M e n ’s & Wo m e n ’s Wear

ZEITGEIST 120% lino

Warm Weather Essentials

8 Redcliffe Street, Redcliffe Quay, St. John’s, Antigua 268 562 2259 or 268 723 1496 radicaldino@hotmail.com

WWW.MIRANDADESIGNS.COM

ACCESSORIZING THE POSITIVE

V.C. Bird Int’l. Airport, Departure Lounge, Antigua E: miranda_askie@hotmail.com 4 s #

Supporting and promoting LOCAL ART AND CRAFT Antiguan artists and craftspeople

ART AT THE RIDGE Art Gallery & Gift Shop

(268) 728 1558 | Email: artattheridge@hotmail.com www.facebook.com/ArtAtTheRidge

“ TOP TEN

voted by The Culture Trip

BEST ART GALLERIES IN THE CARIBBEAN “ “Best Shopping in Antigua� - Forbes Travel Guide

Duty Free Store

ART GALLERY AND GIFT SHOP

Voted

1#

shop

in the Caribbean

Wrap yourself

in lush

Jolly Harbour Commercial Centre, Jolly Harbour Marina, Antigua TEL: (268) 562-5851 | CELL: (268) 773-3544

tropical clothing!

EXOTIC ANTIGUA specializes in cool, colourful clothing and accessories for men and women that are perfect for tropical weather. We have what you need for any occasion and our friendly ladies will assist you in putting together the perfect outfit for your Antiguan day at the beach or evening out!

Redcliffe Quay Waterfront St. John’s, Antigua T: 268 562 1288 or 268 462 2972 exoticantigua@gmail.com

MEHALAH SPENCER & SHEM ALEXANDER YOUNG ANTIGUAN ARTISTS

Artistic expression is an intensely individualistic phenomenon. In young artists particularly, as they strive to develop their talents, it can lead down surprising paths to new or freshly perceived forms of finished art. During this formative period in their lives, young artists can benefit greatly from the guidance of mature mentors, and those that do are the lucky ones.

Mehalah Spencer and Shem Alexander are two young Antiguan artists who are among the lucky ones. Their emerging forms of artistic expression are worlds apart, but each has found a guide to advise and encourage their developing talents.

Mehalah Spencer has lived with artists all her life. Her mother is Sallie Harker, an internationally known artist whose unique sculptures are often constructed from found objects, and whose clients in Antigua include Eric Clapton and a number of residents at the Mill Reef Club and Jumby Bay. Sallie studied sculpture and fine arts in Gloucestershire, England, and sailed to Antigua in 1987, where she met Mehalah’s father Dassa, a man of the soil who farms and runs Footsteps Rainforest Hiking Tours, based on Fig Tree Drive 36

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

in the southern part of the island.

During Mehalah’s childhood, whenever she complained of boredom, her mother would say “go and paint a picture, then”.

Soon painting pictures became a habitual and enjoyable way to spend her time.

Mehalah was first introduced to the medium of her choice, printmaking, when a local artist visited her school to show his work and to demonstrate his tools and linocutting techniques. She was hooked.

One of Sallie’s old friends in England is James Dodds, a very successful artist and printmaker who studied at the Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London. As a young artist James was befriended by Sallie’s parents, who employed him on their boat, the Solvig, and had a positive influence on his young life.

James, in his turn, has now become Mehalah’s mentor.

Mehalah is currently building a body of work in printmaking, and spends time with James Dodds developing her delicately engraved lino prints depicting scenes from her childhood. She was born and grew up in Antigua, spending her summers at sailing

camps at the Antigua Yacht Club, where the only boats in the harbour at that time of year were traditional Caribbean boats such as Carriacou sloops. She grew to love the distinctive shape and beauty of the sloop. A keen sailor, she sailed around Antigua and to neighbouring islands seeing, exploring, and becoming ever more familiar with sailboats and the sea. These vivid formative experiences infuse her art. In her meticulously crafted linocuts Mehalah presents sloops being constructed on the beach at Carriacou, scenes remembered from sailing trips to Montserrat and other islands, and experiences she recalls of exploring Antigua’s coastal waters. She plans to develop a new series on Caribbean women during the summer of 2014.

Mehalah has a growing dedication to printmaking.

She enjoys the challenge of considering both the negative and positive space when developing the composition of her linocuts, and says “if you make a mistake and carve out the wrong bit there is no way of filling the lino back in.”

She plans to complete her A-levels in sciences, math and art, and hopes to take a gap year working on a boat. An independent young woman, she plans to go to university, paying her way with the income from the sale of her limited edition prints on display at the Fig Tree Art Gallery.

And while she misses her family and the sunshine and warmth of Antigua, her world now has a larger focus. She is a confident young artist whose work already shows the distinction that marks true talent.

Shem Alexander is a young artist whose tentative first steps into the art world began when he was a small boy, drawing comic book and animation characters to amuse himself and his friends. His artistic career began in earnest when he attended the Antigua State College, where he met the highly accomplished Antiguan artist Mark Brown, who was his art teacher there. With Mark Brown’s encouragement Shem entered the 2010 Wadadli Pen Competition and won first prize. He works in oils on canvas and on stone.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

37

Shem’s work was noted by the Art At The Ridge gallery at their 2nd Juried Art Show in 2011. In the same year he joined a class trip to New York organized by Mark Brown to visit museums and art galleries, and came back to Antigua with a broader perspective on the world he was about to enter. He received an honourable mention in the 2014 Wadadli Pen Competition, and had his first joint art exhibition with Lyle Evans, entitled “Antiguan Folklore and Supernatural Beings” hosted by Art At The Ridge gallery.

The content of his first exhibition was a natural one for Shem, who loves old horror movies, and gothic and dark occult films like The Twilight Zone. He paints from his daydreams and from his imagination, and his body of work for the 2014 exhibition explored the orally transmitted beliefs, myths, tales and practices that are an essential element of the Caribbean social tradition. He remembered old tales told by his parents and grandparents, and reinterpreted the sometimes scary characters into eerie other-worldly visions. He created his version of Jack-O’-Lantern, Obeah Woman, La Diablesse (female devil) and the Caribbean version of a vampire, Soukouyan.

The folk tale known as “Jack-O’-Lantern” in the Caribbean is found in many countries around the world. Jack traps the devil and frees him only after the devil promises not to rob him of his soul. Jack goes on to lead a sinful life, and when he dies he cannot go to heaven. He is left to wander the earth with a carved pumpkin lantern lit by an ember cast by the devil from hell. There is a similar English folk tale called “Will-O’-the-Wisp”, which in Ireland is called “Stingy Jack”. The Halloween carved pumpkin in North America is derived from a version of this tale. In Shem’s painted interpretation of Jack-O’-Lantern, Jack’s head is replaced by a light wandering in the rainforest.

In his Portrait of an Obeah Woman Shem depicts a woman with half her face in shadow. Obeah is derived from a West African tradition of sorcery that is usually intended to harm an individual, and is practiced in the shadows or behind closed doors.

38

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

The “obeah” theme continues with a painting entitled Remnants, in which Shem draws on the story of Cornelius Jarvis, who was convicted five times for practicing obeah between 1898 and 1908.

The painting shows a fragment of an old newspaper supposedly printed in 1905 showing Charles Dolly with several other inmates also convicted for practicing obeah in Antigua. A bottle stands beside the newspaper, in which Dolly’s spirit is trapped. Shem remembers his grandmother saying “if you find an empty bottle with a lid on it don’t open it. There might be a spirit trapped inside.”

The Soukouyan (Soucouyant) is the Caribbean version of a vampire. It has a human form by day, but at night it sheds its skin.

It has god-like powers, and feeds on the blood of humans. If you are unlucky enough to chance upon a Soukouyan skin you should pour pepper on it so that the creature cannot return to its skin. Shem’s Portrait of a Soukouyan depicts such a creature with blood on its mouth, having just finished feasting.

La Diablesse, or female devil, is a traditional Caribbean legend of a beautiful woman who has been disfigured by her evil dealings with the devil, and now has donkey legs and hooves. She wears a fabulous long dress to conceal her disfigurement, and she lures unknowing men to their doom.

Shem presented two versions of La Diablesse for the exhibition; a painting on canvas with the Diablesse wearing Marilyn Monroe’s famous white dress from “The Seven Year Itch”, and a painting on stone called Diablesse Waltz, in which an unwitting man dances with the Diablesse, until she carelessly steps on his foot.

In developing his portfolio for the 2014 exhibition Shem experimented with mixed media, combining rich coppery slivers of the bark of the turpentine tree with oil paints on canvas, and working directly on stone as well. A committed artist whose faith in himself is growing, he would like to pursue a graduate degree in fine arts at art school in New York. His current idol is El Anatsui of Ghana, who, Shem believes, is one of the most exciting contemporary visual artists painting today.

Shem Alexander’s first joint art exhibition with Lyle Evans, entitled “Antiguan Folklore and Supernatural Beings’ hosted by Art At The Ridge gallery.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

39

WWW.THEPINKMONGOOSE.COM

WWW.THEPINKMONGOOSE.COM

ONE OF A KIND

UNIQUE WEDDINGS

DECOR, HATS, BAGS, GIFTS, SHOES & ACCESSORIES

DECOR, HATS, BAGS, GIFTS, SHOES & ACCESSORIES

STORE OPEN: MONDAY TO SATURDAY 9:00 AM  5:00 PM

STORE OPEN: MONDAY TO SATURDAY 9:00 AM  5:00 PM

LONG STREET, ST. JOHN'S, ANU | 268. 462. 4045 | 268. 562. 4315 PINKMONGOOSEYAHOO.COM

LONG STREET, ST. JOHN'S, ANU | 268. 462. 4045 | 268. 562. 4315 PINKMONGOOSEYAHOO.COM

DESTINATION WEDDINGS

You Celebrate we’ll bring the food.

private chef and event catering for weddings, parties and private occasions.

Call Chef Albert on 268. 723. 7086 Email: amcj2000@hotmail.com Off the Sir George Walter Highway, St. John’s, Antigua

Quin

Farara CO. LTD.

Our full bar catering service takes the worry out of your private events.

From bar set-up to take-down, event cocktail design, wine consulting and glassware service.

“Turn your wedding limousine, chauffeur driven service, or car rental hire into an unforgettable travel experience with...”

C: (268) 772-4141 | T: (268) 562-1709 | C: (268) 774-3680 E: atslimousine@yahoo.com | www.atscarrental.com

(268) 462 3197 quinfarara@hotmail.com

Free delivery island-wide.

Village Walk, Friar’s Hill Road, St. John’s, Antigua.

WEDDINGS & EVENTS

“the Wedding is just the beginning... the Honeymoon starts here�

Feona of the Cat Club specializes in full service, custom-tailored weddings and events that are sure to be remembered.

The Catamaran Hotel is an open-air venue with spectacular views of Falmouth Harbour. From the beach to the breathtaking sunsets and crystal clear water, this venue is perched on the water’s edge providing the most stunning photographic opportunities for your special event.

The Catamaran Hotel 1 0 #PY 'BMNPVUI "OUJHVB 8FTU *OEJFT t www.catclubevents.com SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA UFM t DFMM t GBY t FNBJM JOGP!DBUDMVCFWFOUT DPN

43

PLAN THE

DESTINATION WEDDING OF A LIFETIME IN ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA At the centre of every beautiful wedding, however simple or elaborate the ceremony may be, there stands a couple making a commitment to share their lives with each other; to love and to cherish each other and to build a future together. Around this intimate moment in the lives of two people there has developed an imaginative and very creative industry – the Destination Wedding.

44

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

We Plan The Best Weddings The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada states that 24% of all weddings planned in North America are destination weddings, and here in Antigua and Barbuda about 1,500 couples apply annually for a special marriage licence, almost all of which are issued to visitors who have chosen Antigua or Barbuda as the ideal place to tie the knot. A number of resorts and hotels have wedding planners on staff, and independent wedding planners use picturesque beaches, stunning private villas, glamorous yachts or romantic historic sites to stage the perfect wedding.

Carefree and relaxed, we have the most unforgettable and unspoiled settings for every wedding imaginable. Melinda Fletcher from Jumby Bay Rosewood Resort enjoys sharing the opulence of the private island resort with her clients and she reflects that, “When two individuals define their deep love and commitment for one another on our private island it allows me to be a part of that intimate time where they are not only preparing to bare their souls, but also sharing in the special experience of the destination, which is priceless.� Independent

Photo: Beach Wedding at Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

45

46

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA Photo: Wedding at Blue Waters Resort & Spa © Ann Granger

Photo: Wedding Decor at Sheer Rocks Restaurant

Photo: Wedding at Blue Waters Resort & Spa © Ann Granger

Photo: Wedding Cake by Sweet Dreams. www.danzsweetdreams.com

events planner Tracy Guerrero shares Melinda’s sentiment that our islands are exactly what couples are looking for in a destination wedding. “What gives Antigua the edge, as an extremely special destination-wedding island, is the number of beautiful non-commercialized beaches, the unaggressive and can-do attitude of the locals and the chilled-out island vibe.”

