Kangiebibi's Blog: Antigua & Barbuda

I had been feeling lost...I realize it is truly a 1st world problem, but I couldn't help myself: I wander the world alone in search of an answer to a question I can't even formulate into words..

Hence, I had to go away by myself:

Back in my favorite part of the world, the Caribbean! This time I chose Antigua & Barbuda. I didn't have time to visit the island of Barbuda but I had a wonderful long weekend in the more populous island of Antigua. Here is where I went & what I did!

So of course I had to take the famous touristy photo in the non-functioning red British phone box! Antigua & Barbuda was colonized by the British empire in the 1600's but became an independent nation in 1981. Nonetheless, you will find a lot of British traditions and cultural references here:

1. Stingray City

I have swum with sharks, dolphins, and now stingrays! Stingray City tours are one of the most popular tourist activities in Antigua. A ticket per person costs about $60. The whole experience was about an hour and a half. There was plenty of time to interact with the stingrays, feed them, and take pictures.

The tour guides take professional photos of you with a stingray for purchase (~$15) but you are welcome to bring your own cameras and phones with protective cases.

The saltwater stingrays are huge!! They can get to be 6 feet in diameter. The females are bigger than the males. Their skin felt soft, almost like dolphins' skin.

The stingrays are used to tourists and kept coming up to all of us (each excursion had about 35 people). We fed them shrimp. A stingray passing by me liked me so much that he decided to give me a hickey! It really hurt, to be honest. The tour guides told me to push the stingrays away if they came too close but I felt bad!

2. English Harbour

Nelson's Dockyard is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This dockyard was built in the 1700's by enslaved workers and served as a major harbor for the Royal Navy.

Nelson's Dockyard is fully restored. You can experience both the modern culture and the long history of A&B and the British influence on Antiguan culture right here:

This bakery was built in 1776 and provided the workers of the dockyard with bread and food. It is still functioning today!

Of course I had to grab some baked goods!

The view from English Harbor:

3. Beaches!

A&B is famous for its 365 beaches--1 for every day of the year!

My first stop was the shallow Galleon Beach. I really wanted to be at a nice beach to force myself to finish this book by Goethe:

Dickenson Bay is one of the most famous beaches in A&B!

I eventually got a tour guide to make use of my short time here. A tour guide really helps you to save time and explore as much of the country as possible (as well as seeing as many of the most famous beaches as possible!).

I don't remember how many beaches I went to but they all had beautifully clear turquoise waters and clean, white sands. Some names I recall are: Fryes, Little Fryes, Pigeon Point...

The last beach I visited before leaving A&B was Shell Beach. This beach is almost always empty and is very close to the airport.

4. The City & Places other than the Beach

A&B is 1 of the few Caribbean islands where public transportation is quite accessible. 1 way to anywhere on the island is ~4 ECD (~$2 USD)!

St. John's is the capital city of A&B. Sir V.C. Bird (also the name of the airport) was the 1st Prime Minister of Antigua.

I got to walk around the city and check out some local spots. Open marketplaces are everywhere!

This was a huge supermarket and carried most items you can find in the U.S.:

I also saw some more "countryside" places and wild horses along the way!

5. Food

Seafood, including fish and my favorite conch, are main staples of Antiguan cuisine:

I've never tried a floating Tiki Bar so this was quite an experience! There was a little boat that took you back and forth to the bar:

I met a group of lovely ladies, and the bartender gave us all free shots!

I like to try local spots and at least 1 fancy restaurant in my travels. I chose Miracles South Coast Restaurant for my "fancy" meal. The ambiance was nice and they served Antiguan cuisine of mostly seafood. I got a fish burger:

Catherine's Cafe is another higher end restaurant with a great view of the beach. I loved their pina colada and I had plenty of time to drink, read, and just enjoy the view:

6. Where I stayed

The Waterfront Inn is a huge place in English Harbour, which is one of the most popular towns in A&B. You have an option to get your own room or share a room with other travelers. The bathroom and the kitchen are shared.

I wouldn't recommend this place for couples or families but definitely give it a try if you're traveling alone or with friends! It's a great opportunity to save money and meet new people from other countries.

I met 2 lovely ladies from the UK here and to explore the area and enjoy some wine with them.

I feel like I fall in love with every country any time I come down to the Caribbean and I hope I can come back--

I would say A&B felt "less touristy" than some of the other Caribbean Islands I've been to. So, it's a good place to travel solo if you're looking for a peaceful escape. For some reason, I ran into a lot of solo female travelers, both at the inn and at the bars I went to.

I think it definitely helps if you've been to the Caribbean before--you know better how to get around and what to look for, but Antiguans are very friendly and will often offer help, especially if you look lost. I highly recommend giving this gorgeous country a visit!