The charm of a destination wedding is that the couple at the centre of the event have only one critical decision to make on their own; where they want to be married. Once Antigua or Barbuda is their choice, an experienced wedding planner can guide them through all the other decisions that follow. She will handle coordinating the location, the type of ceremony and celebration the couple would like to have, the number of people in the wedding party, and the number of offisland guests to be accommodated, to the special marriage licence requirements; nothing will be forgotten. The planner will present recommendations for location, plans for the ceremony, choice of photographer, menus, wine selections, the cake, flowers, all the details that go into the making of a memorable event. And she will also present a budget, and contractual commitments from suppliers. This is romance with most of the pre-wedding stress removed. That’s why 75% of couples who have had a destination wedding say planning is much easier and far less stressful than planning a traditional wedding.

Current trends for Destination Weddings include the frequent choice of warm tropical locales, and celebratory events planned over a 4 or 5 day period. The number of guests invited may be smaller than for a traditional wedding, but couples want to create memories they can share with their guests forever. Beyond the wedding day, planned events often include sightseeing trips, golf and spa days, and pre- and post-wedding celebrations in addition to the rehearsal dinner and wedding after-party. Couples will often pay for these special events for their guests, even limiting the number of those invited in order to do so.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

47

Tailor-made the Independent Way

Photo: Wedding at Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort.

Tracy Guerrero of Indigo Events says, “At Indigo, we work closely with each couple to ensure we create a day as near to perfect as possible, whether it is toes in the sand, a highend or a traditional church wedding, no request is too strange, or too much trouble. Just because you think outside the box doesn’t mean it will be expensive. There are no boundaries to creativity.” Indigo can and has organized weddings, parties and other events aboard yachts, in private villas, in a beautifully restored Georgian building in one of Antigua’s National Parks, under flower-decked gazebos on deserted beaches at sunset, or high on a cliff looking out to sea.

Tracy coordinates all the arrangements – venue, flowers, cake, reception, transport, entertainment, décor etc and the couple can be as involved as they would like to be, confident she’ll be there, albeit in the background, from start to finish on the day. At one wedding organized by Indigo, the groom became the star of the show, arriving at the ceremony ‘James Bond style’ on a power boat with sea legs which pulled right up onto the beach for the most dramatic entrance ever of a groom to his wedding.

Indigo will also arrange cruise ship weddings, where the wedding couple come ashore for just a few hours, and must be back on their ship in time to sail at the end of the day.

For a chic wedding set in an enchanting location bursting with wow factors, the spectacularly perched Sheer Rocks Restaurant is the venue that will have your guests reminiscing long after the wedding celebration is over. Set within the elegant grounds of Cocobay Resort, the restaurant is accessed via a “secret” wooden walkway, leading to one of the most jaw-dropping dining spots in Antigua. Hugging the cliff edge of an awe-inspiring peninsula Sheer Rocks looks out over 48

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

the Caribbean Sea with the islands of St Kitts, Nevis, and Redonda visible on the horizon. Oversized daybeds, a sexy plunge pool and private Bali-esque dining pavilions add to the lavish backdrop where Alex and Kate Grimley - the chef and wedding planner, offer a personalized wedding service for your most intimate occasion. Your hosts will help create a sophisticated destination nuptial, assisting with everything from your ceremony and reception to arranging an exquisite menu, signature cocktails, décor, hand-painted signage, photo booths, flowers, fireworks and music. Nothing is left to chance.

Plan an All-Inclusive Experience While some hotels and resorts will work with an independent planner for a one-of-a-kind wedding, several, like Cocos Hotel, Blue Waters Hotel, and Sugar Ridge Resort offer all-inclusive wedding packages with a multitude of add-on options planned and coordinated by an on-staff wedding coordinator.

Deeandra Davis of Cocos believes that Cocos’ boutique atmosphere and friendly staff are very appealing to couples seeking the right place for their special day. Cocos Elite Wedding Package includes her services and those of the marriage officer, registration fees, some onisland transportation, flowers for the bride and a boutonniere for the groom, a pampering manicure for the bride, the wedding cake and champagne for the cake-cutting ceremony and a private champagne dinner for the newly married couple.

You arrive, you get married in a hassle-free and romantic ceremony, and you leave with lasting memories of a special time in your lives.

At Blue Waters Hotel, Certified Wedding Planner Mandie Joseph-Braithwaite sorts weddings into Classic and Sophisticated, Romantic and Dreamy, Quirky and Playful, or

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA 49

Photo: Beach Wedding at Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort.

Photo: Wedding at Blue Waters Resort & Spa Š Ann Granger

Photo: Wedding at Carmichael’s, Sugar Ridge Resort

Carmichaels’ Wedding Pavilion at Sugar Ridge resort is a flawless venue perched high on a hill with spectacular views over the island and far out to sea, perfect for great photos and videos of the big day.

50

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

whatever the happy couple want theirs to be. Mandie deals first with the legal requirements for visitors getting married in Antigua, so that there are no last minute hitches on the big day. Then she presents the choice of the wedding gazebo or the beach for the ceremony, and discusses with them the type of ceremony they would like to have. The couple choose the design of the cake, and champagne is served at the cake cutting ceremony. The wedding reception can be held on the beach or the pool deck with a Caribbean BBQ, or it can be an elegant plated menu in The Cove Restaurant. One recent wedding featured white doves released on the beach, and a fleet of Chinese sky lanterns setting sail at dusk to float out over the Caribbean Sea. With more and more brides turning to the Caribbean as the ideal spot to be wed, the resorts in the area have become expert at arranging weddings. Carmichaels’ Wedding Pavilion at Sugar Ridge resort is a flawless venue perched high on a hill with spectacular views over the island and far out to sea, perfect for great photos and videos of the big day. The wedding advisor at Sugar Ridge will ensure that all the arrangements for that special day run smoothly, and the bride is treated to an in-house Aveda makeup session by a professional Aveda makeup artist. The hotel has a range of wedding and honeymoon packages to meet the wedding party’s particular requirements and these arrangements, together with the superb Sugar Ridge location, will ensure that your special day will be truly memorable.

Sophisticated Private Island The ultimate private island wedding can be yours at Jumby Bay Resort. The resort’s dedicated team of wedding specialists are the key to creating a one-of-a-kind lifetime event with all details impeccably executed. Melinda Fletcher emphasizes the romance of a destination wedding with her title; she is a Romance Coordinator at Jumby Bay. Melinda says it is her job to enhance the special significance of the day SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

51

52

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA Photo: Indigo Events Church Wedding © byziaphotography

Photo: Indigo Events & Caribbean Helicopter’s, Barbuda Wedding

Photo: Wedding Dow’s Hill, National Park

You can even arrive via helicopter in Barbuda for another unforgettable experience.

Photo: Cat Club Weddings & Events

Barefoot Island Bride

Photo: Feona Bailey, Cat Club Weddings & Events

“from the moment the bride and groom set foot on to our island dock”, ensuring that all the arrangements she has made will exceed the couple’s expectations. She responds to all requests for assistance, and has searched out “something borrowed and something blue” for the bride, helped guests to find the perfect wedding gift, and stood proxy for mother, sister or friend of the bride. Weddings at Jumby Bay are family affairs, and Melinda becomes part of each family, every time. “My life has been truly touched by some of the weddings I have hosted, and people I have met, and it is that bond that has left these new members of our “family” with the certainty that they will always be welcome at Jumby Bay.” Melinda feels this is one of the greatest rewards of her job as Romance Coordinator.

The other romantic island to consider for your destination wedding is Barbuda. Travel between the two islands is easily arranged. You can even arrive via helicopter for another unforgettable experience. Barbuda’s miles of deserted pink sand beaches offer a unique beach wedding experience that is unrivalled anywhere else on earth.

The serene ambiance of Lighthouse Bay Resort is ideal for a romantic celebration. Luxurious beachfront suites and personal attention are customary at this naturally beautiful resort. Or choose the intimacy of a private villa and stay at the 4-bedroom Barbuda Cottages on Coral Group Bay. Footsteps from the calm Caribbean sea and next door to Uncle Roddy’s Beach Bar and Restaurant – you and your intimate wedding party can be wined and dined

under the star-filled skies of Barbuda. An independent event planner can make all the additional arrangements for your big day, and leave you rested and ready to say “I do”.

The Professional View Wedding planning is a growing professional business. The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada offers certification courses for destination wedding planners and travel agents, and is registered as an institute of higher learning in Canada. The institute held a workshop in Antigua in July, 2014 sponsored and hosted by the Antigua & Barbuda Hotel & Tourist Association, with additional course work and examinations assigned to the participants after the workshop ended.

In the words of Feona Bailey from Cat Club weddings and events and owner of the Catamaran Hotel: “After completing this course, I realized I was behaving like a hobbyist. I had not understood the true potential of the business of wedding planning. Now I have the knowledge and a certified accreditation under my belt I know how to plan the expansion of my business.” Feona has been a creative and dedicated wedding planner for over 10 years, and she removes the anxiety of the unknown when planning your destination wedding at the Cat Club.

That’s the professional view. From the point of view of the couples who want just the right romantic send off into their new life together, tying the knot in Antigua may be one of the best decisions they make together in their married life.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

53

DESTINATION WEDDINGS WEDDINGS EVENTS & DESTINATION MANAGEMENT SERVICES

+1 (268) 726-5098 info@indigoeventservices.com

Located exclusively on the beautiful twin islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Indigo aim to take away the stress and confusion of planning a destination wedding.

Hair & Beauty Unisex Salon

#1 Jolly Harbour Commercial Centre, Antigua

E: shasadehairandbeauty@gmail.com

MONDAY-SATURDAY 9:30AM-6:00PM We offer a callout service for massages, beauty treatments & hairdressing to hotel rooms or villa residences.

FB: shasadehairandbeauty.com T: (268) 562-3378

Quin Farara & Co. Ltd. Tel: (268) 462 3197

Promotional & Custom Yacht Films

Regatta & Event Filming

Stock Footage

Still Photography

“Curtain Bluff ranked no.1 resort in Antigua and one of the world’s best hotels” Travel + Leisure magazine, 2013

SETTING THE STANDARDS laid-back luxury for an all-inclusive price

C U R T A I N

B L U F F

Antigua . West Indies

Consistently ranked among the finest resorts in the world.

T: (888) 289 9898 Toll Free | T: (268) 462 8400 | E: curtainbluff@curtainbluff.com | www.curtainbluff.com

SPA TREATMENTS BEING PAMPERED CARIBBEAN STYLE

By Cathia Christopher Doctor of Naturopathy (ND) and Licensed Massage Therapist Wellness has been defined as a deliberate lifestyle choice for the enhancement of your wellbeing. Make that choice, and indulge in a wellness retreat while in the Caribbean, especially after sampling some of our irresistible food. The aromas of our local dishes and the variety of our culinary offerings will entice you, appealing to your taste buds, and one morning you wake up to find you’ve added a few friendly pounds to your weight. Not to worry, our resort Spas and centres in Antigua will pamper you and recover your serenity while you work on those pounds. Choose from a variety of luxurious spa treatments, work out with the best gym equipment, and let the natural wonders of our tropical breeze and therapeutic sea turn your perfect Caribbean vacation into a euphoric get-away.

An Aromatherapy Massage offers the ultimate relaxation experience. A deeply soothing massage done with oils such as lavender blended with lemongrass, or fevergrass as we know it locally, this massage will melt away your stress and promote that restful feeling you’ve been longing for while on your vacation. The hassle of travelling and the resulting jet-lag will disappear with a Deep Tissue Massage, which removes tension and aches and rejuvenates the whole body. And if your feet need extra tension relief, indulge in theraputic foot Reflexology, a holistic treatment similar to massage therapy that promotes general relaxation, soothes tired feet and reconnects your body, mind and spirit.

The range of Spa treatments varies, from our Wellness Clinics in central St. John’s to beachfront luxurious Spas at our hotels and 58

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

resorts, but there is something for everyone. For modest individuals who prefer to remain fully clothed, try a Reiki treatment which promotes natural healing through universal energy. For the person whose vacation goal is a beautifully tanned face and body a Facial may be essential to rehydrate the skin and preserve that youthful, glowing complexion.

It comes as no surprise that men as well as women like to indulge in a bit of pampering while on vacation. Men’s facials, Pedicures and Deep tissue Massages are the popular choices for the male traveller. A Honeymoon Package is the perfect way to fully relax and rejuvenate before or after your wedding. Some of these packages include a calming Hot Stone Massage designed to relieve tension in the body and promote relaxation. Other options include soothing Body Wraps designed for hydration and skin renewal after too many hours in the sun, or a Detoxifying Body Wrap to release toxins and promote weight loss. The entire wedding party can enjoy feeling pampered before the wedding, with treatments for hair, body and nails. Many Spas offer steam rooms and saunas which further relax the body and maximize the benefits of massage treatments. And if you prefer to experience the privacy of a Spa service in the comfort of your villa, hotel room or on a deserted beach, professionally trained mobile therapists will bring this luxurious experience to you. No problem man! So enhance your Caribbean experience by staying in shape with more rejuvenation and deep relaxation while savouring all the delights of a tropical vacation here in Antigua, our little bit of Paradise.

The range of spa treatments varies, from our wellness clinics in central St. John’s to beachfront luxurious spas at our hotels and resorts, but there is something for everyone.

Photo: © Curtain Bluff Resort Spa. www.curtainbluff.com

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

59

WELLNESS & NATURE What makes a great spa? Walk down the winding path past the lily pond & you’ll soon find out. When you walk back along that path an hour or two later, something inside you has changed.

The Aveda destination spa is dedicated to nurturing guests with rituals influenced by ancient Ayurvedic philosophy.

60

Curtain Bluff Spa

Aveda Spa Sugar Ridge Hotel

Curtain Bluff Resort, Old Road, St. Mary’s, Antigua T: (268) 462 8400 | E: curtainbluff@curtainbluff.com www.curtainbluff.com

Tottenham Park, Nr. Jolly Harbour Marina, St. Mary’s, Antigua T: (268) 562 7070 | E: hotel@sugarridgeantigua.com www.sugarridgeantigua.com

Rejuvenate your mind, body & soul with signature spa treatments. Choose from a range of Facial Treatments including specialist treatments for teenagers, soothing Body Therapies and Massage Treatments, or why not spend quality time in the lap of luxury with a reviving Spa Package.

The full-treatment Aveda Concept Spa opens daily, consisting of 4 Treatment Rooms, with 1 for couples, Hair Salon, Manicure & Pedicure stations. There is a Fitness Center with Cybex equipment and a Yoga, Pilates Studio.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

WELCOME TO

THE SPA

AT BLUE WATERS Simply 360... going full circle for our guests...

www.bluewaters.net

The Elemis Signature Spa at Blue Waters has created and perfected a range of revolutionary treatments which instantly firm, rejuvenate and moisturize the skin. Treat your mind, body and soul to our pampering spa offerings in an ambiance that evokes tranquility and wellness.

The Spa Team would like to welcome you and look forward to sharing our beauty secrets.

To make your reservation or for more information please contact us.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

61

TAKE A PATH LESS TRODDEN HIKING IN ANTIGUA Five of the best and most experienced formal hiking groups are the 5 AM Hikers, Antigua Hash House Harriers, Dadli Hikers, Insane Boot Camp, and pay to go Footsteps Rainforest Hiking Tours. There are also several informal groups and many of the frequently used trails are well signposted and maintained, making them easy to navigate without the aid of a guide. The Royal Navy Tot Club of Antigua & Barbuda maintains several trails in English Harbour.

The 5 AM Hikers group was started in 2009 by a group of 10 friends. They hike every Saturday from 5am to 8am, covering roughly 3 to 4 miles of open country. They have hiked to Rendezvous Beach, Claremont, Pinching Bay, Seaforth, Hermitage, Soldier Point, Guiana Island, Boggy Peak (Mt. Obama), Sugar Loaf, Cades Bay and Christian Valley among other locations. They have had as many as 120 happy hikers on more popular trips, and average 70 people each week on their outings. Hike destinations are chosen by committee, and the only criterion is that the ultimate destination at sunrise should bring a heartfelt “WOW” from the crowd.

The Antigua Hash House Harriers belongs to an international movement started in Malaysia by British expatriates. The Antigua group was organized in 1991. They hike every other Saturday afternoon, rain or shine, starting at 5pm. By tradition, the trail is marked ahead of time by “hares”, using biodegradable material, and the “hounds” or hikers can choose to walk, run, or jog, with a leading “hare” to encourage each group. The starting signal is two blasts on a hunting horn, and the trekkers set off on their roughly 2 hour ramble. The Hash are a social group, and at the end of each hike there is a friendly get together with coolers of beer and wine and a bring-your-own BBQ. 62

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

The Dadli Hikers are a group with health benefits on their minds.

They were organized in 2009 and there are now 60 to 70 members who pay annual dues of $30. They hike every Sunday morning, and the trail is chosen by the members, usually at the end of each hike for the following Sunday. There are some serious runners in this group, who run to the starting point of the hike from Central Marketing Board downtown, starting sometimes as early as 3.30 am. Their goal is healthful exercise and appreciation of the natural countryside. They sometimes plan unusually long hikes, and in December, 2013 they held the first Dadli Hikers Coast to Coast from Hawksbill to Half Moon Bay. Insane Boot Camp (IBC) is a group with genuine altruistic goals.

They were established in 2012 and their creed is “we fear no challenge”.

They are prepared to walk for charity and for their community. In 2012 they were challenged by the Antigua Barbuda Amateur Cycling Association to join them in a ride for charity from Sandals Grande to Long Bay, a distance of 20 miles. IBC turned the challenge into a hike for their members and completing the distance in record time. They are dedicated to physical fitness and to maximizing the potential of the human body, harnessing the willing from a young age with a Kiddies Boot Camp. They work in partnership with fitness groups, non-profit organizations and business groups in support of their fitness initiatives.

Footsteps Rainforest Hiking Tours is a well organized commercial tour operation designed and run by Dassa, an Antiguan who lives in the rainforest in the south of the island along Fig Tree Drive. Dassa grew up in the rainforest and the flora, fauna and history of this region of the island are part of his life. He offers hikes through the rainforest.

One traverses to the top of Signal Hill, where there is a 360 degree

Hiking for some people is the ultimate form of exercise, although it may not be the first activity that springs to mind when you think of the Caribbean. Rugged tropical landscapes, craggy cliff sides, lush rainforest ravines and panoramic seascape views are some of the invigorating rewards to be had while trekking in Antigua. The range of choice for this activity is surprisingly wide, with trails to suit all levels of fitness.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

63

vantage point over the island and out to sea. Dassa leads regular tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 9 am, and by appointment on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The rates are US$45 for adults, and $25 for children up to age 16.

Desmond’s Trail & Carpenter Trail -FWFM &BTZ t %VSBUJPO IST &MFWBUJPO NFUFST Desmond’s Trail was built by Desmond Nicholson and is maintained by the Royal Navy Tot Club of Antigua and Barbuda. The ramble starts, like many trails to Shirley Heights, at sea level on Galleon Beach. It is an easy loop trail that even non-hikers will enjoy.

Desmond’s Trail starts on the main road 100 meters before Galleon Beach by Freeman’s Bay. The start of the trail is marked with a wooden sign and a nice, well-defined path takes you up a gradual incline towards Shirley Heights. The upward climb will get your heart pumping and takes at most half an hour.

At the top the trail opens out to a grassy bank, and a lane to the right takes you up to Shirley Heights Lookout. To reach Carpenter’s Rock Trail and the decent to Galleon Beach start walking slowly away from Shirley Heights. On the right hand side across the grass towards the cliffs you will see a rock outcrop and a narrow trail meandering down the slope. The trail hugs the cliff edge with a steep descent down towards the rough Atlantic swells. The ocean breezes are cool and stunning cliff views towards Indian Creek offer glimpses of untamed beauty.

At the bottom of the slope the trail turns back along the coastline leading to Galleon Beach. On the way you’ll pass shimmering rock pools. Keep to the seaside trail, which is well defined with white paint to mark the route, and you’ll soon arrive at Fort Charlotte – guarding the eastern entrance to English Harbour. Nowadays this is the vantage point where the regatta flags are hoisted, and where a cannon is fired to signal the start of yacht races. Continue down the old stone steps to a wide access road which takes you to the calm Galleon Beach shoreline. It’s time to stop for your reward, a cooling swim and some well deserved refreshments from the beach bar.

64

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

WELLNESS & NATURE

The Inn Spa The Inn at English Harbour Hotel, Freeman’s Bay, Antigua T: (268) 460 1014 | E: theinn@candw.ag www.theinnantigua.com The Inn Spa areas transition through an impeccable minimalist Asian/Caribbean theme offering you a serene sense of elegance throughout. The in-sync treatments award you a relaxing sensory experience; with a list that includes Swedish full-body & Indian head massages, Reflexology, Body exfoliation & wraps and extensive beauty treatments at the full-service salon.

Re-energize your soul and body at The Inn Spa with a range of pampering treatments.

THE BEACH IS JUST THE BEGINNING...

Two Foot Bay Beach, Barbuda A favourite beach for camping, due to the Atlantic trade winds it is also mosquito free.

Jabberwock Beach, Antigua Antigua’s idyllic kite surfing and windsurfing beach where world-class action can be seen on windy days.

Deep Bay, Antigua Impressive anchorage site, in a calm, sheltered bay that is great for swimming, wreck snorkelling and hiking to Fort Barrington.

Long Bay, Antigua Sundays were made for Long Bay’s shallow family oriented beach.

Prickly Pear Island Beach, Antigua Uninhabited offshore island, for over 30 years it has been home to Miguel’s Holiday Adventure tour.

Half Moon Bay, Antigua Antigua’s famous Atlantic coast bay, fun for boogie boards and wave-lovers.

Visit the natural mud bath over the rocks, at the north end of the beach.

Valley Church Beach, Antigua Stunning white sand beach with spectacular turquoise waters.

Pretty sea grape trees provide welcome shade.

Coral Group Bay, Barbuda Palmetto Point Beach, Barbuda Seemingly endless miles of deserted beach, famous for it’s shocking pink sand.

Calm, shallow, reef-protected beach that is popular on Sundays, and home to Uncle Roddy’s Beach Bar.

TROPICAL ADVENTURES

Land and Sea

G O L D

EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME! THE CARIBBEAN

Land tours

A NT I G UA

www.tropicalad.com Lower Redcliffe Street, St. John’s, Antigua | Office phone: +1 (268) 480-1225 | tropad@candw.ag

%PVCMF UIF GVO o FOKPZ UXP UPVST JO POF QBDLBHF XJUI PVS -BOE 4FB 5PVST

'VO BEWFOUVSF BOE FYQMPSBUJPO XJUI Y PGG SPBE -BOE 5PVS BEWFOUVSFT GPS UIF FOUJSF GBNJMZ

3JEF UIF XBWFT XJUI PGG TIPSF DPBTUBM BEWFOUVSFT PO PVS 4FB 5PVST

t 4BGBSJ 4UJOHSBZ 'BOUBTZ t -BOE 4FB 5PVS

tĹ­ &DP ,BZBL t Y %JTDPWFSZ t *TMBOE 4BGBSJ "EWFOUVSF t 4BGBSJ )BMG .PPO #BZ

t &YDFMMFODF $JSDVNOBWJHBUJPO #BSCVEB 5PVST t .ZTUJD $BEFT #BZ t .ZTUJD #JSE *TMBOE t $IBNQBHOF -PCTUFS -VODI

Sea tours

Tropical Adventures offers tours that are fun and exciting for families of all ages. Enjoy our range of sightseeing tours of Antigua & Barbuda. Experience a Caribbean lunch on our amazing beaches, try our land-based Island Safari jeep tours, or eco-kayak through the mangroves, explore underwater life snorkeling our reefs, visit secluded island beaches, take a day sail on the Mystic Catamaran with a guided side trip to swim with stingrays.

Alternatively, circumnavigate Antigua or cruise to beautiful Barbuda aboard the Excellence Catamaran. We welcome group and party bookings for private events.

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK FUN, AFFORDABLE TOURS Footsteps Rainforest Hiking Tours are an affordable and exhilarating way to explore the green scenery of Antigua. www.hikingantigua.com If you find yourself looking for tours which give you a different perspective on island life, then why not try these suggestions.

The Antigua Candle Factory tour in Jolly Harbour is a new journey of discovery where you can watch local artisans crafting Mr SHOOZ citronella and the Mrs SHOOZ fragranced candles. The factory manufactures around 1,000 candles a day using biodegradable soy wax, and they recycle their containers too. Watch the process as you listen to the history of candle making. Mr SHOOZ is an anti-mosquito candle, whilst Mrs SHOOZ candles make the ideal take home gift, a handy memento, beautifully decorated and packaged using fragrances which are reminiscent of your visit to Antigua.

70

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

Take an adventurous guided off-road tour with Freestyle ATV tours along old cane roads, dirt tracks and through vast farmlands while experiencing Antigua’s history. The tours lead to picturesque views of English and Falmouth harbours offering excellent photo moments and a chance to visit restored sugar mills and old sugar cane estates.

The entire family will love pretending to be Robinson Crusoe as you are swept away to your own uninhabited island for the day. Luckily on Prickly Pear Island you won’t have to seek food, drinks or shelter for yourself, as the staff of Miguel’s Holiday Adventure will take care of all your needs. Explore the island, snorkel the reef and relax for a fun filled day as a vacationing castaway.

Freestyle ATV Tours the ultimate fun-for-all off-road riding experience.

XXX GBDFCPPL DPN 'SFFTUZMFUPVST t

The Antigua Candle Factory is a cool candle making cottage-industry tour, great for gifts. www.facebook.com/Shoozantigua

Miguel’s Holiday Adventure - spend a laid back day exploring Prickly Pear Island with Miguel and his family. www.pricklypearisland.com

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

71

Scenic Island

Tours

By Locals

Choose your own itinerary, see the island at your own pace, visit historic sites and enjoy a very informative, funny and relaxing driving tour of our beautiful island.

CARL WARNER Licensed Taxi Driver +1 (268) 786 2079 and 732 5661 carl@antiguapremiertours.com antiguapremiertours@gmail.com www.antiguapremiertours.com

ANTIGUA V.I.P. TOURS Sean Weathered - Tour Guide T: (268) 728 7911 or 724 2129 E: antiguaviptours@gmail.com Read his reviews on TripAdvisor

Take a private tour with a knowledgeable local person as your tour guide! A road trip is a fun way to explore our islands and meet our people.

EMELDA FRANK Licensed Taxi Driver & Tour Guide +1 (268) 786 2079 and 732 5661. E: Emelda_frank@hotmail.com www.toursbylocals.com/StJohnsAntiguaTours

A catamaran tour that showcases the best of Antigua’s culture and local heritage like you have never experienced before.

Treasure Island Cruises Five Islands, St. John’s T: (268) 461-8675 | E: tours@treasureislandcruises.ag www.treasureislandcruises.ag All full-day tours include: Sailing, Snorkelling, Swimming, Buffet Lunch, Snacks, Open Bar and a wonderful crew! You can choose to circumnavigate the island, visit Cades Reef or enjoy lobster at Bird Island. It’s guaranteed to exceed your expectations. Established for over 16 years, locally owned with excellent experience.

FOR THE ADVENTUROUS

OFF ROAD GUIDED ATV TOURS

EXPERIENCE AN ADVENTURE ...LIKE NO OTHER. EXPLORING ANTIGUA ON DIRT TRAILS AND OLD CANE ROADS. ATV tours are an exhilarating, fun-for-all riding experience. From either a one or two seater ATV you will enjoy the natural beauty of Antigua’s interior as you hit the tracks.

Customized tours available. No experience necessary. Valid driver’s licence required to ride.

Book today. Reservations can be made through your Tour Desk, or contact us on (268) 726-3572 or visit at

www.freestyleantigua.com

Photo: © Tony Fincham. www.dockyard-divers.com

IT’S ALL AN ADVENTURE TOURS FOR THRILL SEEKERS AND ACTIVE FAMILIES

If you haven’t yet got hooked, then do it with Dockyard Divers. Diving is one of the greatest pleasures in life. www.dockyard-divers.com Out on the open waters, with just the scream of a tightly stretched line when a game fish strikes is a pulse racing experience! Mysric Amara II deep sea and bottom fishing charters put you in pursuit of big game fish. Captain Leroy has more than 20 years experience in these waters.

Beginners, families, as well as experienced anglers are welcome.

Serving the Caribbean for over 18 years, with an exemplary safety record, Caribbean Helicopters tours offer a variety of truly amazing panoramic adventures, priceless memories and photographic opportunities, all from a bird’s eye view. Their Barbuda tour offers an exhilarating 20 minute Caribbean sea crossing to our mind-blowingly stunning sister island.

74

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

Picture this… fully stocked wicker basket hampers, a champagne welcome and a bespoke service that all come as standard aboard Life’s-a-Picnic. Treat a loved one, friends or family to a gastronomic picnic experience at sea. Tour our beautiful coastlines at your own pace, escape to the solitude of a deserted island beach, enjoy lunch moored amidst breathtaking scenery. You write the itinerary for an exceptional day out, we just add the magic.

D-Boat has it all, on the ocean. The fun begins the moment you transfer from the docks to D-Boat. Dramatic views, fun entertainment, an exciting inflatable water park, great food, amazing drinks and best of all an experience you have never felt or seen before.

With Mystic Amara II catch the experience of a lifetime on the open waters. XXX mTIJOHBOUJHVB DPN t

PS

Caribbean Helicopters give you the most memorable tours in the Caribbean. www.caribbeanhelicopters.com

Life’s-a-Picnic - Champagne Power Yacht Charters are designed to give you goumet island tours at sea. www.lifesapicnic-antigua.com

D-Boat is a unique, fun attraction for the entire family. Spend the day aboard this restored 1974 oil tanker. www.dboatantigua.com

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

75

MYSTIC AMARA II Come fishing with Captain Leroy

DEEP SEA

& BOTTOM FISHING C H A R T E R S

We reel in Tuna, Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, King Fish, Marlin and Baracuda.

All tackle, bait and drinks included.

Entertaining visitors from around the globe for almost 4 decades.

Spend time exploring the uninhabited island and chilling out.

Miguel’s Holiday Adventure Family Orientated Excursion to Prickly Pear Island Entrance to Hodge’s Bay Club, Hodge’s Bay, St. John’s T: (268) 723 7418 or 460 9978 | E: miguels_ha@hotmail.com www.pricklypearisland.com Fun, daytrip to Prickly Pear Island a short 5-minute boat ride. All-inclusive West Indian buffet lunch with open-bar, snorkelling and sunbeds. Departing Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday mornings. Available to hire for private events.

For Reservations Call: (268) 464 7112 or 779 7503

76 SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA info@fishingantigua.com | www.fishingantigua.com

TOURS AND ATTRACTIONS

Coastlines peppered with magnificent bays, and tastes that are truly representative of the finest Antiguan food and drink.

Life’s-a-Picnic Champagne Power Yacht Charters with Gourmet Picnics North Finger, Jolly Harbour Marina St. Mary’s, Antigua & Barbuda T: (268) 725 4663 | E: info@foodanddrink-caribbean.com www.lifesapicnic-antigua.com

Full or Half-day charters, Waterfront restaurant and Bespoke packages available. Pick-up service islandwide.

“Life’s-a-Picnic private power yacht charters are designed to give you exceptional island tours in Antigua & Barbuda.”

The most memorable moments in life are often spent in good company with excellent food and drink. Fortunately, in Antigua & Barbuda we can provide the perfect recipe for these precious times… a Life’s-a-Picnic Power Yacht Day

Charter. Fully stocked wicker basket hampers, a champagne welcome and a bespoke service are standard aboard this exclusive island tour. Treat a loved one, friends or family to a unique picnic experience that will never be forgotten.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

77

STINGRAY CITy The

www.stingraycityantigua.com

Brightest Rays in the Caribbean

stingray@candw.ag

Stingray City (Antigua) Ltd. Seaton’s Village, St. John’s, Antigua

Stingray City Antigua

Your Stingray City Antigua Snorkel Adventure will be the highlight of your vacation, and an experience that will live with you forever. Our very friendly and gentle Southern Rays are without doubt, “The Brightest Rays in the Caribbean”. Come and enjoy with us this unique experience of touching and feeding a Stingray, together with snorkeling amongst magnificent coral reefs and colourful tropical fish.

Office: 268 562 7297 | Fax: 268 562 7806

Experience a once in a lifetime helicopter experience...

Select one of our exciting Island Tours or Custom Charters and leave gravity behind you as you gently soar over Montserrat’s volcano, historic harbours, translucent waters, turquoise reefs and uninhabited offshore islands.

PERSPECTIVE "/5*(6"

45 ,*554

13*7"5& 1-"/& $)"35&34 "7"*-"#-&

.0/54&33"5

BARBUDA

#"3#6%" $)"35&34 t .0/54&33"5 70-$"/0 5063 t "/5*(6" 50634 t 45 ,*554 50634 t $6450. $)"35&34

caribbeanhelicopters

Images courtesy: © Jody Sallons-Day

S H EL L BEACH M ARIN A

Custom-built, twin engine, 40ft. speedboat which offers shelter from the sun and bathroom facilities. Fully insured and licensed.

A N T I G U A’ S N E W E S T A T T R A C T I O N 1 9 7 4 R E F U R B I S H E D O I L TA N K E R WAT E R A M U S E M E N T PA R K , S N O R K E L L I N G , B A R & R E S TA U R A N T D B O ATA N T I G U A

FREE WIFI

RESERVATIONS 1 . 2 6 8 . 7 3 4 . 2 6 2 8 I N F O @ D B O ATA N T I G U A . C O M 80 w

wSIMPLY w . ANTIGUA D B BARBUDA OATA NT IG UA. com

Creole Cruises Lobster Lunch Cruise Jolly Harbour Marina, St. Mary’s T: (268) 784 9654 | E: creolecruises@candw.ag www.creolecruisesantigua.com Step aboard Creole Cruises and experience the most memorable day of your vacation with Captain Glen and his friendly crew. Enjoy mouthwatering freshly grilled Lobster (Chicken or Fish) served on a secluded Island, and discover Antigua’s magical underwater world while snorkelling.

Sail F

wadadlicats.com | wadadlicats@candw.ag | 268.462.4792

as t

, L ive

ow... l S

circumnavigation | cades reef | bird island

Choose from 3 cruises...

CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF ANTIGUA

BIRD ISLAND CRUISE

CADES REEF CRUISE

Private day and sunset cruises can also be arranged for anniversaries, birthdays, weddings and corporate events.

There’s no better boat than the ‘Spirit of Antigua’ for this 60-mile trip. Your day includes exciting open ocean sailing along the north coast, as well as snorkelling and lunch at Green Island.

In the afternoon you take a leisurely sail past English Harbour before returning to your departure point.

Cruise along the calm Leeward coast past Pelican Island to Antigua’s most impressive barrier reef. Anchor in shallow waters at this snorkellers’ paradise stretching for an amazing two miles.

Sail the tranquil waters of the north-east coast to Bird Island, one of Antigua’s most famous National Parks. Enjoy a tour of the island and a mouth-watering lunch before swimming in the calm protected bay. This cruise is a particularly good choice for children and beginner snorkellers.

25 years of sailing fast and living slow!

Photo: © Roddy Grimes-Graeme. www.acquafilms.com

GET WET WITH OFFSHORE EXCURSIONS LET THE CARIBBEAN SEA BE YOUR PLAYGROUND

Your Stingray City Antigua & Snorkel Adventure will be the highlight of your vacation. www.stingraycityantigua.com A short speedboat ride will whisk you to a shallow sea pool where you can safely stand and be at one with nature touching and feeding the gentle, friendly Stingrays. They are known as the puppy dogs of the sea. Combine your Stingray tour with tranquil snorkelling amongst magnificent coral reefs and colourful tropical fish all at Stingray City Antigua.

Tropical Adventures’ Excellence power catamaran gets you further from the crowds and gives you more time to enjoy our reefs and beaches. Circumnavigate Antigua’s coastline with time to snorkel, swim and sunbathe or be whisked across to Barbuda into the heart of the mangroves to visit the world’s largest Frigate bird

82

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

colony and the island’s famous pink sand beaches.

It’s all just smooth sailing with Treasure Island Cruises, whether you’re a wedding party, incentive group or just a bunch of friends wanting to do something special – they can customize your private charter or standard tours to suit. Why not visit Great Bird Island? It’s one of the best places to snorkel in Antigua.

Sail fast and live slow aboard Wadadli Cats for an action packed day of snorkelling and swimming, to the backdrop of great music, tasty food and excellent company. Choose from a Circumnavigation, Bird Island or Cades Reef tour, or book a Private Charter tour for your party or group and they go where you take them!

Tropical Adventures is Antigua’s #1 tour operator. Take to the seas aboard the Excellence, Antigua’s fastest Power Cat. www.tropicalad.com

Sail, snorkel and be entertained on a boating extravaganza that highlights Antigua’s cultural heritage. www.treasureislandcruises.ag Wadadli Cats has a coastal tour to suit everyone’s sailing dream with a fleet of spacious catamarans. www.wadadlicats.com

Stingray City Antigua SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

83

TOURS AND ATTRACTIONS

The Barbuda Express

is a great way to visit Barbuda. The innovative wave-piercing catamaran gives passengers comfort at high speed. The journey time of 90 minutes in nearly all weather conditions makes the ferry ideal for business use, daytrips and excursions.

See

Barbuda

IslandTaxi

take a ride and go A to B by Sea.

Guided Barbuda Day Tours are available and taxis are available at the ferry docks on both islands.

Tel: (268) 560 7989 Tel: (268) 764 2291

E: info@barbudaexpress.com E: barbudaexpress@yahoo.com

For ferry schedule visit: www.antiguaferries.com

your friendly driver & tour guide

BARBUDA

CLAUDE BURTON

LIVE IT. LOVE IT. DIVE IT...

Specialises in...

Air-conditioned Island Tours, Airport, Helipad or Ferry pick-up and drop-o service.

All with a comfortable reliable & professional service Call ahead to book Tel: (268) 460-0103 | Cell : 721-3552 or 771-4345

E: soulimmersions@hotmail.com Tel: (268) 562 7199 Cell: (268) 720 8314 Cell: (268) 725 5377

SOUL

IMMERSIONS D I V E

C E N T R E

Soul Immersion is a full service dive centre run by Shawn Clarke with over 17 years local experience. He offers a full range of PADI dive courses for all abilities from open water to professional dive masters and snorkelling adventures for non-divers. Soul Immersion is one of only a few hydrostatic testing stations and they also specialise in dive equipment repairs and visual tank inspection.

VHF: Ch.68 | Falmouth Harbour, Antigua

TOURS AND ATTRACTIONS

Step back in time... Explore the only active original Georgian Dockyard in the world.

Delesed molendi gnatemporita volut laturionsent esti volorum quunt, oditatur? Qui tesci num

National Parks Antigua Nelson’s Dockyard National Park

86

Nelson’s Dockyard National Park P.O. Box 1283, St. John’s, Antigua T: (268) 481-5022 | E: natpark@candw.ag www.nationalparksantigua.com

Opening Hours: Seven days a week - 9:00am – 5:00pm.

Entrance Fee: $8 US (Non-Citizens), $3 US (Citizens)

Nelson’s Dockyard National Park is remarkably rich in history and natural treasures. Tours through Nelson’s Dockyard are conducted daily; there are also several nature trails and wonderful beaches to explore.

The historic venues and the grounds of the National

Parks may be hired for private events and weddings.

The Parks also host some exciting land and sea based international events that are not to be missed.

If you have a taste for history, Nelson’s Dockyard is a must. It is the only continually working Georgian

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

TOURS AND ATTRACTIONS

Delesed molendi gnatemporitaNelson’s volut laturionsent Dockyard esti National volorum Park quunt, oditatur? Qui tesci num...a uniquely Antiguan experience.

Dockyard in the world and serves as the centre of archaeological, environmental, and historical research in Antigua. Many other historic buildings dot the landscape around the harbour, like Fort Charlotte and the Pillars of Hercules, Fort George and Fort Berkeley. There is also a wide variety of modern day amenities including shops, bars, hotels and restaurants. You can visit the Dockyard Museum to learn more history and to select gifts.

Dow’s Hill is home to the Interpretation Centre, which offers a well-crafted and informative multi-media production. Shirley Heights is a restored military lookout

and gun battery. From 4pm until 10pm every Sunday, party as the sun goes down on another week with drink, a barbecue, local bands playing a mixture of Caribbean flavoured music and international hits.

Your entrance fee contribution is important. 100% of the money raised from entrance fees stays in the Park and goes towards maintaining and improving visitor facilities, providing educational information, advancing the museum’s research programmes and towards the continuation of the restoration programme.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

87

Experience contemporary Caribbean living for yourself.

O.

C.

E.

“Quite simply www.tamarind-hills.com

CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT IN ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

Photo: Š Roddy Grimes-Graeme. www.acquafilms.com

Antigua has long enjoyed its position as a favoured destination for high net worth individuals from other countries. With its twin island Barbuda, it offers a balmy tropical climate, many magnificent beaches, safe harbours for international yachts, hotels and resorts of the highest standards, and banking facilities that meet all the requirements of these special visitors. In 2012, in a bid to make our islands even more attractive to wealthy foreign visitors, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, in consultation with the international consulting group Henley & Partners, launched a proposal for a Citizenship by Investment program, and the Citizenship by Investment Act was passed by both houses of Parliament in March, 2013. In taking this step, Antigua and Barbuda became the sixth country to launch such an initiative, following in the footsteps of Austria, Cyprus, Dominica, Malta and St. Kitts and Nevis.

90

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

The Legal Basis Authority for administering the Citizenship by Investment Act, 2013 rests with the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), which was established in October, 2013. The CIU processes all applications made through the program, subjecting each application to stringent background checks before granting citizenship.

Program Requirements The program requires the applicant to make a significant economic contribution to the country in exchange for citizenship. The applicant can choose any one of three options. t An investment of at least US$400,000 into one of the approved real estate projects, and this investment must be held for a 5 year period, or until the proposed development has been substantially completed. t " DPOUSJCVUJPO UP UIF /BUJPOBM %FWFMPQNFOU 'VOE PG B minimum non-refundable amount of US$200,000 for a single applicant.

t "O JOWFTUNFOU PG B NJOJNVN PG 64 EJSFDUMZ JOUP an eligible business as a sole investor or a joint investment involving at least 2 persons in an eligible business totalling at least US$5,000,000, and each of those persons individually invests at least US$400,000.

Families including spouse, dependent children, parents and grandparents over 65 years of age can obtain citizenship via one simultaneous application. There is a residency requirement of 5 days in the first five years of citizenship.

Key Advantages of the Programme With an Antigua and Barbuda passport a citizen can travel to approximately 130 countries in the world without requiring a visa.

These countries include Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the 22 European countries, all members of the EU, which function as a single country for international travel purposes, with a common visa policy. They are known collectively as the Schengen Area countries.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

91

They become citizens of the British Commonwealth of Nations, with the privileges that come with such status. Antigua and Barbuda is also a member of the United Nations, Caricom and the Organization of American States (OAS).

A second citizenship in a Caribbean country can be an essential component in an international wealth preservation strategy. Antigua and Barbuda has an established history of protecting the privacy of its citizens.

Time Frame Qualified applicants to the Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment program can be granted citizenship in as little as 90 days from submission of the application to approval and issuance of a passport. In cases where background checks may cause delays in processing the application the CIU is obliged to notify the agent acting on behalf of the applicant that the application has been denied or delayed for cause and is still being processed.

A knowledgeable agent will greatly facilitate the application process, and one such firm in Antigua is Island Living group of companies. They have a solid reputation and have sold more CIP properties in 2014 than any other agency. Island Living currently represent the following major developments which have CIP status: t 4PVUI 1PJOU

t /POTVDI #BZ t /FMTPO T 3FUSFBU t 1FBSOT 1PJOU t 4VHBS 3JEHF

t 5BNBSJOE )JMMT t %BOJFM #BZ t 8JOEXBSE #BZ t (BMMFZ #BZ t .BSJOB 3FTJEFODFT

Who is Applying for Citizenship A recent Citibank Private Wealth Report states that the number of ultra-high net worth individuals worth over $30 million crested in 2014 internationally at 200,000, and is expected to double in the next ten years. According to Citizens International ultra-high net worth individuals for whom a second citizenship may be important are likely to come from the Peoples Republic of China, the Middle East, Russia and parts of Europe.

92

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

Is the Antigua and Barbuda Property Market Robust Antigua has been established for many years as a Caribbean destination with a growing international community attracted to the island’s relaxed lifestyle and spectacular natural beauty.

In 2007 Antigua had the highest property value growth of anywhere in the world (Citibank Knight Frank Wealth Report), and even through the recent economic slowdown the highest value properties have maintained a steady upward trajectory. The island is increasingly regarded as one of the most popular destinations in the region, with many international celebrities already owning luxury homes here.

Citizens International represents the newly launched Papaya Hotel & Spa Hotel development. The hotel is the centrepiece of the extensive 350-acre Rendezvous Bay project, a planned residential community with only 80 exceptional homesites of between 2 to 10 acres each in the hills surrounding the hotel. The lowdensity development strategy of developers Elmsbridge Property International will ensure privacy and preserve a minimum of 85% of the Rendezvous Bay landholding in its natural state. The one and two-bedroom villas at Papaya are proving popular with CIP investors not least because the operator is Angelo Zaragovia, the hotelier behind Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens ( )PUFM JO UIF 8PSME Travel & Leisure Magazine) and Costa Rica’s most visited resort Tabacon Hot Springs.

Jimmy Webster, CEO of Citizens International explains that, i%FTQJUF UIF FDPOPNJD EPXOUVSO PG UIF MBTU GFX ZFBST UIF POF segment of the property industry that remained more active and retained better investment value has been high-end luxury property. Above all else, an investment in a real estate project is a direct investment into the tourism infrastructure for this heavily tourism-centric country. And, with a solid link to the island, i.e. owning a property there, your connection to the country is solid and you will have somewhere to reside when you and your family come to visit.”

The Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment program is a win-win proposition. If regulated prudently, it is fair to the investor and fair to the country.

CIP Developments. Clockwise: Nonsuch Bay, a luxury private resort of beach cottages, villas and apartments. Rendezvous Bay lowdensity development with 80 homesites and a boutique resort. Set on an elevated sunsetfacing bluff, Tamarind Hills was one of the first Government approved CIP projects with prices starting close to the threshold. Pearns Point is set to be a spectacular peninsula resort with 59 planned luxury residences.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

93

“

*TMBOE -JWJOH JT POF PG UIF MFBEJOH BOE NPTU WJTJCMF SFBM FTUBUF DPNQBOJFT JO "OUJHVB BOE #BSCVEB 0VS HPBM JT UP BOUJDJQBUF UIF TQFDJmD OFFET PG PVS DMJFOUT BOE EFMJWFS VOQBSBMMFMFE TFSWJDF 8F PGGFS UIF IJHIFTU TUBOEBSET JO SFBM estate from luxury sales and rentals to property and lifestyle management.

�

5 t ' t & JOGP!JTMBOEMJWJOHBOUJHVB DPN t 4BMFT 0GmDF +PMMZ )BSCPVS "OUJHVB

www.islandlivingantigua.com

Antigua & Barbuda Citizenship-by-Investment Program

“

Island Living Investment Services Ltd. (ILIS) is a unique corporate service provider with an extensive network of experienced professionals authorized to facilitate and process applications for the Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship-by-Investment Program. We provide an array of professional services to clients in connection with the program, including real estate, legal, investment facilitation, and lifestyle management.

�

5 t ' t & JOGP!JMJT BH t 4VJUF 7JMMBHF 8BML .BMM 'SJBST )JMM 3PBE "OUJHVB

www.antiguacitizenshipinvest.com

HOMEGROWN ...IN THE CARIBBEAN

Because our roots are deep, our customers enjoy extensive coverage and competitive premiums on every personal and commercial insurance product.

)PNF t $POUFOUT t .PUPS t -JBCJMJUZ t #VTJOFTT t .BSJOF Rated A (Excellent) at A.M. Best Company

Caribbean Alliance House, Cnr. Newgate & Cross Streets, St. John’s. +1 (268) 484 2900. www.caribbeanalliance.com Falmouth Harbour Branch: Antigua Yacht Club Marina Commercial Centre

PROPERTIES & ACCOMMODATION

FOR SALE: USD $8,000,000 Spectacular entertainment villa with exceptional finishing touches.

FOR SALE: USD $1,200,000 Mexican styled residence in one of Antigua’s most prime locations.

Palm Point Luxury Beachfront Villa

Villa Ponderosa Prime Hilltop Property

AGENT: Island Living, Jolly Harbour, St. Mary’s, Antigua T: (268) 562 2626 | E: info@islandlivingantigua.com www.islandlivingantigua.com

AGENT: Island Living, Jolly Harbour, St. Mary’s, Antigua T: (268) 562 2626 | E: info@islandlivingantigua.com www.islandlivingantigua.com

Palm Point is an ultra-exclusive, 6-bed, 10,000sq.ft. beachfront villa with vaulted ceilings throughout and two large open-plan lounge areas which continue out to the swimming pool, Jacuzzi and white sand beach beyond. The villa has its own private dock with a well equipped boathouse.

Situated in the north of Antigua above the white sands of the Blue Waters resort with commanding sea views.

Villa Ponderosa is an immaculately interior designed 2-bed property with a self-contained guest apartment and extensive tropical gardens.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

97

PROPERTIES & ACCOMMODATION

Treetops Luxury Holiday Rental Villa Half Moon Bay, St. Philip’s, Antigua T: (268) 460 4423 | E: marthawatkinsgilkes@gmail.com www.antiguanice.com/v2/client.php?id=238

-Treetops Villa

Caribbean fretwork cottage 2-bed/2-bath, minutes from beautiful Half Moon Bay Beach.

Treetops sits nestled among the trees of a pretty hillside below Dolphin View villa on Half Moon Bay Estate. The open-air dining area overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and there is also a comfortable indoor living/dining room.

Sleeps maximum of 4 guests.

Yepton Estate Holiday Rental Cottages Yepton Estates, Five Islands, Antigua T: (268) 727 3239 | E: reservations@yepton.com www.yepton.com

Enjoy soothing tranquillity as you swing in your hammock to the birds by day and tree frogs by night.

An award-winning hideaway of six self-catering cottages of various sizes, set in a tropical garden with lagoon views and the Caribbean Sea beyond. There is a small swimming pool and the nearest white sand beach is within a 6-minute walk. Free WIFI, patio BBQ and Cable TV.

Diamond Point Holiday Rental Cabanas Above Dennis Bar & Restaurant Between Ffryes & Little Ffryes Bay, St Mary’s T: (268) 728 5086 | E: dennisthomas1_food@hotmail.com

Your personable host Dennis will be on hand to assist with any requests.

98 98

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

Absolutely off the tourist beaten path, poised above the water’s edge of a southwestern Caribbean beach sit 3 rustic hideaway cabanas. Each cabin has a cozy double bedroom, sea facing porch and private bathroom. This is the ideal couples retreat, immerse yourself in tranquillity, privacy and nature.

We’d like to invite you to stay, above it all...

Sugar Ridge luxury boutique hotel is nestled on a natural hillside bordered with sugar cane on the wonderful west coast of Antigua. Its elevated position captures the most stunning and panoramic views of Jolly Harbour marina, palm lined beaches, the turquoise Caribbean Sea beyond, and the neighboring islands of Redonda, Nevis and St. Kitts which sit like gems upon the horizon.

Sugar Ridge Antigua West Indies

Book your stay today. www.sugarridgeantigua.com

info@sugarridgeantigua.com

SIMPLY ANTIGUA (268) BARBUDA 562 594599

PROPERTIES & ACCOMMODATION

Villa Touloulou promotes rest & relaxation. Choose to stay in a studio apartment or one of their two 1-bedroom apartments.

100

Your paradise awaits at under $100US per night, with unbelievable sunsets above the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Beautiful beaches are within viewing and walking distance.

Villa Touloulou ...paradise regained

Stoneyhill Studio Rental Apartments

Cobbs Cross, Off Dockyard Drive Falmouth Harbour, St. Paul’s, Antigua T: (268) 561 6395 or 764 6358 E: reservations@villatouloulou.com www.villatouloulou.com If you’ve ever needed one compelling reason to visit Antigua, then here’s one, Villa Touloulou. Located on an English Harbour facing hillside within tranquil Caribbean inspired gardens overlooking the marina bay, beach and sea you will find an inspiring Caribbean home away from home.

Ffryes Estate, Nr. Jolly Harbour, Antigua T: (268) 732 8290 or 783 3257 E: karol_stewart@yahoo.com www.stoneyhillstudioapartments.com Nestled in a lush garden on the hillsides of the southwest coast, Stoneyhill offers quaint, self-catering cottages for couples. Each cottage-apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, air-con, a large patio, separate living area, and a flatscreen TV. There is also a communal swimming pool.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

above all...

Luxury Homes Boutique Hotel Carmichael’s Restaurant

Aveda Concept Spa Sugar Club

With a stunning 360º vista, every Sugar Ridge Home affords its own far-reaching view over the rolling forested landscapes, to the dramatic coastal highlands and out across the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Sugar Ridge offers 54 fully serviced home sites from 0.33 to 0.84 acres, all with stunning sea views. Buy a plot, and select one of our luxurious homes that have been master-planned to allow residents privacy, tranquility and peace of mind.

Sugar Ridge Antigua West Indies

Sugar Ridge Homes from US $1,100,000 www.sugarridgehomes.com

info@sugarridgehomes.com

(268) 562 7727

CO COS H OT EL AN T I G UA

130'&44*0/"- 4&37*$&4 t -BOETDBQF %FTJHO t -BOETDBQF *OTUBMMBUJPO t *SSJHBUJPO %FTJHO *OTUBMMBUJPO t &OWJSPONFOUBM )PSUJDVMUVSF t (SPVOET .BJOUFOBODF

-"/%4$"1& ("3%&/*/( $0/53"$5*/(

Tropical Landscaping also provides Landscape Management & Consultation Services to Project Developers, Property Managers, Homeowner Associations, Landscaping Managers & Landscape Architects. $0..&3$*"- $-*&/54 &BTUFSO $BSJCCFBO "NBMHBNBUFE #BOL (J(J *OEVTUSJFT .JMM 3FFG 3FTPSU 1SJWBUF 7JMMBT (SBOE 1JOFBQQMF #FBDI 3FTPSU "OUJHVB "UIMFUJD $MVC )FSNJUBHF #BZ 3FTPSU )BXLTCJMM 3FTPSU All Saints Road, P.O. Box W1931, St. John’s, Antigua | Phone: 268 562-5391 Cell: 268 720-5391 | Email: tropicland12@hotmail.com

IM ME R SE Y OU R SE LF IN T HE R EA L C ARI B BE A N ...fatevi coccolare dalla squisita cucina e dalla magica atmosfera caraibica... t. 1-268-460-2626

s. cocoshotel

e. reservations@cocoshotel.com www.cocoshotel.com

THE INN

AT ENGLISH HARBOUR

Elegant. Exquisite. Exclusive...

"Ideally located on the captivating southern coast of Antigua, The Inn at English Harbour combines picturesque beauty and historic legend in an intimate boutique resort."

Come experience it for yourself.

The Inn is one of the Caribbean’s extraordinary luxury resorts. The resort blends into the perfect balance of a colonial style building with luxurious and contemporary comfort. For the discerning traveller seeking privacy and seclusion the resort has only 28 recently upgraded rooms built on 19 acres of wooded headland with a stunning beachfront cooled by the gentle trade winds of English Harbour...

www.theinnantigua.com

Freeman’s Bay, English Harbour, Antigua, W.I. t: (268) 460 1014 | f: (268) 460 1603 | e: theinn@candw.ag

INTIMATE VACATION PROPERTIES

Stay, relax and explore our unique islands and learn why Antigua & Barbuda are the “Gems of the Caribbean”, and the most special destination in the Caribbean, if not the world.

Whether you are seeking a family villa for a leisurely holiday, a romantic hideaway just for two, a compact apartment for a sporting break, an executive suite to conduct business on island, or somewhere to host a company conference, this unique selection of properties will give you many options.

ALPHA SUITES

104

ANCHORAGE INN

BLUE HAVEN VILLA

Anchorage Road, St. John’s, Antigua T: (268) 462 4065 E: info@antiguaanchorageinn.com www.antiguaanchorageinn.com

Long Bay, Antigua T: (268) 560 3839 E: karaliz@candw.ag

A family owned and managed hotel that is as charming as it is colourful, with 40 vibrant rooms named after the Caribbean islands.

A luxury 3-bedroom villa on Antigua’s east coast, with panoramic ocean views from a wrap around pool and stunning private gallery.

ANTIGUA SEAVIEW

BUCCANEER BEACH CLUB

Holiday Apartments, Renfrew, Antigua T: (268) 463 1387 or (268) 464 7878 E: alphasuites@gmail.com www.alphasuitesantigua.ag

Mckinnons, Dickenson Bay, Antigua T: (268) 720 9515 Vonage: (786) 463 4870 www.antiguaseaview.com

Dickenson Bay, Antigua T: (268) 562 6785/84 | F: (268) 562 6784 www.buccaneerbeach.com

Set amidst rolling hills of the old Renfrew sugar plantation, Alpha Suites has 4 charming two bedroom apartments and a studio unit.

We invite you to visit us on the Dickenson Bay coast where you can relax in tranquillity with an ambiance for romance.

Located on the beach, the 16 one-bedroom suites & 2 two-bedroom cottages are ideal for an informal, independent stay in Antigua.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

PROPERTIES & ACCOMMODATION

BUCKLEYS HEIGHTS COUNTRY CLUB

COPPER & LUMBER STORE HOTEL

ELLEN BAY COTTAGES

Buckley’s Antigua T: +44 207 096 0490 E: booking@buckleyscountryclub.com www.buckleyscountryclub.com

Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua T: (268) 460 1160 / 1159 E: clhotel@candw.ag www.copperandlumberhotel.com

Seatons, Antigua T: (268) 561 2003 or (268) 720 8637 E: info@ellenbaycottages.com www.ellenbaycottages.com

A new luxury development of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments that bring Caribbean contemporary style and superior expectations.

Colonial Caribbean with a twist! The hotel consists of 14 suites or studios, each named after one of Lord Nelson's ships.

A place to stay where you can enjoy the natural environment and be a part of Antiguan life, Ellen Bay offers you a unique little taste.

CITY VIEW HOTEL

CONNIE’S COMFORT SUITES

ELS

Newgate Street, St. John’s, Antigua T: (268) 562 0259/60/61 E: reservations@cityviewantigua.com www.cityviewantigua.com

Penny Lane, off Fort Rd, St. John’s, Antigua T: (268) 784 9676 or (268) 786 2671 T: (268) 562 6909 | E: conniesuites@gmail.com www.conniescomfortsuites.com

Off American Road, St. John’s, Antigua T: (268) 562 7876 or (268) 723 0692 E: oneels@yahoo.com E: rsskepple@yahoo.com

50 spacious air-conditioned rooms in the heart of St. John’s, close to all major banks, corporate businesses, duty free shops and casinos.

Delightful 1-bed holiday apartments offer a great choice for any traveller, near the airport and some of Antigua’s finest beaches.

ELS short-term rentals is a newly completed four storey apartment block featuring 16 fully furnished 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom suites.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

105

PROPERTIES & ACCOMMODATION

FORT SHELLEY VILLAS

LORD VIEW MANOR

Old Road Village, Morris Bay, Antigua T: (268) 481 1544 or (268) 726 1309 USA: +1(954) 322 0450 E: fortshelley@gmail.com

Five Islands, Antigua T: (268) 460 6060 E: bgregs@candw.ag www.innlagalleria.com

Paradise View, nr. Dickenson Bay, Antigua T: (268) 764 1126 E: lordviewmanor@gmail.com

Situated at the top of Fort Shelley Peak are two modern, spacious 5-bedroom villas with spectacular views of the south-west coastline.

An intimate hillside Bed & Breakfast Inn with lovely sea views. 7 guest rooms and 5 studios all with a/c, cable TV, and Internet access.

A contemporary approach to Caribbean life and living with 4 stylish condo apartments that give you all the luxuries of being at home and more…

HERITAGE HOTEL

106

INN LA GALLERIA

LAMBLION HOLIDAY APARTMENTS

OCEAN INN HOTEL

Heritage Quay, St. John’s, Antigua T: (268) 462 1247 | F: (268) 462 1179 E: heritagehotel@candw.ag

Freemans Main Rd, Belleview Est., Antigua T: (268) 562 6642 or (268) 764 2642 E: info@lamblionapt.com www.lamblionapt.com

English Harbour, Antigua T: (268) 463 7950 E: oceaninn@candw.ag www.theoceaninn.com

An attractive and convenient hotel with excellent business facilities located in the heart of the capital near the cruise ship dock, retail centres and restaurants.

Situated just 10-20 mins from any beach is the Lamblion Holiday Apartments offering 11 self-contained apartments in varying sizes.

Affordable rooms with an exceptional glimpse of Antigua’s historic Nelson’s Dockyard and luxury yachts moored in English Harbour.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

PROPERTIES & ACCOMMODATION

OCEANIC VIEW COTTAGES

SIBONEY BEACH CLUB

Freemans Village, Antigua T: (268) 562 6905 / 5723 E: okiba_8@hotmail.com www.oceanicviewantigua.com

Dickenson Bay, St. John’s, Antigua T: (268) 462 0806 E: info@siboneybeachclub.com

A picturesque vacation spot with tropically coloured 2 & 3 bedroom gingerbread cottages set in a tranquil and secure environment.

A romantic, intimate, suite hotel located on the turquoise waters and white sand beach of Dickenson Bay, Antigua.

PAIGE POND COUNTRY INN Buckley’s, Antigua T: (268) 562 7663 E: info@paigepondcountryinn.com www.paigepondcountry.com

www.caribbean-resort-antigua-hotel-siboney-beach.com

SOUTH COAST HORIZON Cades Bay, St. Mary’s, Antigua T: (268) 562 4074 | F: (268) 562 4075 E: admin@southcoasthorizons.com www.southcoasthorizons.com

Our location takes guests into the heartland The fully self-contained bungalows and of Antigua, overlooking an important studios blend perfectly with the unhurried ecological rainforest area called Body Pond. ambiance, leaving you relaxed and refreshed.

SOUTH COAST OCEAN VIEW APTS. Brooks Estate, Cades Bay, St. Mary’s, Antigua T: (268) 560 4933 www.southcoastoceanviewapartments.com

SCOVA has 4 apartments and a pretty detached cottage nestled among palm trees and pineapple fields. Fully air-conditioned with fre WiFi.

SUNRISE VIEW ANTIGUA Potter’s New Extension, St. John’s, Antigua T: (268) 772 6919 and (268) 784 3415 E: sunriseviewantigua@gmail.com www.sunriseviewantigua.net

A 6 unit apartment complex just minutes from the capital city’s shopping district and the V.C Bird Intl. Airport.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

107

PROPERTIES & ACCOMMODATION

VICTORY VILLAS

GERALD’S GUEST HOUSE

Ffryes Estate, St. Mary’s, Antigua T: (268) 561 6628 C: (268) 723 5569 info@victoryvillasantigua.com www.victoryvillasantigua.com

Coral Group Bay, Barbuda T: (268) 722 3050 Canada: +1(416) 699 1067 www.barbudacottages.com

Codrington Village, Barbuda T: (268) 772 0932 or (268) 726 0271 T: (268) 460 0209 E: shortnaky@hotmail.com

A modern hideaway estate of 5 fully equipped two-bedroomed villas set in a scenic landscaped garden, only a minute stroll from the beach.

Fabulous 3-bedroom luxury, self-catering beach villa, built with total relaxation in mind. Solar-powered and footsteps from the beach.

Gerald’s Guest House is located on beautiful unspoiled Barbuda and consists of three bedrooms.

VILLAS AT SUNSET LANE

108

BARBUDA COTTAGES

ISLAND CHALET GUEST HOUSE

PALM TREE GUEST HOUSE

Paradise View, Dickenson Bay, Antigua T: (268) 562 7791 or (268) 785 3269 E: jacqueline@villasatsunsetlane.com

Madison Square, Codrington, Barbuda T: (268) 460 0065

Outskirts of Codrington Village, Barbuda T: (268) 784 4331 E: palmtreegroup@live.com

A 10 room adults-only Luxury Boutique Hotel with breathtaking views of the tranquil Caribbean Sea around sugary white beaches.

Overlooking the centre of Codrington village, it is easy to find this popular inn. The 4 bright guest rooms have comfortable queen beds.

Cerene Deazle’s popular guest house has 8 spacious ensuite double rooms.

She also has a large family suite.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

“start planning your dream vacation today�

3&45"63"/5 t #"3 t 4"*-*/( t 410354 '*4)*/( t 4/03,&-*/( t %*7*/( t -*'&45:-&

www.catamaran-antigua.com

THE

CATAMARAN HOTEL & MARINA

The Catamaran Hotel 1 0 #PY 'BMNPVUI "OUJHVB 8FTU *OEJFT t UFM t DFMM t FNBJM DBUDMVC!DBOEX BH

HISTORIC CHARM

AT THE ADMIRAL’S INN IN NELSON’S DOCKYARD

If you yearn for a deeper vacation retreat, one with a heightened sense of place, that’s steeped in historic old world charm, then you should consider staying in Nelson’s Dockyard at English Harbour for a glimpse of Georgian England and its well documented presence in the Caribbean.

110

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

The authentic 18th Century naval dockyard has had all the historic buildings meticulously restored and now they function as inns, hotels, restaurants, a maritime museum, shops and service providers for the yachts that gather in its well protected harbour in the winter season.

Appearing to come straight out of the history books at the entrance to the dockyard, the Admiral’s Inn and Gunpowder Suites is a beautifully restored and appointed boutique hotel with 23 guest rooms and suites. The main historic building, once the Engineers Offices and the Pitch and Tar Store, has been operated as a hotel for almost 40 years. Since 2009, it has been owned

by Paul Deeth and, more recently, his sister Astrid. Together they have made its historic past their guiding light, sympathetically revamping and expanding the facilities, creating The Pillars restaurant for fine dining and renovating the Old Hospital building across the lush private gardens into tranquil Garden Suites. Two rows of massive circular stone pillars are a dramatic feature of this garden. They once supported a Sail Loft over a short waterway, where naval vessels were brought in to have their sails lifted up to the loft for repair. The Deeths have added the Joiners and Turners Loft above the adjacent Boat House to their inventory of unusual

historic lodgings, creating high, airy suites with spectacular views of English Harbour and the yachts at anchor there. In just a few years they have built a reputation as friendly, thoughtful hosts, responding with grace to every guest’s request. Several of their equally friendly and capable staff have worked at the Admiral’s Inn for many years.

Across a short span of water from the Admiral’s Inn, reachable by road or in two minutes by private water taxi from the Inn, lies the Deeths’ newest addition to their modest empire. The Gunpowder Suites, Art Gallery and Spa, housed in a sturdy stone structure built in the 18th Century as a gunpowder magazine with a barrelvaulted roof, and surrounded on three sides by imaginatively restored and redesigned living space, were opened in time for the winter season of 2013/14. The old gunpowder magazine, with its 18-inch thick stone walls, angled ventilation slits and soaring roof, has been turned into an unique art gallery, and houses the ‘Antigua Pride’ photographic exhibit, a collection of dramatic black and white photographs taken in the 1960s by Margot Davis. Other art exhibits are mounted here from time to time. In the surrounding stone structure there are 4 spacious and elegantly designed guest suites, each with a private, discreetly screened balcony with SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

111

magnificent views of the dockyard across the water, and of the yachts rocking gently in the harbour. A large infinity pool on the rocky promontory below is set in a well landscaped garden with shaded daybeds dotted around it. A new dining pavilion and bar, appropriately named Boom, overlooks the pool and the Gunpowder Spa. The kitchen has a small, thriving herb garden nearby, with showers and other facilities tucked under the main structure.

The dockyard at English Harbour was used by the Royal Navy from as early as the 1720s, but most of the buildings on the site were built between 1773 and 1792. The Guard House, Porter’s Lodge, Mast Houses, Capstan House and the first bay of the Canvas, Cordage and Clothing Store were built between 1773 and 1778. The Engineer’s Offices and the Pitch and Tar Store, now the Admiral’s Inn, were completed in 1788, and the Copper and Lumber Store was finished the following year. By 1792 the west side of the Canvas, Cordage and Clothing Store was completed, and the Blacksmith’s Shop was also built around this time. The Sail Loft, the Paymaster’s Office, Officer’s Quarters and the Naval Officers and Clerks House were erected shortly after. The Gunpowder Magazine across the water was built to store gunpowder for use by the English garrison to defend the harbour against the French.

A little less than 100 years later, in 1889, the Royal Navy abandoned the dockyard at English Harbour, and the lovely old

112

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

brick, stone and wooden buildings with all their historic naval appointments were left to decay until the 1950s. In 1951, the Society of Friends of English Harbour began restoration work on the historic site, which was opened to the public 10 years later.

It was named “Nelson’s Dockyard” to commemorate Captain Horatio Nelson, who sailed his ship, HMS Boreas, into English Harbour in 1784 and remained there for three years. Nelson’s later fame as one of England’s most brilliant admirals was earned in the Napoleonic Wars, and he never returned to Antigua. English Harbour Town and Nelson’s Dockyard in particular, are of great archaeological and historical importance, and the international yachting community that make the dockyard their winter destination have brought modern fame and fortune to a revered and picturesque historical site.

For travellers who appreciate old world authenticity with all the modern amenities the 21st century guest demands, The Admiral’s Inn and Gunpowder Suites are the perfect quarters for a stay steeped in historic charm and casual elegance.

To book your stay, contact the Admiral’s Inn, Nelson’s Dockyard.

T: +1 (268) 469-1027 / 1153 E: info@admiralsinnantigua.com www.admiralsinnantigua.com

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

113

PROPERTIES & ACCOMMODATION

Pineapple Rentals Jolly Harbour, St. John’s T: (268) 771-9422 | E: request@pineapplerentals.com www.pineapplerentals.com

Rent Local...“We know our way around!” Pineapple Rentals is locally owned and operated. They provide a friendly, reliable and affordable service offering a variety of cars, suv’s, scooters and road-legal beach buggys for rent. Free airport service, cruiseship dock, or islandwide delivery and pick-up.

“THE EASIEST WAY TO GET

AROUND ANTIGUA” Budget Rent-A-Car caters to you with convenient and affordable rental services.

RENT WISELY TEL: +1 (268) 561-6399 | CELL: +1 (268) 736-6401/0 | EMAIL: info@budgetanu.com Airport Road (Head Office) and V. C Bird International Airport, St. John’s, Antigua

ChaseRentaCar.com & Island Tours

Come and Experience a Comfortable Ride!

Potters Village, St. John’s T: (268) 561 4066 / 726 4066 E: chaserentals@hotmail.com | www.chaserentacar.com ChaseRentaCar.com is a locally owned car rental agency with over 8 years providing exceptional, reliable service. They provide economy, midsized and luxury cars, also 4X4 jeeps.

If you are planning a vacation to Antigua, call us first. Also offered unique, personal driving tours of Antigua.

114

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

HORTICULTURAL GROUPS & DEDICATED GARDENERS A KALEIDOSCOPE OF BLOOMING GARDENS

The Antigua Barbuda Horticultural Society (ABHS) has been established for many years. In 2010 they got full details of a 2-acre site granted for their exclusive use by the government, and by 2012 they had fenced the property and cleared the land. The ABHS named their property The Agave Garden, and hosted their Annual Flower Show there for the first time in 2013. The land use plan includes building a simple structure to house a meeting room, a horticultural library and a tea house for visitors, and extensive landscaping for a sustainable garden. ABHS has established the Friends of Antigua’s Agave Garden, offering to non-members a monthly newsletter, invitations to seminars and other educational events, and other privileges in exchange for a donation to their development fund. Outreach efforts include participation in the planning of the Victoria Park Botanical Gardens, and liaison with other regional botanical gardens, sometimes exchanging judges for horticultural shows.

The Antigua Barbuda Orchid Society (ABOS) is a new, informal group of orchid growers and collectors, who are dedicated to the conservation of tropical orchids, and to the education of its members in the cultivation of these unusual plants. Founded by Peggy Samuel in March, 2013, ABOS now boasts 20 members. Some members are also members of the American Orchid Society (AOS), and the group plans to apply to the AOS for affiliated status, which would give them access to educational materials and sources of plants. Links have also been formed with the Jamaica Orchid Society, and with similar groups in Trinidad and St. Croix. As yet unfunded, ABOS recently held 116

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

its first membership drive.

Victoria Park Botanical Gardens was established in 1893 on an eight acre plot set aside for residents of St. John’s to have unrestricted “use of the space for healthful enjoyment of air and exercise.” By 1900 it had become a formal botanical garden, and as funding for the garden fluctuated over the next hundred years, by the beginning of the 21st century it had become neglected and run down, and the available land was reduced to 6 acres. Recently, a new ambitious 5 year plan has been put in place for restoring and managing the Gardens, developing the educational possibilities for its use in the community, and establishing sustainable funding for its upkeep. It is hoped this will come to fruition when funding is in place.

From horticultural societies and government committees to a free-spirited garden lover who has taken her love of gardens to the public. Joy Farrell is an energetic and dedicated visionary who began to plan a television show on Gardens of Antigua in 2011. By luck and enquiry she met Marlon Jeffers, a cameraman and editor with Belmont Studios, and in 2012/2013 they produced 13 episodes of Gardens of Antigua, Season 1, which aired on ABS local television station in late 2013/early 2014. Gardens of Antigua Season 2 will follow in October, 2014. The new show includes four very diverse gardens on the south west coast of Antigua, as well as a 1 hour special about the restoration of Victoria Park Botanical Gardens. Joy’s latest initiative is a Gardens of Antigua blog, which will go public when the new TV viewing season starts in October, 2014.

For an unusually dry island at the northern end of the Caribbean chain, Antigua is blessed with a wealth of horticultural groups and gifted gardeners.

Among the most notable of these are the Antigua Barbuda Horticultural Society, the Antigua Barbuda Orchid Society, the Victoria Park Botanical Gardens restoration project, and last, but not least, the activities of Joy Farrell, who has filmed for ABS TV many of the most beautiful and unusual gardens in Antigua.

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

117

PROPERTIES & ACCOMMODATION MARINE & LAND ELECTRONICS

kia-anu@candw.ag

VSat, FBB, Furuno & B&G Specialists Marine Electronics & Navigation Audio & Visual Installations Turn Key Business Solutions GSM 4G LTE Packages Wireless & Wired Networking IT Management & Surveys Security Camera Networks Marine, Home or Business Support on-site or remote Apple, HP, Dell sales, service or repair Caribbean Resellers of UKTV Everywhere for all your UK TV channels via IPTV

LTD.

For your Motor Yacht, Sailing Yacht, Villa or Business needs.

ISLAND COMMUNICATIONS & ELECTRONICS

Officers Quarters, Nelsons Dockyard, English Harbour, St Pauls, Antigua T: 1 268 562 5797 | E: info@iceantigua.com | www.iceantigua.com

Kelsick Insurance Agency has been providing their customers with the very best insurance coverage and customer care for more than 30 years. Call us to find out how we can help you worry less, and live life more.

P.O. Box 413, St. John’s, Antigua,W.I. tel fax 268 462 9441 St. John’s- The Vineyard, Redcliffe Street Jolly Harbour - Portofino, Golf Course Way

TELL US WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR

www.antiguahotproperties.com

ANTIGUA

PROPERTIES

RENTAL PROPERTIES With an existing portfolio of approximately 500 long-term rental properties, we have the best choice of any rental agent on island.

Our properties are mainly located in the north of the island and the Jolly Harbour area, providing accommodation for medical students, as well as business persons visiting the island on short-term contracts, and families living long term on the island.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SERVICES Antigua Hot Properties Ltd. currently manages over 200 properties, for both homeowners and tenants. We ensure that the maintenance of your home is as easy as possible. Our services include: landscaping, yard clearing and maintenance services, maid and housekeeping services, general maintenance services, refurbishment properties, construction services, swimming pool services, laundry, plumbing and electrical services. All you need to do is call the oďŹƒce, and we’ll organize the best package for you.

Your Property Management Experts...

BUYING PROPERTY With our established network of contacts island-wide, Antigua Hot Properties Ltd. are well placed to hear about property sales even before they reach the market. If you are interested in purchasing a property in Antigua, just let us know what you are looking for, and we’ll advise you of what properties are available. Whether it is a quarter acre plot of land, or 10 acres for a new development, an apartment or an established family home, we have a large inventory of potential properties for you.

&NBMZO )BNJMUPO

Lorena De Giovannini

0GmDF .BOBHFS

.BOBHJOH %JSFDUPS

“Visit our convenient new oďŹƒce at Village Walk Commercial Centre where you can browse our inventory of properties for sale or rent, pay rent, or discuss management services for your home. Our friendly, professional sta will ensure your expectations are exceeded.â€?

6OJU $ 7JMMBHF 8BML 'SJBST )JMM 3PBE "OUJHVB 8 * 5 t $ t ' JOGP!BOUJHVBIPUQSPQFSUJFT DPN

ONLY A Only a BarbudanBARBUDAFUL.NET WOULD KNOW...

Would know...

ASK A LOCAL. CONNECT WITH OUR PEOPLE AND ISLAND Unquestionably, Barbuda is a very exquisite island. Not just because her picturesque west coast is dabbling in the warm, tranquil waters of the Caribbean Sea and her eastern beaches face the full force of the mighty Atlantic Ocean. More importantly, she is one of the least known islands on the planet, and therein lies the beauty of her charm. Feel free to immerse yourself in her unique sights, fascinating culture and savour her cuisine. Put your finger on her pulse and you will feel the tenderness of her spirit. There are fewer than 2,000 Barbudans resident on the island, and most people live in and around the village of Codrington, on the eastern 120

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

inland edge of Codrington Lagoon. When you come to Barbuda as a visitor, take every opportunity to connect with her unforgettable people.

Barbudan hospitality begins the moment you arrive, and any venture should begin by asking a local‌ They will warmly show you where to go bird watching, enthusiastically arrange a hunting expedition, point you in the direction of the best hiking trails and the best places for camping or cave viewing. Suggestions for where and with whom to go bone fishing or wreck diving will be forthcoming. And everyone is an expert when it comes to food,

from great places to eat breakfast, or sit down to a delicious meal of grilled spiny lobster or even where to collect a picnic lunch. You’ll find out everything from what’s so special about Saturday mornings, to where to see the current movie on show or where to have a drink with the locals in the village.

They will let you know when the Turf Club will hold its next horse races, where to view local art or where to find the museum with its ancient archaeological treasures, and the recently opened children’s museum with its fascinating slant on island life.

The frigate bird colony in Codrington Lagoon is one of the largest of its kind in the world. It is a must see for the visitor, and a local guide can take you there by boat. You will also find some of the best bone fishing in the Caribbean in the lagoon. Hunting as a sport dates back in island history to the 18th Century, when the Codrington family of English origin controlled most of the island, stocked it with fallow deer, wild hog, duck, pigeon and guinea fowl and hunted for pleasure.

Wild deer, small hogs and guinea fowl are still hunted, and local licensed hunters can guide visitors to the best hunting grounds.

The Highlands in the south west offer trails for hiking, and camping at Two Foot Bay is happily free of mosquitoes

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

121

and sand flies, as the Atlantic breezes blow them away. Explore Darby Caves, a spectacular sinkhole in the middle of the Highlands and Dark Cave with its fresh water pools with rare blind shrimp, and several species of bats. If you arrive on the island by boat, camp at Spanish Point on the south coast, and search for the salt ponds in this part of the island. In a hot, dry year you will discover the trove of “white gold” that the islanders harvest for salting their catch; they even bottle small quantities for visitors to take away.

Wreck diving is a big attraction in Barbuda as the island is ringed with reefs. There are wrecks going back to the time of 122

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

the Codrington family, who had valuable rights to wreck salvage.

They built the Martello Tower near Palmetto Point for use in part for spotting shipwrecks on the outlying reefs. Today the wrecks are explored by divers, and local guides will show you the best locations for this adventure, and for finding gorgeous coral canyons and sea caves along the coast.

Saturdays in Barbuda are different from every other day of the week. In the streets around Codrington vendors start selling fried fresh fish at 4 o’clock in the morning, when the air becomes laden with aromatic cooking smells. They offer several varieties

like snapper, barracuda and hine. Find a stall and pick your own marinated fish from an assortment kept fresh in an iced cooler.

Grab a cold beer or a local fruit juice and chat with the locals while your fish sizzles in the pan. Try a homemade Johnny cake, baked or fried, for the perfect accompaniment to your crispy fried fish.

In true island fashion, the Barbuda Turf Club meets every now and then on Sunday afternoons, and a local will tell you when the next races are going to be held. There are usually four or five races at each meet, with two or three horses in each race.

The competition is fierce, and the event becomes an exciting family day full of humorous personalities and stylish onlookers.

For a glimpse of another time, ask the way to the Barbuda Museum, where there are artefacts on display that date back to Barbuda’s prehistoric past. The Museum comes under the umbrella of the Barbuda Research Complex, together with the Barbuda Archaeological Research Center and the imaginative and unusual Barbuda Children’s Museum. Here visitors can explore and experience aspects of Barbudan life, nature, and traditional “living from the land.” The children’s space includes a cave, a mock archaeological excavation, an observational beehive, and an exhibit showing the mangrove system that is the essential ecosystem for young marine life, and also forms a barrier against coastal erosion during severe storms.

You won’t find extravagant duty-free shopping in Barbuda, but don’t forget to pick up a souvenir to share with the folks back home. We advise you do your shopping relaxing over a cup of freshly ground Caribbean-roasted coffee or a bush tea with Claire Frank who runs the Art Café. Claire sells local crafts, silk paintings, postcards and refreshments – including rum tasting evenings. She is a wealth of information and has written several Barbuda village, beach and historic guides and also maps to help you find your way around. Her informative Barbudaful.net website leaves no stone unturned. There’s no way you can leave Barbuda without taking a piece of it with you.

So, what is there to see, experience and learn about on a visit to Barbuda? Ask a local…

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

123

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JANUARY See our calendar for a wide range of festivals and events throughout the year. %BUFT BOE WFOVFT BSF TVCKFDU UP DIBOHF without notice. For up to date details check out visitantiguabarbuda.com antiguanice.com and barbudaful.net

© Roddy Grimes-Graeme. www.acquafilms.com

January 1 New Year’s Day January 17 Antigua Yacht Club – Round the Island Race

FEBRUARY February 1-8 Antigua Dragon Yacht Club Challenge

January 17 Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) Hike to Fort Barrington January 29 – February 1 Super Yacht Challenge

© Tim Wright, RORC. www.rorc.org

February 13-15 Jolly Harbour Valentine’s Regatta & Rum Fest

February 6 Wobbly Boat Club Race

February 20-27 Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) Caribbean 600 Race February 21 EAG Hike to Pinching Bay

MARCH

124

March 1 Windies Legends Charity Cricket Challenge

March 21 EAG Hike to Santa Maria Hill

March 14-15 Antigua Yacht Club Annual Laser Open

March 28 AUA Rohr Tinman Triathlon

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

March 28 Annual Flower & Garden Show (Antigua & Barbuda Horticultural Society)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

APRIL April 4 Barbuda Community Festival April 6 International Kite Festival April 13-17 England vs West Indies (One Day Int’l’s)

April 15-20 Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta & Curtain Bluff Fantasy Tennis Camp

April 24 Yachting World Round Antigua Race

April 23 Guadeloupe to Antigua Race

April 25-May 1 48th Antigua Sailing Week

May 21-22 Antigua & Barbuda Marlin Classic

May 24 “Run in Paradise” Antigua & Barbuda Half Marathon

May 22-24 Antigua & Barbuda Sport Fishing Tournament

May 22-25 Barbuda Caribana Celebrations

MAY May 1-3 Nautical Music Festival May 2 Dockyard Day May 2-9 Antigua Tennis Week at Curtain Bluff

May 25 Whit Monday 4x1.5 mile Road Relay

©byZIAphotography. www.byziaphotography.com

JUNE June is our Annual Romance Month June 3-5 Antigua Hotels & Tourist Association presents Showcase Antigua & Barbuda

June 20 EAG Tour through the Mangroves June 25 National Tourism Awards SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

125

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JULY

Photo: Š Tony Fincham. www.dockyard-divers.com

July Turtle Watch Season July 25-August 5 58th Annual Carnival Celebrations

AUGUST August Turtle Watch Season

August 4 Carnival Tuesday

August (TBC) Antigua & Barbuda Mango Festival

August 3 Carnival Monday

August 9 Urlings Seafood Festival

August 15 EAG Hike to Indian Creek

SEPTEMBER

126

September Turtle Watch Season

Body Fitness, Fitness, Bikini & Male Physique Championships

September 6 Annual National Body Building, -

September 19 International Coastal Clean-up Day

SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

September 25-26 Francis Nunes Jr. Memorial Fishing Tournament & Seafood Festival

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

OCTOBER October (TBC) ‘Antigua Dem Day’ Wilikies, Seaview Farm and Swetes

October 31 National Dress Day & Heritage Day

October 26-November 1 Independence Week of Activities

NOVEMBER November 1 34th Antigua & Barbuda Independence Celebrations and Ceremonial Parade November 1 Antigua & Barbuda Independence Food Fair

November 6-7 Best in the West Fishing Tournament

November 22 Winestock, Antigua’s Festival of Wine

November 21-22 Jolly Harbour Yacht Club Annual Regatta

November 28-29 “Moods of Pan” Steel Orchestra Festival

DECEMBER December 9 V.C. Bird Snr. Day

December 11 Star-gazing with the EAG

December 4-10 54th Antigua Charter Yacht Show

December 19, 26 & 27 Antigua Yacht Club High Tide Series December 20 Freetown Day Festival

December 25 Nelson’s Dockyard Christmas Day Champagne Party December 31 Nelson’s Pursuit Race & Nelson’s Dockyard Old Year’s Night Party SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA

127

Opening Times Mon-Fri 8am-4pm Sat 8am-12pm T: (268) 480 5180 Distributed by Best Cellars Wines & Spirits. Part of the Island Provision Group of Companies. Sir George H. Walter Highway, Antigua www.island-provision.com